Has anyone tried plastic lumber for deck trim?

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Jun 2, 2004
5,802
Hunter 37-cutter, '79 41 23' 30"N 82 33' 20"W--------Huron, OH
Plastic Teak(PlasTeak)

It was me! I am the one who used(uses) PlasTeak to replace teak on his old Hunter 37C. And I did warn Fred. But in its defense it is bulletproof and easy to work. And they do now make a darker color that matches my original heavily varnished teak. So far I have only used it for handrails, dorade lids, side trim, and traveler bases. Thankfully my toerails are aluminum. I still need to do the 4'x8" winch pads. In the picture you can see some of it. This is the original lighter color. Notice I do not countersink and insert bungs. Just a nice stainless oval screw/bolt head. Not that I couldn't but it sure makes it easy to remove the handrails for deck painting. Oh, and someone mentioned "flexible". It is that, you can roll up a 1/4"x3/4" length into a one foot circle. But it is much stronger than teak. And you do work it with regular saws and drills.
 

w0nko

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May 3, 2005
37
- - Beavercreek, OH
I have to replace all my toe rails. At 32 years old, they're about due. I was thinking of trying one of the plastic deck board (like back porch deck, vice sailboat deck) products like Weyerhauser's choicedek or Trex. Has anyone tried this stuff on their boat? The choicedek is a wood fiber cemented with recycled plastic grocery bags. Supposed to be good in a wet environment and resistant to UV. What kinds of native US wood are good and cheap for toe rail? Would hickory do? Oak? Cedar? Redwood? I'm simply NOT going to pay for teak.
 

Spen

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Oct 22, 2004
5
Catalina 30 Great Salt Lake
Now you’ve done it

Now you’ve done it. You let the cat out of the bag. In the racing world they have been replacing wood with plastic for years. Looks good low maintenance and it’s workable like the real stuff.
 
Jun 2, 2004
7
Hunter 25.5 Sunrise Beach, MO
I'm with you

I replaced my cabin sole with a similar type of plastic "wood." I think it looks very good, the cost was under $120 compared to over $500 for a piece of teak and holly. I just couldn't the additional cost in this boat. The teak and holly wouldn't have added a dime in additional value.
 
Dec 5, 2003
89
Hunter 260 Whitney's Marine, Jacksonville, FL
Need special tools

Do you need special tools to work with this stuff? Or do your standard woodworking tools suffice? (Not that I have any of these either)
 
Jan 24, 2008
293
Alerion Express 28 Oneida Lake, NY
WHERE DO YOU BUY IT?

I don't need anything boat specific, just a hunk approximately 1" X 4" x 25"-30". White or teak color would be nice.
 
B

bruce cornell

white poly

used the white poly , like used on those white cabin top grab rails, to replace the wood toerails. very easy to use and shape.
 
May 20, 2004
38
- - Huntington, LI, NY
cabin sole

Steve, just what did you use and how long has it been in place? any water absorbsion problems?
 
J

Joe Boyette

Use grey synthetic deck planking...

...from Home Depot. I used this on my Hunter 25.5 to replace the deck handrails and the wood holding the sliding hatch cover in place. I used a thicker cross section to provide more strength as the syntheic wood decking seems a little more flexible than the original teak. I've had this on my boat for three years now with no weathering visible. The grey color is very attractive.
 
May 28, 2004
175
Oday Widgeon Beech Bluff, Tn.
Synthetic Wood Users

Morning Guys: Have any of you that have ever used the synthetic deck woods ever seen anyone attempt to put any type of finish on it? Stain, varnish, cetol, etc. If so, how did it work? What did you use for bung's?
 
Dec 2, 2003
4,245
- - Seabeck WA
Bungs are a problem,,,,,,

sorry. :) I've used white Starboard to replace the teak in my cockpit and stainless steel to replace the handrails (much stronger than plastic). I also bought some Plasteak to replace the cabin side trim. I was warned ahead of time that it would look 'fake'. It did and was really tacky. The company wouldn't take it back but the 'dump' would. They got it. Ugh. The problem was the color. The manufacturer was trying to duplicate new teak. No way. But that new stuff used below and on steps sure looks good. Starboard will not stick to anything. It has to be mechanically fastened and is not structural. (trim only) Bungs can be made with a plug cutter but I just used the same caulk as I was trimming with. The caulk won't stick to the plastic but it sticks to the screw heads. Quick, simple, attractive and neat.
 
May 6, 2004
916
Hunter 37C Seattle
Ed, sweet!

and now that I have your attention, where can I get the staysail traveler end rubber bumper pieces for my H37C?
 
R

Robert B.

PlasTeak and Holly?

Has anyone used the Teak and Holly for the cabin sole? How did it look? Any feedback appreciated.
 
Jun 2, 2004
5,802
Hunter 37-cutter, '79 41 23' 30"N 82 33' 20"W--------Huron, OH
Robert and Scott.

Robert, I have seen the PlasTeak decking close up. It looks at least as good as what I have seen on the new Hunters like the H38. Of course there are a lot of detractors but you can't beat it for longevity. I cannot picture those traveler parts Scott. Maybe Tuesday when I see the boat for the first time in five weeks. Could you make them? Or maybe the guys that have converted to a sloop could help. What did they do with the parts? Same with the guys who put a new traveler on the cabin roof. Does the bridgedeck traveler have the same parts? Do we know who made those, maybe Rig-Rite knows. And Garhauer might have something that would fit. I'll try to remember to look closer.
 
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