Fake teak deck glue…..

[NYSail]

So have. Highfield dinghy with fake teak on the aluminum floor…. Great on the feet and looks good too. However it has started to come up. Called dealer where I bought the boat and they said the floor is out of warranty but they never have dealt with this???? Guy recommended gorilla glue but that makes no scenes as that stuff expands. Saw a video where an installer was spreading an adhesive down… almost like a tile job. Any recommendations before I call a fake teak installer / manufacturer?
Thanks!
Greg

 

[JRT]

There is several gorilla glues, including marine rated by the label at least. There is a construction adhesive he maybe talking about and not the small foam expanding type. Loctite has a marine adhesive I'd probably try with placing weight on those edges to press and hold down.

 

[twodzusfittings]

Greg, what product did Highfield use. Highfield is a good quality dinghy, so I assume, right wrong or indifferent, they used SEADEK. It might be helpful to expand on the description of where the lifting is occurring. If its bubbles in the center of the areas, a glue injection might work, however if it's on the edges, the use of contact cement would work. I have experienced both on the cabin top and sliding hatch cover, where the faux teak was of a cheap variety, held water and got attacked by UV.

The tan area crumbled leaving only the black layer. Edges and corners also started to lift, even though the product was made with 3M peel and stick backing. In some places the faux teak became waterlogged. It wasn't worth re glueing, it was done after three seasons. My solution was to remove all the fake teak, the glue backing layer and any glue itself. I had to do a lot of scraping, soaking with acetone to remove it all. I replaced the faux teak with a 5mm closed cell embossed gray SEADEK product.

Work continues, so please excuse the dirty areas. I have some of the cheap faux teak left overs if you wish to have them. PM me if so.

 

[Kings Gambit]

My Bavaria has the “fake” teak deck, which is officially called “Decorative Teak.” The boat was only 4 years old when I bought it, and already the decorative teak had started separating from the tops of the cockpit lockers. I had them repaired. I did not see the repair work as it was being done, but the fellow used SIS 440 Teak Deck Caulking (or a version thereof) to reattach the decorative teak. That repair has held firm for the past 20 yr; no separation.

However, the same year during which I had that work done the decorative teak on my anchor locker hatch started separating. I chatted with the fellow who repaired the locker tops. He basically told me to apply the caulk between the decorative teak and the hatch as deeply as I could without attempting to fully remove it off the hatch first. Then, clamp (wood clamps or C-clamps) to the hatch, etc., holding for a couple of days. That was fixed also about 20 yr ago and has not re-separated.

I’d consider a professional for your job if it’s more than a minor corner or edge repair. It’s very messy work using teak caulk; the stuff is similar to tar in odor and consistency. Maybe practice with it before getting it on your dink. Also, I do not know how you could “clamp” the decorative teak to the dinghy sole while the caulk is setting up. Might have to resort to heavy weights. One guy advised weighting with sand bags. If the repair does not work out as it should, you’d probably have a difficult and messy job getting to a restart position for a do over.

It seems that these sales people frequently have non-communicative replies when faced with product malfunctions. “Never dealt with that…” What does that mean? Maybe no one has come back with the problem, true. But, the Bavaria boats evidently had a reputation for the decorative teak separation which I learned while investigating. I can almost assure you that your case with Highfield is not unique.

Good luck!
KG

 

[quadrille38]

Plasdeck sells an adhesive made for use with the teak products. Very easy to work with and holds well.

Adhesives - PlasDeck

www.plasdeck.com

 

[NYSail]

Thanks all for the input….. will clean, dry it out and make a plan!

 

[NYSail]

Greg, what product did Highfield use. Highfield is a good quality dinghy, so I assume, right wrong or indifferent, they used SEADEK. It might be helpful to expand on the description of where the lifting is occurring. If its bubbles in the center of the areas, a glue injection might work, however if it's on the edges, the use of contact cement would work. I have experienced both on the cabin top and sliding hatch cover, where the faux teak was of a cheap variety, held water and got attacked by UV.
View attachment 223844

The tan area crumbled leaving only the black layer. Edges and corners also started to lift, even though the product was made with 3M peel and stick backing. In some places the faux teak became waterlogged. It wasn't worth re glueing, it was done after three seasons. My solution was to remove all the fake teak, the glue backing layer and any glue itself. I had to do a lot of scraping, soaking with acetone to remove it all. I replaced the faux teak with a 5mm closed cell embossed gray SEADEK product.
View attachment 223845

Work continues, so please excuse the dirty areas. I have some of the cheap faux teak left overs if you wish to have them. PM me if so.

Not sure of the brand of the faux teak flooring but it has come up in a big section in the stern section of the floor completely lifted up. When I look under, it appears a half ass job was done as the adhesive is not fully spread on..... just squeezed out in S like patterns.

Greg

 

[MikeHoncho]

Gorilla Glue is a urethane glue that cures with moisture. The more moisture, the faster it cures/reacts, the more it foams up. If you use it in a dry situation it will not foam up between two surfaces. You actually do not want it to foam up, like some people makes it do by mixing it with water, it weakens the glue/joint bond.