Refinishing the Teak

[hensonrick5]

I'm restoring a Sun Cat. What is the best product for refinishing the teak and should it be removed to keep from discoloring the gel coat? If I do get the teak oil (or teak finish) on the gel coat, how do I fix the gel coat?

Thanks, Rick

 

[njlarry]

I just finished doing my handrails with honey teak. Looks great. I picked it based on its longevity and can do all coats in a day without any sanding.
It is very thin so I masked welll. It can penetrate the masking so you have to be careful. Clean up drips immediately with acetone.
I don't know if removing the wood is more or less work. Could not get the campanion way wood off due to adhesive sealant underneath. I am debating weither to remove the eyebrows when I do them.

 

[py26129]

I used Cetol natural teak ( 3 coats) with their Gloss overcoat (3 coats). The natural teak does not have the orange hue of the original Cetol and complements the wood very nicely.

If you get some on the gel coat, a quick wipe with Acetone will clean it up nicely if it is still wet. Otherwise it can be carefully scraped off.

 

[hensonrick5]

I just finished doing my handrails with honey teak.

Thanks! Who makes it?

 

[hensonrick5]

Thanks for two suggestions! Rick

 

[HukilauMike]

After trying: teak oil, Cetol (with and without the Cetol gloss overcoat), polyurethane, and old fashioned varnish, I have come to the conclusion that oil looks the most natural (and to me, the best), but it requires the most upkeep. I have tried three different brands over the years, and none looked "new" for more than a couple of weeks. Just so frustrating. Cetol looks good, but not as good to me as oil. However, three coats of Cetol will look almost new for an entire four month season. I just recently applied the Cetol gloss overcoat. It looks good, but I don't know how long it will last. If you like the bright look, polyurethane doesn't look quite as nice as varnish (nothing looks as good as a well-applied coating of varnish that looks a foot thick), but it sure is easier to apply. Poly and varnish don't need as much upkeep as Cetol, but when you do need to reapply, they need to be completely stripped off. In short, your choices run from looks great, easy to apply but doesn't last long (oil) to looks great, lasts long but is a beast to apply (varnish). My choice: Cetol; I think it's the best compromise between ease of application, durability and low maintenance. Your mileage may vary.

 

[njlarry]

Thanks! Who makes it?

Signature Honey Teak is sold online and by phone. Checkout their website. Tom is very helpful and the paper mixing cups make mixing the parts simple. OK to apply outside in the sun. Just wait twenty to sixty minutes between coats. There have been more detailed discussion on this site.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Ladies & Gentlemen,

The "natural" progression of "dealing with exterior teak" usually runs like this:

--- teak oil

or

--- Nothing

--- varnish

--- cetol

--- nothing

---teak oil

--- nothing

--- varnish

--- cetol

Repeat as necessary...

Nothing much has changed in the last 25 years about this subject...

 

[hensonrick5]

Well, I feel so much better! I originally tried some Teak Oil Varnish on a small bit but wasn't crazy about the varnish part. I might have been a bit naive about it, expecting a more natural and light finish. I them masked and used Teak Oil. It looked great! A couple months later it looks like I never did it PLUS I got some on the gel coat and am still trying to get that off my Spring waxing job to no success.

I need to be like the old sailing Captains and have an enslaved crew fearful of my wrath to polish it daily. I don't think that is allowed these days.

I'm a good wood worker and have built furniture and used polyurethane and waterlox for the final finish. I can't believe Teak on a boat is so difficult considering how much it is used!!!

 

[higgs]

I have tried numerous products over the years and I find Cetol to be about the best. Far from perfect, but easiest to use with reasonable durability. It is susceptible to abrasion. I tried Bristol Finish for several years, but found results to be varied.

 

[JerryA]

Just did 3 coats of Cetol for the first time. Looks good. I hope it holds up.

 

[hensonrick5]

That looks really good! Is there a gloss overcoat?

