Fake teak - advice sought

[Birdseye]

The grp cockpit in my boat is slippy so I am thinking of applying fake teak .
1/ how good an anti slip is it?
2/ is it a project d0-able by diy?
3/ what brands of fake teak are best?
4/ what problems in use do you get with fake teak?
5/ it it an expensive project?

 

[StevieH]

The grp cockpit in my boat is slippy so I am thinking of applying fake teak .
1/ how good an anti slip is it?
2/ is it a project d0-able by diy?
3/ what brands of fake teak are best?
4/ what problems in use do you get with fake teak?
5/ it it an expensive project?

I replaced my cockpit teak with fake teak 4 years ago (Bavaria36)

To answer your questions:

1/ how good an anti slip is it? Very good
2/ is it a project d0-able by diy? Yes, although I removed the old teak and had the new fake installed by the supplier
3/ what brands of fake teak are best? I used Tek Dek, which were a but cheaper than the two leading brands. Good company to deal with
4/ what problems in use do you get with fake teak? None. Easy to clean and always looks good
5/ it it an expensive project? Depends on size of project. I paid £1600 4 years ago

Hope this helps

 

[harvey38]

I had Tek-Dek do extensive work on our MOBO, a very good company to deal with and they sell their product for DIY'ers.

Rib-Trak

 

[PCUK]

Easy job but requires care in accurate cutting to get a good finish. A pleasant project. Big saving doing it yourself. I've got one box of Tek-Dek left over if you are interested.

 

[Aeolus]

As far as I know, only TekDek is available for DIY. I had Permateek professionally applied to my side decks and it is very non-slip, very easy to clean (pressure wash) and looks almost indistinguishable from the real teak that I have in the cockpit. Problem-wise - it gets hotter in the sun than real teak. No other problems at all.

 

[ashtead]

We have Flexiteak factory fitted -now9 years old and no issues. We don’t have on saloon top unlike some I have seen which might impact heat below if fitted all over. I would just be aware of some makes looking rather orange as though intended to be natural wood. I suggest a walk around a few marina and have a look plus collect some samples . It does get hot to walk in even in uk but then so does teak. It can be gently sanded if scratches appear .

 

[JOHNPEET]

If you want some fantastic practical advice about DIY installation of PVC teak decking, do a search for Hurricane’s posts over on the motor boat forum. He posted a thread containing loads of photos, step by step practical advice and some pitfalls to watch out for. It’s what inspired me to do my own decking on my boat build project.

Here it is:

DIY Synthetic Teak

 

[matt1]

Very good non slip and low maintenance. Only negative from my perspective is mine has faded quite a bit so you may want to go for a darker shade than you might want to start with to future proof the colour choice

 

[Rafiki]

I used Tek Dek. If you remove the existing material ( in my case a sort of flat treadmaster) and provide a template, mine was made from a special commercial type of tracing paper then Tek Dek will make up the panels to your precise sizes. It is then a DIY job to get the deck (or cockpit seat area in my case) perfectly smooth and glue the Tek Dek down. They will sell you the special glue and very heavy duty roller to stick it down.

 

[salar]

1/ how good an anti slip is it? Very good
2/ is it a project d0-able by diy? I did it myself
3/ what brands of fake teak are best? I used Permateek. Lots of colour choices.
4/ what problems in use do you get with fake teak? Some people say it is hotter in full sun but I don't lie on deck or walk on bare feet so it doesn't matter to me. No other problems at all. Zero maintenance and easy to clean.
5/ it it an expensive project? Only if you pay someone to do all the installation work. It is cheaper if you buy standard panels and cut them. I made templates and had custom shapes made up to fit the deck. 10 years later they are as good as new, maybe a bit weathered! Last year I had to peel a section back to repair the deck below but that was OK, if hard work. Just make sure you use the recommended adhesive and also seal the edges with a fillet of adhesive sealant.