Teak deck preservative/cover

M

MAURICE

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 Jul 2001
Messages
338
Location
England
Visit site
My 1996 M44 teak decks need some cleaning and i would like to cover them to prevent further wear. The deck is in generally in good shape but i realise that the boat is getting old. I've owned her for about 20 years now and never scrub the decks just wash down with water and some Oxalic acid at times. Was wondering if there is some hard wearing sealant that i could use for this that i could paint on. Any suggestions??
 
I have never found any coating that is entirely satisfactory although of the available products Semco is probably the best . Definitely avoid any sort of oil.
Instead I have decided its best to try to keep the teak as clean as is reasonably possible . I find various mild cleaners like white vinegar and citric acid can be used sparingly and work well . Citric acid is in favour with me at the moment and this will bring out the natural colour of the teak as well as helping to bleach out any stains.
I try to avoid the two part teak cleaner which does work very well but I feel it is quite aggressive.
1770634539972.png
 
At the moment, I am in the second year of a two year trial of Si:OOX wood treatment.

It was recommended by a friend who owns a Hallberg Rassy, so I decided to have a go on my 23 year old Malo. I have always just used a twice yearly Borocol treatment, and more recently used Teak Treat by Wessex chemicals with excellent results. However, every spring when I come back to my boat there are little piles of tiny wood fragments gathered in little pockets - evidence that Irish winter weather is continually eroding the teak.

Si:OOX is a two part treatment. Firstly a silicon (not silicone) treatment is applied to clean wood which is supposed to 'toughen' the wood. Part 2 is a clear siloxane coat which seals the wood with a permeable, breathable coat which protects against rain, frost and stops moss and algal growth.

I applied the base coat and one protective coat in autumn 2024, and the results in spring 2025 were encouraging. There was very little green mould growth and what was there washed off easily with fresh water. There was also almost no teak fibres noticeable anywhere. I also noticed during 2025 that after a light shower of rain the rain 'beaded' on the teak, but prolonged rain did wet the teak but this dried out which leads me to believe that whatever coating is there is permeable and allows the wood to breathe.,

In autumn 2025 I applied a coat of the protection to the whole deck as recommended, with a double coat in areas of wear, and will report back when I return at the end of April, but so far the results are encouraging.

I bought the treatment from HR spare parts, and it was not cheap by any means, but if it arrests/slows down the erosion of the deck it would be worth it.

Having done some research, there are cheaper sources of the siloxane protection coating available - Google siloxane concrete and brick sealants? Be aware that there are plenty of very cheap silicone waterproofing treatments but I wouldn't use them on a deck.

https://shop.hallberg-rassy.com/deck-hull-mooring/teak.html

Technology - Sioo:X Pro

ps With this treatment the teak is a nice light grey weathered teak colour, and it is not possible to tell there is a coating on it until you sprinkle with water and see it bead.
Si:OOX say that after the initial treatment, up to 10 years protection can result, but on a yacht areas of high wear will need yearly treatment

With a previous boat I tried every treatment under the sun but found none that was satisfactory, including Semco, but have high hopes for the current one.

I have no connection with the company Si:OOX, and bought the product full price!
 
Last edited:
Refueler said:
Is Burgess Wood Treatment still around ??
Click to expand...
Yes, Drascombes are lathered in it...Burgess Hydrosol.

But please don't put it on a teak deck!

I did try it on my "iroko" toe rails, but without success (changed to sadolin base, which seems much better).

Remnants of my stock relegated to treating oars on mooring tender, it does well for that.
 
Last edited:
Plus 1 for Seemco -we met the current distributor at last years SIBS and found him very helpful and bought their 2 part cleaner which is apparently less aggressive than the Wessex . That said when we seemco we clean off before applying with a bio washing powder mixed in hot water with a dash of bleach/milton type solution and rub off with green scouring pad,we don’t use the 2 part every year but we are only treating rails and cappings not full decks.
 
We used Semco when we had a boat with laid Iroko decks. It does a good job of slowing UV degradation but it won’t and isn't intended to prevent wear. It is super-thin and just soaks in, the only visible evidence is the hue if it’s not the clear one and water beading on it for a month or so after application. Good stuff but it needs applying several times a year and doesn’t fit what the OP is asking for (not that anything does IMHO).
 
Out here we have various treatments for balcony / decking and the most common is Pinotex. It is avialable in different wood shades and is water based. Its basically a wood stain and the external grades have UV and other additives to help it work.
I use it on various ... it needs reviving maybe once a year ... but it helps reduce UV damage.

I am one who really dislikes 'silvered' teak ... I prefer the 'live' brown teak colour ... and products such as Pinotex help to keep that look.

It has to be noted that whatever product you use should not conflict with the natural oils Teak has ...
 
I have a 1996 Victoria 800 with teak decks and cockpit, owned since 2004. Every few years I give it a very gentle jet wash if mucky. Otherwise it's a gentle scrub with oxalic acid, buyable on E bay. Once clean and dry a couple of coats with Boracol. It looks great. Boracol isn't cheap, but a five litre container lasts a good few years.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top