The "TEAKY GOD" ..

[Rick Z]

What is the best product to use to restore teak on deack rails ... I woud like to go a season or two without having to sand , refinish & seal ... the products I've used do not hold up ...THANKS

 

[Ben Allen]

Teak Maintenance

Rick,You sure know how to ask an open ended question that has absolutly no single right answer. The effort that you put into your teak is strictly up to the end product appearance that you wish. Whichever route that you take, you start the same. Sand the teak smooth, use a good teak cleaner and then a teak brightner. From here, you take one of two roads, Teak Oil or "The Other." With the varnish route, (Cetrol, Cetrol Light, or West Marine house brand) it will need about 3 coats on the first application, after that, a light sanding and about 1 coat per year. The original Cetrol has a orange tint to it, where the Cetrol Light has just a shine. This route has an execllent appearance to it, but does require a little more effort on a yearly basis.If you choose the Teak Oil method, you will also need about 3 coats initially, with a touch up of oil about every 6 months. The teak will turn to a gray color which is normal. Many people prefer the natural look of teak, the way teak was done "back then." It all comes down to how you would like it to look, and the amount of time you are willing to invest.Ben AllenMontgomery, AL"Wahoo"O 26

 

[Trevor]

Cetol is not varnish!

I personally don't mind the "flatter", silghty orange tinge of Cetol finishes, since application of Cetol requires about 20% the work of actual varnish and is much more forgiving. Using varnish requires low humidity, clean air, adequate drying times, proper sanding between coats (many more coats required), and careful application techniques. The end result using varnish correctly will be absolutely gorgeous and last much longer than a Cetol finish, but in my opinion is not worth the labor involved (You can pretty much slap on 2 coats of Cetol onto a properly prepped surface and be done with the job for a couple years). It's also easier to repair dings and thin spots using Cetol. Like Ben said, you'll get almost as many opinions as there are boat types this issue. It really depends on your tastes and how much time you want to invest.Good luck!Trevor

 

[Justin - O'day Owners' Web]

Cetol Light

I am a Cetol fan for ease of use and it gives a really nice finish. Park it next to real varnish and you'll know it, but I can live with that. Cetol brought out a new version this year without as much pigmentation. I'm going to use that next spring.Justin - O'day Owners' Web

 

[Ben Allen]

I Stand Corrected Trevor

Sorry about that slip of the keyboard, varnishes and synthetic finishes are two entirely different products.Ben Allen