The Perfect Finish For Teak Decks?

[Terra Nova]

The 1st photo shows a very reddish color which I've never seen on teak, even plantation teak. If there has been no finish applied, then there is something wrong with the white balance on your camera or with the settings used for post processing. I'll include a photo showing natural teak, for comparison.

[Dennis.G]

We use the Semco Teak Sealer on both decks and on toe rails and most other teak (we do varnish some teak, but not much anymore). The Semco I would not really call a finish, as it just soaks up into the wood and seals pores in the wood. Sort of like a Thompsons Water Seal, but has more UV protection and slight pigment (we use the Natural type). On decks we apply twice a year, and between times just wash down with salt or fresh water (sometimes scrubbing across grain with a 3M scrub pad). On the brightwork we try to renew every month or two.

On decks it helps repel water and decks stay much lighter in color longer. Does not affect grip, except for maybe first day or two after application. Can't say our testing is scientific by any means, but it seems to me that decks stays much cleaner and good looking by use of the Semco. Is not long lasting, but is very easy to apply and prep is very simple.

[wesevans]

If you are in southern/ tropic waters pull them up and glass the deck. The decks will be cooler and you have solved your maintenance problem.

[Dennis.G]

Originally Posted by wesevans

If you are in southern/ tropic waters pull them up and glass the deck. The decks will be cooler and you have solved your maintenance problem.

Oh yes, that would be easy.

[Kenomac]

Your backyard test won't prove anything. On a boat in a marina, the teak deck is subjected to daily fresh water condensation which eats away at it over time. That's why it requires the salt water wash down. Your backyard is a completely different environment than the marine environment which includes different microbes, mold, algae, salinity etc.

[Julie Mor]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

Julie, you can buy sea salt in any aquarium shop. Or cheat, use plain rock salt and call it close enough.

But constantly "new" looking teak decks, serve exactly the same purpose, for the same reasons, as bright green shiny lawns. The English planted grass lawns in Ireland, to show the Irish that they (the English) were so rich, they could afford to spend gobs of money on a crop that had zero cash value.

One of the world's most enduring examples of conspicuous consumption.

So I'd have to agree with the traditionalists, scrub it, scour it, then replace it every twenty years so you can REALLY show that you can burn money. The folks who try to find a cheap way to pretend they can afford conspicuous consumption? I believe the proper yachting term for them is poseurs.

I thought about aquarium salt. I used to keep reef tanks. Since salt is good for the teak, you'd think adding it to the test would be good. But if it rains or snows it's probably not going to last for long. I'll try it anyway.

Originally Posted by hellosailor

Teak goes silver. A pair of brown sunglasses can fix that.(G)

Can you get those at Amazon or do I have to go to a specialty store?

Originally Posted by Terra Nova

The 1st photo shows a very reddish color which I've never seen on teak, even plantation teak. If there has been no finish applied, then there is something wrong with the white balance on your camera or with the settings used for post processing. I'll include a photo showing natural teak, for comparison.

It's either the white balance or fluorescent lighting or both. It's a new camera and I'm still learning.

Anyway, I did a little deck mock up, for fun, and threw in some Honduras mahogany in the mix. On the left is mahogany, teak, teak - all without finish. Then it's mahogany, teak, teak with two coats Defy. They are screwed down with solid brass screws to 1" cedar planking. I put some Gabon ebony in between the battens because I wanted to pretend I was building a ship.

[zboss]

Originally Posted by Dennis.G

On decks it helps repel water and decks stay much lighter in color longer. Does not affect grip, except for maybe first day or two after application. Can't say our testing is scientific by any means, but it seems to me that decks stays much cleaner and good looking by use of the Semco. Is not long lasting, but is very easy to apply and prep is very simple.

Exactly... we can definitely say the team stays cleaner and there is no loss in traction. We use the classic brown but may go to a slightly lighter color in the future.

[jkindredpdx]

That Pic gave me another idea. Make a sample set for inside your shower at home...


JimK

[Julie Mor]

I just took the piece outside so I could get a picture in the partial sunlight. It turned out better than basement lighting:

I then placed it on a plastic table and sprayed it with salt water that is probably a lot saltier than the ocean. I don't have a salinity tester anymore, making my unscientific test even more unscientific.

After I was done spraying, I noticed the mahogany with the Defy didn't bead water like the teak. Then I remembered I was supposed to wait 24 hours. The teak got the 24 hours but I didn't do the mahogany until later in the day. Oh well.

It's in the 30's now and partly sunny. I'm leaving the water on until it either freezes or evaporates then I'll take another picture and post it. I wonder what Bill Nye would say of this experiment?

[Julie Mor]

Here it is about 2-1/2 hours after spraying the salt water on it:

Should I be doing anything more to it, like giving it a wash down once in a while?

[Terra Nova]

2-1/2 hours? Give it time.

[Julie Mor]

Originally Posted by Terra Nova

2-1/2 hours? Give it time.

The pic was to show how much salt was left behind after the water evaporated.

Today was pretty sunny. Not normal for winter in Chicago. If we get our usual overcast weather, it's probably going to take well into spring before seeing any kind of results.

[Julie Mor]

I was bothered I didn't let the finish on the mahogany fully cure before spraying the brine on it so I started over again by sanding the entire piece down, applying the Defy and letting it cure for about 36 hours.

This morning I sprayed the brine solution on it and put a slight angle on the board to simulate the slope of a deck. Then I placed it in the sun and let it dry.

The defy coated pieces beaded the water and once dried left just the salt. If there is an Achilles heel here, I think it's going to be how the Defy reacts to salt. The beading also means you'd have to rinse the deck after a dousing if you didn't want to deal with the salt residue after it dried.

[Cheechako]

the salt should be there beaded or not on a deck. Maybe the beading makes thicker chunks in spots though. The real test will be sun and heavy rain after a few months I would think... if it still beads then you may have a winner!

[Julie Mor]

It's still to early to tell how the teak and mahogany are faring in the test but I have been impressed with what I'm seeing on the redwood steps to our 22 year old hot tub. About three years ago I removed all the siding and made new siding and rebuilt the steps, using the old ones as a template.


This was the before and after.

I had put Penofin oil on both the siding and steps but within a couple of months it started looking like the wood in the picture on the left. Last August I sanded everything down and applied Defy to it. Here's a picture I took today.


The steps have been exposed to about 6 months of Chicago weather. Water still beads on it but the surface is not slick at all.