Maintaining
the quality appearance and condition of your boat
teak
Deck Care
teak is a beautiful and unique wood in boat
building accents such as decks, handrails, ladders, trim, etc.
Some of its most endearing features include an outstanding grain
structure, its imperviousness to rot or decay, and being virtually insect free
due to the internal oily nature of the wood. In clean air untreated teak
weathers to an attractive ash gray, but where most boats live, the assault of
modern-day air pollutants quickly turns bare teak nearly black. Scrubbing tends
to leave behind an unattractive mottled look, neither golden nor gray. Most boat
owners eventually find they are unhappy with either look and decide that some
treatment is essential.
When oiled properly, the wood takes on a golden
glow with an accentuated grain structure that has an appeal to just about
everyone. Some prefer to let the
teak weather to a soft gray tone that blends with its surroundings while most
people tend to keep it looking like new. Both approaches have merit and will not harm or degrade the
wood as long as the oil is replaced periodically.
Obviously, keeping the wood looking like new is more work, but
maintaining its natural golden beauty is the basic reason to admire this fine
wood.
Since the oily content of teak is what helps make
it virtually impervious to the elements, correctly replacing that oil is
paramount in maintaining the wood, especially when kept in direct sunlight.
The UV rays in sunlight are what break down the wood's oils, causing it
to turn silver gray. In addition,
as the oil is depleted, the grain structure opens allowing moisture in that will
eventually mildew and turn the wood much darker or even black.
The secret to beautiful teak is a consistent
maintenance regimen. Long lasting
professional looking results can be achieved by following a few basic steps in
caulking, cleaning and applying the correct amount of teak oil:
Stripping
Before teak can be
given any coating, it must be completely clean. Teak is literally dissolved by
strong cleaners, so always use the mildest cleaner that does the job. If the
teak has been coated with some other type of sealer, teak coating, or varnish,
it must be removed before any cleaning and or oiling can occur.
In
some cases, depending on the type of sealers that were used, old layers of
sealers can be removed by using a one-part ‘deck stripper’ that is available
from the local home store. Follow
the directions that come with the product and brush the stripper across the
drain of the teak. Depending on the
amount of accumulated solids on the deck, it may be necessary to apply a second
coat of stripper before proceeding on.
Flush away all traces
of the stripper by scrubbing and rinsing the deck at leas three times.
Then let the wood dry thoroughly.
Cleaning
There are several
different homegrown formulas for cleaning teak, such as:
·
Mix 1 cup each of ammonia and clothes wash detergent (without bleach) in
1 gallon of hot water. Leave it
soak for about 15 minutes. Triple rinse thoroughly.
·
A 75/25 mixture of liquid laundry detergent (such as Wisk) and chlorine
bleach. Leave the mixture on the
wood for several minutes to give the detergent time to suspend the dirt and the
bleach time to lighten the wood. Triple rinse thoroughly.
·
Dissolve 8oz of TSP (trisodium phosphate) in 1 gallon of hot water then
paint the solution on the teak. Let dry in the sun. Triple rinse thoroughly.
·
Use Oxalic Acid powder dissolved in hot water. For normal
maintenance bleaching, use a ratio of 8 ounces of oxalic acid powder per gallon
of hot water. For strong bleaching
move up to 16 ounces per gallon of hot water.
Oxalic acid is the active ingredient in most single-part teak cleaners.
Oxalic acid will also dull paint and fiberglass and damage anodized aluminum so
wet down surrounding surfaces before you start and keep them free of the
cleaner. Allowing the solution to
remain on the surface until desired lightness has been achieved, but not longer
than 30 minutes. Triple rinse thoroughly brushing the wood to clear the grain.
Apply liberally using a
sponge or string mop or a very soft bristle brush or a 3m Scotchbrite(tm)
pad. Always scrub across the grain. Scrubbing
with the grain tears the soft grain out of the planks, leaving the surface
rough. A rough, weathered deck exposes more of the wood to environmental
deterioration.
Commercial cleaners can
also be used. Let the cleaner do
its work for approximately 10 - 20 minutes while slightly agitating several
times in between. Then, triple
rinse thoroughly and let it dry. Once the wood has dried for 24 hours, and the
color has stabilized, and if acceptable, the wood is ready for oiling.
However, if the color is darker than expected, repeat the cleaning
process.
teak should not be
cleaned with the overly aggressive two-part acid type teak cleaners.
The two-part cleaners do clean the teak but also have a tendency to eat
away the light colored soft grain of the wood, leaving the darker colored grain
and the overall surface with a rough, washboard effect. Some suggest using a
stiff bristle brush for cleaning teak, but this too leaves the surface with the
same rough condition.
Two-part teak cleaners
are dramatically effective at restoring the color to soiled, stained, and
neglected teak, but these formulations contain a strong acid usually
hydrochloric and should only be used when gentler cleaning methods have failed.
