marinetrader
Senior Member
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- Oct 6, 2007
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Varnishes have been used to protect and maintain woods on*trawlers for many, many years.* History indicates that varnishes used in the 1700s are very similar to those used today.* The coatings allow for the attractiveness of the teak to be viewed while offering protection from rain and sun.* The luster attained after cautious application will deviate from a soft patina to a high gloss finish analogous to fine furniture.
Presuming you wish to protect and embellish your*trawler's exterior teak, how do you select among the astounding diversity of finishes? Recognizing full well that this is as big a deal as arguing the differences between single and twin engines, I nevertheless provide the accompanying observations.
What is a Varnish
A varnish is a liquid finish commonly used to treat wood.* Its principal ingredients are*oils. resins, solvents, dryers and perhaps ultra-violet additives.* The components are used in different quantities to provide the best appearance and protection.
Varnish
Spar or marine varnish is a complicated product. By changing the ratios of the components and by blending ultra-violet inhibitors and other secret ingredients, producers make varnishes with widely varied features. Varnishes can have a gloss or matte visual aspect, can be produced to be extremely hard for walked-on surfaces and can vary in color.
The two most routine varieties of varnishes are traditional varnishes made with tung oil and newer polyurethane coatings. Natural tung oil varnishes are great for interior or exterior use and offer the classic golden teak appearance. Oil modified polyurethanes tend to be more clear, allowing the color of the wood to shine through.
Recent varnishes, provide better durability in the harshest of environments such as the hot, tropical sunlight. Wood moves, since it is a formerly living thing, it enlarges and compresses with even small fluctuations in temperature and humidity. Premium varnishes cope with this unstable wood using high quality*oils and resins and a higher percentage of solid components, providing a longer lasting, more elastic coating with a greater gloss.*
The number of coats is everything. Six to ten coats is normally required to get a superior look.* A sound base coat, annually cared-for with maintenance coats, will give the ultimate in appearance, length of service and protection.* Despite the original effort (up to 10 coats are common) nothing looks better on a trawler's handrail than exterior brightwork finished with gloss varnish.
Interluxs Original 90 is one of many brands of traditional spar varnishes on the market.
Synthetic Teak Finishes
These coatings gained popularity with cruisers in the tropics looking for ultra-violet resistant low-maintenance brightwork. Developed for ease of application, these products have remarkable durability for exterior use, are easy to apply and look*pretty good.*Some varnishes such as Interlux Goldspar and Schooner are produced with no pigment so the teaks beauty is protected. Full gloss and depth vs. convenience is the tradeoff with these finishes, but simplicity and labor savings can more than compensate. Applying synthetic finishes is akin to teak oil, where you can lay it immediately over sanded, clean teak.
Cetol is a synthetic and comes in four varieties, with the new Natural allowing for a more golden color resembling the real look of raw teak.* Overcoat any of the other pigmented Cetol finishes with the Gloss for a high gloss exterior finish.
I know of one professional that applies Cetol entirely and his work is fantastic.** I use this product myself on my trawler.
Two Part Teak Urethane Finishes
Another product to show up recently in the cruising world are the urethane two-part finishes.* Fashioned to replace traditional varnishes, these products have made a mark in the yachting community.* Their producers produced these finishes to survive in tropical conditions for years at the time.** One maker, C Tech Marine, boasts that its product Bristol Finish is utilized on numerous cruise ships, certifying to its beauty and longevity.
Oils
Oils typically hold the original look and texture of the wood more than the other finishes because they penetrate deeply into the teak fibers and do not create as much of a surface coating.*Oils are available in colors ranking from water clear to gold to dark brown. As with all teak finish, many coats generally result in a much more uniform finish and longer length of service. We find oil to be the simplest to utilize, since surface blemishes are not as apparent in the final outcome. This does not mean, notwithstanding, that applying four coats of wood oil on dirty teak will develop a Bristol finish. You will also see that oils thin consistency makes masking areas to protect surrounding gel coat and painted surfaces about as important with oil as with varnish. Clean, sanded teak with several coats of oil will give your teak 3-6 months of beauty and protection.
