[Duffman]

Far from expert on teak but learned a s-load from trial and error.

Clean it with Starbrite cleaner, then hit it with StarBrite brightner. The stuff is cheap, but worked well. Follow instructions on the bottles and rinse real well after cleaning and let it dry THOROUGHLY. Cant stress that enough, let it sit for a few days to dry out if ya can.

If you are into a gloss finish, I found Interlux Schooner varnish tough to beat. If you cleaned the wood well, and let it dry completely, the finish will adhere no problem. 3-4-5 coats, or as many as you have time for. I've had it last many seasons w/o chipping or fading and was very easy to refinish when need be.

If you want the look of a matte finish, your going to oil, then oil, then oil some more. Used a ton of different oils (again, no expert, and tried a s-load) found Sea Bowld teak oil cheap/worked well/lasted. Coat it, coat it again, coat it again, then when your done, coat it again. You'll build it up until you get the finish ya want.

Just my observations, hope it helps.