Tiki Care - How to Take Care of Your Tiki Statues, Totems, and Masks

The best quality tiki statues, tiki totems and tiki masks are hand-carved from Acacia wood, otherwise known by its Hawaiian name, Monkey Pod. Monkey pod became popular in the United States after the second world war when soldiers returned carrying souvenirs of tiki totems back to their families. To this day, many people say "I have a bowl just like that which my mother passed down to me years ago and we still use it today!"

Acacia is a dense, naturally resinous hardwood which (by it's very nature) resists penetration by water and will not stain. It also naturally repels insects. It is not necessary to oil the wood but if for some reason it appears to be drying out, you can use a non-toxic mineral oil like Tung Oil to restore the wood grain to its original beauty. Care is simple and easy: just hand wash with warm soapy water and air dry.

CARE IMPROVEMENT

After carving most makers of tiki products coat them with Thompson's® Water Seal® clear coat which has a matt (not shiny) finish. This protects all of the items and can be reapplied annually if you want to maintain the perfect finish...

..but most tiki lovers prefer their Tiki art to remain outdoors and develop some character as it ages!

Coco wood and Pine is also used, but are lesser quality woods less suitable for use outdoors. As a guide, Acacia will last a lifetime (40+ years), Coco will last many years (15+ years) and Pine will last 5+ years before showing any adverse signs of aging if left untreated. Insects are a problem in Coco and Pine, so location and insect-proofing is worth considering for the pine tiki masks for example.

Regardless of the materials used, fading from the sun's UV rays is to be expected, both the wood color and to the paint finishes if present. Pine in particular will last longer if out of direct rain because the repeating cycle of getting wet and then drying will eventually cause deep cracks.

To summarize then, Acacia is the wood of choice, then Coco and lastly Pine. We recommend annual application of Tung Oil or Thompson's® Water Seal® on tiki masks and any totems not made from Acacia.

Tiki Care - How to Take Care of Your Tiki Statues, Totems, and Masks

CARE IMPROVEMENT