Teak vs Synthetic Teak?

[ShaneAtSea]

Im not sure if this post has been on here before

I really don't like that horrible grey worn look that teak gets after a while and ive been told that Synthetic teak doesnt have that problem.

As im probably going to order a new boat i can ask them not to add teak and have the whole boat fitting with synthetic teak

Can anyone tell me if that is a good or bad idea please?

 

[ashtead]

We had our decks fitted from new with Flexiteak . Didn’t have the top fitted due to heat concerns . After 5 years looks fine . We do have teak rails and just clean them and coat with Seemco. Advantage of fitting at build is clearly no need to remove deckhard ware. You might find Flexiteak costs more than teak as an extra ? Just be careful which colour and grouting you order -some older makes did look rather orange. Photo of upside down deck attached.

 

[Greg2]

Your first sentence made me smile - this topic has been debated before. ?

Whilst I quite like the weathered grey of teak my personal take is that, given the choice, I would go for synthetic teak on the basis that it takes a whole lot less looking after than the real stuff. Having owned a Broom 41 with full teak decks I swore we would never have a boat with teak decks again but, as is the way of things, we find ourselves with full teak decks again! ?

If you plan to be somewhere hot then synthetic is said to hold the heat far more than real teak does. That said, Flexiteek now say that their latest product is cooler in hot climes so for me it is a bit of a no brainier - synthetic is the way to go.

 

[penfold]

Massive thread on synthetic teak here.

 

[NoviceRod]

I went for Flexiteak at build, and have not regretted it at all. Our previous boat was real teak, which turned nasty uneven grey, and was a pain to treat each season. Now it is just a scrub and rinse to remove bird poo and dropped crisp marks.

A greater benefit was that Flexiteak was cheaper than the real thing.

 

[Rappey]

What about resale value some years down the road ?
Some will avoid teak as it will require expensive repairs at some point whereas synthetic teak should be maintenance free.

 

[Hurricane]

My simple answer to the OP's question is - yes I would order a boat with synthetic teak.
In fact, I would go father than that and NOT order a boat with wood teak.
I am not likely to buy an new boat again but if I were to replace our current boat, I would DEFINITELY replace any wood decks with synthetic.
I have lived with real wood teak decks for the last 13 years and our bathing platform was converted to synthetic teak 3 years ago.
So, I believe I am in a good position to comment.

As most will know on here, I am currently going through a project to replace all the existing wood teak on my boat for synthetic.
Here is a link to a long thread on my replacement project.
DIY Synthetic Teak
There is also a report on my upgrade published in the January issue of Motor Boat and Yachting.

Like the OP, I don't like the grey worn look that you get with real wood.
To that extent, over the years, I have been keeping the wood teak looking like new.
You can do that by using the two part deck cleaners (Wessex etc) but eventually the wood deteriorates to an extent that it needs to be replaced.
IMO, the life expectancy of real wood is about 12 to 15 years.
I qualify that statement by saying that the thickness of real wood decks on new modern boats is about 6mm.
Boats with decks thicker will, of course last longer but it us hard work sanding back teak to keep it looking good.

Another point that I always make is that wood attracts dirt.
And when I say attracts dirt - I mean DIRT.
You have only to wash wood decks properly to understand just how much dirt is absorbed by the wood.
Lots of people say - just throw a bucket of sea water over the decks and that is all you need to do to clean it.
ABSOLUTE RUBBISH
When someone says that, they actually mean that they can't be bothered to clean the decks properly.

Dirty decks are really obvious when away from the marina - particularly in the morning dew.
Just step from the wood teak onto some white GRP superstructure and you will see just how much dirt has collected on the bottom of your feet.

Conversely, synthetic teak is much easier to clean.
You can scrub it without damaging the surface and I've been using some good cleaners to keep it looking like new.

