teak decks

[dway]

I have a Beneteau 44 swift trawler. How does one care for the teak decks?
wash down every week but at some point should one use a teak cleaner, brightener, and oil the teak???

thanks

 

[FF]

A wash down with no chemicals , just a soft scrub brush will keep the decks pristine longest.

In time the deck will turn a light shade of grey.

This is about the lowest maint finish and has great no skid properties.

If you attack the deck with sanding or chemicals , the wood may look brighter but each attack removes teak,

then the deck looks poor and the leaks begin.

 

[Brisyboy]

A wash down with no chemicals , just a soft scrub brush will keep the decks pristine longest.

In time the deck will turn a light shade of grey.

This is about the lowest maint finish and has great no skid properties.

If you attack the deck with sanding or chemicals , the wood may look brighter but each attack removes teak,

then the deck looks poor and the leaks begin.

Agree with everything you say BUT the leaks bit probably doesn`t apply - I`d bet my last dollar that the teak is glued, not screwed. No screws - no leaks ............unless I have missed something in all the posts I have read about this subject.

 

[jleonard]

I only use a brush a couple of times each season. Salt water wash is the best.

 

[caltexflanc]

I only use a brush a couple of times each season. Salt water wash is the best.

Yep. Clean salt water and a very soft brush.
Less is more with teak decks.

 

[Larry M]

Lena washes our decks twice a year. She uses liquid Cascade Dishwashing detergent and warm water. She scrubs across the grain using a white 3M Scotch pad, the least aggressive. Our decks are 31 years old and are in good to excellent condition. We are fortunate that the previous owners never used aggressive cleaners.

 

[kchace]

Agree with everything you say BUT the leaks bit probably doesn`t apply - I`d bet my last dollar that the teak is glued, not screwed. No screws - no leaks ............unless I have missed something in all the posts I have read about this subject.

Uh, on older boats the teak decks were screwed down - many many hundreds of screws. Each one can be a leak point. On (mostly newer) boats with glued down decks, one has the best of both worlds - a great deck and no leaks.


Ken

 

[Brisyboy]

Uh, on older boats the teak decks were screwed down - many many hundreds of screws. Each one can be a leak point. On (mostly newer) boats with glued down decks, one has the best of both worlds - a great deck and no leaks.


Ken

Uh......thanks Ken for clarifying something I thought I had enunciated quite clearly - perhaps if I had said that Id bet my last dollar that the teak on dways` Beneteau 44 swift trawler are glued not screwed it would have saved you from posting

 

[BrisHamish]

Hi Dway,
I will offer a different viewpoint.
I treat my teak decks with SEMCO, which for me has several benefits and one downside.
The benefits are the decks do not as easily absorb stains from the potato chips my teenage sons and their friends routinely spill (nor from any of the other mess they make!), nor do they as easily absorb any stains from our two dogs who come on the boat occasionally. And the decks themselves always have a lovely golden colour, a bit like newly sanded teak.
The downside is you have to reapply the SEMCO 3 or 4 times a year. It isnt hard to do, but it does take time.
Hamish.

 

[Brisyboy]

Hi Dway,
I will offer a different viewpoint.
I treat my teak decks with SEMCO, which for me has several benefits and one downside.
The benefits are the decks do not as easily absorb stains from the potato chips my teenage sons and their friends routinely spill (nor from any of the other mess they make!), nor do they as easily absorb any stains from our two dogs who come on the boat occasionally. And the decks themselves always have a lovely golden colour, a bit like newly sanded teak.
The downside is you have to reapply the SEMCO 3 or 4 times a year. It isnt hard to do, but it does take time.
Hamish.

Hi Hamish
When you recote each time, do you have to sand or does it go straight over the old?

 

[BrisHamish]

I rinse the deck down with fresh water, let it dry, and then just apply another coat using a soft rag.

I think the trick is not to let the SEMCO deteriorate too much before reapplying (ie I reapply while the existing coat still looks to be in pretty good shape).

This wont be for everyone, but it works for me at this point in time with teenage sons and two dogs who can otherwise create lots of stains!

Hamish.

 

[kchace]

Uh......thanks Ken for clarifying something I thought I had enunciated quite clearly - perhaps if I had said that Id bet my last dollar that the teak on dways` Beneteau 44 swift trawler are glued not screwed it would have saved you from posting

My mistake. You were clear and I would have seen that if I had read the previous posts.

Ken