Teak deck coatings on old trawlers

[Dave_E]

Hi All,

After deciding I don’t have the time or money to rip up the teak decks, I tried Durabak. We prepped the decks down to sanded wood, cleaned per instructions and put on 2 coats of clear. Looked like a million bucks! After the winter however, I have spots that are opaque and not clear. These are areas that have disbonded from the teak. The 2 coat covering is still there and intact, just not bonded to the deck. It’s still doing it’s job... keeping the water out. We may have made a bad decision going with clear.

What have you used, how did it stick, how long did it last and are you happy with it? Please do not respond with all the reasons I have done the wrong thing in your opinion.... I’ve read every thread on the subject. Hope the picture comes through.

The manufacturer DID say they didn’t know about the teak, because of its oily nature. Can’t hold them responsible.

Dave

 

[Giggitoni]

Your manufacturer was correct. Teak is full of oils and resins. I’m surprised you got a year before the covering failed. The PO of our boat put a form of Cetol on the decks a couple of years before we took over her care. It held up fairly well, but eventually failed (due to nature of teak). Plus, I personally don’t like the look of teak with a “sealer”. Check out the Cetol brand of products.

I like the look of gray/silver teak. Sanding frequently to maintain the honey color of freshly milled teak will remove too much wood over a short period of time. Maintain the seams and bungs and the deck will outlast the rest of the boat.

 

[long-cours.62]

You will certainely said : heretical !!

But we are not fan of the teak, on our last boat we start to...remove it !!
Save, at less, 580kgs at an average height of 1.80 m above the water line.

 

[Robvald]

I have been using the Cetol oil sealer with great results. I use the sealer only on all horizontal surfaces and added a clear coat on the vertical trim pieces. I like the finish and the oiled surfaces are easy to add coats with just a light sanding. I do keep the boat in a covered slip also.

 

[BruceK]

I once painted a cast iron and teak timber slat garden seat. Primer, undercoats, 2 top gloss coats. Wow,looked beautiful. Until it all lifted and peeled.
I`m a fan of Deks Olje. And of doing as little violence as possible to teak,just enough to keep it from ridging.

 

[Comodave]

PMM had an article on cooatingg teak decks with truck bed liner many years ago. I spoke to the owner about 5 years later and he said he had no issues with it and it was holding up well.

 

[Taras]

I use Semco to seal my decks. I like the natural or clear color. It soaks into the teak deck and looks really nice. I problem is I’m only getting about 3 to 4 months out of it and I need to re-coat the areas that are in the sun. Shady areas last much longer.
I just asked some workers what they were using on their hardwood deck at a hotel. They use Bona Decking Oil and say it lasts a year. This deck in in Mexico, lots of sun, heat and wear. Has anyone used Bona Decking Oil on their teak deck? Any suggestions that give a nice look but last longer than Semco?

 

[alormaria]

I let Angelina go grey with highlights of Cetol.

 

[Comodave]

I just used Semco on my newly refinished teak decks. Since we are in Michigan and the boat is inside half the year I think it will last pretty good.

 

[Cigatoo]

Any concerns about Cetol or Simco causing the bond between the teak and the caulking to deteriorate?

 

[Comodave]

I used TDS 440 caulk for the seams. I spoke to TDS support before I sealed the deck. With Semco TDS said to put the sealer on and then wipe it off the caulking right away since it has Mineral Spirits in the Semco. We did as directed and it looks fine but time will tell.

 

[Larry M]

Any concerns about Cetol or Simco causing the bond between the teak and the caulking to deteriorate?

Not that we’ve experienced. We’ve been using Semco for 20 years with no seam issues. Semco is not a magic deck treatment. It does help keep the natural oils in the teak which helps keep the dirt out and preserve the soft grain.

 

[long-cours.62]

Any concerns about Cetol or Simco causing the bond between the teak and the caulking to deteriorate?

On our Doggerbank we used a "teak oil'" from Star Brite...it was a big mistake
quickly the seal was deteriorated !

 

[nemier]

Hi Dave,

We use Semco on INFINITY.
It has to be removed and reapplied around every 4 months, so it's a lot of work but we like the look. These teak decks are 18 years old.

