Faux Teak on Deck

[SilentOption]

I have been doing a little research on the various vendors for plastic teak decking and I am hoping to get some opinions.
Has anyone here done this?
I have a CSY 44 and I think it would look good on the boat if it turns out as nice as the photos on everyones website.
Comments on installation, price or anything in general?
Thanks

[David M]

The first thing I visualize when I hear fake wood are those Brady Bunch station wagons from the seventies that had the fake wood along the sides that faded out in about five years. I would be cautious and get a product that is resistant to fading and delaminating.

[waterworldly]

Amels have had that forever. It is molded into the fiberglass deck. I have seen it on 10 year old boats, that have been well cared for and it is stilll in good condition. It is a standard feature of their Super Maramus as well as the newer 54' ers. It is not "applied" however, it is part of the decking itself.

[Pblais]

There are a few different products but the ability to hold up has been well established. Where were you going to apply it? I am familiar with the CSY 44.

[SilentOption]

I would like to put it in the cockpit, on deck in the bow but not on the cabin and on the aft deck.

Still depends on price though as its a 30 year old boat.

[Southern Star]

Bill and Sali, I am considering installing Lonwood Teak and Holly on the main saloon sole of my cat (hate carpeting and don't want to add the weight of real wood) and, like you, am wondering if anyone here has some real-life experience. Although Lonwood claims their product can be used on the exterior (and installation seems particularly simple), products such as Plasteak seem better suited for your purpose (and I suspect, far more realistic looking in an unfinished state).

Also of interest to me is whether I need to order Lonwood's own adhesive, or whether any comparable adhesive for linoleum would do. Yes, I know they say it voids their warranty. But the cost of not only the product, but also shipping (hazmat regs and weight) to Canada from distributors is something I would like to avoid if possible.

Brad

[Pblais]

The foredeck you might do as well with those interlocking dry deck tiles. They look like plastic squares that you put together like a jig saw puzzle. You can trim them and end up with a single unit that you lay on top of the bare deck. They have exceptional traction and can be easily lifted out so you can wash down the foredeck and clean up the mud from the anchor. We had that on our CSY 33 and it worked exceptionally well and that is really easy.

For the cockpit I would look at a few of the products to find something you like since you'll be looking at it a lot. The cost per square ft isn't that much different so the better product won't add a lot of money. The work to do the job is the bigger issue. Lots of cuts to deal with in that cockpit. I really like the CSY 44 cockpit there are a lot of things you can do with them.

For the cockpit the other alternative is to use real teak. There is a newer method to installation that does not require screws. On the CSY 44 that isn't a problem though as there is no coring in the deck. Given the fact you are not doing a really large deck it isn't such a hard thing to pull off. Real teak in that situation would last a longer than you will own the boat. Our current boat has teak only in the cockpit and bridge deck. It's nice to have it where you are most of the time so at least consider getting the most attractive product.

[Wildrice]

I replaced all of my carpet with Plastic and realy like it, if you spill anything ( glue or paint) just get the sand paper and do a light buff. most other things wash right off. The price was right at $45.00 a linear foot six feet wide. The problem I have is with trimming the edges from what I saw on the website the trim was a little bumpy so I'm still looking for something else too finish it out. Got mine at ttcustommarine

Keith

[ZolaSail]

My father installed a faux teak on his custom built 50ft aluminum trawler that turned out really well. He used planks of the artificial decking material you can get at home depot that you can get in any color and last for ever. He then ripped the planks in to 1 ½” x ¼” strips and laid them just as you would teak but without the screws. Just the rubberized bedding material. He figured if it didn’t work he could just pull it up off the aluminum deck and start over. After 3 years in the S Florida and Bahamas sun and lived aboard continually the stuff looked good as new. Great grip even when wet, no oiling or maintenance required. It is labor intensive if you do it yourself but far more cost effective and just as good looking if not better than any other faux decking material out there and it has held up great so far.

[SilentOption]

I appreciate the responses. I talked to two different companies today. I decided I am going to put plastic down on deck and I am going with Nu Teak.
Its a little pricey ranges from $48-$65 a square foot. I am going to start with the cockpit and work my way up to doing the deck. The price difference is determined by the edge. Can't exactly explain but the photo gallery at Nu Teak is very helpful.

Thanks again.

[Pblais]

This looks like a nice product. The way it installs should yield a first class looking job if you are very patient with the work. Lots of cuts! I can only imagine how many times you need to measure to complete this job. Please post pictures back here! Some befores and progress pictures would be even better.

Good lick!

[SilentOption]

I will post pictures. Based on my discussion with the guy at Nu Teak I am going to provided templates and do the installation myself. The pieces should come ready to install. No cutting. I am going to start with small pieces in the cockpit so I can understand how the process works. They have two products. One flexible and one not so flexible. They are sending samples but I think I have already decided to go with the flexible material.

[blahman]

Originally Posted by SilentOption

Its a little pricey ranges from $48-$65 a square foot.

Is that correct? That seems very expensive. They say "costs less than teak" but with teak at $18/bf that is about three times as expensive (assuming you're using the correct thickness teak). Not sure how large my deck is (32' double-ender with 11' beam), but if I figure my deck is 50 sq/ft, that's potentially $3250! And I'm sure my deck is more than that.

That seems like a lot of money, so maybe I'm thinking about it wrong.

Cheers,
Aaron N.

[SilentOption]

I will check into teak again and post what I find out. Teak may be found for $18 a bf but by the time its installed the price tag seemed to be significantly higher than the plastic. The samples I have of the PVC are impressive and you don't have any holes in the deck when its put down.

[Minggat]

I did my sole and it was $35 (at the time) per linear ft, not square foot. At $18 per sq ft, for teak, that would be the same as $180 per foot of this stuff. It comes in 6 ft wide rolls.

Really made a world of difference in my 35 year old Islander.