Material guide
Gluing Teak
Naturally oily hardwood used for garden furniture and boat fittings.
Also called iroko, oily hardwood.
How Teak behaves when you bond it
The natural oils that make teak weather-resistant also stop adhesives wetting the surface properly. Wiping with solvent immediately before gluing is the standard workaround, and the surface has to be bonded before fresh oil migrates back.
Teak is a dense hardwood rich in oily extractives. Those extractives can form a weak boundary layer and inhibit wetting, while freshly prepared wood can become contaminated again as oil migrates back to the surface.
Material properties
- Surface energy
- Medium
- Porosity
- Semi-porous
- Rigidity
- Rigid
- Maximum service temperature
- 100C
- Normally needs abrading
- Yes
- Normally needs a primer
- No
- Recommended degreaser
- Acetone (WEST SYSTEM epoxy preparation for teak and other oily woods, used shortly before coating and allowed to evaporate.) Manufacturer verified
Surface preparation
Machine or sand the joint immediately before bonding. For the WEST SYSTEM epoxy process, sand with 80-grit paper and wipe with acetone about 15 minutes before coating, then allow full evaporation. Bond promptly and do not touch the prepared surface. Check that any solvent is permitted by the selected adhesive maker.
Which adhesives work on Teak
Good
Polyurethane wood glue
Polyurethane wood glue is rated good for this material as an application-level assessment, not as a blanket manufacturer claim. The prepared surface must be sound and consistently keyed where the finish permits. Suitability still depends on the other substrate, joint design and service environment.
Abrade the surface first.
Good
Two-part epoxy
Two-part epoxy is rated good for this material as an application-level assessment, not as a blanket manufacturer claim. The prepared surface must be sound and consistently keyed where the finish permits. Suitability still depends on the other substrate, joint design and service environment.
Abrade the surface first.
Conditional
PVA wood glue
PVA wood glue is rated conditional for this material as an application-level assessment, not as a blanket manufacturer claim. The prepared surface must be sound and consistently keyed where the finish permits. Use only after a product-specific test on the actual grade and joint.
Abrade the surface first.
Bonding Teak to something else
Last reviewed 8 October 2026.