I am going to soon be soon treating the teak on our new to us 1986 catalina 30. I need to finish stripping the teak and then coat it with a varnish. i was wondering what you all do to strip the teak and what varnish/oil you use (cetol)? Also, what type of treatment do you use for the wood inside the cabin?
Question on Teak
- Thread starter Erbardy
- Start date
We use only teak oil on the inside cabinetry. Touch it up every few years with a teak oil soaked cloth. We've never touched the teak/holly sole and it still looks like new. Hunter might have use a poly seal on it for weather protection.
That era of Catalina used Watco Teak Oil for the interior. If you're talking about the exterior teak, I sanded off the old finish though you do end up taking some of the wood with it so you could use a stripper and then some light sanding. I finish it with Cetol natural, easy to apply and looks good. Put a new coat on every year, sand any problem areas first.
There are several products available. Snappy Teak seems to be popular in terms of sales. But I've never used it.
Many years ago we used a 2 part system. First was a cleaner which was largely lye, I think. The second part was an oil/varnish (Not Cetol). The 2 part regimen turned grey teak rails into nice warm brown rails. A much better look in my opinion! I don't remember if we sanded. There must be a limit to how far gone the teak is for any of these products.
I expect to hear from the "Don't touch it" school of teak maintenance but I just don't like that look and believe it leads to crazing of the teak.
Many years ago we used a 2 part system. First was a cleaner which was largely lye, I think. The second part was an oil/varnish (Not Cetol). The 2 part regimen turned grey teak rails into nice warm brown rails. A much better look in my opinion! I don't remember if we sanded. There must be a limit to how far gone the teak is for any of these products.
I expect to hear from the "Don't touch it" school of teak maintenance but I just don't like that look and believe it leads to crazing of the teak.
I've used SEMCO - my experience was that it didn't last that long, needed to be re-applied after 2-3 months and it doesn't look as good as Cetol (my opinion of course). About the same amount of effort to apply either one - Cetol may require stripping at some point whereas SEMCO won't. This is one of those religious topics where there isn't a right answer, just personal preferences.
I suspect you’re correct. Cetol, Semco, authentic varnish, various oils, and bare wood have been around for decades (or more). None of them have been deemed a magic bullet yet.
I have used Minwax Spar Urethan
You can put on a couple coats a day... go for at least 4 or 5 spread out over two weekends if you must. ........Inside.... Teak oil or similar.
Best 20 bucks you can spend. I've used this stuff for years on exterior. It'll easily last a season, with quick touch up each year. Looks WAY better than Cetol.... way better. A quart will go a long long way. Use sandpaper on Teak, do not use any type of scrub brush or pad... it will damage the grain.
You can put on a couple coats a day... go for at least 4 or 5 spread out over two weekends if you must. ........Inside.... Teak oil or similar.
I’ve used Cetol for last 6-7 yrs. Towards the end, it looked like brown paint and it started to fail big time. The best way I’ve found to strip a finish is a heat gun and a scraper. Much faster than sanding. I‘m now going to an oil blend called Le Tonkinais or someting like that. Pic attached. It’s a mix of tung, linseed, and tropical oils invented by the French Navy in Viet Nam 100 yrs ago. They are still using it. The big decision maker is that the oils are boiled killing all mold spores which causes oil to eventually turn black. When it starts losing it’s luster, time for a coat.
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Mark, I'd like to get a follow-up on this product. both, as to how easy it is to apply and how it looks. Maybe a picture.
I've seen and used tons of products over the years. Cleaning is first. If you have gray or almost black teak, a two part teak cleaner is like magic to bring it back to a nice honey color. As mentioned, it is aggressive and so sanding may be required to get the teak surface nice and smooth. Do not use this type of cleaner on a veneer.
Exterior: At the very least you can oil the exterior teak. But, it is subject to evaporation and has to be applied regularly for a good look. I have found digging deeper into your pockets for a more expensive teak oil pays off in longevity.
Varnish is considered to be the most luxurious look, but it also is the most arduous to apply. Epifanes makes a gloss varnish formulated for teak and that is what I have used with great success. You must clean the teak first and sand, if needed, and then follow the instructions implicitly (easy to do) for proper adhesion. And, to achieve that super finish, you have to keep applying many, many coats of varnish to build it up. There is a window where you need not sand between coats. Read the instructions.
