Need advice from a wood refinishing expert.....

[Rich Stidger]

This is the year that I refinish the wood strips on my stern pushpit seats and the bow pulpit seat.The last time I refinished them I wasn't totally happy with the result. The problem is that the existing finish has cracked and allowed water to penetrate and it looks like a black mildew is in the grain of the wood.The last time I just sanded them as best I could and refinished with some lines of black mildew in the grain. I was short on time and didn't really know how to handle the mildew removal.Now, before I am again short of time, I'd like to do a better job.Can anyone tell me how to clean the mildew from the wood grain so that after I apply the finish there will not be any black lines in the grain?I believe that this wood is teak and I do have some teak cleaner. I also have some bleach solution that is designed for wood. Are either of these two products the correct thing to use?I am sanding the strips to remove all of the old finish and I still have the black lines down in the grain.Can anyone help me out?

 

[bob]

I used cetol

I had the same thing on my seat bench from POs varnish job. Bought a good quality orbital sander and refinished mine in the light/natural cetol. I didnt have time to apply the clear gloss on it - I do prefer shine! at the end of the season, I see abrasians that need touch up with some cetol. no big deal.It got a lot of where and tear being stepped on and off on the dock side. perhaps if I would have applied the gloss cetol coat it would have held up better??? we'll see this year I guess.

 

[Steve A.]

I had the same problem on my H28

I recommend a good sanding, strong bleach solution, through rinse and dry then Cetol. It produces a good finish that is easy to touch up at any point in the season. Each spring, I do a light sanding and re-application, no problem or sweat.

 

[Terry Cox]

Hi Rich, the suggestions so far will do what you...

want. What is hard to tell from the picture and your comments is whether the dark streaks are mildew or natural wood pigments. I like the natural look, so would be less inclined to kill the coloration with a strong bleach solution, but rather sand out the rough parts and reapply your intended finish.On our boat I have removed all the PO varnish from what little teak we have on deck. My intention is to let the teak bleach to a natural gray color. Below decks is a different matter. Lots of teak there that still remains vibrant and colorful. Terry

 

[John Howitt]

varnish

If you have the pieces off,great.just sand them down using 100 grit sand paper When you are happy with the way they look, sand them with 120. When you are happy with the way they look wipe the with a soution of about 10% household bleach. Let them dry. sand them with 220 grit paper. wipe with laquer thinner,dry. varnish with a mixture thinned 50%.varnish and mineral spirit.let dry, sand very little with 220, varnish with a 25%mix let dry. sand with 320,lightly.Apply a coat thinned to 10%.Sand with 320, varnish full strength three more coats at least four is better.Use a top quality varnish . I like Z-Spar, lots of uv protection and a good resin. At the end of the season put on one more coat full strength.There will be no reason you should have to do it again for years. Normal wear and tear will cause nicks and scratches, which will allow moisture under the finish and will ruin it causing you to start from scratch again. think how hard you worked and one thin coat twice a year will seem like childs play.Crack a beer and get to work boating season is upon us.

 

[Ken Palmer]

Just did slats on my seat

The "before" picture looked just like your photo. I sanded off the old finish, but still had the black streaks you mentioned. I then used a 2-part product called TE-KA, purchased at WM. The first solution is applied, turning most of the wood very dark. You then follow-up with part B which neutralizes part A. After drying, I applied two coats of Cetol. See the link below.Very nice.

 

[Deadline]

Varnish preferred

...as looking more authentic. You're right to remove the slats to do all this work. Canvas covers for the seats are well worth the investment, extending the varnish in perpetuity or until people wear it off sitting down.

 

[nosocks]

Try Bristol Finish

Rich,When the varnish broke down the combination of sun and rain turned the wood gray. Because the spring growth is particularly soft in teak, it wears faster. Using acid based cleaners makes the situation worse and causes the softer wood to wear and form groves. Moisture gets trapped and the wood turns black. 100-grit sandpaper will tear up teak. Start with 150 and sand off the old varnish. It’s worth the few extra minutes.The chemical in teak cleaners and bleaches is oxalic acid. You can pick it up in most hardware and paint stores for less than half the cost of cleaners. Use a medium toothbrush and selectively apply the solution where you need it. It works right away. Flush with water. If you used a lot of acid, add a little baking soda to the water and then flush with fresh water.The water will raise the grain. If you run your hand across the grain, you will feel grooves. Sand the teak again with 150 and then with 220.I like Bristol Finish. It is a two-part catalyzed urethane finish that is tough as nails, amber in color and clear as water. Buy it through the company web site for $25 less than WM sells it.It is $60 a quart, but expensive only if you don’t value your time. You will need 6 to 8 coats. If I just lost you, read a little further. You can apply all but the last coat in one day by applying successive coat as soon as you have a hard tack in about 90 minutes. If you run out of time, you can finish up the next day – up to 24 hours after the previous coat. Don’t worry about dust or runs. You will sand them out before the last coat. When ready for the topcoat, sand with 220 and carefully apply the finish. You can use foam brushes for all coats. Don’t over work the finish. Work to the wet edge and lightly back brush just once. The urethane will settle out nicely if you let it.Like most two-part products, the catalyst is nasty stuff. You should wear an organic filter ($35 at home depot) and latex gloves. Once cured the finish is inert.The finish will last five years and can then be lightly sanded and one or two new coats added. I used Bristol Finish on a mahogany skiff I built and it is beautiful. Holds up to sand and grit ground into it by heavy feet.You can't ask more than that.Will

 

[Rich Stidger]

Thanks for all the input

I have proceeded on a refinishing process prior to all the postings above. I sanded the wood strips with 100 grit and then with 150 grit to remove all of the old finish. The wood was quite smooth with no soft spots. I wiped the wood with a 50% solution of household bleach and water. I found that less dilute solutions didn't remove the dark mildew stains very well.I wiped the wood with mineral spirits and I just finished applying the first of three recommended coats of Minwax Spar Polyurethane. This is the same finish that I used previously and it is recommended for outdoor furniture. It actually held up pretty well for three years, with the deterioration in just the last two years.After reviewing advice from everywhere I could find, it seems like an annual recoat is recommended by nearly everyone regardless of the product used. I will try that and see if that practice eliminates the breakdown after 2-3 years. I remove the seats for the winter anyway, so I just need to do it.BTW, I used the same Minwax product on the wood to which my bimini attaches and it is holding up very well after three years. No signs of breakdown of the finish. I suspect this is because it does not get the direct sun that the seat receive.

 

[steve raineys]

finishing outside wood

Seen lots of solutions to finishing teak but what I did is apply 5-6 coats of WM epozy with UV protection and 2 coats of varnish with UV. The epoxy seals it and every couple years lightly sand and apply a new coat of varnish. Looks absolutly great... I think the epoxy is a great idea.