Impact on value of Flexiteek vs real teak.

[Sticky Fingers]

I’d be inclined towards real teak mostly because you’ve already got real teak in the cockpit and you will always see both cockpit and platform in the same frame, as it were. And so, you’d have adjacent areas that had different colour stability.

Also, with the platform kept clear of dinghies etc it won’t take many moments to clean the teak there.

But, one caveat, I would want to look at the material that’s available - both as new and, if possible - with a little age. It will be plantation teak and may behave somewhat differently from the teak in the cockpit which, if original, may not be.

That’s another good point. Cockpit teak is original, so late 1990’s and possibly native not plantation.

 

[Hurricane]

Real teak is just plain "dirty".
Try putting a wet foot on your old teak and then treading on a clean GRP surface and you will see what I mean.
Our boat had a LOT of old wood teak when we bought it from new and I tried to keep it looking like new - hard work.

The bathing platform is usually the first to need replacing so we replaced ours with Flexiteek.
In the Med, wood really only lasts about 12 to 15 years before it becomes uncomfortable to walk on - ridges etc.
What a difference - the Flexifeek is easy to clean - always looks like new.
The only problem with all synthetic teak is that it gets a bit hotter in the sun than wood.
That said, even in the Med, synthetic teak is always cool enough when you are away from the marina.
And even then, it is a very low percentage of the time that it is too hot to walk on.
And wood teak gets hot as well - solution for real or synthetic teak when it gets hot is to throw a bucket of sea water over it to cool it.
For me the difference between the surface temperature of synthetic vs real teak is a very small disadvantage compared with the huge benefit that you get from synthetic teak when keeping your boat clean.
In the UK, there would be no competition - IMO synthetic teak always wins in the UK.

So, our bathing platform was replaced with Flexiteek when the boat was about 12 years old.
Such a success that I decided to replace the rest of the boat with synthetic.
IMHO, Flexiteek isn't the best synthetic product on the market. Flexiteek suffers from a small colour change in the sun - goes slightly pink.
Alternative products on the market seem to have better colour stability.
I chose to replace the rest of the boat with TekDek which is the end user division of Trakmark.
Trakmark supplies product to the trade and DIYers.
This lead me to making my own synthetic teak replacement for the rest of the boat.
See this long thread documenting my start to finish DIY Synthetic Teak
Here are some end photos




In the above 2 pics, you can see the slight pinkish colour of the Flexiteek on the bathing platform.

Since the above photos, we have done the Cockpit - I'm really pleased with the result



Just the stairs to do now but no rush.

Right now, the boat is in the boatyard having some maintenance - I am at home - contractors on the boat.
Boatyards are inherently dirty places.
With wood teak, I would have been very concerned about it getting dirty and damaged in the boatyard, especially when I'm not there.
With synthetic teak, I know that a quick pressure wash will make it look new again - you can't do that with real teak.

So, fo me, the biggest thing is cleanliness.
Don't let anyone tell you that real wood can be kept clean by throwing a bucket of sea water over it.
Real wood teak is just plain DIRTY.

If I was ordering a new boat now I WOULD NOT HAVE REAL TEAK.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Thanks Mike. I read your DIY teak decking thread with amazement and respect! What a job.

Ref Your swim platform going Pink, definitely visible in that picture, that would concern me - wonder if the latest product has eliminated this problem?

 

[jfm]

I thoroughly disagree that Hurricane. If your teak is dirty then you need to clean it. Same as plastic teak. The dirt comes from somewhere, like the atmosphere or rain, and will land equally on teak/fake teak. You just need to clean it with soap and water.

My real life experience in the Med is that plastic teak is often too hot to walk on. I still remember my small niece/nephew screaming in pain when they walked on a sun-soaked bit on my brother's boat that had just been done in plastic teak. I would absolutely NEVER spec plastic teak in the med (except in a tender, where it's ideal, and the hot deck thing is solved by scooping water onto it).

Just giving the 180 degrees point of view . And your installation skills and energy are amazing - respect!

 

[Hurricane]

I thoroughly disagree that Hurricane. If your teak is dirty then you need to clean it. Same as plastic teak. The dirt comes from somewhere, like the atmosphere or rain, and will land equally on teak/fake teak. You just need to clean it with soap and water.

My real life experience in the Med is that plastic teak is often too hot to walk on. I still remember my small niece/nephew screaming in pain when they walked on a sun-soaked bit on my brother's boat that had just been done in plastic teak. I would absolutely NEVER spec plastic teak in the med (except in a tender, where it's ideal, and the hot deck thing is solved by scooping water onto it).

Just giving the 180 degrees point of view . And your installation skills and energy are amazing - respect!

Thanks for adding your view.
I'm sure that we agree to disagree with each other.
I know that you have a completely different view on this than me so your post will help to balance this thread.
Thanks for posting.

