anyway to keep the teak looking like this?

[scoobert]

S/V Union Pacific : Aesthetics

Why cant i keep it this color?

[Delfin]

Originally Posted by scoobert

S/V Union Pacific : Aesthetics

Why cant i keep it this color?

The point of a teak deck is to provide traction when wet. You can keep teak looking great, but it means penetrating epoxy, then about 10 coats of varnish, which means you may as well douse it with oil, traction wise. The only way to keep a teak deck, IMHO and after having maintained one for 20 years is sand it flat, then keep it wetted every few days with salt water. You get silvery looking teak, which given the alternative, ain't bad.

[scoobert]

Originally Posted by Delfin

The point of a teak deck is to provide traction when wet. You can keep teak looking great, but it means penetrating epoxy, then about 10 coats of varnish, which means you may as well douse it with oil, traction wise. The only way to keep a teak deck, IMHO and after having maintained one for 20 years is sand it flat, then keep it wetted every few days with salt water. You get silvery looking teak, which given the alternative, ain't bad.

in the photo, its been freshly oiled.
i can't stain it that color or something?

[Ocean Girl]

Attracts too much dirt( the oil). You can try:
Thompson water seal
Sikkens teak seal
Blog post about Teak Wonder

Silver teak has great non skid properties. The best thing you can do to keep it pretty is to only clean with sponges or 3M pads ( scotchbrite pads). Many folks use bristle brushes, but that digs out the soft grain. Loosing the soft grain causes teak to become slippery and the deep valleys attracts dirt and moisture, aging your teak before its time. Teak decks also love salt water.


Hope that helps.

[Suijin]

Oiling your teak deck is an exercise in futility. Even if you buy a teak oil with hardeners in it, it's not really that hard and it will both attract dirt and wear off pretty quickly. Beyond that, as mentioned, it will essentially lose it's non-skid qualities. It's a lose-lose proposition.

Yes you may see beautiful bright natural looking teak on megayachts, but that's because they apply teak brightener every month and don't care if the teak's lifespan is shortened dramatically...they'll just redeck.

[Delfin]

Originally Posted by scoobert

in the photo, its been freshly oiled.
i can't stain it that color or something?

Not really. Stain won't last more than a month or two without something over it and whatever you put over it will defeat the purpose of it as non skid. Some people use Cetol, which lasts pretty well, but it is slick as snot when it gets wet. Just from the photo, and were it mine, I would concentrate on sanding flat, refastening bungs, replacing any thiokol that has pulled away, then learn to love silvered teak. Without the sea water, teak gets blackened, which doesn't look that great.

[scoobert]

Originally Posted by Suijin

Oiling your teak deck is an exercise in futility. Even if you buy a teak oil with hardeners in it, it's not really that hard and it will both attract dirt and wear off pretty quickly. Beyond that, as mentioned, it will essentially lose it's non-skid qualities. It's a lose-lose proposition.

Yes you may see beautiful bright natural looking teak on megayachts, but that's because they apply teak brightener every month and don't care if the teak's lifespan is shortened dramatically...they'll just redeck.

never been on a megayacht. i just like the look right after i oil, but it only lasts a few days. then it looks like the bottom left in a week.

[pbiJim]

There used to be a 3-step product called teaka. It was a cleaner, a stop chemical for the cleaner & a protectant. That was about the best stuff that I've used, but the cleaner was kind of nasty to work with & that stuff would stain fiberglass yellow if you got sloppy with it.

Some people that I know will take Tongue nut oil mixed with alcohol & use that to protect the teak. Apparently the alcohol helps the oil to penetrate deeper & then that stuff somehow hardens the wood. I'm a little thin on all the details. I know that some hardcore gun nuts use a similar process on rifle stocks & report good results.

[CAELESTIS]

Originally Posted by pbiJim

There used to be a 3-step product called teaka. It was a cleaner, a stop chemical for the cleaner & a protectant. That was about the best stuff that I've used, but the cleaner was kind of nasty to work with & that stuff would stain fiberglass yellow if you got sloppy with it.

Some people that I know will take Tongue nut oil mixed with alcohol & use that to protect the teak. Apparently the alcohol helps the oil to penetrate deeper & then that stuff somehow hardens the wood. I'm a little thin on all the details. I know that some hardcore gun nuts use a similar process on rifle stocks & report good results.

That stuff will destroy a deck in short order. Oil will simply attract more dirt which will require more cleaning and short life. The other posters are correct with the salt water and maybe the occasional white 3M pad. Teck Decking Systems of Sarasota has a very mild cleaner available.

[pbiJim]

Originally Posted by CAELESTIS

That stuff will destroy a deck in short order. Oil will simply attract more dirt which will require more cleaning and short life. The other posters are correct with the salt water and maybe the occasional white 3M pad. Teck Decking Systems of Sarasota has a very mild cleaner available.

Which stuff are you saying is destructive? The Teaka or the Tongue nut oil mixed with alcohol?

[Delfin]

Originally Posted by pbiJim

Which stuff are you saying is destructive? The Teaka or the Tongue nut oil mixed with alcohol?

Teaka. It dissolves the teak, but dissolves the grain faster, so it gets heavily rippled. Not so good.

[Ocean Girl]

Usually two part teak cleaners/brighteners should be a one every 5-7 years kinda thing. The first part is extremely harsh and IMHO unnecessary. Teak is incredibly resilient, just get her smooth( no deep grain), feed it salt water and Murphy's oil soap, and keep bristle brushes away. If you have a stain, Clean with 3m pad and tide or soft scrub with bleach. If the stain is still there, relax, wait a while, the oil in the teak will push the stain out.
Nothing is more wonderful under bare feet than a nicely cared for teak deck

OP-
try the Sikkens natural, you will have to apply every three months, but since you seem to really want that fresh teak look, the time and money will be worth it. Scroll down on the link for owner pictures.
Thompson deck seal will be cheaper, but I've never tried it.

[pbiJim]

Originally Posted by Delfin

Teaka. It dissolves the teak, but dissolves the grain faster, so it gets heavily rippled. Not so good.

If you don't get the stop action chemical on it quickly enough after applying the cleaner, it will cause some damage. I found that out the hard way. But when used as directed, I was able to bring back some pretty shabby looking wood pretty quickly. The grain was already raised before I started, so a little fine sanding was already on the to-do list. I've never used Teaka on a frequent basis. It was my nuclear option for wood that was looking well past it's prime. I actually haven't seen it in stores for several years now.

[pbiJim]

Originally Posted by CAELESTIS

Oil will simply attract more dirt which will require more cleaning and short life.

I think that with tongue nut oil, the idea is that you wipe it on, then you wait, then you rub it in, then you rub it off with a clean rag until it isn't tacky anymore. The final result feels smooth & not sticky at all. Are the other oils different?

[IdoraKeeper]

Rock salt...I put 120lbs on Idora's deck and cockpit seats over the course of last winter. Killed all the green stuff and lifted all the black stains...washed down with a rag and Tide...nice light brown teak...no wood loss. Killed all the crud under the deck bungs/plugs....had to re-do many but they were trashed anyway from age. Plan to do the same this year. It saved my deck.