Teak finishing - oil, varnish, both or nothing

[Jaguar 25]

I need to refinish a relatively small amount of external woodwork. Previous attemts to refish woodwork by sanding back to bare wood then applying three or four coats of International varnish. Two years later a significant amount hadweathered away and looked awful.
I recently watched one of the Stingey Sailor's youtube presentations, where he prepared the teak, rubbing down, etc., then oiled and followed that by applying several coats of varnishing. I would have thought that this would (a) reduce the adherence of the varnish (b) be unnecesary to have both oil and varnish.
What is the preferred finishing method for teak?

 

[pvb]

I prefer to leave it bare, and let it weather to a gentle silvery-grey colour. Treating it every 6 months or so with a good anti-algae anti-fungus chemical works well. My favourite is Boracol, bit people also use Patio Magic. Once you start oiling, varnishing, etc, you'll never finish.

 

[Poignard]

I need to refinish a relatively small amount of external woodwork. Previous attemts to refish woodwork by sanding back to bare wood then applying three or four coats of International varnish. Two years later a significant amount hadweathered away and looked awful.
I recently watched one of the Stingey Sailor's youtube presentations, where he prepared the teak, rubbing down, etc., then oiled and followed that by applying several coats of varnishing. I would have thought that this would (a) reduce the adherence of the varnish (b) be unnecesary to have both oil and varnish.
What is the preferred finishing method for teak?

I like Epifanes Rapidcoat

https://www.epifanes.com/page/rapid-coat

 

[superheat6k]

Clean with Wessex two pack, then when dry Semco. Locks in the lovely teak golden colour, but does require a re-coat each season.

 

[Lucy52]

Kate Louise has been "varnished" with Epifanes Wood Finish. The previous owner re-coated biannually. Only light sanding required before re-coating. Photo Mark Urry.

 

[Tranona]

International Woodskin. Easy to apply and durable. Just follow the instructions.

 

[ashtead]

Plus 1 to Semco if it's a small area e.g. A toe rail or capping around cockpit. Once applied it can often be clean backed following year with green scrubbing pad and washing powder before a recoating so don't have to Wessex two part clean every year . If you try it therefore having sanded down and then don't like not so difficult to remove. I'm sure there are vids out there showing process but maintains looks without varnish efffect.

 

[Skylark]

I prefer to leave it bare, and let it weather to a gentle silvery-grey colour. Treating it every 6 months or so with a good anti-algae anti-fungus chemical works well. My favourite is Boracol, bit people also use Patio Magic. Once you start oiling, varnishing, etc, you'll never finish.

+1. I use Patio Magic twice per year, at the begging and again at the end of the Sailing season.

 

[[70521]]

International Woodskin. Easy to apply and durable. Just follow the instructions.

In my experience Woodskin dissolves in marine environments! In less than a season it had vanished from the grab rails on the coachroof and I usually sail well reefed!

I've never seen such a well respected product perform so poorly.

 

[JumbleDuck]

What is the preferred finishing method for teak?

In my case, having tried just about everything else (including Woodskin) it's now Teak Wonder. It comes in three parts: cleaner (which I suspect is soap), brightener (hydrochloric acid) and sealer. It may not be suitable for you if you want to match shiny stuff, but it's quick and easy to apply and gives me a nice satin finish which lasts all season.

International Woodskin. Easy to apply and durable. Just follow the instructions.

Have you tried it outdoors yet? As I recall, you'd only used it inside previously. Inside is easy: my bulkhead looks lovely, six years after I did it with Ronseal.

 

[JumbleDuck]

In my experience Woodskin dissolves in marine environments! In less than a season it had vanished from the grab rails on the coachroof and I usually sail well reefed!

I've never seen such a well respected product perform so poorly.

I tried it. About 1/3 fell off complete, 1/3 stuck firmly and 1/3 lifted slightly off, letting water in underneath and turning the teak black. Worst god-awful mess I've seen. Had to scrape and strip the whole bloody lot off, and true to Sod's Law, a few patches were very tightly adhered.

 

[Mark G]

I use 3 or 4 coats of Deks Olje D1 Teak Oil (saturating liquid), followed by 2 or 3 coats of Deks Olje D2 to provide a gloss finish. Easy to apply and touch up or sand and re-apply.

 

[Benny257]

Clean with Wessex two pack, then when dry Semco. Locks in the lovely teak golden colour, but does require a re-coat each season.

+ 1

 

[PCUK]

Burgess wood sealer works well.

 

[maby]

I'll second Semco. I've never been a fan of the "natural weathered grey" teak look - that just looks old to me. I would like my teak to always look like it came off the production line a couple of weeks ago - Semco seems to be the most practical way of achieving something like that.

Use Semco clear rather than one of the pigmented options - they begin to look a bit artificial after a couple of annual recoats and it is difficult to get back to plain wood.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Burgess wood sealer works well.

My boat was used as a test bed by Sailing Today for some years (Colin Jarman owned her) and I found a report, from about four years before I bought her, on teak finishes. They divided the capping rail into ~6' long sections and gave each a different finish. When I got her every single one had mostly fallen off. The remains of the Burgess were blackened yeugh which I had to remove with chisels.

This backs up my experience with my Jouster. Iused Burgess sealer on her when it came out as the Latest Greatest Thing, and the 30% which hadn't fallen off the outside after two years had to be physically removed.

OK for interiors and fences, but not something I would ever use on something outside which I wanted to go on looking good.

 

[Yellow Ballad]

I use 3 or 4 coats of Deks Olje D1 Teak Oil (saturating liquid), followed by 2 or 3 coats of Deks Olje D2 to provide a gloss finish. Easy to apply and touch up or sand and re-apply.

I used Deks Olje D1 + D2 after being recommended by a club member, when asking a question on here there were loads of horror stories and some saying to remove it straight away and start again with something else. It's been on over the summer, loads of sun, loads of Bristol Channel mud and water thrown over it and to be honest it looks as good as it did the day it went on.