The Tectona Workshop
Rejuvenation
Durability is one of Tectona’s core values. In Normandy, their workshop gives a new lease of life to garden furniture by restoring, repairing and fitting new parasol canopies.
A service that is very much in vogue
Doudeville, a small village of 2500 inhabitants in the heart of the Pays de Caux region of Normandy. This is where Tectona creations are conceived, prototyped and stored. It’s also where, more than twenty years ago, under the guidance of Jean-Yves Grandfils, recipient of the Meilleur Ouvrier de France distinction, Tectona established their Workshop to carry out restorations, thereby giving new life to tables, chairs and deckchairs in teak, and restoring to mint condition parasols whose ribs have suffered wear and tear or aluminium armchairs whose paint is flaking off.
At the dawn of their 50th year, Tectona continue to uphold their commitment to durability, with creations designed to spend many years outdoors and with an exceptional Workshop extending this philosophy.
Devotees of the brand are fond of patina, the silvery colour that develops in teak over time. Tectona pieces are recognisable by their unique character, a certain irresistible charm, unchanging from generation to generation. This is why, at Doudeville, the teams at the Tectona Workshop perform miracles.
Making teak immortal
Teak is an exotic wood reputed for its resistance to rain, to wood-eating insects, to cold but also to heat. If you’re wondering how it achieves this, the answer is the oil it secretes. An oil that provides nourishment but also protection from adverse weather conditions. After many years of faithful service, teak furniture is not immune to a damaged slat, or a broken leg or armrest. Xavier Legendre, a cabinetmaker by training who now heads the Workshop, can repair everything. A manifestation of the durability principle dear to Tectona. He offers an initial diagnosis from a photo then, after receiving the furniture, generates a quote.
His intervention is akin to a facelift. He begins by dismantling the item of furniture then he scratches away the traces of glue and cleans the joints. He then creates an identical replica of the part to be replaced and attaches it, possibly with the aid of a dowel. « Like a good old-fashioned Normandy wardrobe, » he remarks. All that remains is to sand then clean the wood. What if the colour is not exactly the same as it was? Not to worry! In two or three months, the teak will have developed the grey hue it is renowned for.
Revive colours of aluminium furniture
The pros of aluminium furniture pieces, such as those from the iconic 1800 and Bamboo collections, is that they never rust and they are easy to move and to store. Over time, however, this type of handling can give rise to small chips. In such cases, experts at the Workshop can restore the powder coating of this furniture for you. The process begins by scrubbing in order to clean the surface and obtain a clean matt base. Next, a new layer of powder lacquer is applied, then cured in an oven at 200°. The process is a guarantee of higher resistance to bumps that will be passed down from generation to generation.
« We receive parasols more than 40 years old,» remarks Xavier Legendre. « Customers can, if they want, change the parasol canopy by themselves, using the tutorial available online. However I should make it clear that the job is complex and meticulous. You need the right tools and a good few hours ahead of you.»
Make your parasol proud again
We do not need to remind you that you should close your parasol after every use in order to avoid unfortunate incidents from a gust of wind or a passing pigeon that soils your beautiful canopy. Or that in winter you should place a protective cover over the parasol, after ensuring that it’s completely dry so that mould doesn’t develop. Despite these precautions, parasols remain fragile items. The Tectona Workshop is unique in providing a service to repair a parasol’s ribs or change its canopy. The principle is always the same: dismantle, clean, check the ribs then fit the new canopy. You can also take advantage of the process to choose a new parasol colour: there are 12 solid colours to choose from and they can be combined with a colourful cord.
