why teak oil?

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joyce

simple question... why is teak oil put on the teak wood of a boat? or should it be? What do you suggest we protect our weathered wood with? thanks from new boat owners!!
 
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Chris Hyland

Teak Oil

Hi Joyce, The Teak Oil will penetrate the wood and make it resist absorbing water and raising the grain. In my opinion it looks nicer than varnish, but that's preference. I have very little Teak exposed to the weather on my boat. Just hatch boards, so I oil them every couple of weeks. It takes less than 10 minutes. Regards, Chris
 
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Steve O.

oil finish

Teak oil is just one way to protect the teak wood on your boat to keep it from turning gray, and cracking and splitting. Some people varnish, and others use cetol, which is kind of a cross between oil and varnish. It all comes down to personal preference. It also depends on your climate; finishes last longer here on the Great Lakes than they do in the southern climes. I use cetol, but some boatowners don't like the color it imparts to the wood. Varnish is beautiful when done right, but its a lot of work. Oil is easy, but doesn't last long. So you have to weigh the pros and cons, then decide
 
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Miles

Two choices...

To protect your teak you can either oil it or varnish it. If it's outside you might be better off with varnish since it will last longer. If it's interior teak you can take your pick. The thing with teak oil is it can get pretty gummy and sticky if you put a lot on. You might want to go over everything with a teak cleaner first and then oil it. Varnish is more work but less often since it lasts longer. If you've got a lot of exposed weathered teak you might just decide you like it that way ;.) It can be a lot of work to refinish it properly unless you really like that sort of thing...
 
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R.W.Landau

Try Teak sealer.

Teak sealer protects for about 6 months. Put it on in the spring and fall. r.w.landau
 
Sep 25, 1999
600
Hunter 23.5 Indian Lake
teak

There is lots of info about this in the archives, I used the oil cleaner/ oil ,stuff for years , it does not last long, I always removed my teak to keep the stuff off of the fiberglass, now I usually use cetol, like some one else said some people dont like the look of it, but, I can remove teak every other year sand and put several coats of cetol on then not worry about it for 2 more years I do it in the winter when I want to do someting relevan to sailing and cant , then when I can sail I am not doing teak , good Luck Mike B
 
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Dave

Teak Finishing the BEST way

Oh grasshoppers once again you need my assistance. I learned the hard way. First I used teak oil, it lasts about two weeks, a complete waste of time and money. Then I found the perfect stuff...SEMCO Teak Sealer. Lightly wash the wood with plain water and a brush or scotchbrite pad, very lightly. dry and apply two coats. This will last two years or with a light wash and a coat each spring that's it. I have used this for about 10 years, still using the same can. Goes on like water. If the wood is bad to start with all gray and coarse and split you will have to clean with a teak cleaner, sand and then use the SEMCO. Best Regards dave
 
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Rob R.

1 vote for varnish...

...but I am one of the few. As someone succinctly said earlier, its largely a matter of opinion. Personally, I like the luster and look of varnish - it seems to let the wood glow, and allows you to see its grain. I have so little of it on my Catalina that I like to make what I have look good. Properly done, you will need to do it every 12 to 18 months (in Texas sun, less often in northern climes). Best Regards - Rob
 
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Mike

Best investment is a little COVER !!!

I like to varnish off season. But in AZ, I we have about 3 weeks of off-season so when I re-install, I put on covers I made that go from handrail to handrail and keep the sun, dirt, bird stuff off. Cost all of $3.75 for snaps under each rail and left over cloth.
 
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Jim Cook

Rob

Do the varnish right the first time with 8-10 coats. Then protect everything possible with covers. I then touch-up the toe-rails every 8-12 months. That may sound too frequent to you, but we sail year-around down here. In Corpus Christi, we have the most direct sun in the continental US AND we have the salt water. These two factors are the major contributors to breaking down any finish. Other areas of the country have significantly different needs. May I strongly suggest "Britework, The Art of Finishing Wood" by Rebecca J Wittman. It is an EXCELLENT resource and will tell you just about all you need to know about refinishing. Good Luck, Jim "Dream Chaser" O'Day 27
 
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Frank / MD / H260

Teak Oil, not always....

I received my a new boat in June and after a month put a coat of teak oil on her. The wood started to turn colors. Some light, some dark - streaky and not good looking. So this winter I lightly sanded it all, then stained it with a Buer deck stain, with a coat of industrial sealer on top of that... Looks great! I'll see how look this lasts.
 
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LaDonna Bubak - CatalinaOwners.com

Preparation is the key to any finish

You can't just slap oil on to a piece of weathered teak
 
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JOHN DELEE

No need for oil

I used a wood sealer and then varnished. It looks great. The natural garain really comes out nice.
 
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