repacing companiponway boards with 3/4" plywood

[timmydad]

I have only a little teak trim in my cockpit area but I am replacing broken companionway doors with plywwod. I will seal the wood & coat with epoxy but I'm concerned about it being the similar color as the original teak trim. Is there any suggestions for a "teak" type of stain to make the ply look similar in color?
Thanks

[Valiente]

1) I suggest marine plywood, as there are fewer voids, more glue and it is generally more resistant to rot, particularly out in the weather.

2) You have two courses of action: a) Match by eye or photo the existing teak stain to the stain you want for the plywood, or b) sand down the teak and stain both with the same product.

As far as I know, there are several colours of Cetol now. You don't have to settle for that orangey stuff, which never bothered me, but bugs some people.

[xort]

Can you remove a piece of the trim? If so, take it to a quality paint store and they can match a stain to the color. Take along a piece of the new wood for them to use. Then when you get the mix, make sure you test it on scrap pieces, including all coatings, to verify the match. Keep notes

[Faster]

You can stain woods to approximate the colour of teak, but grains like ash or mahogany end up looking better than your standard fir plywood.

Another possibility might be to purchase some teak veneer and apply it to your plywood drop boards. That way you save some money and save the "look".

[JohnRPollard]

Originally Posted by Faster

You can stain woods to approximate the colour of teak, but grains like ash or mahogany end up looking better than your standard fir plywood.

Another possibility might be to purchase some teak veneer and apply it to your plywood drop boards. That way you save some money and save the "look".

Better still, you could simply by teak-veneered plywood. You can get it "single-" or "double-faced". It's a bit pricey, but looks nice.

If I was trying to do this as cheaply as possible with standard plywood, I wouldn't try to match the wood tones/stains. Instead, I'd simply paint the new boards white or whatever color your deck gelcoat is.

[artbyjody]

Another suggestion - get some lexan cut out for it. Just as strong and provides light, and no worries about staining...

[pegasus1457]

Originally Posted by artbyjody

Another suggestion - get some lexan cut out for it. Just as strong and provides light, and no worries about staining...

I second this motion. If you use non-teak plywood it is going to look cheap and shabby, no matter how much work you put into it.

On the other hand, the lexan (with a dark tint) looks very up-to-date, shouldn't cost a fortune, and doesn't require a new coat of Cetol every few years.

[sailingdog]

LExan also lets in a fair bit of light, while keeping the boat relatively private if it is darkly tinted. The drop boards on my boat are 3/8" lexan and they're very solid.

[kgs113]

I'm replacing my rotten hatch boards with mahogany marine ply. Three coats of clear epoxy then varnish. The hatch is teak trimmed and will accent the mahogany nicely. The second coat of epoxy made the mahogany just glow. I bought a partial sheet so I have some left over to make some additions to the cabin.

[Delirious]

Originally Posted by sailingdog

Lexan also lets in a fair bit of light, while keeping the boat relatively private if it is darkly tinted. The drop boards on my boat are 3/8" lexan and they're very solid.

Just remember if you are in a slip that when it's dark out but the interior lights are on they let a lot of light out - as in: the world sees in.

If you find empty popcorn bags on the pier behind your boat in the moring at least now you'll know why.