Semco alternatives to seal teak deck

[Taras]

Hi All,
I just purchased my second gallon of Semco Teak deck sealer. Paid $107 at West Marine. I like what Semco does for my decks. Seals them nicely, great “new teak” look and protects against stains. The question I have is are there any alternatives to Semco that work as well but perhaps are less expensive?
I know there’s a ton of experience out there and thought I’d ask if anyone has found anything they like?

Thank you

Taras

 

[caltexflanc]

The short answer is no. For the effect that you want, Semco is the best choice on decks. I'm a "nothing" for decks guy myself, but have had extensive discussions with other teak deck owners on the subject, in particular captains of high end sport fishing boats whose owners demanded that look (in the case of the most knowledgeable, often just on the coaming boards).

 

[HeadMistress]

West Marine is almost always the most expensive source for anything...but they do price match and Amazon seems to have what you're for, for $83/gallon.



https://www.amazon.com/d/Patio-Furn...n-Sealer-Natural-Sealant-Protector/B00D0S4VIQ


--Peggie

 

[firstbase]

Been afraid to bring this subject up as it is one of those best anchor type questions discussed ad infinitum but I have 31 year old decks in good shape. Would like to protect them as much as possible. Forgetting the initial and ongoing cost, work required for recoating/upkeep arguments, does Semco reasonably protect/deter the decks from aging and leaks or is it simply an appearance thing?

 

[Larry M]

Lena applies Semco twice a year on our decks. It does not stop leaks and after a couple of month or so there’s no real appearance change (we use the cleartone). Where Semco shines, imho, is it helps keep the teak from drying out and it helps keep dirt from getting deep into the grain so you don’t need aggressive cleaning. To do Hobo’s decks, we use about 1/3 of a gallon.