Teak decks

...and a shovel when the dog does his thing!

markpierce said:

Teak decks: what a pain. Glad you folks talked me out of them in 2010 when purchasing my boat (originally ordered with teak decks). I don't mind gray decks. That's what I have, but that's non-skid paint.

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Having just redone my decks in a combination of finishes, non slip on the bow, fresh teak on the side decks and cockpit, I can tell you the non slip often gets too hot for bare feet, and the teak looks great, at present. But in terms of practicality I am comfortable with my decision, even if my feet are not.
Agree in principle with not sanding or adding finishes to teak, but it is interesting Phil has done it for years with success.

Thanks Marin,

Not clear on your impression of Cetol. Seems folks either swear by it or at it.

I think not long before I acquired Satori, the PO had someone remove all finishes (except cabin windows) in favor of bare teak.(not to careful around the windows with the power sander either)
Not sure how long she had been naked, but I suspect less than 2 years. His recommendation was much like yours, just wash with saltwater.

From the best advice previously, I have already Cetol'd the center Pilot window and had intended to do the other 2 the same. This would pretty much match the cabin windows.
The bare rails were molding black, so based on another GB owner, I cleaned them well and applied teak oil. This took about a year, part time, as I found a lot of the previous finish had not been removed on the undersides as well as under the Bow Pulpit. I was, and still am of the opinion that I do not currently have the time to do and maintain a varnish / cetol finish on the rails, but the oil would make the rails easier to clean and give me a more desirable look, which it has. Seemed to control the molding as well. I have used the oil in several other places as well with satisfying results.(so far)
In my mind, I would prefer a "varnished" teak boat, but I do not have the time for it now - there are many more pressing priorities on this old boat.

I am a big fan of 2-part epoxy since I have begun using it a lot when the boat came along, but the thought of epoxy coating teak before varnishing just gives me the creaps! The stuff really soaks in and becomes quite Permanent. I have read of others recommending the epoxy sealer, but I have yet to come to terms with this approach.

I shall take some time to peruse the GB Forum on teak work to get a feel for how others approach it.

Huge difference in what happens to a teak deck when exposed in Southeast, Northeast, Southwest, Northwest....one philosophy doesn't fit all....

I'm pretty much with Marin on this one. Our decks turn a beautiful silver grey color. We wash them occasionally with clean salt water and a mop. If something gets on them like diesel fuel, a little sudsy ammonia diluted in sea water works great. But basically, we do zero to them.

Every couple or three years we have them cleansed with Snappy Teak Nu, which doesn't take much off at all. We just completed taking out most of the bungs, checking the screws, re-bunging, mostly re-caulking, sanding etc. after who knows how many years, we've owned the boat for 6. When I saw how thick the wood was, I may cleanse them more often, or, not. I did again this time because we had random sanding where new bungs were installed and so evened out the look.

I personally think Cetol or any other finish on a deck is atrocious. Very hot, less non-skid performance, and a maintenace beast. I do have Cetol with some non-skid beads mixed in on my pulpit just for giggles and a design contrast and boy am I glad it is not on the decks.

We are in a marina, on a dock with many very high dollar custom sport fishermen. Teak is the cockpit decking and coaming board material of choice. These guys have big, open checkbooks when it comes to pimping their ride. Most leave all the teak natural, all leave the decks natural, some use Semco or oil on the coaming boards. If form and looks are more important to you than function, Semco seems to be the weapon of choice and looks nice without being artificial. I kind of wish I had used that on the pulpit rather than Cetol, but hey, there was a can of Cetol laying around and some beads from a painting project...

Anyway, I think our decks look pretty darn nice>>>

Cetol and natural teak go together like peas and carrots.

Angelina's decks and most of her teak is natural silver with just enough trim done in Cetol so she doesn't look like a derelict.

This what the overall tone looks like.

Delta_JimS said:

Thanks Marin,

Not clear on your impression of Cetol. Seems folks either swear by it or at it.

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We don't care for the appearance of Cetol when used as a brightwork finish. I think it looks muddy, even their newer "clear" products, and it tends to hide the figuring in the wood, particularly if it's an older boat with good quality old-growth teak as opposed to the very plain-Jane plantation teak most builders are forced to use today.

But if one likes the look of Cetol on the rails and trim, fine. It's a totally subjective thing, no right or wrong except in the eye of the beholder.

On a teak deck, however, it's a disaster waiting to happen. But that applies to any finish--- varnish, oil, Bristol, you name it. Some finishes and cleaners will actually attack and loosen the adhesion of the seam sealer to the sides of the grooves and when that happens, it doesn't matter how nice the deck looks, you've put the integrity of the subdeck at risk. Other finishes, particularly oil, attract and hold dirt which, when combined with the oil make a wonderful cutting compound under your feet as you walk around on the deck. And so wood cells go away.

And psneeld is correct--- the environment a boat lives in will determine to a large degree what works well and what doesn't in terms of a brightwork finish. Based on what I see owners in our part of the marina doing every year, Cetol seems to be fairly short-lived in the PNW if it's out in the weather. Varnish does better, and if applied properly with sufficient coats, Bristol outlasts them all. The tricky bit up here (with any finish) is getting enough coats on given the weather and, if one has a full-time job, the available time.

Somebody isn't doing the prep and application right if Cetol isn't lasting outside up there. If there is one thing it is really good for, it is exterior use in exposed and wet locations. It is why I decided to use it when I tarted up my pulpit, which takes a lot of abuse from me (standing on it while anchoring) and the elements (sun, water, mud, cold). It's one reason it is popular (in my opinion unfortunately) for decks and outdoor furniture. Doesn't get that nice hard glossy finish that varnish does, but requires much less attention.

PS: I should note I am particularly referring to the Natural Teak product.

Blue Heron said:

This what the overall tone looks like.




View attachment 15478

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My, what pretty decks you have! Do you plan on keeping them that why, or letting them go gray/silver?

Greetings,
Mr. BH. Nice looking deck! I would suspect that this is your aft deck which, in your avatar, appears to be fully enclosed. If I was in the same situation I would not hesitate to maintain the same finish, be it varnish or Cetol etc. PROVIDED it remain absolutely dry. From experience, I hold untreated (silver if you wish) teak decks to be the ultimate covering. As mentioned, non-slip when wet and relatively cool in the sun. Treated, they become virtual skating rinks when wet no matter what the anti-skid footwear IMHO. This is the main reason I have NOT put anything on my teak swim platform. It's one thing to slip and land on a deck and another to slip and end up in the water.

Bruce,

I am a bit confused with this last post of yours.(not unusual for me) You say you just "redone" your "decks" in a combination of "finishes", but in the last statement you "agree" with "not sanding or adding finishes".
Can you expand on what your "redone" entailed?

Also, unless I really need my eyes checked, those "silver" decks of yours would be quite acceptable to me as a natural brown teak.

Thanks for posting those pics.

BruceK said:

Having just redone my decks in a combination of finishes, non slip on the bow, fresh teak on the side decks and cockpit, I can tell you the non slip often gets too hot for bare feet, and the teak looks great, at present. But in terms of practicality I am comfortable with my decision, even if my feet are not.
Agree in principle with not sanding or adding finishes to teak, but it is interesting Phil has done it for years with success.

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