Teak decks

  • Thread starter Thread starter djr
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A good emotive subject...

Sounds as if you haven't done it before? Is the first time in your ownership, or have you some specific stains/dirt?

Are you going to cause damage using a chemical...yes. Teak is naturally grey and its the grain with hard and soft fibres that provides the anti slip property. To get back to "new" teak colour you are removing this and the natural oils.

If you like the "new" teak colour, fine but you are wearing your deck out more quickly. What is the cost of teak these days £2k per square meter or something similar?

Personally I like the natural grey finish. I use Boracol (other stuff available that has same properties) maybe once every two - three years to keep any "green" at bay Other than that, salt water and fairy liquid is all mine gets with as light a brush as possible. And remember to always go across the grain when brushing.

I'm others will say different; but each to his onw.
 
Correct, first time I would have done it - I just wanted to clean it up - as it clearly hasn't been loved for a while, and some of it is dark dirty grey - other bits seem pretty good.

That's my logic - get it all back to "normal" and then leave it.... but you are saying it will be inferior afterwards. I suspect I need to get some Boracol

There is a bit of green in places which I will of course clean off.
 
Wessex Teak Cleaner is fairly aggressive, and may stain GRP unless you're very careful. I'd be tempted to start by washing with sudsy water and a firm sponge (not a brush!), then treat it with Boracol (or Patio Magic). See what the result looks like after a few days, then decide whether you want to try the Wessex route.

Boracol is a better product than Patio Magic, but is more expensive. I used to use it about 3 times a year on my old HR, and on the sprayhood too. Apply Boracol or Patio Magic using a very soft paintbrush, on a dry deck, and apply a flood coat then let it dry. Best done when there's no rain forecast for the next couple of days.
 
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Tiderace said:
A good emotive subject...

Sounds as if you haven't done it before? Is the first time in your ownership, or have you some specific stains/dirt?

Are you going to cause damage using a chemical...yes. Teak is naturally grey and its the grain with hard and soft fibres that provides the anti slip property. To get back to "new" teak colour you are removing this and the natural oils.

If you like the "new" teak colour, fine but you are wearing your deck out more quickly. What is the cost of teak these days £2k per square meter or something similar?

Personally I like the natural grey finish. I use Boracol (other stuff available that has same properties) maybe once every two - three years to keep any "green" at bay Other than that, salt water and fairy liquid is all mine gets with as light a brush as possible. And remember to always go across the grain when brushing.

I'm others will say different; but each to his onw.
Click to expand...


+1 Both Boracol and "Wet & Forget" do a similar job.
 
You've got some good advise above.
Both Boracol and Patio Magic are good products, I haven't used Wet and Forget.
I apply with a cut down soft broom that will fit in a bucket.
Thoroughly wet the teak and leave to dry on a dry day, after a day or two you will notice anything green and organic has died turned brown and become detached, it will blow away or you can help it with a hose.

Plank
 
djr said:
Correct, first time I would have done it - I just wanted to clean it up - as it clearly hasn't been loved for a while, and some of it is dark dirty grey - other bits seem pretty good.

That's my logic - get it all back to "normal" and then leave it.... but you are saying it will be inferior afterwards. I suspect I need to get some Boracol

There is a bit of green in places which I will of course clean off.
Click to expand...

As above....If its the first time, and not much green; give it a go with fairy liquid and salt water first and see what it looks like afterwards. The amount of dirt that comes off after a winter ashore always amazes me.

If its still not "clean enough" and there is some green around then move onto one of the mentioned cleaning products. (make sure to wear some rubber gloves...not overly nice stuff.)
 
There's always a difference of opinion on teak.

TCM did a fantastic thread some years ago if you have time to search the archives.

Two main competing techniques of maintenance and it's very difficult to say which one is better, or should I say more suited to your teak and maintenance routine.

Just to say that teak isn't grey, it is teak coloured. The natural oils within the teak purge to the surface and oxidise grey.

To stop this grey swarf of oxidised teak oil turning into a slippery mess you can add the likes of Boracol or Pation Magic etc (preservative that kills growth) and maintain a grey deck.

This works for many as the labour is minimal.

The other method is to 2 part clean with a Wessex or Semco chemical solution that removes the dead, oxidised 'grey' and returns it back to its natural teak colour.

The follow up could be a Semco coating pushed into the grain.

This stops the constant purge of oil to the surface, inhibits UV and maintains the teak at teak colour.

This wonderful colour and protection comes at a cost of hard work and effort, but it is (IMHO) well worth it.

Regarding the 2 part cleaning process:
Yes, it is possible to cause damage, the 2 part cleaners should be used with caution, they need plenty of management during the process, both with personal protection and with regard to run-off surfaces.

Personally, I only use the semco system, the teak looks better, performs better and I believe due to the sacrificial nature of having a pawn on and within the grain, out-performs a grey maintained deck over both short and long term.

Tony
 
Quick Q - I want to clean the teak on my HR34 - I have done a fair bit of digging - and it seems the Wessex Teak Cleaner is the one to go with? Is there anything negative, anything that can go wrong with doing it? https://www.marineteak.co.uk/wessex...HTPLId9uaOKTTIkLgsUClqhKI5gmeMWhoCF60QAvD_BwE

Am I nuts? Am I going to cause any damage doing this? Is it just a postiive solution?

Hi David, quite a few years ago now, I drastically reduced the life of a teak deck on a HR34 by over cleaning with a similar product trying to keep the nice brown teak colour. I didn't realise how much the teak was being eroded until one day I was in a berth beside another HR34. It had noticeably more teak than mine, despite being 6 years older!
Speaking to the owner I was educated on the correct treatment (Boracol) for teak decks, and have never looked back.
Wessex do a Boracol equivalent called Boraquat. It is expensive, but it can be diluted 50% with water, and works like a dream.
At the beginning and end of every season, I use a large paintbrush to put two generous coats on the teak a few days apart. It needs a dry day, and ideally next day dry for each coat, but on my Malo a coat takes about 30 mins to apply - and that is all that is needed!
Be patient, the effects take a couple of weeks or a month to be apparent, but all the green mould and black spots will disappear and you will have a nice silver, ridge free deck.
Never use a brush (other than a soft paintbrush), a sponge, or even strong jet from a hose and you will have a long lasting teak deck.
Boraquat also does a good job on removing green mould from ropes and sprayhoods etc.
 
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