Removing teak decks

D.Duck44 · Apr 1, 2019

I am thinking of looking at a fiberglass Grand Banks that has worn out teak decks.
The cost to replace them would be too high.
Are there any usable DIY alternatives that would not detract too much from the appearance and value of the boat?

Thanks,
Richard.

Westiculo · Apr 1, 2019

D.Duck44 said:
I am thinking of looking at a fiberglass Grand Banks that has worn out teak decks.
The cost to replace them would be too high.
Are there any usable DIY alternatives that would not detract too much from the appearance and value of the boat?

Thanks,
Richard.

It's one of the most common questions with people looking at old trawlers. There is no easy solution - everything takes a lot of time. Probably the quickest way is to tear it all up and put nonskid. Some people say this detracts from the value of the boat, but it's really hard to say. It would definitely increase the value from where it is now if the teak is definitely destroyed.

When we bought our GB, we sanded our decks, removed all the screws, re-plugged, re-grooved, and caulked new lines. The teak had looked pretty worn out, but now it looks pretty good. Doing all that is a solid month of full time work, with some extra help on the weekends.

koliver · Apr 1, 2019

"worn out" is a relative term.
The seller didn't think those decks were finished, or they would have been replaced. How long do you want to keep that boat? If not a very long time, get a good price, lower due to the condition of the decks and whatever else is "worn out", use it 5, 10 or 20 years and sell it off at what your purchaser considers a good price, lower due to the "worn out" condition of stuff on the boat.
If you want to have new, be prepared to pay for it.

Comodave · Apr 1, 2019

I would rip off the teak and refinish with Kiwigrip. We have teak decks on our sundeck and I wish they were fiberglass. Not having teak decks would raise the value of the boat to me.

RT Firefly · Apr 1, 2019

Greetings,
Mr. 44. The REAL question IMO is are there any leaks and are there any soft spots (rot) in the current decks? There are a plethora of fixes that have been discussed in the past on TF. Some more popular than others.

Comodave · Apr 1, 2019

Most likely if the decks are worn out they are leaking.

BruceK · Apr 1, 2019

Can you post more detail about "worn out"? I think the problem about covering the existing with something else is adhesion, the stability of the "worn out" teak underneath, and getting a finish that looks ok despite the black caulking strips producing 2 different materials to be covered.
Is a link to the boat advert possible?

D.Duck44 · Apr 2, 2019

Thanks all for your comments - it is an area I know nothing about having been a steel boat man for ever.
It seems Kiwigrip is the way to go if the underlying structure is sound.

If we go to look at her will post some pictures.

Cheers,
Richard

FF · Apr 2, 2019

TEAK Decks are usually made from almost square teak boards with calking to seal them dry.

What most TT have is a teak overlay of a plywood deck covered with a thin layer of GRP.

On many brands the "teak deck" was an up sell , more profit for the boat assemblers , importer and dealer , and not structural.

The repair and maint of a real teak deck is vastly different from maintaining/repairing/replacing a teak overlay.

The repair of a composite deck can be as easy (rip off the teak, GRP the deck) to as complex and expensive as ones wallet can stand.

It would seem the total value of the boat after repairs should be a first consideration , it makes little sense to add a $40,000 deck on a $30,000 TT.

Westiculo · Apr 2, 2019

FF said:
TEAK Decks are usually made from almost square teak boards with calking to seal them dry.

What most TT have is a teak overlay of a plywood deck covered with a thin layer of GRP.

On many brands the "teak deck" was an up sell , more profit for the boat assemblers , importer and dealer , and not structural.

The repair and maint of a real teak deck is vastly different from maintaining/repairing/replacing a teak overlay.

The repair of a composite deck can be as easy (rip off the teak, GRP the deck) to as complex and expensive as ones wallet can stand.

It would seem the total value of the boat after repairs should be a first consideration , it makes little sense to add a $40,000 deck on a $30,000 TT.

I have never seen a solid Teak Deck as you describe it. Would anybody on this forum have a deck like that?

Removing teak decks

D.Duck44

Senior Member

Westiculo

Senior Member

koliver

Guru

Comodave

Moderator Emeritus

RT Firefly

Enigma

Comodave

Moderator Emeritus

BruceK

Moderator Emeritus

D.Duck44

Senior Member

FF

Guru

Westiculo

Senior Member

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