 

[sahockey]

After going through many many hours of scraping, sanding, and routering out the caulk between the strips of teak on the deck and then sanding the surface level I have had very good success with Teak Guard. It goes on like water and can be recoated at any time without any fussiness. Although my boat, a 30’ Sundowner tug/trawler, is in my barn for 8 months of the year, I live in the Northeast, I’ve only had to recoat it once in the last 5 years. It isn’t as pretty as varnish but in my opinion is much prettier than gray. It is not a sealer and when wet it does get dark but seems to dry without a problem. Best of all if you don’t like it you can just stop recoating and let it go to gray without any work.

 

[akflyrod2]

Check out my post on thread about Tired Teak Deck.... We live in rainy Alaska and we used SaniTread over our decks. It is a catalyzed product. has the durability of a tire. It has been a couple of years and it is amazingly great!

 

[shardy]

Durabak

Used it on my sailboat. Extremely durable and long lasting. Great nonskid. Followed the directions very carefully and never had any issues. Color was very consistent. Had to work quickly in the Florida heat when putting it down.

 

[MichaelB1969]

We use Semco. It needs a fresh coat every 5 months or so. The nice thing is it doesn't flake off or anything, so adding a fresh coat isn't a major project. We simply give the deck a good scrub with the Eco-100 teak cleaner from Teak Decking Systems, which is a non-acidic and environmentally friendly cleaner. Then we put a fresh couple of coats of Semco, which is very thin and is very easy to apply. We use a wide brush to apply, then we wipe it with a tag.



https://www.teakdecking.com/eco-100-teak-cleaner-powder/



When you use the Eco-100, you don't ends up with a fresh new teak surface like you do with the harsh acidic cleaners, but you do end up with a clean enough surface to apply a fresh coat of Semco. And on the plus side, you will enjoy longer life from your teak decking.



You can also mix the different Semco tones to get something that's just right. I think I mixed the Natural and Goldtone 50/50 last time and really liked the result.

 

[Dickhein]

We used a product called Tuff Coat. It’s a rubberized paint with non-skid particles. We applied it about 7-8 years ago. It was wonderful! Stopped the leaks immediately. But I think we’ll have to recoat this year. I see some hairline cracks developing where the old grout lines are. Great stuff, totally DIY and one can paint over it if you don’t like the cover.

 

[fsarcone]

Teak deck

Leave it alone. Let it turn grey. That’s the best footing you can get. No stiff brushing. It further gouges the teak allowing bacteria to grow in the small crevasses caused by brushing. Once or twice a summer, on a bright sunny day, I apply a light mixture of Oxiclean/water, swab it on, let the sun hit it for a few hours then lightly rinse. I’m mean rinsing, not a hose end nozzle sprayer. Just let water run over the deck rinsing the residual Oxiclean. I’ve owned the boat since 2012. My decks are 41 years old without leaks.

I talked with a fellow live aboard this year & they use a light mixture of Johnson’s soap/water, swabbed on then rinsed.

 

[Giggitoni]

Leave it alone. Let it turn grey. That’s the best footing you can get. No stiff brushing. It further gouges the teak allowing bacteria to grow in the small crevasses caused by brushing. Once or twice a summer, on a bright sunny day, I apply a light mixture of Oxiclean/water, swab it on, let the sun hit it for a few hours then lightly rinse. I’m mean rinsing, not a hose end nozzle sprayer. Just let water run over the deck rinsing the residual Oxiclean. I’ve owned the boat since 2012. My decks are 41 years old without leaks.

I talked with a fellow live aboard this year & they use a light mixture of Johnson’s soap/water, swabbed on then rinsed.

^This!!! A voice of reason ?. My non-leaking deck is 33 years old. I take care of the bungs and seams. I occasionally use dawn (or plain salt water) brushed on cross grain with a soft brush and rinse. Added chemicals and “teak cleaners” actually remove the top layer of wood. That’s how the honey color is maintained (by removing wood). Grey is beautiful!

 

[Nomad Willy]

All branded and manufactured stuff I’m see’in above.
I’ve always used linseed oil on teak. I vary a mix that is ideal for first coat to the last. I was more or less forced to try oil since all canned stuff would not hold up in the damp Alaska weather.

I used kerosene w a small amount of linseed oil to start. Kerosene for penetration. After 3 coats or so I switch to turpentine and a bit of linseed oil. Then a bit more LO and just a bit of varnish (less than 5%) w the same 10% LO. Then more LO up to about 20%. Then a small increase in the still very small amount of varnish. The varnish is to add some UV protectant and encourage a bit of hardening. Not so much as would result in build. Build is not wanted.

