Topic: Deck Teak

I had excellent results with water and a stiff brush, followed by teak oil. 

Wet down the teak so that it soaks up a bit of water, then scrub hard with the brush and your usual deck soap.  The waste water will be black but the wet teak will look great!  Rinse, and then let dry for a day or two.  The teak will appear to be light brown instead of weathered grey.  Occasioinally I have had to rescrub a section where I did not scrub sufficiently.

Time commitment -- I usually do this at the beginning of the season during the first deck cleaning so it takes two to three hours (including cleaning the deck!). 

Then lots of teak oil and the boat looks like a million bucks.  To do the teak oil I usually plan on several hours on board.  I use a rag and wipe on the oil which the teak sogs up like a sponge.  The rag is important as it works lots of oil into the wood but ensures that you do not spill too much oil on the deck.  Teak oil leaves a residue that can be cleaned but it is an effort. 

By going around the boat and starting again right away I can get in about four coats without too much difficulty.  The teak sponges up whatever oil you apply. 

I usually put on one coat of oil during the season as maintenance. 

It sounds like a lot but it is really just part of the cleaning regimen for the deck.  A neighbour recently spent three days taping, sanding and Cetol-ing his hand rails -- far more effort than my scrubbing method.  And we have more teak! 

I have no idea what will happen if you try this method on partically Cetol-ed teak.  It may be necessary to sand first.  Maybe leave it all to weather for a season to remove the Cetol?

Good luck!

Re: Deck Teak

Ivan Ross "Morava" #266

Re: Deck Teak

When my Grandfather had the boat he had another solution that also worked.  Difficult to find now unfortunately. 

He used powdered Spic & Span and copper wool.  Apparently there was a chemical reaction between the Spic & Span and the Copper Wool that made it fast to clean teak.

Based on my experience with a stiff brush, I now wonder if it was the copper wool that did the work. 

I do not recall how Cetol fails.  Sanding might discourage the stuff from flaking off it removes all the 'edges'.

Good luck!

Re: Deck Teak

I use the newer "golden color" Cetol.  Once a month I lightly sand and do all teak...got compliments just yesterday!  Keep the Cetol in a sealed yogurt container or similar, and then set THAT in a plastic bucket while working on deck, use a small brush, and then you don't have to mask and get it done quick...before knees or back give out! ha ha!

Re: Deck Teak

Thanks to you both for your ideas.  Of course I have procrastinated all season and have not undertaken this job.  Shannon, with your once a month routine and the light sanding, are you building up a base of cetol and then do you notice any flaking at all - also what is the attraction of using cetol?

I am also on the look out for some copper wool - I think I can find some in my Dad's workshop.

Ivanross

Ivan Ross "Morava" #266

Re: Deck Teak

Hi Ivan;
I use the Cetol as it's easy and forgives mistakes like a cheap brush that leaves bristles!  Plus, Cetol dries quick and you can just paint right over it with out sanding as well...and it's easy to sand off.   I guess it's really like a rubbery coating....I like the strength of it, and if it chips, you can just touch up that spot.  Mind you, I am the only one ever on my boat, in little barefeet 75% of the time, so it doesn't really get beat up at all...

“You get a boat for only one reason, because you want one.  If you’re worried about being practical, forget boats.”

Re: Deck Teak

Does anyone have any ideas on how to properly maintain the teak on the deck.  Right now everything has a coat or two of Cetol on it and it is flaking off - it looks lousy.  My orginal inclination is to sand all of the teak down to get the Cetol off and start using teak oil.

Any suggestions.

Ivanross

Ivan Ross "Morava" #266

Re: Deck Teak

I was writing on cleaning the boat in another thread and had a few more words on cleaning Teak.  Kindly forgive any repetition.

For the teak I have found that elbow grease is my best ally.  I clean the teak at the same time that I scrub the decks in the spring.  Wet it out and let the water soak into the wood, or ideally perform the cleaning it on a rainy day.  The water softens the wood.  Then scrub with the same brush you use on your decks.  It goes very quickly and makes a heck of a mess that rinses away while you are rinsing the decks.  You will see the brown in the teak exposed right away.  Once the wood has dried for a day, then oil using several coats.  I usually start at one end of the boat, and apply the oil heavily with a rag.  By the time I reach the other end of the boat where I started is ready for more.  My best season with the teak was the one where I chased around the boat oiling the teak over and over again for four hours.  The stuff is a sponge!

Re: Deck Teak

I am still using varnish on the rails and left the teak bare in high traffic areas.It is more grippy and easy to look after.A sharp scraper with a carbon steel  iron is the best thing for removing old finishes then sand with  80 grit.You keep the scraper sharp with a file.Teak is hard on edge tools so they need frequent sharpening.The carbide scrapers are not as sharp as steel.Oil is probably best but I persist with varnish,which is funny as I could care less about shiny in general, ;it's more about a sense of order.