teak panels/decking

[By Invitation]

Anyone have any experience with teak panels or replacement teak decking? I have a large area in my cockpit which has very old and damaged teak which I would like to replace. I would like to do this as easily as possible. Most of the time the cockpit will have cushions covering the teak but other times it will be exposed. I have heard of 4' x 8' teak panels that can be purchased, also man made teak which is some kind of plastic material. If anyone has used something other than conventional teak - please let me know how you like it, what it is and any other comments.

Thanks

Scott

[Alan Wheeler]

The real McCoy is becoming expensive. It is nothing to pay NZ$4500.00 per cubic metre down here. Then the machining cost and laying is expensive on top.
A new alternative is a product called Flexiteek. www.flexiteek.com
I have a sample of it here in my hot little hand. It looks good and is very hardwaring. It doesn't fade and will way out last the real stuff. It was still expensive and I chickened out on spending that sort of money. But it is still substantialy cheaper that real teak. I am not sure if you can lay it yourself. Here in NZ, the suppliers wouldn't allow anyone else to install.
Scott, I would be real keen to know if you can buy this and install yourself over your way. It doesn't look hard. It just comes in strips and you glue it down. But I presume it may be way cheaper to buy and do yourself than pay an installer and I would be interested in getting it in for myself if that is the case.

[never monday]

Alan,
I've looked into Flexiteek for my deck. The people in Florida will sell it for DIY. The must have paper paterns to quote pricing.

Pat

[Boracay]

In Australia we have a wood called beech. I dont think that it is real beech(northern hemisphere kind) but a type of Australian hardwood.
This beech is frequently used for decks. It is lighter than teak, and softer, and maybe not quite as durable, but I believe it makes a nice deck if done properly. The word was to rub it down with diesel occasionally.
My point is that if you ask around your local boatbuilders they will quite likely tell you of a similar wood available locally.
The use of teak as trim in western boats is a fairly recent innovation.
Any wood installed as a thin deck is not going to last forever, but I would think that a good durable hardwood, set in either epoxy or a proprietry adhesive could give useful service.

[Alan Wheeler]

We have several Beach Variaties here in NZ as well. Most are native timbers. hmmm, not sure how any of them wood go on a deck.
Teak was considered a good choice because of two reasons(that I know of) One, is it's natural oil. It makes the timber excellent at withstanding water and thus rot and it remains very stable. In other words it doesn't split, warp and twist. Two, is its grain. It has a fine "feathery" grain that means it doesn't splinter easily. Not a good thing to have is splinters in feet.
There are other hardwoods that would suffice, one I have used extensively is Kweela(spell? I spelt it how it sounds to me) It remains stable, and if sanded well, doesn't seem to splinter. It does have a natural red dye in it, that needs to be allowed to bleed out before you use it, or it stains everything it touches. I wash it and leave it outside under a sprinkler for a week. Then let it weather for a month. Then it is a really beautiful colour, not unlike that of teak, but has a lovely grain.

[Steve Kidson]

I am currently fitting out a Hartley 32 and opted to have teak decking in the cockpit area. I have to admit up front that I have a significant advantage as I own and operate a cabinetmaking and joinery business, and this sourcing, machining and working with such materials is our business.

Having said that, I love the look of the traditional laid deck, and was able to buy the decking already machined from an importer who was closing his business. The decking I bought is 9mm thick, and already has a rebate machined in it.

The process of laying such decking needs to be carefully approached, and I found Sika have a range of products designed specifically for this task, as well as good information for guidence.

We templated each of the areas to be decked, and laid the decks on a 9mm marine ply board in the factory, and then bonded these to the cockpit floor and seats.

I have yet to finish the caulking, but the part completed so far looks good, and worth the effort.

Steve

[capt lar]

just to be the contrarian, if you have lots of teak in other places, why go thru the time and money to put teak in places where it does not seem needed such as under cockpit cushions ? doesn't seem to be a footing issue. also be aware that in my business - residential construction - we use all sorts of pvc type boards and panels since they are quite stable and will not rot. very expensive, but worth it to avoid future costs. while these products do look sharp, i would suggest you make sure they will work when set directly beside real teak. a more extreme example of this is 1980's boatbuilders that used "butcherblock" formica countertops in cabins with lots of real wood. white would have been a better choice. if this fauxteak does not change much, how will it look compared to real teak that does change ? what finish do you use on the rest of the teak ? capt. lar

[Maddog]

For the interior I am looking at a product called Ply-Boo. It is is a manufactured sheet good made from bamboo. Very hard and finishes well. It comes either verticle or horizontal, natural or carbonized.

I am going the natural with the verticle grain. I looksa like yellow oak or an Ash. About $100 US per 48" x 96" sheets 3/8" thick. I'm thinking of this for the cabin sole. Not sure I would use it outside. 2 coats of expoxy, then 4 of varnish, then Im done.

[cklanac]

There is a product called Trex which is a synthetic wood. I don't have any personal experience with it but a relative of mine has it around his pool and one of the sailing mags (Practical Sailor or Good Ol Boat) gave it a good review.


http://www.trex.com/

[Talbot]

There is another alternative to teak that is available and is particularly good for areas that are continually wet (e.g. swim platforms) cause it gets less slippy when wet!

This is called Tek Deck - see herehere for an article on it and note that it is available in Aus as well as USA. It can be D-I-Y and provides a nice surface - not as good as real teak, but a lot more durable and cheaper.

I have no connection with the company other than they made me a darn good custom fuel tank!