Teak Deck Protruding Screw Heads With Pictures!

[deluxe68]

Originally Posted by Dougtiff

Boat builders should be hung and drawn, when they fasten teak decks this way, instead of in the center of the plank, the fix problem is that the fastening is in the seam, so after removing the fastening, the seam compound must be removed in the fastening area, then the fastening must be reset deeper, then plugged, after taking the plug down level with the deck, BUT the plug is bridging part of the seam, so that part must be removed to create the seam before cauliking.

One of the popular cruising boats made in the far east (Perry design I think) has screws on both sides of the deck! One owner found this out when he cut his feet after the screw points poked thru the worn down deck. I took that boat off my shopping list.

[Bleemus]

Originally Posted by chris95040

You don't know this.

Many decks are installed with a strong adhesive and they use screws in the seam to hold it while it cures. So those could absolutely be factory-installed.

I think it would have been wise of the builder to remove them and fill the hole when done, but your statement that factory installed screws on teak decks only appear in the middle of the teak strip under a bung is false.

The boat in question is built by Wauquiez. I have never seen a Wauquiez with screws in the seams. If it were a factory issue it would be on the whole deck not just this limited area. Something else was done after it was built. Perhaps the owner had a section of decking that was lifting off the deck?

[chris95040]

Originally Posted by bletso

Do you realise how short 3/16 is? No screw I know of would gain enough purchase to hold down a deck plank in fiberglass so in all probability all the screws will be all the way through a 5/16 skin if for no other reason than to get to the meat of the screw.

Oh ok, first you said 3/16 would get through the 5/16 skin (which isn't how math works) and now you are just deciding to change the dimensions to suit your argument. You win?

[chris95040]

Originally Posted by Bleemus

The boat in question is built by Wauquiez. I have never seen a Wauquiez with screws in the seams. If it were a factory issue it would be on the whole deck not just this limited area. Something else was done after it was built. Perhaps the owner had a section of decking that was lifting off the deck?

Where does it say 'limited area'? You sure do make a lot of strange assumptions.

In the picture we've seen, I see a deck with no bungs, except on a border plank, from which the only sensible (though /possibly/ incorrect) conclusion is that the whole deck is constructed in this manner.

[double u]

"...Boat builders should be hung and drawn..."
looking at some of Wauquiez's teakdecks they should be anyway: not tapering the "planks" at the ends...

[bletso]

Originally Posted by chris95040

Oh ok, first you said 3/16 would get through the 5/16 skin (which isn't how math works) and now you are just deciding to change the dimensions to suit your argument. You win?

No, no one wins. Your original argument of machine screws, (which I missed), could hold a Christmas ornament at best. Whom ever installed them didn't know squat about fastening. If we think about this 3/16 into a fiberglass substrate would never be enough to hold anything. Perhaps they just wanted to fasten something very light to the deck. The only machine screw type that would bite at all would be an FZ or similar self tapping type screw. There wouldn't be enough for a tapped hole. They were probably just improvising and using the wood as the hold material. The little bit into the glass was probably incidental to what ever they had in mind. In any case a machine screw as you stated was 'bizarre' no doubt.

In any case, as already pointed out, your best bet may be to remove them and just plug or caulk the holes perhaps first sealing with a bit of thickened epoxy. Whenever there are PO's involved there will always be mysteries, the solutions as to the why's which are un-knowable!! Good luck,,

[chris95040]

Originally Posted by bletso

No, no one wins. Your original argument of machine screws, (which I missed), could hold a Christmas ornament at best. Whom ever installed them didn't know squat about fastening. If we think about this 3/16 into a fiberglass substrate would never be enough to hold anything. Perhaps they just wanted to fasten something very light to the deck. The only machine screw type that would bite at all would be an FZ or similar self tapping type screw. There wouldn't be enough for a tapped hole. They were probably just improvising and using the wood as the hold material. The little bit into the glass was probably incidental to what ever they had in mind. In any case a machine screw as you stated was 'bizarre' no doubt.

Actually it was quite common practice for Cheoy Lee to use standard machine screws in _untapped_ holes drilled to the diameter of the screw's core. The worst example of this isn't even teak decks, I believe this was also how the lifeline stanchion bases were originally installed!

It's a bizarre practice, certainly we agree on that, but 3/16" provided more than enough bite to hold that deck down for about 30 years. There were also hundreds of sisterships that had the same installation method, so one again your claims have exactly zero basis in reality.

Consider a piece of plastic, I don't even really care what kind, or if even if it's glass reinforced, just so long as it's 3/16" thick. Drill a hole in it the size of a small machine screw's core and drive the screw in. Tell me how easy it is for you to pull it out. Christmas ornament? What a joke. I wouldn't hang a bassinet from it but it was plenty to handle the 12 inches or so of plank span it was responsible for holding down.

