[wakesurfboy]

Hello,

I Red lots of stuff (most of it scared me) in this forum about how to protect teak on boat. Mine is brand new so I want to have a PERFECT start and maintain it after. When you have a bad start on painting, difficult time after to come. Environmental stuff, very bad experience. Just scrap a Terra Cotta floor because the vendor changes my urethane for water based varnish that peel when a drop of water comes...

Oil: React with the caulking and the floor will turn gray?
Varnish: Peel after time?
Epoxy: UV Annihilation after time?
Cetol: Turn dark?

Varnish on epoxy is the holly grail? I like wet look but I hated gray or dark wook so oil is probably not a solution for me.

Remember my floor is brand new so it's not a refurbishing solution that I need but a first time, last time solution...

 

[JohnRPollard]

Are you talking about interior or exterior teak, or both?

Personally, I would not coat teak with epoxy. Clear (i.e. unthickened) epoxy is used as an impermeable sealant, to protect wood from water damage. Teak doesn't need protection from water -- it is already virtually impervious to rot because of its natural oils.

Also, the epoxy will need to be protected from uv damage at all times. If you ever miss a re-varnish cycle and the epoxy suffers uv damage, you will have a real mess stripping it all off.

 

[wakesurfboy]

Are you talking about interior or exterior teak, or both?

Personally, I would not coat teak with epoxy. Clear (i.e. unthickened) epoxy is used as an impermeable sealant, to protect wood from water damage. Teak doesn't need protection from water -- it is already virtually impervious to rot because of its natural oils.

Also, the epoxy will need to be protected from uv damage at all times. If you ever miss a re-varnish cycle and the epoxy suffers uv damage, you will have a real mess stripping it all off.

I talk about the exterior of course. Interior is already protected and less exposed to weather (sun & water).

About Varnish, can I absolutely trust this solution and only have to sand a bit each year and put 2 new coat? I fear the varnish will peal after a while even if I put two new coat each year... In fact, too much varnish will make the full coating too thick, I presume?

Also, because teak is oily, that makes varnish less grip?

 

[JohnRPollard]

I talk about the exterior of course. Interior is already protected and less exposed to weather (sun & water).

About Varnish, can I absolutely trust this solution and only have to sand a bit each year and put 2 new coat? I fear the varnish will peal after a while even if I put two new coat each year... In fact, too much varnish will make the full coating too thick, I presume?

Also, because teak is oily, that makes varnish less grip?

If you have any concerns about keeping up with the varnish, then you should worry even more about the epoxy. If you don't protect the epoxy from UV, it will turn yellow and then cloudy, and eventually fail. It will be a mess.

The amount of maintenance for varnish varies by where you are located and how much abuse it gets. If you are living aboard in the tropics, you'll have to put more effort into it, maybe 2 or 3 sandings/coatings per year. If your boat is in Canada and you use it as a weekender and cover it in the winter, an annual sanding/coating might be too often.

 

[Brucerobs2]

Cetol Gloss

I would not use regular Marine Cetol on your beautiful new teak.

Not sure if this is the "holy grail" but since your teak is already perfect, you might consider adding about 4 coats of either Cetol Gloss (preferred), and/or Cetol Natural Teak (2nd choice), or apply the natural, then a couple of top coats of gloss. Both will give you a good result without any of the orange-ness of the tinted cetol products. The gloss is harder than the other products and seems to hold up better and the wood looks natural.

As others have noted, maintenance frequency is subject to locale and use but at worst should be no more than a quick scuff and a couple of maintenance coats, as long as you dont let it get bad and peel.

If you do a search on this site, you'll find lots of discussions on this topic. Some love varnish, some hate Cetol products because of the tint. But the bottom line is with the teak, your results will directly coincide with the amount of effort and time and patience put into it.

 

[wakesurfboy]

Cetol, are your sure is better quality than varnish?

 

[T37Chef]

Not sure if this is the "holy grail" but since your teak is already perfect, you might consider adding about 4 coats of either Cetol Gloss (preferred), and/or Cetol Natural Teak (2nd choice)

Last time I read the can from Cetol...I said specifically not to use the clear coat by itself, start with 3-4 layers of Natural, Light, or Original, followed by 2-3 coats of gloss, which then becomes your maintenance coat.

I am a big fan of Cetol, especially the new Natural followed by the Gloss, but not for high traffic areas or areas where you will see it up close regularly.

