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Introduction |
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Whether it be
a lovely piece of teak furniture sitting elegantly on the
aft deck of a luxury yacht, or a 12" by 12" inch
pad under a sheet winch on a daysailer, there's just something
about teak that says "salty." It has been said that
nothing so brightens the nautical appearance of a boat so
much as well maintained teak. Having made such a sweeping
generalization we are now faced with numerous variations on
just what makes teak well maintained. |
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| 2. |
Preparation |
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Regardless
of the method of preservation used the first thing must be
done is to clean and restore the teak to its natural state. |
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At BoatDocs1
we believe in accomplishing this in the gentlest way possible
while still achieving the desired results. If the teak is
just dirty a thorough cleaning with laundry detergent, chlorine
bleach, scrub brush, and a little elbow grease will do the
job. |
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| 3. |
Teak Oil |
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Teak oil is one of the oldest and
in many ways easiest methods of maintaining the natural look
to teak. |
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More choices, linseed or tung oil.
In general, tung oil is a more refined version of linseed oil.
The higher quality/price is an individual call depending on
the application. |
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Our main concern
here is the various additives including pigments, UV filters,
and mildew retardants. The additives are a must here on the
Emerald Coast and anywhere you have the combination of sun,
heat, humidity, and sea air. The choices should be based on
the exposure to the elements the wood will be getting, with
the higher concentrations of additives and corresponding darker
pigmentation for any wood which will be exposed a great deal
of the time. |
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| 4. |
Teak Sealer |
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Teak sealers are actually an adjunct
to Teak Oil in that they seal in the oil and lengthen the time
between applications. We have had excellent results with several
products in our climate and the choices are mostly related to
desired look and durability. |
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Characteristics: |
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Teak treated
with sealer is more water resistant than if treated with teak
oil, has a more uniform appearance, and doesn't tend to turn
black.Slightly more preparation required than with oil but
if maintained will only have to be done once. |
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| 5. |
Varnish |
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On the plus side: |
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Offers real protection for the wood. |
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Wood will not dry out and split |
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" will not absorb moisture and rot |
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" is unaffected by dirt and pollution |
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" will not be stained by spills |
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The not-so-plus side: |
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Varnishing any wood requires thorough and
painstaking sanding and preeparation. |
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The standard for a ship-shape job is 7 coats
with sanding between each coat.I've often done 12 to 14
to achieve desired results. |
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Additional coats, with thorough sanding
between, are required to maintain the look. |
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The humidity must be low or a milky appearance
will result, requiring more sanding to remove the affected
coat. |
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