Hi,
Our teak in our Cabin is looing slightly tired. What do you recommend to bring it back to life
Our teak in our Cabin is looing slightly tired. What do you recommend to bring it back to life
Restore teak in Cabin
- Thread starter look4judy
- Start date
Catalina used Watco's Teak Oil (can get at Home Depot) up until about 1990 for the interior finish, after that they switched to a lighter color, water based varnish. Here's a direct quote from Catalina:
The varnish is Target Coatings-Oxford, semi gloss. If your boat is oiled it is Watco teak oil.
~ Gerry Douglas
If you have an oil finish, you can lightly sand (careful with the veneer) to get a more uniform appearance and then apply some Teak Oil, which will darken it some. In good areas, just clean the teak with some citrus based cleaner and then oil. You can also expirement with lemon oil which will not darken the teak as much, maybe one coat of Teak Oil to get a uniform appearance and then go with lemon oil from there.
On my boat, I sanded the galley and nav station teak back to bare wood as they were pretty mottled and did 3 coats of Teak Oil, looks great. The rest is in good shape, the plan is to touch up a couple places with Teak Oil and then use lemon oil.
The varnish is Target Coatings-Oxford, semi gloss. If your boat is oiled it is Watco teak oil.
~ Gerry Douglas
If you have an oil finish, you can lightly sand (careful with the veneer) to get a more uniform appearance and then apply some Teak Oil, which will darken it some. In good areas, just clean the teak with some citrus based cleaner and then oil. You can also expirement with lemon oil which will not darken the teak as much, maybe one coat of Teak Oil to get a uniform appearance and then go with lemon oil from there.
On my boat, I sanded the galley and nav station teak back to bare wood as they were pretty mottled and did 3 coats of Teak Oil, looks great. The rest is in good shape, the plan is to touch up a couple places with Teak Oil and then use lemon oil.
Maroon Scotch Brite pads are excellent for this time of work. They will scuff up a finish without damaging the underlying wood.
They are also good for cleaning parts made of bronze and other soft metals.
They are not a good alternative to TP.
"They are not a good alternative to TP. "
In a scrape they will............once anyway ;-) ( bada bing)
In a scrape they will............once anyway
;-) ( bada bing)So leave the teak in place? I was going remove my companion way trim then varinsh it but the I started to wonder about leaving it in place and refinish it where it lies.
Id be disappointed to break it but im pretty sure I want to varnish the under side and put new sealant between the fiberglass and teak, correct?
Removing pieces and finishing at home is ideal but not necessary - many pieces are held in with screws under bungs, removing and replacing the bungs is not hard but you risk marring the wood. I finish in place unless it's easy for me to remove without damage. You don't need to finish the underside as teak is very rot resistant and with a good fit, not much if any moisture will get under there.
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Sealing the underside of teak is usually unnecessary. The only reason to seal it is to prevent moisture from entering the wood and then lifting the varnish. This can happen on large pieces of teak (or any wood) that is flat and often wet. Toe rails and wood coamings are the biggest culprits followed by handrails. If they are removed, it is best to thoroughly dry the wood and seal with epoxy. All in all, probably more work than applying a couple of coats of varnish every few years. Use a good quality varnish like Epifanes and put multiple coats on, as many as 5 or 6.