 

[ashtead]

We have had Flexiteak since new in 2015 but never noticed the pink shade shown. That said not all synthetic ones are same I guess .

 

[Seastoke]

We have fake on the fly and stairs ,and in the summer you walk on it with bare feet when it’s sunny . So that was probably 4 days since 2018.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

We have had Flexiteak since new in 2015 but never noticed the pink shade shown. That said not all synthetic ones are same I guess .

Is your boat in the Med or the UK? If the latter then the heat and UV is much weaker so that may be a factor.

 

[Hurricane]

Is your boat in the Med or the UK? If the latter then the heat and UV is much weaker so that may be a factor.

I was told by someone in the UK that the pinkish colour happens in the UK - it is a UV issue - not a Med problem.

 

[Portofino]

Worth mentioning what folks mean by “ Teak “ .
My Itama had proper solid Teak planks on the BP maybe 15mm thick when new and when I sold it aged ( boat not me ) 24 plenty of meat left on .
Was a doodle imho to maintain Infact we enjoyed it .

I know a lot on here inc The U.K. three , or is it now two ? - and many other builders use veneers of various quality which from personal experience with S/Skr worn down on the BP where we jumped aboard ….less than 8 yrs old holiday use only .

It was lovely in the Med having solid planks .
@ Op stick to OEM what ever it is btw I think it will help offload it when the time comes , plus you will get more enjoyment even if it’s only a veneer .

 

[Sticky Fingers]

I was told by someone in the UK that the pinkish colour happens in the UK - it is a UV issue - not a Med problem.

Ah ok. I’ll need to check this out. Thanks.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Worth mentioning what folks mean by “ Teak “ .
My Itama had proper solid Teak planks on the BP maybe 15mm thick when new and when I sold it aged ( boat not me ) 24 plenty of meat left on .
Was a doodle imho to maintain Infact we enjoyed it .

I know a lot on here inc The U.K. three , or is it now two ? - and many other builders use veneers of various quality which from personal experience with S/Skr worn down on the BP where we jumped aboard ….less than 8 yrs old holiday use only .

It was lovely in the Med having solid planks .

Think it’s solid. Kinda doubt a veneer would have gone 25 years even in the UK.

@ Op stick to OEM what ever it is btw I think it will help offload it when the time comes , plus you will get more enjoyment even if it’s only a veneer .

I’m leaning that way. This thread has been very instructive

 

[TK Blue MAX]

If its a keeper, just do what "you" want , as you are thinking about synthetic by asking. You will benefit from low maintenance , but the next buyer could dismiss it due to having fake teak, prices to replace are quite similar, I'm lead to believe

 

[Sticky Fingers]

If its a keeper, just do what "you" want , as you are thinking about synthetic by asking. You will benefit from low maintenance , but the next buyer could dismiss it due to having fake teak, prices to replace are quite similar, I'm lead to believe

Well, that’s the whole point really; initially I was thinking that low maintenance and hard wearing were the vital points but I’m not so sure now, I’ve been on boats with flexi and admired it. Ditto real.

Way forward I think is to get quotes for both. Although I’m not really price sensitive, if there was a major difference in favour of the flexi that might swing it, but nothing I’ve learned so far suggests that will be the case.

 

[KevinV]

Real teak in good condition is a lovely thing - if you can afford it. Synthetic teak is like silicon boobs - done well it may look right, but it doesn't have the right feel.

Changing some, but not all, to synthetic would be unspeakably naff in my eyes

 

[Seastoke]

Real teak in good condition is a lovely thing - if you can afford it. Synthetic teak is like silicon boobs - done well it may look right, but it doesn't have the right feel.

Changing some, but not all, to synthetic would be unspeakably naff in my eyes

What did you say your wife’s name is.

 

[rafiki_]

Well, that's what I'm thinking, but I'm worried that I'm going to spoil the ship for a ha'porth.

I don’t think it will impact the boat value. I think, if the job is done well, then most will appreciate the plastic teak. It will need less maintenance and will last longer.

 

[Bouba]

I would say that Flexiteek adds more value than knackered real teak.....and that real teak would add more value than Flexiteek....however, the odds are that this will not be part of the buying equation so probably won’t change the value of the boat....but even if it does, odds are it won’t cover the cost of installing real teak. An original knackered old real teak could diminish the value and salability of the whole boat....especially if Med moored because the swim platform is the face of the boat

 

[Whopper]

In a Western European climate I think the comments around dirty teak are fair. It feels like a never ending battle on my exposed swim platform given it’s almost always wet. I’m currently in a similar situation for a smaller area swim platform. I’m going to try beige non skid deck paint for the coming season and see how it goes. Will probably go fake teak after that.

Whether real vs. fake has an impact on value - for an older boat I think any decent job should enhance its appeal. Some prospective buyers might not even spot the difference!

 

[Seastoke]

What sort of a price is fake for say a 40ft bathing platform