Oxford Garden Siena Side Table

A blend of robust craftsmanship and sculpted design, the Oxford Garden Siena Side Table makes a great place for your food and beverage when you're outside enjoying the summer weather. Crafted from sturdy Shorea wood, this side table is very similar to teak in terms of appearance and durability but without the expense. We love the slatted square top for its beautiful simplicity, and the four sturdy legs make for a perfectly balanced surface great for holiday decor or serving food and drink. If left untreated, Shorea wood will weather to a soft, warm gray over time.

Shorea Wood: An Eco-Friendly Choice
Like teak, its more expensive counterpart, Shorea is a high-quality hardwood praised not only for its looks, but also for its longevity and resistance to decay. Shorea is hard and dense, like teak. In fact, it possesses an even tighter wood grain, making it heavier, denser, and harder than teak, and both woods are extremely resistant to decay. Shorea wood contains a comparatively high oil content, which not only enhances its defenses against the ravages of time and changing climate, but also against destructive insect infestations. So if teak and Shorea are so similar, why does teak cost up to twice as much? Shorea's lower cost can be attributed to its abundance compared to teak's rarity.

This abundance of supply is also what makes Shorea a green choice. Shorea wood is carefully regulated. Only mature trees can be legally harvested. This ensures a steady supply of Shorea wood, while also protecting irreplaceable forests. Because Oxford Garden obtains their Shorea wood from superior sources, minimal processing is required to bring out the wood's stunning color and grains. This means less chemicals used. Oxford Garden's factories use recycled wood to fuel production kilns. They take steps to conserve natural resources and the result is a smaller carbon footprint.

Wood Care Instructions
After assembly, furniture should be rinsed well with water to remove dust left over from manufacturing. This should be done before placing on concrete or tile to prevent staining. Since Shorea has such high oil content and is so dense, it weathers well outside without maintenance at all. Shorea will weather naturally to silver gray. While the weather process may change its color, the grain will still be smooth. You may treat each piece with Teak oil to prolong weathering.

A seasonal cleaning may be desired. This can be done easily with a mild solution of water, laundry detergent, and a little bleach. Just rinse the furniture and use a sponge or soft bristle brush to scrub the furniture with the solution. Lastly, rinse the furniture with more fresh water.

If the original warm brown color is preferred, Oxford Garden suggests any teak oil to be used seasonally to preserve the color. The application of oil is simply cosmetic. Test in an inconspicuous spot to approve the color before applying to the whole piece of furniture. Application of oil is at the customer's discretion and is not included in the warranty. If the original wood color is preferred after graying has begun, Oxford Garden recommends using a wood cleaner to restore the color. Follow up with a new application of teak oil.

Painting or using polyurethane is NOT recommended due to the high oil content of shorea wood. Because some surface roughness may develop early in the weathering process, a very light sanding may be desired to smooth out the roughness. Follow up with a dry rough cleaning sponge to remove any remaining sawdust.