Originally Posted by bletso

In any case, as already pointed out, your best bet may be to remove them and just plug or caulk the holes perhaps first sealing with a bit of thickened epoxy. Whenever there are PO's involved there will always be mysteries, the solutions as to the why's which are un-knowable!! Good luck,,

The deck has long since been rebuilt, and I certainly didn't do what you describe here.

In any event, you give really bad advice. And you rewrite other people's observations to support your preposterous claims. You really should just stop.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by chris95040

You don't know this.

Many decks are installed with a strong adhesive and they use screws in the seam to hold it while it cures. So those could absolutely be factory-installed.

I think it would have been wise of the builder to remove them and fill the hole when done, but your statement that factory installed screws on teak decks only appear in the middle of the teak strip under a bung is false.

Yes, one wonders. I have not noticed those on Wauquiez before, but maybe that was their technique , to put the screws under the caulking..?
After reviewing Wauquiez deck pics on line it appears that some indeed have screws and bungs in the center of the plank. So to the OP, I would maybe be a bit concerned about the placement of those screws? OTOH, owners on line seem to indicate that the caulking holds the teak in place. That was my experience with a Hans Christian boat, you had to break the teak into pieces to get it off the deck even with the screws removed. You may be in for a deck recaulking and remove those screws . A big job, but readily doable. Probably $3-5k by a worker? I had one done but many years ago.

One owner: "Our boat was made in France and when Herni Wauquiez's crew put down our decks they used a mastic to keep the teak down on the deck and then used screws to keep the teak in place while the mastic cured. As we lose the teak covers that cap the screws (bungs) I take the screw out and then fill the hole with epoxy and then glue the bung back in place. The teak is not going anywhere. "

[double u]

...all this just drives home: teak deck? - avoid at all cost!

[bletso]

Originally Posted by double u

...all this just drives home: teak deck? - avoid at all cost!

Kind of like a trophy wife? They really look nice, but there is definitely some maintenance involved.

[double u]

I wouldn't call this a "trophy wife":

[double u]

just in case anybody asks - zazzaway!

[GovCup2015]

Have a 2004 Beneteau FIRST SERIES with teak side decks and after about 10 years noticed a few bright stainless steel brad heads emerging from the side of the rubber caulking. Now I have them everywhere.....50+ of a 45 footer. Also have some small screws directly in the rubber caulking. Appears that Beneteau marketed glued teak decks with no screws / bungs, but secretly held the teak down with brads and screws till the bedding set and then caulked over them. Now it's a major problem. Also saw this on a 2009 50 FIRST BENETEAU. CLASS ACTION again BENETEAU to gain resolution for false advertising/marketing??? Thinking of using Dremel with cutting wheel to cut brads going in on an angle from the caulk, remove brad head, and then re-caulk. COMMENTS?

[tgradyv7m]

We purchased a Wauquiez PS 40 and am the starter of this thread. This was Wauquiez's response (I had their permission to post this). It sounds valid to me.

The teak deck was laid plank by plank, with small screws holding the plank down at against the previous plank while the glue was setting , These screws were at times left in place and covered by the caulking . The screws are normally only in the caulking lines . and a few in the marginn planks as well .
If this does not answer Your question, please send me e few pictures of the pattern of screws (or screwholes).
Best regards,
Wim

Wim VERSAVEL
Bureau d’études – Design Office

Mob : +33 (0)6 7079 3830 - Tel : +33 (0)3 2003 1461 - Fax : +33 (0)3 2003 1060
Wauquiez Boats - 20 rue du Vertuquet - 59960 Neuville-en-Ferrain - France

The screws push one plank against the other plank but the screws go into the deck . the pattern is absolutely normal .
Best solution for repair , if there are sufficient milimeters left in the teak, is to remove caulking, take out the screws, fill the screwholes for watertightness, end re-do the caulking . caulikig can be remove in total or just locally .

One issue is that the caulking was done with black silicone , so probably best to repair with silicone , which is not great for watertightness but PU wil not stick onto siliconed area .

Best regards,
Wim
Wim VERSAVEL
Bureau d’études – Design Office

Mob : +33 (0)6 7079 3830 - Tel : +33 (0)3 2003 1461 - Fax : +33 (0)3 2003 1060
Wauquiez Boats - 20 rue du Vertuquet - 59960 Neuville-en-Ferrain - France

[GovCup2015]

Most likely Beneteau used the same process.....using both small screws that fit in the caulk grove and then SS brads. See pictures of the brads surfacing.