I have been using Epifanes Woodfinish Gloss followed by their Extra UV Clear Varnish with great results, but I also keep those teak items covered (wheel, cockpit table, etc.).

More importantly, you say you want to use it on the exterior "floor"? If you mean your teak deck or cockpit floor I would do nothing to it!!!! Unless you like falling on your ass regularly.

 

[wakesurfboy]

I have been using Epifanes Woodfinish Gloss followed by their Extra UV Clear Varnish with great results, but I also keep those teak items covered (wheel, cockpit table, etc.).

More importantly, you say you want to use it on the exterior "floor"? If you mean your teak deck or cockpit floor I would do nothing to it!!!! Unless you like falling on your ass regularly.

Epifanes Woodfinish Gloss is a high quality varnish but not enough resistant for the flooring?

On my boat, the teak is present on floor inlay, seating area, transom and transom steps and rail!

I want the same finish on all exterior wood and if I can not use Varnish, I will use oil!

 

[T37Chef]

Its fairly common to see teak treated differently in different areas. For example, my toe rail, dorade boxes, hatch boards are covered in Cetol Natural & Gloss. The wheel, cockpit table are covered in Epifanes Gloss Finish and Clear Varnish. My Cockpit seats are covered in Semco Teak Sealer - Natural.

Maybe a teak sealer like Semco would be the way to go, but even that I find somewhat slippery when wet.

Maybe you could post a picture or two.

 

[wakesurfboy]

 

[Brucerobs2]

Teak Floor/Seating

T37 is spot on right. I missed that detail earlier and was referring to brightwork finish primarily.

The teak flooring and seating offers a non-slip quality to it, even when wet. You should not put anything on it or your be slipping and falling all over the place. Teak decking, seating, flooring should be left natural to retain its non slip quality.

 

[T37Chef]

WSB,

Others may chime in, but if it were me, I wouldn't do anything to what I see in the pic above...just let it gray. If you did anything, try a little sealer on one of the seats at the helm (less likely to step on it), and like I said, the Semco is a great product. If you don't like it, it will be gone within a few months Anything else other than oil or sealer will be a pain to remove

Nice boat BTW

 

[Stillraining]

You might give this consideration if your intent on doing this ..

TeakGuard Products - Teak Finish and Restoration Superior to Teak Oil

 

[wakesurfboy]

You might give this consideration if your intent on doing this ..

TeakGuard Products - Teak Finish and Restoration Superior to Teak Oil

Anybody with Teakguard experience on his boat?

 

[tager]

Just let it gray. The whole reason for the teak is as antiskid. If you coat it in plastic, it is pointless! If you want it to remain looking brown, just put on the occasional coat of teak oil. Gray is distinguished and classy on a well maintained boat.

 

[wakesurfboy]

Still don't know what to do... So many different option...

I want the "wet" look provide with oil or varnish but varnish is slippery and oil get dirty and will turn grey anyway?

I don't belive there is not product with UV protection and grip to avoid slippery finish?

 

[JohnRPollard]

Still don't know what to do... So many different option...

I want the "wet" look provide with oil or varnish but varnish is slippery and oil get dirty and will turn grey anyway?

I don't belive there is not product with UV protection and grip to avoid slippery finish?

WSB,

If you are talking about the teak surfaces shown in the photo (beautiful, by the way ), I agree with the others who have said that this teak should not be treated with a hard coating like varnish or cetol. Doing so would only make the teak slippery and would defeat the purpose of its use as a non-skid surface.

Most folks would just let it weather naturally, but if you really want to keep it shiny/bright looking, the most you'd ever do is lightly sand it and treat it with some sort of teak oil (see recommendations above).

There is no need to protect this teak from the UV. I only mentioned UV protection in my previous posts because you were talking about coating it with epoxy. Epoxy needs UV protection, teak doesn't.

 

[wakesurfboy]

So like my bottom paint, I give up and take your advice guys and let the teak natural and make my mind to live with gray/black wood with a crappy black bottom slowing my boat!!!

Just kidding, natural teak and antifouling bottom will only make me more often sailing than cleaning, right?

 

[arf145]

As others have said, teak decking, unlike other teak bits on the outside of a boat, is generally left natural to take advantage of its non-skid qualities. While it will go gray, I believe folks with teak decks scrub them down with saltwater periodically to keep them clean.

 

[Stillraining]

natural teak and antifouling bottom will only make me more often sailing than cleaning, right?

Amen Brother...your catching on now..

What little exterior wood I have I wish was not there at all...nothing but a pain.