What is This on the Teak Wood?

[Jillmstar]

I am not sure if this is mold or just where my teak needs teak oil reapplied! How should I treat it?

[JPA Cate]

Jillmstar,

I think maybe you forgot to post the picture of the teak in question? Without seeing it, speculation would be futile.

Ann

[Jillmstar]

I hope this time the photo post!

[MarkSF]

Is this inside the boat? Mould is usually black... might be salt? If the wood got wet, then dried out, it could sweat some salt. Anyway... first thing I would try is a wipe with a damp cloth, let it dry, then rub with lemon oil.

[delmarrey]

If that is under a coat of lacquer, then it's air. That's one of the problems with lacquering teak. The heat of the sun causes the teak to boil/gas out causing air bubbles under the lacquer.

If that's the case then you'll have to sand down past the white and re lacquer. But there may be a color change unless you sand off all the lacquer. And start over.

Most cruisers just let the teak go grey and oil it or only just clean it with a brush and salt water.

[Jillmstar]

Originally Posted by MarkSF

Is this inside the boat? Mould is usually black... might be salt? If the wood got wet, then dried out, it could sweat some salt. Anyway... first thing I would try is a wipe with a damp cloth, let it dry, then rub with lemon oil.

Yes, it is inside our Catalinia 42. The whole inside is teak but thankfully it's just oiled.
Thanks
Jill

[delmarrey]

Originally Posted by Jillmstar

Yes, it is inside our Catalinia 42. The whole inside is teak but thankfully it's just oiled.
Thanks
Jill

Well, I guess that discounts my last post. The picture is a bit blurry, so I'm guessing it dry spots.
Is it a place where the sun hits, like opposite a port hole or hatch?

Unless Catalina supplied a sample of the oil you'll not know what to use to re oil. But a light sanding of the spots and new teak oil would eliminate the spots. But you may still have a color change in that area.

That's always been a problem with touching up spots on wood. Over time wood, or the sealer on it, can change color with time and more times then not one has to strip a whole panel to fix just a spot.

[boatman61]

Looks like some one has used a scrubbing brush on it at some time as well.. should not be grooved like that..
I'd lightly sand it back till its all the same shade then using a cloth lightly wipe the surface with teak oil every 6 mths or so..
Never varnish or lacquer teak.. it don't like it and as has been said starts bubbling.
Is it solid teak or a veneer..? if a veneer.. forget the sanding...lol

[atoll]

i would go see a doctor about that........is it spreading?

[donradcliffe]

What happens when you wipe it with a wet rag?? Do the white spots disappear, then come back again when it dries??

[Hudson Force]

My eyes might not be as good as Boatman's, but I don't see grooves,- just the grain. Maybe the focus of the photo limits us. I would go with the good cleaning with water and a mild detergent, dry, and oil.... pretty much as MarkSF suggested. I like tung oil for my interior teak, but then again, I like to rip all the exterior teak off a boat and replace it with plastic or stainless so I can't be trusted to respect the wood!

[Roy M]

Try a technique known as French Polishing to restore your interior wood finish. It's old and revered among wood finishers. Lots of videos on YouTube. Basically, you are abrading the existing surface finish with a cotton rag, dipped in varnish (or shellac, oil, etc.) to both clean the substrate and apply a tiny amount of finish, rubbing it briskly to achieve a quick cure. Repeat as often as you have patience. Each time things get cleaner, smoother and more attractive. It's a nice technique to learn since you can use it to repair small surface damage, such as scratches. It's quick enough that you can do a very small area at a time, it doesn't make dust, and you can get back to the life you had before this task.

[Ukeluthier]

Originally Posted by Roy M

Try a technique known as French Polishing to restore your interior wood finish. It's old and revered among wood finishers. Lots of videos on YouTube. Basically, you are abrading the existing surface finish with a cotton rag, dipped in varnish (or shellac, oil, etc.) to both clean the substrate and apply a tiny amount of finish, rubbing it briskly to achieve a quick cure. Repeat as often as you have patience. Each time things get cleaner, smoother and more attractive. It's a nice technique to learn since you can use it to repair small surface damage, such as scratches. It's quick enough that you can do a very small area at a time, it doesn't make dust, and you can get back to the life you had before this task.

I'm a professional musical instrument builder and repairer who uses a French polish finish on all the instruments I build. I also use the technique in repairs and restorations.

Roy is partially correct. French polishing will restore surface abrasions, scratches, and other surface deterioration when used over nearly any substrate finish with patience. It won't, however, make any improvement whatsoever if the underlying finish is losing its adhesion or is otherwise failing from beneath (such as mold growing under the finish), particularly if the underlying finish is something like cured polyurethane that won't be softened by whatever solvent is used in your French polishing formulation.