Letting the teak go gray
- Thread starter emergpa1
- Start date
As someone else likes to say, "your boat, your choice".
Me, I like grey, as long as it's sound. I hear saltwater is the best wash.
Me, I like grey, as long as it's sound. I hear saltwater is the best wash.
if you plan on doing oil ..first clean it with la's totally awesome ... lightly sand with 150 or 180 grit paper ......then use teak oil about 3 coats to start with and about every 3 or 4 months clean it with salt water and rinse clean then add a coat of teak oil ...then repeat ....repeat ...repeat
To put the oil on, follow the directions on the container.
Just oil won't keep it yellow (TEAKY color) for long, it tends to go black.
I have been through every finish known to man, now keep my handrails gray, no oil.
I have teak hand rails. I was in the US Navy aboard the USS Longbeach which was covered in Teak. The teak was not oiled or varnished. The only varnished teak was inside the ship where the weather couldn't get to it. Exterior teak was sanded so it stayed smooth.
Following this policy I have left my rails to weather without oil or varnish. They are now grey and rough. I need to sand them. I have had the boat now for 18 years.
Following this policy I have left my rails to weather without oil or varnish. They are now grey and rough. I need to sand them. I have had the boat now for 18 years.
Forget the oil it's just food,for mold and mildew. take,the teak down to bare wood. Then just scrub regularly with salt water and a moderately stiff brush. If you can scrub across the grain, which is sometimes impossible, you won't raise the grain so much by scrubbing out the softer material between the growth rings. If you live in fresh water, make your own salt water using coarse salt it's cheap. The teak will retain a natural color.
Do some research on a product called SEMCO. I am experimenting with it on my teak seating surfaces in the cockpit. Very easy to apply. So far, it is working out fairly well. This is not a varnish , polyurethane sealant, nor epoxy. It does seal the teak and keeps it looking like it was just cleaned and sanded. Water beads on it and does not penetrate the surface. Keeps the surface smooth and prevents it from getting rough. If you don't like it you can scrub it off and resort to another method of sealing.
Put 2 coats of semco natural on in july. Looked very nice. Already starting to fade and looking a bit splotchy in places.
I think I will switch to watco. Similar product at half the price. Sold in big box lumber stores. Will put on 3 coats this winter and see how it holds up.
I think I will switch to watco. Similar product at half the price. Sold in big box lumber stores. Will put on 3 coats this winter and see how it holds up.
I just did my cockpit seats with West Marine Teak 1-Step Cleaner, $12.00, works great and teak looks great. Took all the gray and most of the black off.
I've been using Semco teak sealer for years, I really like the look of the teak with this product. I have done the inside of my Catalina 30 using this product and it seems to hold up very well. The companionway ladder gets a fuse water spots on it now and then but it's easy to refinish using the sealer. It is very user-friendly and cleans up very very easy unlike teak oil. With that said outside use of this product is okay but it has to be reapplied every 4 to 6 months. Being in San Diego California we occasionally get rain and lots of sun, if you do not reapply the product it will turn gray an but no blackness like teak oil. I really like this product and would recommend it except for outside that needs to be varnished and covered with canvas bottom line.
I agree that Semco has to be reapplied every 4 to 6 months; however, the advantage of using it is that there is no surface prep involved. Just wash, allow to dry, and recoat. Anyone who has a Beneteau with the teak seating surfaces can attest to the difficulty in the surface prep involved with the teak slats & black caulking between the slats. Just apply the semco with a disposable brush and wipe any flash that gets on the caulking with a rag. The previous owner let is go gray; however, the teak surfaces were getting rough and grooved. After sanding and sealing with Semco, it is looking fairly good. Not as nice a finish as varnish; however, a lot less work. If I ever do decide to go to a varnish or cetol finish, Sunbrella covers would be necessary to prevent the arduous task of stripping and recoating the seating surfaces.