Having said that, the biggest disadvantage of synthetic teak is that it gets hotter than wood teak in the sunshine.
That doesn't mean that real wood teak stays cool - it doesn't.
But in the strong Med sun, synthetic teak can get too hot to stand on.
This is only really true in the middle of the summer and not usually when the boat is away from the marina.
And, of course, there is plenty of water around to throw a bucket over it if it does get too hot.

So, for me, on those few occasions, when the extra heat in the decks becomes a problem is a small price to pay for your boat looking like new all the time and, more importantly, staying clean.

 

[ShaneAtSea]

My simple answer to the OP's question is - yes I would order a boat with synthetic teak.
In fact, I would go father than that and NOT order a boat with wood teak.
I am not likely to buy an new boat again but if I were to replace our current boat, I would DEFINITELY replace any wood decks with synthetic.
I have lived with real wood teak decks for the last 13 years and our bathing platform was converted to synthetic teak 3 years ago.
So, I believe I am in a good position to comment.

As most will know on here, I am currently going through a project to replace all the existing wood teak on my boat for synthetic.
Here is a link to a long thread on my replacement project.
DIY Synthetic Teak
There is also a report on my upgrade published in the January issue of Motor Boat and Yachting.

Like the OP, I don't like the grey worn look that you get with real wood.
To that extent, over the years, I have been keeping the wood teak looking like new.
You can do that by using the two part deck cleaners (Wessex etc) but eventually the wood deteriorates to an extent that it needs to be replaced.
IMO, the life expectancy of real wood is about 12 to 15 years.
I qualify that statement by saying that the thickness of real wood decks on new modern boats is about 6mm.
Boats with decks thicker will, of course last longer but it us hard work sanding back teak to keep it looking good.

Another point that I always make is that wood attracts dirt.
And when I say attracts dirt - I mean DIRT.
You have only to wash wood decks properly to understand just how much dirt is absorbed by the wood.
Lots of people say - just throw a bucket of sea water over the decks and that is all you need to do to clean it.
ABSOLUTE RUBBISH
When someone says that, they actually mean that they can't be bothered to clean the decks properly.

Dirty decks are really obvious when away from the marina - particularly in the morning dew.
Just step from the wood teak onto some white GRP superstructure and you will see just how much dirt has collected on the bottom of your feet.

Conversely, synthetic teak is much easier to clean.
You can scrub it without damaging the surface and I've been using some good cleaners to keep it looking like new.

Having said that, the biggest disadvantage of synthetic teak is that it gets hotter than wood teak in the sunshine.
That doesn't mean that real wood teak stays cool - it doesn't.
But in the strong Med sun, synthetic teak can get too hot to stand on.
This is only really true in the middle of the summer and not usually when the boat is away from the marina.
And, of course, there is plenty of water around to throw a bucket over it if it does get too hot.

So, for me, on those few occasions, when the extra heat in the decks becomes a problem is a small price to pay for your boat looking like new all the time and, more importantly, staying clean.

Thanks for the input

The boat im thinking of ordering comes has the hydraulic platform, cockpit and side decks come with wood teak as standard.

If i order from the factory i can request that they either install synthetic teak or they dont add the wood teak and i'll get it installed 'after market'

If i buy a new stock/inventory boat i'll have to have the wood teak removed and then synthetic teak installed.

Thats why i asked you guys first because id be ripping up my brand new stock/inventory boat

 

[BruceK]

Have you considered nothing at all. Just plain GRP? Easiest of all and imo just looks better. Wooden flooring always reminds me of 60's houses and school sports halls. Why people insist on putting it on a modern boat escapes me.

 

[Hurricane]

Thanks for the input

The boat im thinking of ordering comes has the hydraulic platform, cockpit and side decks come with wood teak as standard.

If i order from the factory i can request that they either install synthetic teak or they dont add the wood teak and i'll get it installed 'after market'

If i buy a new stock/inventory boat i'll have to have the wood teak removed and then synthetic teak installed.

