My 1984 H27 has teak grab rails topside and a strip just below the grab rails. They are very grey and I know there is nothing wrong with that and it is normal wear. There is a part of me that wants to leave em grey, but part wants to restore. If I restore do I sand and apply treatment? Do I just sand, or what????
Restore teak
- Thread starter Bigjer40
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If they are bare wood without any residual varnish just apply teak oil. If it has scratches then you can sand these smooth prior to applying teak oil.
If the teak is bare and dirty try using " On and Off" sold at West Marine and most other marine dealer. It is usually used as a very strong hull / fiberglass cleaner but will work wonders on teak. Be carefull though , it's base is hydrocholoric ( sp?) , so use outside and wear gloves. Good luck!
There is nothing like that nice golden new teak look. BUT...it takes a lot of work to get it there and to maintain it. If you decide you want to restore, the process varies according to the condition of the teak. If the teak has no residue from varnish or other sealers AND the wood is fairly smooth you could get away with a cleaner (On and Off, or a good one part cleaner/brightener). However, if the grain is raised, which often happens when the teak is left to gray, you will need to sand smooth. Sanding may be enough, but often you will also need to use a cleaner/brightener, or even the more agressive two part cleaner/brightener (read labels) then lightly sand again before applying whatever sealer you opt to use. No matter what you do, it will need to be re-done every few years - hence the argument for leaving it gray.
Thanks Captain Pat, you just pushed this project back on my to do list. It is nice and smooth now, so I won't bother with it. It is a four or five year boat for us, so maybe year three or four will be a good time!
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