Teak deck finishing

[jamestfisher]

I've just sanded down my teak deck (scraped off the old finishing whatever it was) and would like thoughts on my options as i hear different opinions:

1. leave it and just run sea water over it
2. use teak oil
3. use something else.

i'd like a natural look!

any thoughts much appreciated.

thanks,
James.

[cabo_sailor]

Unless you're a masochist with tons of time - option 1 is the only way to go IMO.

[psteele235]

#1 worked well when I was a kid and had deck duty.

[Alan Wheeler]

If you do a search on the subject, you will find hrs of reading here. This subject has been well discussed in the past and well worth doing a Forum search.

[SV Someday Came]

Cruisers & Sailing Forum

That link will help you search the forums much more efficiently.


Michael

[jamestfisher]

wow - this is a great tool for searching - thanks!!

James.

[hooked on water]

has anyone ideas on using cedar for the decking timber, as in real cedar
and how well does it wear compared to teak
cheers
hooked

[Pblais]

Sea water with a soft brush works quite well but the the trick is doing it every day as in every single day! For anything else the trick is to use a system that can be repeated easily. The great looking finishes take weeks to remove and begin again. They all need to start over some time.

I'm pretty much convinced that the time required in the long term is the same. Nothing beats the destructive power of UV light. The deck hand is still cursed for the time being.

[rickquann]

I read that spraying a mixture of 50/50 water and bleach once a week will keep a teak deck looking good. Supposedly microbes break down the teak fiber since it’s an organic product and the bleak prevents this. Seems reasonable, but to be honest, I’ve never tried it since I do not have teak decks.