To those who have laid synth teak...

wazza

wazza

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I've looked at the alternative products that are available to me, that is TekDek, Isiteek, and Dek King...
They all seem pretty much the same quality. Buy sizes one is better than another, price another is better than one, laying technique a couple seem more advantageous than the other....
So what, if you laid it yourself, did you think was good and why...?
Thanks..
 
wazza said:
I've looked at the alternative products that are available to me, that is TekDek, Isiteek, and Dek King...
They all seem pretty much the same quality. Buy sizes one is better than another, price another is better than one, laying technique a couple seem more advantageous than the other....
So what, if you laid it yourself, did you think was good and why...?
Thanks..
Click to expand...

TekDek for us. No problem laying and it will bend flat (with heat) down to very small radii. Only upset we had was with the side decks when it started to rain half way through and we ripped it up again sharpish. Removing the adhesive was something else. Only later did I realise that it water cures so we could have left it.
 
Graham_Wright said:
TekDek for us. No problem laying and it will bend flat (with heat) down to very small radii. Only upset we had was with the side decks when it started to rain half way through and we ripped it up again sharpish. Removing the adhesive was something else. Only later did I realise that it water cures so we could have left it.
Click to expand...

So you laid it directly on the deck instead of making sections and laying it so?
How many sq. m did you have to lay?
You can always PM me pictures if have any ;-)
 
Probably not relevant as it was about 12 years ago but after much research I fitted Tek Dek to my previous boat but there wasn't so much choice as there is today.

I've just had the cockpit of my current boat fitted with synthetic teak after the corking in the real teak started to bleed and make a mess. I tried replacing the corking but just made a mess of the teak.

I think the new stuff is http://www.permateek.com/, I had someone fit it for me this time and it looks fab. So far everyone has mistaken it for the real stuff.
I decided not to go for the fancy edging as straight planks make it look more modern and spacious. I had the bathing platform done by the same company about two years ago and still looks as good as new.

nirvana_zpsd9b9c275.jpeg


bathing1_zps63257b4f.jpg
 
wazza said:
I've looked at the alternative products that are available to me, that is TekDek, Isiteek, and Dek King...
They all seem pretty much the same quality. Buy sizes one is better than another, price another is better than one, laying technique a couple seem more advantageous than the other....
So what, if you laid it yourself, did you think was good and why...?
Thanks..
Click to expand...

Shame you can't get flexiteek because it was IMO the best one when I did mine 18 months ago.
It has colour variations in it which makes it look very real.
 
Elessar said:
Shame you can't get flexiteek because it was IMO the best one when I did mine 18 months ago.
It has colour variations in it which makes it look very real.
Click to expand...

I can get flexiteek but they do all the work at 4 to 5 times the price of buying the material and doing it myself... I can't just if the costs to SWMBO, or myself for that matter.!
Isiteek is the do it yourself version of flexiteek..
 
wazza said:
I can get flexiteek but they do all the work at 4 to 5 times the price of buying the material and doing it myself... I can't just if the costs to SWMBO, or myself for that matter.!
Isiteek is the do it yourself version of flexiteek..
Click to expand...

I was thinking,wouldn't Isiteak be good for floorboards as well?
 
TekDek for me, self laid, Cockpit seats and sole, transom step 3 sections. ( The grating in the photo got replaced as well )

It has worked out well. Laid about 6 or 7 years ago now still looks good. Boat is left out in the Greek sun year round as the cover does not go over the cockpit.

Fiddly job to get right. Occasional eppisode with black caulking getting on hands etc. 'Next time' I'd make accurate templates and ask the company to make up mats to glue in place.

View attachment 43039
 
I chose Flexiteek cos I thought it looked the most like real teak. I had AMD make up mats, although these need trimming to size. I haven't laid it yet (waiting for warm dry weather). Could someone tell me what caulking to use round the edges?
 
SimonD said:
I chose Flexiteek cos I thought it looked the most like real teak. I had AMD make up mats, although these need trimming to size. I haven't laid it yet (waiting for warm dry weather). Could someone tell me what caulking to use round the edges?
Click to expand...

They have their caulking that you can buy from them, but I spoke to a Dek King agent yesterday and I asked if I could use a MS Polymer and he said that'd be fine.. And it's a lot cheaper..
 
Elessar said:
Shame you can't get flexiteek because it was IMO the best one when I did mine 18 months ago.
It has colour variations in it which makes it look very real.
Click to expand...

+1 I've gone with Flexiteek for the colour variations. It didn't seem any more expensive compared to the others for completely installed service. I'll post some pictures if I remember, should be fitted mid July.

Anders
 
wazza said:
They have their caulking that you can buy from them, but I spoke to a Dek King agent yesterday and I asked if I could use a MS Polymer and he said that'd be fine.. And it's a lot cheaper..
Click to expand...

Brilliant, thanks. I was thinking of using some Arbosil 1081 I have left over from replacing hatch acrylic, but MS polymer is even cheaper.
 
Anders_P42 said:
+1 I've gone with Flexiteek for the colour variations. It didn't seem any more expensive compared to the others for completely installed service. I'll post some pictures if I remember, should be fitted mid July.

Anders
Click to expand...

Yes please Anders, post some pics...that said I'll be doing it myself as I have nearly 13sq m to lay and just can't afford their prices at flexiteek..
 
I've used Dek king with a lot of success.
In fact after looking at a deck I did three years ago I decided to use it on my own boat and have been very happy.

I have tried making panels and fitting them but I prefer to lay the strips one at a time as it's far easier to keep them flat and avoid bumps.
Heat gun is really useful for bendy bits.
I use saba to bed them down but have used sika in the past.

Finish with 40grit along the grain to clean up and blend in.

gbr4423_026.jpg

gbr4423_025.jpg
 
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We self fitted Wilks Dek-King last summer.
The mistake we made was making a template and assembling it at home with a couple of dry fits on the boat.
We could have made it up directly onto the cockpit seats and saved time. But hey ho, you live and learn.
It's extra work but having boarders really sets it off.

Have got the roller for sale if interested.
 
I challenged a Tek-Dek salesman at SIBS two years ago, as to why the colour and finish is all identical. He didn't really have an answer. Seems to me that almost any degree of inconsistency in the appearance would be much better than bland uniformity...

View attachment 43059

...reminds me of a fake tan versus the real thing. I love how teak looks but I couldn't live with the maintenance...I hope the fake stuff looks more real by the time I can afford it.
 
I admit, I hadn't thought of that! Sort of a 'distressed' effect? Nice. Blended with a combination of randomly arranged, different-coloured strips, that could really look authentic.
 
Real teak is a fairly uniform colour, though. I think the objection to fake teak is perhaps the lack of a visible grain structure.
 
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