Finishing teak flooring
 

I have what appears to be teak flooring in my mid 80's Excalibur cockpit flooring, I have been removing the old yellowed varnish and I would like to know if I should oil it or polyurethane it....the least maintenence would be ideal....what should I do?.....other than to carpet it.....It will have a rug in the hi-traffic area's....Fred

Fred call Dave he used some cool stuff on the Sea Ragg!You going on the northern michigan fun run with me? should be a gas!!!

Thats right Don, I saw Crazyhorses Sea-Rag after he did that...I just want to do it once and be done.....that old varnish is a real ***** to sand off....as far as the fun run I am working on what I am doing with all my vacation time now....talk to you west siders soon....Fred

Fred I could run those through the belt sander here at work for you if you like.

The floor is like a tounge and groove oak type floor (only teak)....one big area 8' by 10' ...tonight I will try using paint stripper before sanding....I am using my DA sander now with 80 grit and have used a ton of paper already....it should look great when done....I just need to know if polyurethane is the way to go or teak oil.....Fred

one of the problems with teak is the amount of moisture it absorbs. This causes swelling and cracks the varnish type finnishes. Sure does look nice all shiny but I would just use good quality teak oil once a month if I were you.

I would use oil...it amy be a bit more maint. but in the end it woll look the best, and you won't have to go through what you're going through now to get it back looking good.

I think the oiled teak keeps it's shade of color lighter than the polyurethaned finish does also, is there a certain brand of teak oil that is better than the other?....Fred

Stick with teak oil. You'll be far better off in the long run, with less maintenance, and never having to go through the BS of sanding & refinishing like you are now.

You may need to re-apply the oil a couple/few times per season, but putting on teak oil is a piece of cake----I used to literally just pour it on and spread it around with a clean rag---done!!!

Once a year, I would pressure-wash my entire teak deck. This would bring out the golden glow of the teak--an absolutely gorgeous color, then another coat of oil.

The case to be made against pressure washing is that it tends to "raise" the grain---the hard grain stays high and the softer grain gets worn down a bit. This never bothered me, because the job was so easy, but some may avoid the pressure-washing.

Either way, use oil--you'll be glad you did.:D

I used a product callad "Armada" on my swim platform. After years of cleaning and bleaching and oiling only have it turn grey in a month , this stuff was great. It is specially formulated for oily teak wood. Strip it first and apply three coats. I had the boat three years after I did it and never touched it again:D Looked Great

Anyone else on what brand is best?.....Thanks, Fred

Teak Wood
 

As much as I usually agree with my friend RiskyBusiness, my sailboat crewmembers would have his head for abusing such a fine, expensive wood in that way.

I am against the pressure washing thing all together, I am also against using anything but light sanding with nothing coarser than 220 grit...

The only exception is if the grain is uneven and you want to level it. Then just be careful.

When you are talking trim pieces on the interior or exterior the only way to go is Varnish, and I recommend Ephiphanies. They have many different shades.

As a Charter Boat Captain on a vessel loaded with teak trim, I can say that it is will worth the trouble. If done right, it will catch anybody's eye that goes near your boat.

However, in your case it is the floor. My recommendation here is oil.

Reason being. Varnish is freakin slippery when wet...

If looks are more important than safety, then I have seen many varnish decks that really stand out. I suppose it would be okay if your cockpit is small enough.

I changed my mind, go with the varnish. Or your best bet might be a product that is a mixture of oil and varnish. It doesn't look as good as straight varnish but it last longer than oil.

For that I recommend Cetol.

See ya.

I have a 12" square piece to try both varnish and oil on, the only other question I have is a polyurethane like "Minwax" for floors any good to use?.....Fred

TTT

If it is really teak, then it has a natural oil in the wood and that's why it lasts so long in boats, but unless you keep after it with the washing, bleaching, and oiling process, it usually looks bad. And because of the natural oil in the wood, varnish won't stick well either. I have gone to Sikkins Cetol Satin as was reckommended to me in the BVI's where they really have some sun and rain. I stripped and put three coats on three years ago and it still looks about as good as then but I will probably do a refresher coat this year. Check it out! --- Jer

jpclear, someone else mentioned the cetol...is that a type of varnish or?...my floor is only exposed on weekends and our summer is only about three months long so I am debating on a type of varnish or using the oil....Fred

Fred: I'm a northern guy too. As far as I'm concerned, this stuff is the answer. I screwed up on the spelling before but I got the can right in front of me now and this is what it is, as available from full service marine dealers and BOAT US or WEST MARINE. [SIKKENS Certol Marine; Protective translucent wood finish for boats] This REALLY works for me on teak. Later! --- Jer

FRED my entire floor on my Scarab -III is teak.... I refinished it 3 years ago ... ask anyone whos seen it... LEOPJM .. BIGDADDY ECT... they can't belive how nice it looks... I bought some stuff at the boat show.... cant remember the name but I will get it for you its really good... it applies with a foam brush... three coats its a teak spectifc sealer/ oil..... I'' get yiu name and # ASAP..... DAVE

good to talk to on the phone Fred... any else thet needs awesome teak treatment thats easy to use and lasts... its called TEAKGUARD...MADE BY ALL GUARD PRODUCTS... PHONE# 1-800-TEAK...(8325)... DAVE:p ;) :cool:

Thanks for the info Dave...Fred