Teak.... again

[Minnewaska]

I know there have been many threads on teak maintenance. I think this a bit different twist. The PO of my boat treated the cockpit sole and seats with what appears to be CETOL. It is orange looking and paint-like and GROSS!! Thankfully, the side decks are natural and look great, with some bright work on the toe rails and a few other accents.

I haven't gotten around to changing the cockpit for lack of two good solutions:

1. What is the best way to remove it? I've read heat gun, two part acid, sanding, etc. I can't get it straight.

2. The biggest advantage I see of the CETOL, which is probably why it's there, is it becomes bullet proof to traffic, spills, etc. I would like to keep that functionality, but with a less plastic painted on look. Oil is no good, as it will attract dirt. Is there a satin finish sealer that might work better and not change the inherent color or quality of the wood? Backup is to just go natural and ban red wine! Not sure I can pull it off.

[RichH]

There are MANY teak 'sealers' that can do the job that dont leave the decking slippery, retard staining, dont look like brown paint:
Semco (several 'hues'), Teak Wonder, etc. etc. etc.
..... these usually need to be 'slopped on' @ ~ 4-6months.

Cetol removal - the best way Ive found is a gel PAINT REMOVER ... but you have to be damn careful not to get it on the gelcoat.

Wine stains - there are specific 'stain lifters' that remove red wine from fabric, and they work on teak without changing the 'color/hue'.

[casioqv]

Cetol "Natural Teak" is a newer version that is supposed to maintain the natural teak color better, rather than the orange paint look. Perhaps sand down the current Cetol, and apply that?

[Tempest]

If you are not in a hurry, just let the cetol fade and wear away, it will eventually begin to peel. Once it does you can start to scrape and sand. I use a paint scraper and an palm sander.

I've switched over to the cetol " natural" it's a much nicer color.

[algee]

I will second th Semco

[DwayneSpeer]

Don't really know about cetol as I have none, but the best way for varnish, IMO, is a heat gun and scraper. It's far faster than a sander and cleaner than chemical removers.