Thats why i asked you guys first because id be ripping up my brand new stock/inventory boat

If it were me, I would opt for factory fitted synthetic teak or no teak and have it installed "after market".
If I were you going that route, I would get VERY heavily involved in the quality and design of the synthetic teak.
It isn't a matter of saying "just stick some plastic teak down".
IMO, you want to make it look like new teak does when it leaves the factory.
And that means making sure that the panels are designed correctly.
Read my thread about making the panels.
There are a few examples in that thread where contractors have, IMO, made a poor job of it.
A good Flexiteek supplier or perhaps Andy from Trakmark (the guy who supplies me) will design the panels properly.
Andy is a professional supplier as well as a supplier to the DIY trade.

Have a look at this thread:-
Squadron 58 Replacement Decks
IMO, Dustywings contractor got it right - his panels look great.

Think of it like laying ceramic tiles - you don't start at the edge, you line everything up and "cut into the edges".
Well, thats not quite what you do with synthetic teak but I hope you know what I mean.
To make it look good, you need borders but within the borders, you don't want stupidly looking thin planks or planks not lining up.
Also at the steps, I think it needs to look like it is made from really thick wood - Watsons achieve this when the make the real wood panels.
The same needs to be done when making plastic wood.
IMO, it needs to look like wood.

I wouldn't suggest ripping it up - there is always a small amount of damage when removing wood teak.
It is usually quite easy to make any repairs with just gel goat.
In the factory, wood teak panels are usually made onto a strand glass mat and then the assemblies/panels are glued to the bare GRP decks.
So it is quite difficult to remove the panels without causing any damage.
Also, when the boat builders fit wood decks, they often end up screwing parts down and plugging the screw holes.
This breaks the integrity of the underlying GRP.
In your case, this isn't necessary if you had synthetic teak from the beginning.
But if you DO end up with a stock boat, it probably makes more sense to use the wood for a few years and change it later - bit of a shame IMO.

Hope that helps - it is a difficult one and I bet the broker/salesman won't agree.

 

[Hurricane]

Have you considered nothing at all. Just plain GRP? Easiest of all and imo just looks better. Wooden flooring always reminds me of 60's houses and school sports halls. Why people insist on putting it on a modern boat escapes me.

Absolutely better than wood - IMO.
But I just like the look of new wood.
I don't like the look of dirty old teak.
But you are correct that are several processes that can be used that don't even look line wood.

Hopefully MapisM will be along soon to explain the process he went through.
He has installed a very practical non slip solution.

 

[Hurricane]

One little obtuse thought.
It isn't for me but different colour synthetic teak colours are very popular at the moment.
For example Trakmark supply a nice grey material.
Maybe making it look COMPLETELY different could be another approach.
Or having a different colour caulking between the planks.
There is lots you can do.
Personally, I prefer to have it looking like this:-



And whilst on the photos
This is what I mean by the steps looking as though they were made from thick pieces of wood.
You can also see in this pic where the original panels (on the lower step/deck still in wood) were screwed down in the factory -

 

[MapisM]

Have you considered nothing at all. Just plain GRP? Easiest of all and imo just looks better.
Wooden flooring always reminds me of 60's houses and school sports halls.
Why people insist on putting it on a modern boat escapes me.

Amen.
Teak used to have its place when boats were made the way God intended, i.e. in wood.
But after plastic took over as construction material, why so many people still accept to pay more to get less is one of life mysteries.
By "get less", I mean in objective, functional terms: bare GRP has zero maintenance, doesn't get hot, and lasts as long as the whole boat, as opposed to anything else, synthetic teak included.
Not to mention vs. real teak, whose durabiltity when used in non-structural thickness is beyond a joke, and whose replacement cost is outrageous.
Besides, many builders use not only glue, but also several screws to fit teak on GRP decks, which are usually cored.
And in the long run, due also to huge thermal excursions, water finds its way under this thin teak layer and inside the core, to the point of potentially rotting/delaminating a GRP deck - a problem that makes the already high cost of teak trivial, in comparison.
Aesthetics of course is not so objective, and even if I'm not a fan of the teak look (neither natural nor synthetic) on GRP decks, I appreciate that it's an each to their own matter.

