Remediating Old Teak Decks

[Mirror16]

I would like to re-visit my original thread here. I guess I still don't get it. I do understand that when teak decks get old they shrink, warp, their caulking fails and leaks and water gets underneath. But so what? Why would that drive wholesale teak deck replacement? Teak decks are not structural, they sit on top of that. Why care if it gets a bit squishy underfoot, I assume it remains just as grippy? If through-deck fittings leak due to water penetration, isn't that just as much a problem with solid decking too? Why not just remove and remediate in those specific locations as you would with an all-fiberglass deck?

[xnnb2]

Originally Posted by KP44

We took off the teak deck completely and put down 5 to 7 layers of 17oz bi-axial cloth with epoxy on top of the deck that was under the teak.

The entire job cost about 2,000$US and the deck is hull-strength and lighter than the teak. We had the deck off in a day. Then removed a thousand screws, sanded the deck to clean away the bedding compounds. Then filled the thousand screw holes with epoxy using a toothpick. Then sanded again and started laying fiberglass cloth in about 24 - 30" pieces, cut from a roll of cloth that was 12" wide. Each piece needed about 8 oz of epoxy and we mixed only that much at a time. Piece by piece, layer by layer. If it set before the next layer, I sanded to clean and provide a clean surface.
We spent most of 2 weeks and had a $40,000 job done for very little money and we knew it was done right.
Faired with epoxy paste and painted with non-skid.

But epoxy is not UV resistent is it?

[xnnb2]

Originally Posted by sailing_gal

Depending on where you are located, you might try checking out the new "artificial" teak decking that is now available. It is made from PVC and some of them look so good, I would dare you to tell it is not teak. It has zero maintenance and is glued down.



Check out Flexiteek in the US and Tek-Dek in Europe.

This will become 90 degrees celsius in summer. Also it does not look nice at all. In my opinion.

[KP44]

Epoxy is not UV resistant without special additives. But we keep the deck painted and the epoxy is protected. Most of the deck has Skid-No-More as non-skid. Simple, easy, and easily matched if we need to do it again later.

[sailing_gal]

Epoxy will also start to break down with constant heat exposure. I would suggest that you consider, as long as you have such a nice epoxy base, that you put a layer of fiberglass and polyester resin over the epoxy. Perhaps topped off with a layer of gelcoat. Add tiny beads to the gelcoat (or sand might work) and you have a nonskid surface.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Mirror16

I would like to re-visit my original thread here. I guess I still don't get it. I do understand that when teak decks get old they shrink, warp, their caulking fails and leaks and water gets underneath. But so what? Why would that drive wholesale teak deck replacement? Teak decks are not structural, they sit on top of that. Why care if it gets a bit squishy underfoot, I assume it remains just as grippy? If through-deck fittings leak due to water penetration, isn't that just as much a problem with solid decking too? Why not just remove and remediate in those specific locations as you would with an all-fiberglass deck?

There is some definite truth to this. To many people it's more an aesthetic or anal worry issue than anything.
I have not found the well worn and shrunk caulk teak decks I've had to be "squishy " at all. Also, when they were removed, there was little evidence of water underneath. The whole deck was mostly covered with the black caulking used (and very hard to get off!) They were just aesthetically poor looking.
Add to that your comment about the decking being "over and above the basic deck" and a leaking teak deck structure may still be stronger than a non teak overlay. The added 5/8-3/4" of an inch is a very rigid component in itself.
Let's face it, early FG boats did not have cored decks, just fiberglass. You could feel them flex a bit in large areas when you walked on them, but there was really no detriment to that it seems to me.

[Terra Nova]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

...In America, they see you coming...
In Mexico, they see you coming...
In Spain, you pay lots...
In The UK... just hand them your wallet...
In Italy... I've never noticed any of that sort of behavior...

Come on!

Originally Posted by UNCIVILIZED

...using G10 underneath of some deck hardware, so that it can be directly blind tapped for fasteners...

Through-bolt deck hardware.

Originally Posted by sailing_gal

...the new "artificial" teak decking...some of them look so good...

Beauty, like styes and cataracts, is in the eye of the beholder.

[Suijin]

Originally Posted by CAELESTIS

$45k? The wood alone will cost that much. The job is $100k.

It really depends. There are companies where you send them schematics of your deck and they fabricate larger pieces, sort of oversized puzzle pieces that you glue down. They may require minor modification at most. Runs about $1k per deck foot by the time the smoke clears.

Here's an example:
https://teakdeckcompany.com