Tung oil is used frequently for teak applications.
Presuming you wish to protect and embellish your*trawler's exterior teak, how do you select among the astounding diversity of finishes? Recognizing full well that this is as big a deal as arguing the differences between single and twin engines, I nevertheless provide the accompanying observations.
What is a Varnish
A varnish is a liquid finish commonly used to treat wood.* Its principal ingredients are*oils. resins, solvents, dryers and perhaps ultra-violet additives.* The components are used in different quantities to provide the best appearance and protection.
Varnish
Spar or marine varnish is a complicated product. By changing the ratios of the components and by blending ultra-violet inhibitors and other secret ingredients, producers make varnishes with widely varied features. Varnishes can have a gloss or matte visual aspect, can be produced to be extremely hard for walked-on surfaces and can vary in color.
The two most routine varieties of varnishes are traditional varnishes made with tung oil and newer polyurethane coatings. Natural tung oil varnishes are great for interior or exterior use and offer the classic golden teak appearance. Oil modified polyurethanes tend to be more clear, allowing the color of the wood to shine through.
Recent varnishes, provide better durability in the harshest of environments such as the hot, tropical sunlight. Wood moves, since it is a formerly living thing, it enlarges and compresses with even small fluctuations in temperature and humidity. Premium varnishes cope with this unstable wood using high quality*oils and resins and a higher percentage of solid components, providing a longer lasting, more elastic coating with a greater gloss.*
The number of coats is everything. Six to ten coats is normally required to get a superior look.* A sound base coat, annually cared-for with maintenance coats, will give the ultimate in appearance, length of service and protection.* Despite the original effort (up to 10 coats are common) nothing looks better on a trawler's handrail than exterior brightwork finished with gloss varnish.
Interluxs Original 90 is one of many brands of traditional spar varnishes on the market.
Synthetic Teak Finishes
These coatings gained popularity with cruisers in the tropics looking for ultra-violet resistant low-maintenance brightwork. Developed for ease of application, these products have remarkable durability for exterior use, are easy to apply and look*pretty good.*Some varnishes such as Interlux Goldspar and Schooner are produced with no pigment so the teaks beauty is protected. Full gloss and depth vs. convenience is the tradeoff with these finishes, but simplicity and labor savings can more than compensate. Applying synthetic finishes is akin to teak oil, where you can lay it immediately over sanded, clean teak.
Cetol is a synthetic and comes in four varieties, with the new Natural allowing for a more golden color resembling the real look of raw teak.* Overcoat any of the other pigmented Cetol finishes with the Gloss for a high gloss exterior finish.
I know of one professional that applies Cetol entirely and his work is fantastic.** I use this product myself on my trawler.
Two Part Teak Urethane Finishes
Another product to show up recently in the cruising world are the urethane two-part finishes.* Fashioned to replace traditional varnishes, these products have made a mark in the yachting community.* Their producers produced these finishes to survive in tropical conditions for years at the time.** One maker, C Tech Marine, boasts that its product Bristol Finish is utilized on numerous cruise ships, certifying to its beauty and longevity.
Oils
Oils typically hold the original look and texture of the wood more than the other finishes because they penetrate deeply into the teak fibers and do not create as much of a surface coating.*Oils are available in colors ranking from water clear to gold to dark brown. As with all teak finish, many coats generally result in a much more uniform finish and longer length of service. We find oil to be the simplest to utilize, since surface blemishes are not as apparent in the final outcome. This does not mean, notwithstanding, that applying four coats of wood oil on dirty teak will develop a Bristol finish. You will also see that oils thin consistency makes masking areas to protect surrounding gel coat and painted surfaces about as important with oil as with varnish. Clean, sanded teak with several coats of oil will give your teak 3-6 months of beauty and protection.
Tung oil is used frequently for teak applications.