 

[Brian S]

My 3 coats of Cetol did not last 2 full seasons. Of course, you are supposed to add a coat each year. I didn't want to add more coats, thus making it look even more orange. I should have put a coat of gloss on each subsequent year. Although Cetol application is relatively easy, if I'm going to have to recoat each year, I might as well start with good varnish.

As much as it pains me to see flaking crap on my teak, with spots of silver where the crap already flaked off, my plan for this season is to let as much Cetol flake off as possible, and then deal with the scraping and sanding and varnishing. This year will be the first time I can store the boat where I live, so I'm hoping that some nice weekends in early November, and days after work in April, will have her looking better than orange-y Cetol for next year.

Note that I'm in the top of the mid-Atlantic region, on fresh water. Not a glowing endorsement for Cetol in the southern salt water climes...

Just did 3 coats of Cetol for the first time. Looks good. I hope it holds up.

 

[Brian S]

Yes, there is a gloss overcoat available.

Note that Cetol is really more like lightly pigmented translucent paint than varnish. It doesn't build up the way varnish does.

That looks really good! Is there a gloss overcoat?

 

[JerryA]

No Gloss Coats on Mine

I did not put any gloss coats on mine. Last year my dock neighbor was a 24' Lyman (wood boat). His boat was beautiful and we talked about what he was using and how he maintained it (5 years after a restoration). He told me about Sikkens (Cetol) that he had been using. He claimed that he started with 3 coats and then just added a coat every year. But he did say that you absolutely need to start with bare wood. So keeping this in mind, when I got this Tanzer 29 that was gray and peeling, I decided to try it.

Again, I don't know how long it will last, but if it works like it did on his Lyman I'll be thrilled.

JerryA

 

[py26129]

I put on 3 coats of Cetol natural teak and 3 coats of Gloss overcoat. So far, it has lasted 3 years and still looks good. . Granted, we are in Montreal but the toerails are exposed to the weather 12 months per year.

I have not yet done a maintenance coat but that's on the schedule for next spring.

teh touch ups, that have not been "glossed over" seem to weather much faster than where the gloss was applied.

Cheers

Matt

 

[jibes138]

Guys, the housing industry solved this problem years ago. You can either paint the wood with latex or oil based paint or you can have vinyl siding put over your wood.
Another option is all the snake oil the shysters try to sell you. :>)
I was most happy with Semco. It goes on like water and you give it a new coat once a year after a light scrub with a scotch Brite pad and water.

 

[rardiH36]

I am in Stu Jackson's camp. If you want your external teak to have a surface like a dining room table, and unless you cover all expose teak after each sail, be prepared to spend hours each season sanding to fresh wood, masking with tape, and then applying several coats of "what ever" finish which only lasts a season or two before the whole process must be repeated.

If quick maintenance, but less than dining room appearance is OK, then the best thing to do with teak is sand off all varnish type coatings. Then just wipe with teak oil every season. Yes, it will look gray and weathered after the first year or so. But it will look the same 10 years later!

I did away with a lot of the exterior teak on my boat. The grab rails were replaced with SS and my cabin top teak "eye brow" is gone.

The teak that remains (companion-way frame and ornamental pads under the primary winches) is now painted with Rustolem's Hammered finished. This paint is metallic looking. Maintains it's near original appearance on teak for a few seasons. Eventually it does begin to wear/crack. But then it's a quick job to sand off the loose spots with very rough sandpaper and put on a new coat over. No need to sand back to bare wood as required if doing varnish type bright-work.

 

[Indysailor]

The problem is just that teak doesn't like to be coated with anything. Take an ash tiller, for example. I put a couple coats of varnish on mine about three years ago and it looks practically as good as it did when I first finished it. The difference of course, is that teak is oily, which is why it makes such a great choice for the outdoors. The drawback, naturally, is that it turns gray, which to some is unsightly, nevertheless it has no impact on its durability. My handrails are 36 years old, gray as my beard, yet show few signs of age. But I get it, people want them to shine with a deep, golden luster and so they commit to a lot of labor, whether varnish or oil. Either works if properly applied, neither lasts as long as one would hope.

 

[hensonrick5]

Thanks for all the help. I see what I'm doing in October.