Teak Deck Caulking - how long should it last?

[LandM]

Reason I ask is that we had our boat completely re-teaked only three years ago. She looked absolutely beautiful and we were proud as punch and happily let the company that did it show our boat on its website as an advert.

However.......late last summer I started noticing telltale patches that were taking longer to dry after rainfall. Mostly it was confined to the cockpit area. During this winter, the position of the boat meant that the starboard side stayed out of any sun and therefore almost never dried (some green to clean off when the sun next shines!)

But now spring is here and the boat is usually dry I've now started to see other small areas around the deck that remain damp for longer and on closer inspection the caulking is starting to fail in those areas. Just a millimetre or two here and there. But in the cockpit the gap between the caulking on one side and the teak is probably 2mm or more.

I've started to research how to go about the awful job of having to dig out and recaulk these areas before the problem gets any worse -a job I thought we'd not even have to think about for many years but what I'd like to know is - Is it usual for caulking to fail after three years? And why has it started to fail? Should I go back to the company that laid the deck and let them know......? Or would they laugh in my face and say "What do you expect after three years?". Taking the boat back to the company isn't an option really. They are in Wales and we are in Brighton!

 

[Tranona]

Think it should have lasted longer than that. Sounds like it is not the material that has failed, but its application. Classic sign that it has not adhered properly to the teak.

Think you have reasonable grounds for complaint against the installer, but guess you are going to have to weigh up whether you want the hassle of pursuing a claim. First thing to do is to take photos of the offending areas, write to the installer asking how they intend making it good. May be worth getting a professional opinion. The law is in theory on your side but it will be up to you to show that the failure is because of poor application and/or poor materials.

 

[LandM]

It does sound like it might be application failure. I've looked at plenty of websites that suggest using bond breaking tape which I'm sure the company didn't use. We are pretty new to 'yacht maintenance' and were hoping that this would be one thing on the boat we wouldn't have to worry about for years (apart from the usual cleaning properly etc) so am pretty miffed that I'm now worrying about it after such a short time. I am considering writing to the company, as you say with pictures, and inviting them to suggest how the problem can best be fixed. After all, it's going to cost us either for a professional to fix this or (dread the thought) of attempting it ourselves. It did cross my mind that we had to return after a couple of weeks to get the caulking re-done in a different area of the cockpit where it obviously hadn't bonded properly in the first place. The new 'split' is the entire length of one of the planks.

 

[Stork_III]

The caulking on mine is 14 years old, no problems with it yet.

 

[pvb]

What you describe seems to be a problem with the original application. It certainly shouldn't fail within 3 years. Caulking should reasonably have a minimum service life of 10-15 years. Your first task is to take good photos of a number of points of failure, then write to the original supplier, inviting their comments and proposals for rectification. It's possible to do the rectification in your home marina, you wouldn't need to take the boat back to Wales.

If they decline to help, you then need to get a surveyor to inspect and report with recommendations. Send the report to the original supplier, again asking them to arrange at their cost for the surveyor's recommendations to be carried out.

If they again decline, you need to warn them in writing that if they don't agree within 14 days to fix the problem, you'll get the work done by another contractor and sue them in the County Court Small Claims track for the cost. This may motivate them, as the cost is primarily labour, and their cost of labour is much less than paying someone else's retail labour price.

If they still won't fix it, pay someone else to do it properly (perhaps under your surveyor's supervision) and then claim the cost from them. Unless you're a real sucker for punishment, don't attempt to do it yourself.

When I sold my 24 year old Hallberg Rassy a couple of years ago, most of the original caulking was sound.

 

[pandroid]

The caulking on mine is 14 years old, no problems with it yet.

+1 Ours is 16 years old and also no probs

 

[Woodlouse]

Find out if bond breaker tape was used. Sikaflex and other caulking products can handle being stretched in one direction, but not two so the bond breaker is there to insure it doesn't stick to the bottom of the seam which will lead to it pulling away from one edge.

