Archive for the Yacht Decking Category

M/Y Betty – Installation of New Teak Decks

Work continues on the M/Y Betty at Lauderdale Marine Center.  We are pleased to report that the New Teak Decks have been delivered and loaded aboard this classic vessel.

We are also pleased to advise that the installation of the new teak decks on M/Y Betty is well underway.

Teak Marine USA specializes in boat flooring and custom built teak decks, servicing interior and exterior surfaces, as well as custom cabinetry and furniture.

Every step in our process is created with efficiency in mind. Our quick turnaround time and level of service are advantages for shipyards as well as yacht owners, boat captains and project managers.  Exceptional preparation is the key to success and has a direct impact on the end result. We removed the old teak deck form M/Y Betty and then ground the surface to properly fair and level it. This provides the perfect surface for accepting the new teak decks.

The new teak decks for M/Y Betty were fabricated from the finest teak, supplied by World Panel Products Inc., utilizing our own excellent line of Marine Products, including: Laminating Epoxy, Fit & Fairing Epoxy and Marine Caulk.

 

Teak Marine USA provides top-quality marine products and decking materials at a great value.  We offer marine products and decking materials. We are committed to providing tested and proven products at significantly better prices. Prices any decking professional will appreciate. Teak Marine USA offers a wide range of premium epoxies, caulks, and composite decking materials.  Our teak deck caulk is a professional single-component, moisture-curing sealant that is specifically designed for the marine industry.

 

Teak Decks are not only beautiful; they add a classic look to any yacht.  They are admired for their rich color and aesthetically pleasing appearance.  They tend to be a rich golden to medium brown color, but it is not uncommon for teak decks to prematurely age or weather over time due to poor maintenance as well as the elements.  If not properly maintained you will find that your teak deck can quickly fade to a dull, silvery grey color.Teak is a durable, naturally oily wood; it can react negatively to hard bristles or abrasive chemicals such as two-part acid cleaners. For example, whilst most acid washes restore the teak to its natural golden color, they do so at the cost of stripping the wood of its natural oils, removing pulp from the grain as well as grime. This results in a dry and brittle deck. If improperly cleaned, the top layer of wood cells is removed with the dirt. Once the wood is gone, it is gone for good!

There is a tendency is for people to “over maintain” their teak decks by scrubbing them far too often with harsh, environmentally harmful two part acid cleaners and brighteners.   These products cause notable wear and tear to the wood, weaken/comprise caulk seams and over time, significantly reduce the life of the deck.  This may be popular with some teak companies; who will be more than happy to replace your decks or repair caulk failures due to premature as a result of the over use of caustic, environmentally harmful cleaners, but we do not recommend it.

MAINTAINING THE APPEARANCE OF YOUR TEAK DECKS:

Keeping exposed teak looking its best is challenging. The use of teak sealer’s such as Semco are becoming ever more popular, especially with small to medium size vessels. This durable protectant maintains a protective coating, eliminating the need for deep cleaning. Semco contains UV protection and a mildewcide. It applies easily, dries quickly, and provides a non-slip finish.

For those who prefer the natural exposed look of teak, they can either accept the natural gray patina that a teak deck will attain over time, or take steps to maintain the fresh cut teak look.

An old Sea Salt may advise you to clean your decks using good old fashioned sea water.  This does indeed work.  However, this process is extremely labor intensive, not to mention time consuming and as such, is not very practical.

There are a number of ‘environmentally friendly’ teak cleaners on the market, which have varying degrees of effectiveness.  There are far too many of these products to review here, save to say that they cost significantly more than some household cleaners which provide similar, if not better results.

The best way to clean your teak deck is with a regular rinse of clean water. Do not spray the deck with high pressure hoses as this will damage the teak and compromise caulk seams. If washing is needed, we recommend that you use soap like Joy or Tide crystals with a cotton mop, and rinse well with hot water. If you have to scrub, do it across the grain with 3M Doodlebug, or similar time pad.

Be sure that you do not scrub too hard as the top layer of the wood cells can removed with the dirt. Remember that what goes away is gone and the wood on your deck will not come back.

The mildest teak cleaner is a general purpose household powdered cleaner such as Spic ‘n Span. A concentrated solution of powdered cleaner and scrubbing using a very soft bristle brush or, better yet, a 3M pad, will do a surprisingly good job on teak that is basically just dirty.

Don’t scrub any harder than you have to, and always scrub across the grain. Every time you scrub the teak, you are removing softer wood, which eventually results in an uneven surface that raises the grain. Regularly using a firm brush to scrub with the grain will lead to problems down the road.

The advantage of a gentle scrub using mild cleaners is that while it is more work for you, it is by far the most gentle for your teak. Since you are likely to have some powdered detergent around, always try this method before going on to more drastic measures.

Simply wet down an area with water, clean with the detergent solution, rinse with fresh water, and let it dry. If the wood comes out a nice, even light tan, you’re in luck. If it’s still mottled or grey, a more powerful cleaner is called for.

Even a badly weathered teak deck should come up reasonably well with a one part cleaner. When the wood dries, it should be a uniform light tan. If some areas are still grey, a repeat cleaning should do the job.

REMOVING MILDEW:

When tackling mildew on your, the best approach to preserving your teak decks would be to use a 50/50 solution of white vinegar and water. Scrub lightly to remove the mildew.  If this fails to fully solve the issue you can lightly sand your teak decks with a high grit sandpaper, such as 60 grit.

Modern teak decks are decorative teak laid over a sub deck of fiberglass or other construction which forms the structural support. The traditional decks are planks of teak laid over a frame where the teak itself forms the structure of the deck. Re-caulking of a decorative teak deck is only necessary when there is physical deterioration of the caulking to restore appearance and to stop water damage due to trapped moisture under the wood. Re-caulking of structural teak decks is a continuous process which commences about 10 minutes after the deck was first laid and continues until the boat is abandoned. Teak should never be laid over steel plate decks. Inevitably the teak seams will leak and the trapped water will rust the steel causing it to swell and lift the teak off. On steel boats where deck webbing creates some areas where teak has to be laid over flat steel, the webbing should have as many holes cut in it as possible to allow water to escape and air to dry any cavities.

Traditional teak planks have cotton pounded into the seams when they are laid. This is quite an art and there are very few artisans left who can do it properly. The cotton serves a number of purposes. First it tightens the crack to minimize movement, and make the deck more contiguous. It seals the bottom of the crack so polysulfide (caulking) will not run through later. It is under high compression so it expands and moves with the teak when it moves. It absorbs water from a leak and swells to stop the leak. With modern polysulfide caulking compound I have found that pounding cotton into a seam while making repairs makes little difference and is not worth the trouble. If you have a crack that goes right through from a seam, by all means pound some in to stop the polysulfide running through (or tape it underneath with duct tape if there is access).

A groove is cut out of the top of each of the cracks between the planks to provide a cavity for the caulking compound. There are many schools of thought on the best shape of the groove cross section (width, depth, round, Vee, or rectangular) but here is my analysis. Teak deck caulking fails nearly always due to the caulking pulling away from the sides of the groove when the teak shrinks (dries out) and/or moves while underway.