Teak Deck Maintenance

[sail sail]

How do you best maintain teak decking to ensure longevity and a good appearance?

 

[Tradewinds]

Teak Decking Systems website will give you the info you need.
World's Premier Teak Decking by Teakdecking Systems

 

[Daedelus]

Clean with a sponge and fresh water with perhaps a tiny amount of teak cleaner, when dry use boracol to keep off the mould. You aren't meant to be able to get Boracol 10 RH these days as it's fairly toxic, but one company selling it says you can still have 5Rh (ie half the concentration) which works just as well. (Alternatively and I never said this if you say you are a professional some outlets will still sell you 10Rh.) You need 2 or 3 dry days to dry the teak before you apply it, but after that it doesn't seem to matter if it rains a bit before the stuff dries totally. It's not cheap but it works.

Finally, accept that the teak will go a pleasing sort of ash grey.

 

[johnalison]

There are products that can give a sort of ‘new’ appearance but the ones I have seen with it look distinctly odd. Boracol or the Patio Magic equivalents are easy to use and very effective, though there are some concerns about run-off into the aquatic environment which can be controlled with careful application. Teak will thin with time and it is important to avoid abrasive brushing, in fact mine gets very little cleaning other than occasionally across the grain with a soft deck brush.

I believe that wild teak hasn’t been available for some years, maybe thirty or so, and plantation teak is less robust. Mine is now 23 yrs old and has only thinned by a few millimetres and looks good for another thirty years. I have the impression that the side decks which get walked on most are doing better than the foredeck and assume that the compression of the wood is beneficial.

 

[Halcyon Yachts]

Clean using a soft brush and mild soap. Use a teak sealer or oil to protect against UV damage.

Don't use strong cleaning agents or power washing, as this can damage the wood.

Also, think about using a mat in the main areas you walk on when you are alongside.

Pete

 

[Caladh]

Clean using a soft brush and mild soap. Use a teak sealer or oil to protect against UV damage.

Don't use strong cleaning agents or power washing, as this can damage the wood.

Also, think about using a mat in the main areas you walk on when you are alongside.

Pete

Tbh, and it’s obviously a personal preference, but I wouldn’t use any sort or teak sealer or oil on my deck.

 

[Robih]

Frequent salt water with very soft brush. Boracol once a year.

 

[benjenbav]

There are products that can give a sort of ‘new’ appearance but the ones I have seen with it look distinctly odd. Boracol or the Patio Magic equivalents are easy to use and very effective, though there are some concerns about run-off into the aquatic environment which can be controlled with careful application. Teak will thin with time and it is important to avoid abrasive brushing, in fact mine gets very little cleaning other than occasionally across the grain with a soft deck brush.

I believe that wild teak hasn’t been available for some years, maybe thirty or so, and plantation teak is less robust. Mine is now 23 yrs old and has only thinned by a few millimetres and looks good for another thirty years. I have the impression that the side decks which get walked on most are doing better than the foredeck and assume that the compression of the wood is beneficial.

That’s encouraging to read. Am currently looking at HR’s and pondering on teak replacement issues.

 

[johnalison]

Frequent salt water with very soft brush. Boracol once a year.

We bought our HR in 2000 and the advice at the time was just washing with salt water. This was of no obvious value and our deck looked pretty mucky after three years when the chemicals started to come in. Polycell 3-in-1 anti-mould was what we could get at the time and it was pretty effective before they changed the formulation, when we changed to Patio Magic. We still have traces of the staining from lichen in the early days but I tell myself that it adds to the patina.

 

[lustyd]

Clean with a sponge and fresh water

Fresh water promotes growth of the various green and black things that make teak look dirty so this is definitely not the way to go.

Patio Magic every 6 months will kill the things, no other cleaning is required. If you prefer the look of new teak, fit fake teak.

 

[lustyd]

I believe that wild teak hasn’t been available for some years, maybe thirty or so, and plantation teak is less robust.

The issue here is political rather than availability. The places where good teak is grown sustainably are on a list so importing isn't allowed. Somehow superyachts manage to get plenty, but for the plebs it's become very difficult. There certainly isn't a shortage, we're just not allowed to buy it.

Modern fake stuff is really good though and much easier to maintain or to ignore

 

[dunedin]

IMHO
- sluice occasionally with bucket of salt water to remove anchor mud etc
- apply Boracol or Patio Magic when necessary to prevent any green - using soft paintbrush (and protective gloves)
- only allow sailing shoes or other soft soles on deck
NEVER
- never use a brush on the decks
- never ever ever let a pressure washer anywhere near them (have seen this done to a teak deck on a charter boat!)
I would also never apply a sealer or other treatment - keep as natural teak

 

[johnalison]

The issue here is political rather than availability. The places where good teak is grown sustainably are on a list so importing isn't allowed. Somehow superyachts manage to get plenty, but for the plebs it's become very difficult. There certainly isn't a shortage, we're just not allowed to buy it.

Modern fake stuff is really good though and much easier to maintain or to ignore

I’m sorry to hear that money can buy threatened forest teak, if that is the case. I hadn’t thought about it until we berthed alongside an old HR whose owner gaily told us that his teak was superior to ours. After 23 years I have just started to find one or two screw plugs needing replacing and with low-profile screws, so this seems quite good compared to what I hear from others. HR apparently offer a substitute, which makes sense for those who want it but I have yet to see this in action and judge for myself how the new stuff feels.

 

[lustyd]

can buy threatened forest teak,

It's not threatened at all, there's absolutely loads of it in managed forests. The political issues have nothing to do with teak as far as I can tell, just a standard trade embargo meaning you can't import the stuff. Don't forget that it's been decades since availability was becoming an issue, so plenty of plantations have replaced stock.

 

[Daedelus]

Fresh water promotes growth of the various green and black things that make teak look dirty so this is definitely not the way to go.

Patio Magic every 6 months will kill the things, no other cleaning is required. If you prefer the look of new teak, fit fake teak.

Fresh water immediately before boracol though. You can sluice with salt to your heart's content once it has been applied and dried a little.

 

[lustyd]

Fresh water immediately before boracol though. You can sluice with salt to your heart's content once it has been applied and dried a little.

Ah sorry I thought you were saying to regularly clean with fresh. Yes absolutely right sorry I misread

 

[johnalison]

It's not threatened at all, there's absolutely loads of it in managed forests. The political issues have nothing to do with teak as far as I can tell, just a standard trade embargo meaning you can't import the stuff. Don't forget that it's been decades since availability was becoming an issue, so plenty of plantations have replaced stock.

The managed forests may be plentiful but wild teak habitats are in decline and this is of concern to managers of wildlife.

 

[Stemar]

Rip it all up and finish with a non-slip deck paint

You'll thank me later...

 

[lustyd]

You'll thank me later...

While constantly maintaining deck paint? More likely I'd hunt you down and give you a beating!

 

[Stemar]

Or constantly maintaining the teak, chasing down leaks - until the time comes to replace it, when it's the bank account that gets cleaned out.

A teak deck would be a definite minus point for a boat I was considering buying, but I was at least half joking. Each to his own