Teak brighteners, are they any good

[BigJoe]

I normally just scrub my teak decking and rubbing strake, however, this has caused pitting over the years, so I'm thinking of sanding back and applying a teak product/products, and any information would be great

 

[Bobc]

I have used the Teak Wonder products and found them very good. The cleaner and brightener do a great job, and the sealer puts a hard waterproof surface onto the teak. You have to put more sealer on every 6 months or so though.

 

[pvb]

I normally just scrub my teak decking and rubbing strake, however, this has caused pitting over the years, so I'm thinking of sanding back and applying a teak product/products, and any information would be great

Aaarrgghhhhh! You should never scrub a teak deck. If you do sand it back to smooth, only ever wash it with a sudsy sponge in future. There are lots of "teak brighteners" around, and they basically all work. Be wary of using a sealer on a teak deck, it may make it slightly slippery (test on a small area first).

If you're happy for the teak to weather to a silver grey colour, I've found that applying Boracol 2 or 3 times a year keeps it looking clean with virtually no effort.

 

[JumbleDuck]

I have used the Teak Wonder products and found them very good. The cleaner and brightener do a great job, and the sealer puts a hard waterproof surface onto the teak. You have to put more sealer on every 6 months or so though.

I'm a Teak Wonder convert too. Don't usually bother with the sealer.

 

[laika]

Yes it works surprisingly well. I baulked at using Boracol while the boat was in the water due to the "harmful to marine life" label on the bottle I bought and instead went with the wessex teak cleaner. One application of each part kept the teak looking good for several months until I hauled out and whacked on the boracol. Normally the teak goes green in 5 minutes outside of summer.

 

[pvb]

Yes it works surprisingly well. I baulked at using Boracol while the boat was in the water due to the "harmful to marine life" label on the bottle I bought and instead went with the wessex teak cleaner. One application of each part kept the teak looking good for several months until I hauled out and whacked on the boracol. Normally the teak goes green in 5 minutes outside of summer.

To some extent, most chemicals are "harmful to marine life", but if used sensibly don't constitute a big threat. Wessex Teak Cleaner's safety data sheet says "Avoid release to the environment. Prevent entry to sewers and public waters. Notify authorities if liquid enters sewers or public waters."

 

[johnalison]

Trying to keep a deck looking like new is just making work for yourself and you would be better joining those of us who use Boracol/Patio Magic. I can appreciate that trim items such as handles, and maybe cockpit seats, may be worth trying to preserve, though something like Woodskin to give a varnished look is an alternative.

 

[Humblebee]

If you are looking to brighten and clean up the teak before putting anything else on top, I suggest using Oxalic Acid. It is widely available on the internet and is the active ingredient in most, maybe all, proprietary teak cleaners Plenty advice on this forum about how to use it, make sure you follow the safety instructions though.

 

[BigJoe]

Looks like there are lots of products to choose from, met a guy on the pontoon who said he used a product that has a 2-year guarantee, but I can't remember for the life of me what its called.