If they used it (and I'd be very surprised if a professional outfit didn't) then you might just have to dig the caulking out locally where it's coming away, re lay the tape and recaulk. It's not surprising after a few years to find a few patches that require this treatment.

If it seems like a more serious issue then you'll have to have words with the people who did the job.

 

[LandM]

Thanks for these tips everyone. Woodlouse, I remember that I noticed slight gapping in the caulking after the first month. The head guy at the boatyard was very sorry and his man dug out the old caulking and re-did it. While he did this he quickly explained to me what he was doing but I certainly don't remember him using bond breaker tape. And funnily enough I only knew of its existence and importance when I started to research doing this myself. Yes it sounds essential.
Having rained in the night and now benefitting from a warm morning, I went round the boat first thing to check how it was drying. I've sadly found more bits coming away, one bit that looks as though i could lift it with a sharp knife, and a small raised section.
Incidentally, for those of you with teak cockpits, is the caulking done all round the outer edges as well as between the planks? Ours haven't been done and I've often wondered if they should have been.
I've also been in touch with a very experienced professional sailor whose new deck was done at the same time as mine. He hasn't had any problems and thinks the boatyard will be mortified and eager to rectify so I'm preparing to take photos and email them to the deck fitters explaining what is happening, and as PVB says "invite them to comment and come up with how the problems can be rectified.
It's making me feel really sad whenever i look at the teak deck at the moment, not least because I'm not a fan of confrontation but also because I know that the problem will only get worse the longer it is left.........sadder still is that the old 24 year old deck would have been fine for probably another five years! Currently got that ''wish we hadn't bothered' feeling.

 

[Tranona]

Incidentally, for those of you with teak cockpits, is the caulking done all round the outer edges as well as between the planks? Ours haven't been done and I've often wondered if they should have been.

No hard and fast rule. If the teak is laid in a recess or is relatively thin, sealing the edges is common. if just laid on thicker strips then probably neater not to do the edges.

 

[pvb]

No hard and fast rule. If the teak is laid in a recess or is relatively thin, sealing the edges is common. if just laid on thicker strips then probably neater not to do the edges.

I think if the teak strips are caulked, it always looks better for the perimeter to be caulked.

 

[garvellachs]

It seems daft to me to (almost) identify the company involved on the forum here publicly (how many companies do that sort of work in Wales) but not to talk to them about it? I realise you might want to ask independently how long caulking might be expected to last, but discussing the problem publicly first is unlikely to endear you to the people who did the work. I think you are squandering their good-will that almost certainly exists, or would have done before your post.

 

[LandM]

It seems daft to me to (almost) identify the company involved on the forum here publicly (how many companies do that sort of work in Wales) but not to talk to them about it? I realise you might want to ask independently how long caulking might be expected to last, but discussing the problem publicly first is unlikely to endear you to the people who did the work. I think you are squandering their good-will that almost certainly exists, or would have done before your post.

I never said I didn't want to talk to them about it......I asked on this (mainly) friendly forum for advice about how long you experienced sailors think the caulking of a teak deck should last and gave the length of time mine has lasted which appears to be not long. And the reason I asked is because I wanted to be sure of myself before I contacted them. I asked the question and I thanked those who'd been kind enough to offer their advice and opinion that's all. Not only that but there are a few boatyards that do this kind of thing in Wales so I don't think i've given away the company - nor do I intend to. That would be potentially libellous. They were very friendly people and I'm sure I won't have 'squandered their goodwill' by simply asking a question on a public forum about the length of time caulking should last.

 

[wazza]

I use an MS polymer as apposed to silicone. I'd have hoped primer was used, bottom tape as previously said enables the caulk to move side to side and not adhere to the bottom of the groove. In my opinion the caulk should definitely lasted longer than 3 years if you have treated the deck correctly, ie not scubbing or pressure washing which I'm sure you've not done (but you never know, I've seen people do that..)