Bathing platform teak

Dino

Dino

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Hi,
I just removed all 20 teak strips from my bathing platform. They were in a bad way and badly weathered. I sanded half of them today and they came up well. I was advised to leave them to dry for a few weeks before I coat them.
Just wondering what to coat them with. I see a lot of mention of Woodskin but I used it a few years ago on my old boats refitted marine ply rear cockpit and it was very Matt.
I would prefer a gloss finish. Can anyone recommend something that will last a few years. I'm guessing it will need lots of coats.
 
You will only get a gloss finish with varnish. This is a bad idea on teak. I use Semco on my teak, which gives a natural finish. You really have to clean the teak at least twice a year. I use Wessex Chemicals 2 pack, as do many on here.
 
By coincidence I used the Wessex cleaner today. The teak is still wet in the photo. Despite the wind this afternoon it was reluctant to dry off.
 
Thanks folks. My bathing platform is a split platform on the back of a Broom 37 Continental so it's not inlaid on fibreglass. It's thick teak lats on a stainless steel frame.
I understand that a varnished finish would be slippy but I'd like something glossy.
 
dherraghty said:
Thanks folks. My bathing platform is a split platform on the back of a Broom 37 Continental so it's not inlaid on fibreglass. It's thick teak lats on a stainless steel frame.
I understand that a varnished finish would be slippy but I'd like something glossy.
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You really need to think carefully before doing that - someone in our previous marina had varnished the swim platform of his boat and I watched one day as he stepped from the pontoon onto the wet varnished teak carrying some heavy shopping, slipped and fell backwards. The shopping was lost and he badly hurt his back.
 
dherraghty said:
I understand that a varnished finish would be slippy but I'd like something glossy.
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On top of the very valid objections already raised ref the dangers of a slippery surface, do you understand also that "something glossy" on a swim platform also implies sanding and re-varnishing every given season?
You would struggle to find any varnished teak swim platform even on the best superyachts, managed with a money no object approach and crewed 24/7.
Pretty sure there must be a reason...! :)
 
We ruined the aesthetics of our team by cleaning it and then staining it, took years to weather after that.
The teak on the bathing platform however became "natural" again after only a few trips out.
I would avoid varnish like the plague, aside from the slippery dangers it will probably look awful after a few trips out and need constant attention.
 
Thanks for the input folks. I toyed around with the idea of varnish with a non-slip grit additive but I think it would need too much maintenance. I thought about Woodskin too but think I might go with teak oil instead.
 
dherraghty said:
Thanks for the input folks. I toyed around with the idea of varnish with a non-slip grit additive but I think it would need too much maintenance. I thought about Woodskin too but think I might go with teak oil instead.
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Teak oil will not be slippery, but it is quite high maintenance - it degrades quickly and will soon look bad, but is difficult to strip back before recoating. Try Semco - it will seal the wood to keep dirt out and protect the grain, but will clean back easily with standard two part teak cleaner next year ready for a new coat.
 
MapisM said:
Folks, just to be sure: it's the first product at the top of this webpage that you are talking about, 'innit?
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That's the one. It protects the wood, keeps the colour fresh and does not make it slippery when wet. An application lasts about a year - possibly a bit less in high traffic areas, for several years you can get away with a good wash down followed by another coat and when it does come to time to remove it and start again, a standard two part teak cleaner will do it.
 
Good to know, thanks.
Any reason to prefer Wessex 2 parts cleaner (at least, according to Rafiki) to Semco, which in the same webpage I just linked also shows a 2 parts cleaner?
 
MapisM said:
Good to know, thanks.
Any reason to prefer Wessex 2 parts cleaner (at least, according to Rafiki) to Semco, which in the same webpage I just linked also shows a 2 parts cleaner?
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I believe that the two cleaners are identical. Until quite recently, Semco did not have their own brand cleaner and actually redistributed Wessex. Now, they have Semco branded stuff, but the packaging is identical to the Wessex product. You should be able to use just about any two part cleaner where one part is a strong acid and the other is a strong alkaline. Make sure you follow the instructions and rinse very thoroughly!
 
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I used Wessex and Semco inside my cockpit.

Wholly underwhelmed.

The Wessex cleaned OK, the Semco was rubbish.
 
No Regrets said:
The Wessex cleaned OK, the Semco was rubbish.
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Do you mean when comparing the respective 2-part cleaners, or are you implying that also the Semco teak protector (the one they call "Teak Sealer") is bad?
And do you have other suggestions, anyway?
 
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