Koeketiene
Well-known member
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Synthetic Teak Decking
- Thread starter Mino
- Start date
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Mino
Member
That looks better than I expected. How has it weathered over the last few years, and how has the wear and tear compared to teak? Worn better, about the same, or worse? Like the insulation/cooling attributes. Something to consider, re. keeping heating/AC costs down.
All_at_Sea
Active member
tekdek
I've put this into the cockpit area in 2009 and it's largely been in the sun since, and l have to say not a bad product. It does look 'fake' but so what. The grip is good, it's easily cleaned, a light sanding, and it insulates.
It also protects the older (in our case 1978) gelcoat. My one gripe about this material from all sources is the colour. Everyone knows teak goes grey so why not produce a grey coloured one, particularly for older boats as you would expect a greyish deck over time.
One of the problems with this stuff is it looks an artificial colour from new, but if someone could provide a grey version l would be keener to do more of the boat for the reasons above.
I've put this into the cockpit area in 2009 and it's largely been in the sun since, and l have to say not a bad product. It does look 'fake' but so what. The grip is good, it's easily cleaned, a light sanding, and it insulates.
It also protects the older (in our case 1978) gelcoat. My one gripe about this material from all sources is the colour. Everyone knows teak goes grey so why not produce a grey coloured one, particularly for older boats as you would expect a greyish deck over time.
One of the problems with this stuff is it looks an artificial colour from new, but if someone could provide a grey version l would be keener to do more of the boat for the reasons above.
Koeketiene
Well-known member
Wear and tear? Minimal.
Colour? Has started to fade somewhat (picture below taken last October - 3 years after application)
PCUK
Well-known member
My Dek King from from Wilks is four years old and looks just like real teak at the moment. Covered in green slime and dirt! Happy to know that a quick blast with the pressure washer and it will look like new teak again. Ah, Bliss!
What a stupid idea, putting real teak wood on a plastic boat. Much better to stick with the real thing and use plastic for the deck as well!
What a stupid idea, putting real teak wood on a plastic boat. Much better to stick with the real thing and use plastic for the deck as well!
tcm
...
The tekdek is so hot in the tropics that one guy i saw had to flood the deck with water before walking on it barefoot. A well-designed white deck is fine imho tho teak is nice in the cockpit. I will have a closer look at the cork stuff when my teak wears out - nice and light weight has gotta be worth a look. Teak is super-heavy stuff to be dragging around.
wazza
Member
In all honesty our real teak deck gets very hot in the Swedish summer and sometime we have to flush them with water to go barefoot on so god knows what it'd be like in the tropics..
ccscott49
Active member
For me, GRP boat GRP decks, with whatever non slip you want.
I do not like the artificial teak decks, they look artificial, all of them. the Amel "orange" decks are awful IMHO.
I've seen the marinedeck stuff and it looks fine, it doesnt try to be teak, and is a product on its own. Maybe fine for GRP also.
The teak they do fit to most AWB's is only about 10mm thick max. anyway and gets abused by owners scrubbing it and pressure washing it!!?? God forbid, but I have seen many people doing it! The quality of the plantation teak is also very soft in the first place.
My old growth burmese teak decks on a wooden boat are now 45 years old, just now requiring re-plugging and recaulking/groove deepening (in high wear places), which I'm part way through, so I guess it depends on the treatment, original quality of teak and maintenance applied.
I dont "scrub" my decks, I use wessex chemical cleaners once a year and salt or fresh water washdown with soap the rest of the time. I have lost about 3/16" of teak in that time, so not bad, plus it looks wonderful. Oh! Yes, my teak was originally 3/4" thick, laid on 3/4" marine ply. So a few years left in it yet.
I do not like the artificial teak decks, they look artificial, all of them. the Amel "orange" decks are awful IMHO.
I've seen the marinedeck stuff and it looks fine, it doesnt try to be teak, and is a product on its own. Maybe fine for GRP also.
The teak they do fit to most AWB's is only about 10mm thick max. anyway and gets abused by owners scrubbing it and pressure washing it!!?? God forbid, but I have seen many people doing it! The quality of the plantation teak is also very soft in the first place.
My old growth burmese teak decks on a wooden boat are now 45 years old, just now requiring re-plugging and recaulking/groove deepening (in high wear places), which I'm part way through, so I guess it depends on the treatment, original quality of teak and maintenance applied.
I dont "scrub" my decks, I use wessex chemical cleaners once a year and salt or fresh water washdown with soap the rest of the time. I have lost about 3/16" of teak in that time, so not bad, plus it looks wonderful. Oh! Yes, my teak was originally 3/4" thick, laid on 3/4" marine ply. So a few years left in it yet.
