Sanded 80 grit to final 400 grit. 3 coats of sikkens cetol teak. The sikkens cetol color is almost identical to what the sanded wood looked like when wet with water.
Catalina 27 teak before and after
- Thread starter BTC1984
- Start date
More photos. The Coaming covers were breaking and had gaps. I used Gflex to fill in the gaps and I worked great. It’s not a perfect match but it’s strong so I basically rebuilt the crumbling teak Coaming covers with gflex. It’s sandable. Still need to finish sanding and stain the Coaming covers.
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Super results! I usually apply 2 coats of Cetol natural, followed by two coats cetol gloss. Usually lasts 4 years. Keep an eye on it and recoat at first appearance of it deteriorating. Lightly sand with 220 and apply 2 coats and you’re good to go. No need to strip it down to bare wood again; much easier than the restoration that you did. The boat looks amazing with the teak restored & finished!
So, I have a question. I think my teak was varnished. I have bare spots on the toerails now. Need I completely strip them to fix them up with Cetol?
Thanks
That is a difficult question. I am just guessing here; however, I would think that you're dealing with two different chemistries...who knows how they would interact immediately & over time. Perhaps there is someone on site who has tried it. Three options (1) test cetol over varnish in a small inconspicuous spot or on a test panel, (2) touch up the bare spots & overcoat with more varnish, or (3) strip down to bare wood & recoat with Cetol.
Started using Cetol over 25 years ago. Back then it was durable, however, it looked like brown paint. Present formulations don't have so much pigment, resulting in a more translucent appearance as seen in @BTC1984 photos. I like adding the additional coats of clear gloss because it provides additional protective coats without obscuring the wood grain. As previously mentioned, I usually get four years before recoating; not bad for semi-tropical environment with uncovered teak.
I appreciate the durability of the gloss finish and there is consensus that it improves the life of the coating. My question is how shiny is it? Is it gaudy shiny or just a bit more then the cetol teak? The cetol teak does have a bit of gloss finish. The appearance is all that is holding me back from adding 2 tops coats of gloss. BTW last week I was completely spent energy wise on the teak project so no way I was doing anything more. Now that I'm rested I'm considering the gloss.
Ha! I can certainly appreciate your lack of energy after completing the teak restoration project; definitely lots of work. Initially, Cetol gloss has quite a shine; however, weather & sun tone it down within 6 months.
Great job!
I’m in the middle of the same project, suddenly kicking myself for not taking “before” pictures.
I opted for removing all the wood from the boat, some of it was damaged pretty badly and I considered replacing it, but epoxy is my friend and now that it’s scrapped and sanded, I think it’s all repairable.
I’m in the middle of the same project, suddenly kicking myself for not taking “before” pictures.
I opted for removing all the wood from the boat, some of it was damaged pretty badly and I considered replacing it, but epoxy is my friend and now that it’s scrapped and sanded, I think it’s all repairable.
Gflex. It dries rock hard and can be sanded. Plus it has the consistency of a gooey paste so it stays in place until it dries. See my Coaming covers in my previous post you can see the gflex post sanding but not yet coated with cetol
Update: it’s been a year since I did the teak project. My boat was out all winter in michigan uncovered. The teak really took a beating. It’s still fine but really showing signs of wear. I plan to apply a couple new coats of Sikens but now I’m seriously considering adding the top gloss coat for protection. I’ll post what I decide along with the results
Nevermind the chop, splashes and whitecaps, I'm staring at my beautify teak!
Please post pics. I'm curious of the long term outcome. My teak looks similar to yours beforehand. I didn't realize mine was salvagable
Adding to my original post…1 year later. Anyone know why I got these spots after just one year ? Is this to be expected? See photos.
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jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 23,341
UV damage, what it appears to be. It appears that the wood is not smooth in those areas. That would make it difficult to get complete coverage in all of the areas. Dirt gets into the small crevices. That stops the varnish from getting a complete covered film to keep the water from the wood.
If you can not sand smooth all of the wood then you may need to fill the wood, seal the wood, then apply multiple coats of varnish.
If you can not sand smooth all of the wood then you may need to fill the wood, seal the wood, then apply multiple coats of varnish.
Thank you. What peaks my interest is the disparity between sections of teak, ie the “failure spots” as shown in the photo. To me this suggests poor surface preparation as the problem. It could be argued the thickness of the sikkens varied in the failure spots but I just don’t see that as likely. That being said on my companion way boards, they look as good as new. No failure spots. Two things were different with the compassion way boards. First I was able to sand them and prep them very well. (Off the boat -At home) and I was able to apply 3 nice thick coats of sikkens simply because they are easy to work with.
jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 23,341
With varnish, I have found a series (6plus) of thin coats last longer than a thick heavy coat. Something about the stretch of a thin layer, I conjecture. It is recommended in instructions from marine professionals. Wooden boats often have double digit coats that required sanding between each coat. This stretch’s the process out over multiple days.
I have been using Total Boat products. They recommend upto 3 coats can be applied without sanding between coats. This has helped.