Anyway, the process I went through which Hurricane mentioned was discussed in detail in this thread.
Talking of which, one warning for the OP: if the boat you are looking at comes standard with teak decks (as mine did, back in her days), more than likely the deck is moulded flat, without the typical diamond gelcoat finishing of bare GRP decks.
This means that it's not sufficient to ask the builder to not fit the dreadful teak to enjoy a proper bare GRP surface, but you should ask them to apply some kind of antiskid finishing, as I also had to.
Well worth having that done at the factory anyway, if they are willing to do that - and I don't see why they shouldn't.
'Fiuaskme, I'd go that route not only for the side decks, but also anywhere else, with the only possible exception of the cockpit, where the better protection makes all the teak disadvantages less critical.

 

[MapisM]

Just one last comment ref. the aesthetic side of this matter.
You will find the pic below also in the thread I previously linked, but it was a rather long one, so I am re-attaching it here for convenience.
The boat as I bought her is on the right side, and on the left side you can see a photoshopped version with no teak, which I made before going for it.
Again, each to their own on aesthetics, but I do think she looks better and more "modern" with bare GRP.

I am also adding another pic, taken after the job completion, just to show that the appearance in the photoshopped version above eventually proved to be remarkably close to the final result.

 

[EricJ]

Thanks for the input

The boat im thinking of ordering comes has the hydraulic platform, cockpit and side decks come with wood teak as standard.

If i order from the factory i can request that they either install synthetic teak or they dont add the wood teak and i'll get it installed 'after market'

If i buy a new stock/inventory boat i'll have to have the wood teak removed and then synthetic teak installed.

Thats why i asked you guys first because id be ripping up my brand new stock/inventory boat

Fully agree with the Hurricane and Mapism; synthetic teak or none at all. Synthetic teak is a good option for bathing platform and cockpit. Side decks and flybridge are fine in bare GRP and will not get so hot that way. Hydraulic platform can be dipped in the water if it gets too hot ?
what boat are you looking at? ?

 

[Zing]

I am considering cork as a teak replacement. It is meant to be much cooler than the plastic options, but still grippy, long lasting and looks good.

 

[MapisM]

Yup, cork is by far the best material I ever experienced on a boat deck, strictly from a functionality standpoint.
Saying that it "looks good" is a bit of a stretch, though.
As I said, each to their own on aesthetic, so in this respect I'm not arguing with your opinion.
But fwiw, mine is that cork comes across as much more utilitarian than elegant.

That said, cork is definitely what I would want, on a steel or aluminium vessel.
But on a frozen snot boat, what's the point? There's no reason to stick an additional layer of anything, above a material which, for all its faults (which are many), is fantastic in terms of practicality, and doesn't look bad at all.

 

[Hurricane]

My RIB has Marine Deck 2000 which is a cork style material.
Very nice to walk on in bare feet but, IMO, wouldn't work on the main boat.
Chairs and tables would dig into it.
Great for the tender though.

 

[Bajansailor]

I must admit that I would agree with @BruceK and @MapisM re how I think that plain fibreglass decks are the nicest really - and the coolest (temp wise, and maybe even style wise if you compare with knackered teak) to walk on.

Apologies for some slight Fred Drift, but @Hurricane I am intrigued by your bow navigation light - does it have the full range of visibility on each side of 112.5 degrees from the centreline? It looks like it is obscured long before you reach 90 degrees.

 

[petem]

Im not sure if this post has been on here before

I really don't like that horrible grey worn look that teak gets after a while and ive been told that Synthetic teak doesnt have that problem.

As im probably going to order a new boat i can ask them not to add teak and have the whole boat fitting with synthetic teak

Can anyone tell me if that is a good or bad idea please?

Speak to Vince who owns Permateak. He's a great guy, proper boat owner and the product looks better than the real thing in my opinion.