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BrianH
Active member
"The quality of the plantation teak is also very soft in the first place."
This is true, most available teak is plantation grown and harvested while each tree is little more than a sapling, with no heartwood, the densest and most oil-bearing and why the species was chosen for such application in the first place. Genuine mature teak has a distinct likelihood of being from illegal logging, which, while we are on the subject and in the interest of sustainability, I would recommend reading this thread.
charles_reed
Active member
There has to be an exception to prove every rule and, no doubt, you are he.
Your hell, according to most who've suffered the experience will occur (in the Med area you're in) when the boat is 14-15 years old.
Now, most modern AWBs don't lay teak in the old fashioned way as strips attached to the deck substrate - the teak is a pre-laminated module on a backing (usually) of birch ply moulded in to the deck. It's certainly faster and the results prettier and, with volume production, cheaper. As the system hasn't been in use for more than 10-12 years it's too soon to see if the problem of cracking, lifting and de-caulking has been overcome.
Low volume production Scandanavian boats still use the traditional method (and charge accordingly).
It will be interesting to see the outcome and if the AWBs have overcome the teak-deck time-bomb.
BlackSheep1
Member
deck coverings
Have you considered Kiwi Grip, a paint on textured anti-slip finish. Easy to apply and covers a multitude of sins on older boats. Not cheap (£100.00 aprox for 4ltrs) but a lot cheaper than other methods. I used 2 tins on a 12.4 mtr sailing boat, looks good and works.
Have you considered Kiwi Grip, a paint on textured anti-slip finish. Easy to apply and covers a multitude of sins on older boats. Not cheap (£100.00 aprox for 4ltrs) but a lot cheaper than other methods. I used 2 tins on a 12.4 mtr sailing boat, looks good and works.
ccscott49
Active member
In 1965, when the timber for my boat was purchased in the log and cut, I dont think it was illegal logging then. Of course we have to use plantation timber now. I'm just glad my decks arent.
rotrax
Well-known member
To cut to the chase on this one is quite simple. It is obvious that some posters like real teak, modern thin poor quality or not,while others feel it is a severe liability. Our boat has a six inch wide 3/4 inch solid teak toerail which left the factory treated with Cetol. Two years ago we stripped it, used Teak Wonder and have cleaned and reapplied it a couple of times since. When its just done and for 3-4 months its great. Then, like all teak it goes grey and looks ****.Our boat needs the contrast of a wood colour to look good. This spring we will try Cetol-or its replacement-and see how we go. On a personal note I prefer sailing and lounging about in the cockpit with a cold beer to working on boats. As the modest amount of teak gives me (and First Mate) plenty of work already I dont think a real teak deck is for us. Atificial teak seems to be an excellent compromise and the cork looks good too. It all depends on your personal outlook as do so many other boating choices.
Tradewinds
Well-known member
I've heard it holds the grime & is hard to clean. Is that the case with your application?
Genuine question as I've got to do something in the near future & Kiwi Grip was one of the alternatives (inc Sandtex etc etc)
BlackSheep1
Member
kiwi grip
It can hold the grime like any textured finish but it is easy enough to clean with deck brush and hose.
The beauty is that you can roll on as much or as little of the texture as required,(special roller included) the less texture the less likelyhood of dirt retention.
Takes a bit of practice though to get the hang of it, have some practice, otherwise I would recommend it.
It can hold the grime like any textured finish but it is easy enough to clean with deck brush and hose.
The beauty is that you can roll on as much or as little of the texture as required,(special roller included) the less texture the less likelyhood of dirt retention.
Takes a bit of practice though to get the hang of it, have some practice, otherwise I would recommend it.
westernman
Well-known member
I agree with you there.
BurnitBlue
Well-known member
The Swedish summer in July has the sun blazing down through clear clean air for 22 hours. It doesn't get the chance to cool down. I have a IF boat in Sweden and there are times when the heat is unbearable without Med style awnings.
wazza
Member
Swedish summer, sun blazing down through clear clean air for 22 hours... Errrrrrrrrrrrr, what summer was that???????
I'm sure the heat in the Med during a hot summer day goes far beyond what a Swedish summers day can throw at my deck. In any case the point I was trying to make was teak is as hot as tekdek type decking..
Last year as I was extremely interested to find out and went traipsing around a marina in Strömstad and found a boat with it on, seemed just as warm..
auditdata
Member
There is nothing like the real thing...
wazza
Member
There is nothing like the real thing...
I don't deny it looks beautiful AND I can only hope its laid as good as mine was, on my Najad 31 years ago.. but now mine is a lot more worse for wear, as to be expected for that amount of time
I can not justify spending around 18k on new teak for my deck..