Teak has natural oils in it and that is why it is such a good wood for boating use. Besides the Epifanes, there are other cheaper varnishes to use, but most require proper sealing of the teak for good adhesion that lasts. A refresher coat should be applied at least once a year -maybe two. I like Epifanes. You should understand that varnishes that have UV inhibitors in them are not for life. The UV inhibitor feature doesn't last indefinitely and for that reason, it is good to apply refresher coats. Of course then you need to sand lightly. There are tricks to creating super nice varnish effects of which I will mention a few. You should read up on this if you want the best results. First of all, you should pour the varnish through a paint strainer to keep the chunks out. Next, use a good, clean varnish brush. Next, use a second cup to rim off the excess varnish on the brush rather than rimming it back into the strained varnish pot. You will introduce bubbles if you do.
Sikkens Cetol is an easy to use product and they have several formulations from which to choose. Their original had an undesirable orange color that most people hate. I find their Natural Teak formula to be the best for matching what teak is what is supposed to look. It is imperatave that you clean (and sand) the surface before applying. You need a minimum of 3 coats. One per day and all a three should be applied within a 2 week period (I think I recall the instructions read) so that sanding between coats is not necessary. It produces a nice matt finish and if you want glossy, then you apply the gloss formula over the 3 coats that you started out with.
Interior: I have one boat that has a fully varnished inside teak woodwork where Epifanes satin finish us used, rather than glossy. But, depending on what you have, you can oil it, or apply another sealer, but you have to be aware of compatibility. Many new boats come with unvarnished veneer bulkheads, etc. and if that is the case, choose what you like or choose based on the finish you wish to see. I have another boat that I want to refinish the interior and I have no idea what it has now. It is not glossy and it appears to be more than oil. I'll figure something out to make it look better.
Exterior: At the very least you can oil the exterior teak. But, it is subject to evaporation and has to be applied regularly for a good look. I have found digging deeper into your pockets for a more expensive teak oil pays off in longevity.
Varnish is considered to be the most luxurious look, but it also is the most arduous to apply. Epifanes makes a gloss varnish formulated for teak and that is what I have used with great success. You must clean the teak first and sand, if needed, and then follow the instructions implicitly (easy to do) for proper adhesion. And, to achieve that super finish, you have to keep applying many, many coats of varnish to build it up. There is a window where you need not sand between coats. Read the instructions.
Teak has natural oils in it and that is why it is such a good wood for boating use. Besides the Epifanes, there are other cheaper varnishes to use, but most require proper sealing of the teak for good adhesion that lasts. A refresher coat should be applied at least once a year -maybe two. I like Epifanes. You should understand that varnishes that have UV inhibitors in them are not for life. The UV inhibitor feature doesn't last indefinitely and for that reason, it is good to apply refresher coats. Of course then you need to sand lightly. There are tricks to creating super nice varnish effects of which I will mention a few. You should read up on this if you want the best results. First of all, you should pour the varnish through a paint strainer to keep the chunks out. Next, use a good, clean varnish brush. Next, use a second cup to rim off the excess varnish on the brush rather than rimming it back into the strained varnish pot. You will introduce bubbles if you do.
Sikkens Cetol is an easy to use product and they have several formulations from which to choose. Their original had an undesirable orange color that most people hate. I find their Natural Teak formula to be the best for matching what teak is what is supposed to look. It is imperatave that you clean (and sand) the surface before applying. You need a minimum of 3 coats. One per day and all a three should be applied within a 2 week period (I think I recall the instructions read) so that sanding between coats is not necessary. It produces a nice matt finish and if you want glossy, then you apply the gloss formula over the 3 coats that you started out with.
Interior: I have one boat that has a fully varnished inside teak woodwork where Epifanes satin finish us used, rather than glossy. But, depending on what you have, you can oil it, or apply another sealer, but you have to be aware of compatibility. Many new boats come with unvarnished veneer bulkheads, etc. and if that is the case, choose what you like or choose based on the finish you wish to see. I have another boat that I want to refinish the interior and I have no idea what it has now. It is not glossy and it appears to be more than oil. I'll figure something out to make it look better.
It’s pretty easy to apply. Be wary of vertical surfaces as it can start to run afterwards. Just keep an eye on it. Best results are with a foam brush. The pic attached has four coats. It is not a new highly varnished surface as the boat/teak is 43 yrs old. If I