tek dek

We bought a real teak grating for the cockpit in kit form from KJ Howells for our current boat and will do the same for the new one. Looks lovely and raises you up above any water that's in there. For seats etc we're planning on Tek dek in our new boat as it gets a good press here, and is cheaper.
 
Teak...

Use teak. You've got a classic boat, you know it makes sense to use teak. There isn't that much of it - it's not as if you were replacing a teak deck.
 
Tek dek, or one of the others works better than real fake teak. You have a jolly nice plastic boat. Putting fake teak on it to simulate a traditional teak laid deck is no less fake than putting tek dek on it.
 
Support the recommendation for Howells grating. They will also make up kits for laid teak decking for cockpit seats. Alternatively if you have plywood locker lids you may find covering them with strips of 2.6 mm teak veneer available from Robbins. Glue with epoxy and fill seams with Sikaflex in the normal way. Looks great, half the price of "proper" laid decking, and cheaper than fake. Mine still look great after 15 years. Got this idea from Gougeon Brothers book, but suggest you don't fill the gaps with blackened epoxy as there is still enough potential differential expansion in a cockpit exposed to weather to crack the seam.
 
I used tek-dek for cockpit seats and sole. Had Tek-dek make up panels from templates. Very quick service. Easily fitted and looks excellent. One down side is that it stains with oil/fuel and this has been difficult to remove. Tek dek advised a non-acetone based brake cleaner which i have not been able to source yet.
 
I just fitted Tek Dek full report here, lots of photos

http://www.ybw.com/forums/showflat.php?C...&PHPSESSID=


(its ok Gavin no one knows me here, and I'm not banned on PBO /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif )

Or for none broadband here is the report excluding photos

I made extensive research into Teak, Flexi Teak and Tek Dek .
Flexiteak was impressive and came a very close second behind my choice of Tek Dek.

Photo of my carpet that harboured dust and was difficult to keep dry.


Photo of cockpit with carpet out but looked very plastic and marks with wet feet.


Photo of completed Tek Dek.





Bathing platform











My choice of Tek Dek was due to several reasons
If fitted well it looks real but is easy to maintain.
As a bonus it is cheaper than teak.
MC Products agreed to discount their price making a saving over flexiteak.
It is UV stabilised as apposed to Flexiteak which is only UV resistant,
I studied Flexi Teak and I did notice older installations had slight fading which was apparent when wet (same as real teak when it is ready for an oil, which I wanted to avoid).
I received a great deal of help from forum members supplying me with quality information regarding costs and draw backs with all products.
I saw a professionally fitted Tek Dek that looked a mess in places as it was left only half finished , as with all products choice of fitter is vital.
The main reason I choose tek dek was due to a recommendation on this forum for MC Products.
With in two days of me contacting him he phoned me from my boat to discus what I wanted where and to quote.
He arranged for me to view a completed boat and gave part of his weekend up to meet me.
The fitter liaised with me through out the whole process.
Incredibly efficient and he made the whole process from start to finish very easy.
If anyone is considering Teak/Flexiteak or Tek Dek on the South Coast I have no hesitation in recommending MC Products of Emsworth (Chichester).

Other points you may find useful

If you find a fitter who has already patterned your boat design you will save up to 40%.( MC Products don’t usually charge like others do for this pattern as they are keen to add to their extensive library of patterns).
If you choose an inexperienced fitter you will wish you hadn’t.
Ask to see a completed boat by the SAME FITTER not just the same company.

Try not to be swayed by impressive Boat show displays, I studied FlexiTeak at SIBS and it looked a beautiful spread but it was set high up away from the crowds.
Tek Dek used some panels on the floor to cover their electric cable supply, how many thousands of feet had trampled across that I have no idea but it looked as new.



Other technical differences as far as I could ascertain
Flexiteak claim to weld the back together, on close inspection all I could see was what appeared to be sporadic daubs with a hot glue gun.
This was the same with other fake teak products studied at sibs.
MC Products use some sort of flexible plastic bonding strip all the way around bends, this appears to create a more permanent fixture.
Tek Dek has a ‘Dove tail ‘pattern on the rear ready to bond to the glue.
Flexiteak is a straight grove.
Tek Dek is UV stabilised.
Flexiteak is only UV resistant.

Tek Dek has a ‘Dove tail ‘pattern on the rear ready to bond to the glue.
Flexiteak is a straight grove.
The dovetail underneath the Tek Dek is significant, the adhesive gets in the grooves and provides a mechanical bond as well as the adhesive bond. Flexiteek and some others just have ridges so there is far more chance of the deck not adhering properly.
In my opinion.
Tek Dek looks like teak and I hope will last and continue to look like teak for many maintenance free years to come.
Flexiteak looks really good and is impressive but the price is too high and there appears to be some issues with life expectancy.

As to Teak, much to the amazement of traditionalists it is not in the running, hard work to maintain , expensive and many owners are replacing sound teak with low maintenance Teeeek who don’t want to overlay a maintenance free fibreglass with wood.


No connection with this company, just as satisfied customer
http://www.mcproducts.net
 
Tek dek is good stuff and looks like the real thing. I have used it BUT it does get very hot in the sun. It can be a shock to the unsuspecting in the bum / soles of feet area /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif.
 
personally, I would recommend a re-think here. Tekdek is great for standing on, and it actually provides better grip when wet than when dry, However, the ridges that provide this additional grip, do not provide a very comfortable seat even if wearing full foulies, and in the summer in a swimming cozzie is downright uncomfortable.
 
It has obvious applications in areas that are subject to continual water immersion, for example swim platform, and deep cockpits that are continually awash with water.
 
But what advantage does it have over paint Mark?, I don,t find it particularly non slip, but yes, hard on the bum, and it does look "tacky".
I think it AMELS use it, spoils an otherwise classy boat IMHO. Bill.
 
I do think its appearance is better after a bit of weathering, I reckon it lasts longer, looking reasonable than paint.
really just a matter of preference.
 
Hi. Just had my Princess 435 Tek Dek 'd. Very pleased with the result. It has really lifted the look of the boat. I used a company from Emsworth. MCproducts. www.motorcats.com Victor is the Guvnor and very approachable/negotiable. Toby is the fitter, he knows his stuff and is very helpful(although you need to stock up on the Tea and Coffee) /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif. Any snags or queries he is happy to discuss and solve. ) He and his assistant worked in the most biting wind to get my deck done for me. The only weather they couldnt work in was rain,obviously. All in all a good job at a good price. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Thanks Guys.
 
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