Wet the wood to be cleaned. The cleaner will dissolve natural bristles, so use a
soft nylon brush to paint part one onto the wet wood. Avoid getting the cleaner
onto adjoining surfaces. Remove the cleaner by scrubbing the wood with the grain
with a soft brush or a Scotchbrite pad.
Part two neutralizes
the acid in part one, and it usually has some additional cleaning properties.
Paint a sufficient amount of part two onto the teak to get a uniform color
change, and then scrub lightly. Triple rinse thoroughly brushing the wood to
clear the grain.
Products that could be
used are:
Amazon's - Strip Away
Amazon - One-Step teak
Cleaner
Daly’s SeaFin teak
Cleaner – www.dalyspaint.com
Nu-Wood - teak Cleaner
& Brightener
Star Brite - teak
Cleaner
Brightening
In between, the
cleaning and sealing of the teak a middle step may be desired. After the wood
has thoroughly dried for 24 to 36 hours, the color may not be as light as
desired. It can be lightened further by using a teak brightener.
Some boat owners use a teak brightener after the cleaner and before
applying teak oil, because the teak brightener bleaches teak up to a lighter
shade and will remove any residue left in the grain from the cleaning process.
This step in the sequence of teak care is optional, depending on the
owner’s preference. Mid season,
if you care to spruce up your teak, apply a teak brightener.
It will clean up dirt and grim and give your teak a sparkling appearance
and will not attack seam or bedding compounds.
Products that could be
used are:
BoatLIFE - teak Brite Brightener
Star
Brite teak Brightener
Caulking
Deck Seams
A gorgeous looking teak
deck with perfect black seams all have one thing in common, proper preparation
and maintenance.
Seams must be perfectly
cleaned and prepared before filling with compound.
To prepare the seam properly, first remove all the old caulking.
One tool is a bent screwdriver that has been filed down to a point, much
like a can opener. It should be
bent at a 90-degree angle. After
the material has been thoroughly removed, it is wise to rout out the seam to
provide a clean fresh edge. This
step may or may not be necessary depending on how well the old caulking came
out. Minimum joint size is
1/8" wide by ¼" deep. Depending
on the amount of seams that need to be refinished, a router with a 1/8”
straight cutting bit can be used. Set
the bit in the router to cut a ¼” grove.
After cleaning and
routing, the seams must be washed out with a good oil free solvent.
Acetone is excellent for this purpose.
This process will dry up any surface oil from the end grain of the
exposed teak.
When using a one-part
caulk, the seams must be first primed. This
will seal the end grain from any escaping oil that will impede adhesion. Do not
use a paint product such as red lead. These
products are laden with oils that will produce the opposite results you are
expecting and the caulk will not stick to the teak.
The next step is to
mask the seams with masking tape. It is a tedious task but will eliminate the need to sand the
deck after the caulking cures. It,
is important to get the tape right to the very edge of the seam but not go down
into it. If you are not careful,
the tape will be caulked over and when removed, the tape will rip out the
sealant covering it. Just run the
tape over all the deck surfaces getting it good and flat.
Now you are ready to apply the caulking. Cut the tip of the nozzle,
puncture the inner seal, place the nozzle at the bottom of the seam and push the
gun away from you along the base of the seam slowly while squeezing the trigger.
Do not pull or draw the gun towards you.
By pushing the gun away from you, you are forcing the material into the
seam. If you pull the gun toward you, you will trap air and produce
air bubbles in the seam. Next, take
a putty knife and smooth out the seam against the tape. Remove the tape immediately.
The result is a perfectly caulked seam.
If sanding is needed,
allow the material to cure first. Do not walk on the freshly completed seams until they are
fully cured. The caulk should be
cured and ready for any sanding in approximately 7 days depending on temperature
and humidity. When sanding, sand
with the grain and do not use an oscillating type of sander, as it will tear the
material loose.
Products that could be
used are:
LIFE-Calk
LIFE-Calk PRIMER
Oiling
Oiling teak on boats is
a time-honored tradition. Oil intensifies the colors and grain patterns of wood
and gives the wood a rich, warm appearance. Because it enhances the inherent
beauty of the wood oiling is arguably the most attractive of all wood finishes,
and it restores some of the teak's natural oils and resins. Unfortunately, the
benefit of oiling exterior teak is extremely transitory. The sad truth is that
teak will last just as long if you do not oil it, longer really, since repeated
between-coat scrubbing wears the wood away. However, oiling teak is not about
protecting the wood; it is about recovering and maintaining that golden glow
that made us want teak on the boat in the first place.
teak, after it has just
been cleaned, looks beautiful especially since it takes on a golden color.
There are many varieties of teaks from different parts of the world.
Some are light grained and almost reddish in color; while others are wide
grained and golden. However, once
cleaned, all teak has had its natural surface oils removed.
If left unattended, it will very rapidly return to its oxidized, grayish
look, and more importantly, it will soil easily.