Continue coating until build is seen in some places. Hopefully not more than about 10% of area. Eventually you’ll get there. That will usually happen too soon. Wipe the build off w a rag damp w LO. Then stop the varnish and just use 10-15% or less LO in the turpentine. When you’ve knocked down the build spots increase the oil till some shinny spots appear. Not the same as build because you’re not applying varnish. The shinny spots will appear in the same places .. where the wood is more dense.

I’ve posted this method of oil finish several times but now I think I may have discovered a way to get rid of the slight stickiness that always seems to be there using this method. I refinished the teak gunnel on my 12’ rowboat and after a number of coats got the build in places as described above. Acting on an idea I got a rag damp w turp and wiped down the wood. Then w a bit more turp put a “dollup” of Japan Drier on the rag. Perhaps a tablespoon full. With my rubber gloves on I wiped down the gunnel well and the next morning the gunnel was almost totally dry. Very nice to feel w my hands.

This ability to apply relatively large amounts of oil and keep it in the wood w/o the stickiness could be unprecedented. Don’t know but haven’t heard of anyone doing it. This could even work for decks. I’m quite sure it’ll work well on cap rails. I myself have got varnish on mine and don’t want to take the time to wood down but I you have interest in this you can always ask me how the row boat cap rail is doing.

Probably the most important part of my method is that each coat applied can have just the right amount of oil and vehicle (turp) so w this control you can work the oil down into the wood. Maximum protection. Water beads up on the finished surface. With canned finishes every coat has the same content. One can thin varnish or apply oil first but then you’d be doing just about what I’m doing.

Build always results in something you’ll need to remove .. laboriously.
Cheers

 

[MichaelB1969]

Added chemicals and “teak cleaners” actually remove the top layer of wood. That’s how the honey color is maintained (by removing wood). Grey is beautiful!

Exactly, that's why I like the Teak Decking Systems product.

 

[grahamdouglass]

Coelan polyurethane finish for teak

http://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s32/teak-deck-coelan-product-29316.html

There is a prior post on this product. Click the above link.

I was in a similar position, having to either replace my teak decks or finding a way of dealing with them to make them water tight. They hadn't leaked yet, but I was looking for a leak proof system.

I discovered Colean through Practical Yacht magazine out of England. They tested several products, (9 Products?) on teak boards on a beach in northern England. Only one product lasted several seasons and this was Colean. It's used on cruise ships and applied professionally.

I redid it after 7 years with one coat after lightly sanding the deck. Unfortuately the exposed lower deck was not cleaned properly and in the poor light conditions inside my winter cover I didn't relized how bad the job turned out. The upper deck, that has been protected by a bimini turned out great.
I will probably have to redo the lower deck and sand down further to get to a clean surface.

I will try to get some pictures in the next little while.

 

[BruceK]

A Yard I used in Sydney sold Colean "varnish", and was very proud of the finish and longevity.
This thread has covered a wide range of areas and needs for teak. I use Deks Olje oil(#1) on the swimstep, once saturated it needs only occasional recoating and looks natural. Also as the saturation base for applying the polyurethane (#2)gloss on the cappings. In almost 10 years I`ve not had to hard sand back to wood.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Bruce,
What’s in “Deks Olje”? Any idea?

 

[SeaStarDF50]

Our 50-yr-teak decks are mostly original and in good shape. The side, trunk deck, and cockpit are natural silver. We rinse regularly with sea water when on-board seasonally, and mend caulking and bongs as needed. The bow had some teak repair done 15 years ago and was coated with Cetol. I mend caulk and recoat with Cetol annually. It has held up nicely, but it can be slippery when wet.

 

[BruceK]

Bruce,
What’s in “Deks Olje”? Any idea?

The cans of parts 1 (oil) & 2(gloss) are on the boat, I`m not, so can`t say if the can labels help. #1 seems to be a very easily absorbed thin oil which doesn`t build up. 2 is a polyurethane I think, it doesn`t build up much, gloss lasts about a year.

 

[dave52]

Tuff coat is amazing

Could not afford the inevitable time or cost of recalking. Used tuff coat two years ago, diy, infinite colors, no leaks, $600 ... amazing product. 1973 grandbanks '42.