Pilot house veneer/laminate?

[Jmreim]

The pilot house of my 1999 Eagle 32 was nicely finished in teak veneer with solid trim. The previous owner allowed some minor window leaks to ruin much of the port side veneers from just below the windows, almost to the deck below (about 5’). I knew this when I purchased the boat last fall and have taken care of the leaking windows. Now it’s time to repair/replace the water-stained veneer and I’m considering using white laminate (the headliner is white as well as some fiberglass surfaces that show in the pilot house). I don’t want to destroy the look of the boat but also don’t want to spend crazy money on this project. I’m also a bit concerned that if the windows ever leak again, any new veneer I replace would be ruined instantly. Any advice would be most appreciated.

 

[BruceK]

How about woodgrain laminate rather than white?
Many boats have a sun exposed flat area aft of the "windscreen". On some boats it is finished in teak veneer, and degraded. IG did mine in a timber look laminate, it doesn`t look 100% like real wood but is acceptable(to me) and looks good after near 40 years. Especially with a touch of low sheen Armorall now and then.

 

[Jmreim]

Thx for the suggestion - I considered that but was unsuccessful finding 1) a laminate that looked reasonably close in color/grain to the teak veneer elsewhere in the pilot house or 2) a laminate color/grain that complimented the other colors in the pilot house. There are currently 2 colors in the pilot house - teak (solid and veneer) and white. Rather than introducing a 3rd color, thought it might be best to just add more white.

 

[steelydon]

I had the same problem with leaky windows. I went with black laminate to match the chart table and new instrument helm. Don’t know if these pictures will come through but they give some idea of the result.

 

[Jmreim]

thx for the idea - hadn't thought of black. Very hard to see in the pics you sent - if it's not too much of an imposition, would you mind sending some more (perhaps w/o the sun)?

 

[FF]

Actual teak veneers can be glued over the unsightly area and stained to match the area.

A window leak will destroy it as usual.

 

[bayview]

I don’t think laminate is waterproof either

 

[Jmreim]

Agreed laminates aren't weatherproof but certainly more forgiving and resilient than teak veneer.

 

[Comodave]

I like the idea of black laminate. It would cut down on reflections and maybe make your visibility better. Maybe even matte finish over gloss finish. I have a real problem with glare and put medium gray boat blanket on my white dash to cut down on reflections.

 

[syjos]

Why not paint it with an oil based enamel?

I have painted over teak veneer with off white paint and it does make the interior "brighter"

Prime first.

 

[Jmreim]

Thx for the idea but the previous owner neglected this issue long enough to ruin some of the existing veneer - not only is it water stained but the veneer itself has wrinkled-up in places. Need to cut out these sections in order to adhere the laminate to something smooth.

 

[Simi 60]

Why not paint it with an oil based enamel?

I have painted over teak veneer with off white paint and it does make the interior "brighter"

Prime first.

That's what we will do................one day.

 

[BruceK]

Thx for the idea but the previous owner neglected this issue long enough to ruin some of the existing veneer - not only is it water stained but the veneer itself has wrinkled-up in places. Need to cut out these sections in order to adhere the laminate to something smooth.

You could remove the wrinkled veneer, patch with filler, sand smooth before painting. But if the water entry issue has not been resolved, this and most other solutions may be temporary.

 

[Mako]

I went with black laminate to match the chart table and new instrument helm.

Since you'll likely not be able to 100% match the existing teak (which is faded with time anyway), don't try to, because it will always look poor. Instead, go for a big contrast.

As steely commented, black is an excellent color for the "dash" and is recommenced by IMO for pilothouse design. I used black vinyl on mine instead of laminate. It was not only slightly soft (for delicate things) but helped keep items from sliding around.

 

[steelydon]

Apologies for taking so long to reply. These pictures were on my office computer.

 

[koliver]

Since you'll likely not be able to 100% match the existing teak (which is faded with time anyway), don't try to, because it will always look poor.

I did a small piece of the flat, horizontal part of the dash with new teak. After only a year the fading had blended that piece in so now you can't tell where old ends and new begins.
For the first short while the new was a very different colour than the old but sunshine on the teak took care of it.

 

[Jmreim]

Thx for remembering to send these pics - I'm doing the same.

 

[sahockey]

I had a similar problem with my trawler. I took it to have some Maine craftsmen replace the worst of the veneers. Although their work was very good, new teak is a lot darker than old teak so there will be no easy matching of stains to get a match. If I had it to do over I would have just painted it over with white paint after filling and smoothing out any wrinkled veneer. This is much brighter and if you leave all the solid wood drawers and trim in varnished teak it would still be quite beautiful. As it is now I have some very dark portions that were replaced next to the original much lighter colored teak.

 

[Comodave]

On a previous boat there were a lot of stains and even some rot from old window leaks. I tried various things to match the teak without any success. I finally decided to paint it. I cut out the damaged areas, repaired it and used epoxy filler to get a fair surface. I tried roll and tip but it didn’t come out the way I liked it so I sprayed it with a HVLP sprayer. It came out beautifully. It was a pain as I needed a forced air respirator due the the enclosed area. But in the end it was worth it. I used Interlux Brightside poly paint.

 

[dennisspain]

After I replaced my leaky windows I was left with similar discolored veneer. I purchased thin sheets of teak veneer on the Internet. I then made a pattern out of thin cardboard and used the patterns to cut the veneer to fit (it doesn't have to fit perfectly). Then I used Titebond glue and painted both the old surface and the back of the veneer and let the two surfaces dry.
Then having plenty of time to position the piece I then applied a hot clothing iron from the center to the edges. That will melt the glue and bond the parts. This is reversible if you screw up.
Finally I used a single coat of Cetol natural teak and a coat of clear. This worked for me, you might need to experiment with some scrap veneer to get a good match.
Good luck

 

[steelguy]

Quite a few answers above and I am not sure if it was mentioned, but I used Formica brand laminate on my boat. I am a cabinet maker, so there was no learning curve. Youtube will walk you through the process I am sure. Fairly easy to apply with minimum tools. Tremendously durable, used for kitchen countertops for years. And, if a woodgrain look is what you are after, there are endless selections. Most all of the manufacturers offer free samples online. There are a number of plastic laminate companies other than Formica, but all are worked the same.

 

[rgano]

My suggestion would be to cover that mess with a bit of paneling/formica, glue the veneer replacement to it, apply Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer to the veneer and then varnish to match the other surfacees (gloss, satin, or whatever). If the window leaks again, the CPES will not allow the water to damage your repair work. The teak, if darker, will one day lighten and blend better - take it from a 29-year wooden Grand Baks veteran with extensive interior repair and modification experience. But painting white is not such a bad idea either.

 

[rsn48]

How about the newer vinyl plank flooring, it can get wet, easy to apply and can or not, look like wood.

https://islandfloors.com/flooring/v...yh9KAp-c80ShW7JUPKxbiAyZWhgNkPGYaAtQmEALw_wcB