Therefore, the teak should be oiled or sealed.
teak oils are primarily
either linseed or Tung oil, bolstered by resins to make them more durable.
Linseed oil tends to darken the teak, but it is significantly cheaper. Tung oil
does not darken the wood, and it is more water resistant than linseed oil.
Proprietary teak oils address this problem with various additives, including
pigments, UV filters, and mildew retardants.
The most important
issue with oiling is to first use a top quality teak oil containing tung oil.
Next, it is very important to have the oil penetrate as deep into the
wood as possible, which does a better job of sealing out moisture and keeps the
wood looking great for a longer period. Teak oils will generally last from four
to six weeks under normal conditions. It last longest in spring and fall when
there are fewer hours of harsh ultraviolet light.
Before purchasing any
teak oil, it is important to determine the preferred final color of teak.
Generally, there are three-color blends of oil: light, standard golden
and dark. All are the same teak oil
with color being the only difference.
Oiling requires
multiple coats. A single coat of good quality oil may look fine for a very short
period but quickly begins to oxidize and finally will finally turn the wood
silver. The wood will initially "drink" the oil, and thinning the
first two coats with mineral spirits encourages it to penetrate the wood more
deeply. Thin the first coat with two parts thinner to two parts of oil.
The second application can be thinned with one part thinner to three
parts of oil. The last coat is just oil, no thinner.
The best method to
apply oil is by hand. Brush the oil
onto the wood with the grain, using a sponge brush. This will help to 'squeegee'
the oil into the wood and let stand for 3 to 4 hours.
This allows the wood time to absorb as much oil as possible.
Then wipe off the excess oil with a clean dry rag.
If the excess oil is not wiped off, the oil will begin to cure on the
surface, becoming sticky, and may never dry properly.
Apply two more coats of oil following the same procedure allowing the
wood to dry overnight after each coat. The wood should have a matt finish
without any shiny spots.
After the final coating
of oil, the wood should be dry and a beautiful golden color that should last for
several months depending on the amount of sunlight (UV rays) on the wood.
Maintain the oiled wood by washing it and applying a fresh coat of oil
every two months. In higher latitudes, such as Connecticut through Maine and
Canada, the wood's color will last much longer than lower latitudes such as
Florida or the Caribbean. Re-oiling
the wood before it totally turns silver gray will eliminate the extra cleaning
and brightening step, saving much time and effort.
Products that could be
used are:
Amazon
Golden teak Oil – (LE) Lite 'n Easy - lightest
Amazon
Golden teak Oil - (GTO) standard golden color
Amazon
Golden teak Oil - Blend 55 – darkest
Daly’s SeaFin teak Oil
- www.dalyspaint.com
Nu-Wood - teak Oil
Starbrite Premium Golden
teak Oil
Sealers
Another approach to
achieving a natural look is the application of a sealer. Durability and ease of
application have made some sealers very popular with boat owners. Teak sealers
are much like oils, but they contain a higher percentage of solids. The solids
usually provide protection against ultraviolet light. This means sealers build
up faster on the wood and generally last longer than oils.
Sealers do not feed the
wood but, as the name suggests, they seal out moisture and dirt, and seal in
natural oils and resins.
Sealers need an
oil-free surface to attach to, so wipe the wood heavily with a rag soaked in
acetone to remove all oil from the surface. The oil the wood has absorbed will
be unaffected by this quick-flashing solvent. Unless the product manufacture
instructs you otherwise, apply sealer using a sponge brush. Wipe away all excess
with a cloth. Apply additional coats until the surface shows a uniform matte
finish.
Maintain the sealed
wood by washing it and applying a fresh coat of sealer every two to three
months.
Products that could be
used are:
BoatLIFE - teak Oil
Sealer – Natural
BoatLIFE - Oil
Sealer-Golden
Bristol -
www.bristolfinish.com
Varnish
Aside from its much
admired appearance, varnish offers genuine protection for the wood. Wood coated
with varnish will not dry out and split, will not absorb moisture and rot, is
unaffected by dirt and pollution, and will be untouched, thus unstained, by oily
or greasy spills.
The absence of pigment
in varnish means it does not shield the underlying surface from the sun.
Ultraviolet radiation penetrates the coating and carbonizes the oils in the
wood, causing the wood to darken beneath the varnish. To minimize this effect,
varnish makers add ultraviolet inhibitors-sun screens to their products. For
exterior brightwork, select a quality spar varnish (not urethane varnish)
heavily fortified with UV inhibitors
teak does not hold
varnish as well as other woods due to its oil content, but a long-lasting
coating is possible with the right technique. Books have been written about
applying varnish. You may not get that perfect, mirror-like finish on your first
try, but as long as the wood is ivory smooth, the weather is warm and dry, and
you do not "worry" the varnish with too many brush strokes, you should
get admirable results. Plan to apply at least six coats of varnish.