Varnishing / HELP!

[Tomtom39]

Dear All
I am planning on re-varnishing my cabin floor in my beneteau 47.7! I have attached a photo as I would like advice on what type of finish this might be!
I believe it to be Epifanes Rubbed effect... It certainly looks like less gloss!
Beneteau have been there usual helpfulness saying that they don't do the kits anymore and a clear varnish would be best.
Any help would be great

Many thanks

Nick

[MarkSF]

Originally Posted by Tomtom39

Dear All
I am planning on re-varnishing my cabin floor in my beneteau 47.7! I have attached a photo as I would like advice on what type of finish this might be!
I believe it to be Epifanes Rubbed effect... It certainly looks like less gloss!
Beneteau have been there usual helpfulness saying that they don't do the kits anymore and a clear varnish would be best.
Any help would be great

Many thanks

Nick

The exact finish you use is as much a matter of personal taste as anything. I used Minwax Fast Drying polyurethane in semi-gloss. Next time I might go for a higher-gloss finish. Looks like the Epifanes Rubbed Effect is a semi-gloss too, chemistry more like a spar varnish. I'm sure it's fine.

You should sand the entire floor with say, 320-grit to get a good key.

You could try to sweat out any dents. I just place a wet cloth, folded up, over the dent for a few days. Keep re-soaking the cloth.

[Tomtom39]

Many thanks for your advice -
I agree a semi gloss is what I really want to achieve -
Any advice on filling any gouges - I was going to use a wood filler and then sand back!

[cabo_sailor]

Personally, I would try the sweating first. I used to repair dings in rifle stocks by sweating. The only difference was I applied an ordinary iron (as in clothes) to the wet cloth to generate a bit of steam.

If you really must use a filler, you might want to collect some of the dust from sanding and mix it with a bit of epoxy. You might get a better match but the patch will likely still show.

Rich

[JPA Cate]

Semi-gloss varnish is clear varnish, but with a flattening agent used to take out the shine. Generally, it is softer than the clear, not sure what it is about the flattening agent it is that has that effect. Anyhow, for longer varnish life look at what is used on gymnasium floors. It has the reputation of being the toughest.

Ann

[MarkJ]

I don't think Beneteau uses varnish but a clear polyurathane.

[Glenn.Brooks]

So one issue is varnished floors are very slippery - vastly increasing chances of a fall and injury when underway. The higher the gloss, the greater the risk of slipping. I use Djeks oil once or twice a year. It seals the floor and helps keep a nice looking sheen, without being slippery.

Also, to clean teak plywood, try scrubbing down with any household detergent and abrasive sponge, then wipe/scrub down with acetone or plain old mineral,spirits. The idea is to lift off the dirt and assorted boat oils, e.g. Clean the surface, without reducing the all to thin teak laminate on the surface.