Can I use oak instead of teak?

[LakeSuperior]

There is a significant amount of teak for sale on ebay...how much do you need?

[Allied39]

Originally Posted by fourlyons

Since you're east coast US, Ipe is fairly easy to get and would fit this application well.

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I describe Ipe as a mixture of teak ,mahogany and steel. The quality has suffered from what was available a decade ago.....but that applies to pretty much everything.

[Rumrace]

Cypress yes.

[siamese]

Can you use stainless steel or Starboard in this particular application? Just asking because they're always my first choices for exterior stuff.

[keepondancin]

Check Defender, they have teak handrails at a reasonable price, on line or in their store in Waterford Ct. Ipe is a little difficult to work with, Cypress is soft, White Oak will turn black if moisture gets to it, Sapele is sort of a mohagany, varnished, it may hold up. There is a wood called Tiger Wood, (really), available from Advantage Lumber in Sarasota Fl, and upstate NY, turns a very nice silver gray, and easier to work with than Ipe.

[fourlyons]

Originally Posted by keepondancin

Check Defender, they have teak handrails at a reasonable price, on line or in their store in Waterford Ct. Ipe is a little difficult to work with, Cypress is soft, White Oak will turn black if moisture gets to it, Sapele is sort of a mohagany, varnished, it may hold up. There is a wood called Tiger Wood, (really), available from Advantage Lumber in Sarasota Fl, and upstate NY, turns a very nice silver gray, and easier to work with than Ipe.

For the record, "Tigerwood" is actually Goncalo Alves. I have used it for house decking. And would work well here.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goncalo_alves

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[Fore and Aft]

I am with Siamese, stainless steel varnishes real well and you never need touch it again. If you love that traditional wood look, just wrap the stainless steel with a vinyl wrap.

Cheers
https://www.rvinyl.com/Wood-Vinyl-Wraps

[mlydon]

Where are you on the east coast that you can’t get teak? It’s readily available…..but you’re not going to find it at lowes. You have to go to a high-end specialty lumber yard. You can have pre-made handrails shipped to you, too. Really - where are you located? I’ll find you a place….

Matt

[Sailshabby]

Originally Posted by Sirzones

Any other wood you guys would recommend ? Maybe birch or maple

As mentioned, iroko.

[RiverRat37]

Originally Posted by danstanford

white oak yes, red oak no way!

For many decades there has been the same put-down of Red Oak. This has been conclusively debunked often since then. There was solid proof in a very old tug boat with red oak decks and rails that had held up exceptionally well over the decades. Even Teak will rot. There is no perfect wood, only some better than others. Keeping in mind that the heartwood (and NOT the sapwood) is the only acceptable portion of the tree for use. And don't forget the possibility of wood preservatives that can be very effective with proper use.

From time to time we find a boat built (mostly or some) of a wood that is not considered good for boatbuilding that has held up well. And we've all seen those boats that sit rotting away, uncared for, that could be build of ANY wood.
I suggest it's a lot more important to treat it well during the building and finishing and then follow with good/appropriate maintenance.

Note: We all know of metal boats - aluminum and steel that suffer mightly when not cared for. And Ferro-Cement boats too. And dare I say it? ... fiberglass has it's problems.

Our homes, our cars and our boats are all constantly working away to return to oneness with the earth. Treat 'em right and they'll return the favor.

[chriswheat]

White oak: very durable but stains and hard to work.

red oak: will rot quickly.
cypress: old growth is good but what is commercially available around here is not nearly as good.
ipe: will serve you well but imho harder to work than sapele which is readily available and will serve you just as well.
pre-made teak handrails from Defender/whomever: your best choice if they offer the size you need.

genuine teak: the best of all if you have what it take$ to get it.

[Lancerbye]

Years ago I bought gum wood, to redo the bulwark caps got it from Windsor Plywood. The planks were easy to cut and fasten. Smelled like bananas when sawing it. Once installed it dried without shrinking and was tough as nails. Iroko is another excellent wood for rails.

[OS2Dude]

I made companionway doors from white oak. They developed a pronounced warp after a year despite being varnished. While I was able to iron the warp out using an iron and wet cloths, it came back soon after drying out in the sun again. My current doors are Cumaru (Brazilian Teak), but they are starting to check at the edge after two years. If I do it again, I will try Ipe (Ironwood). Cumaru woods great inside the cabin though! I get my lumber from an exotic wood dealer here in town. (Atlanta GA USA) It is (was) surprisingly affordable.

[partingclouds]

What Benz said. Sapele is what you want, it's great to work with, very stable and indestructable, takes stain well and varnishes to mirror finish. Don't let it go grey. It's too beautiful when it's bright. It will make great handrails. Go for it.

[MJH]

Originally Posted by Sirzones

Need to replace both outside hand rails on my C&c 30, teak is not available in my area, I was thinking of oak or some other hard wood
Thought’s? Or maybe some ugly stainless🤢

Try Edensaw Wood Ltd, Port Townsend, WA 98368