Teak wood

[keepitgreen05]

I recently purchased a 1987 v20 and i want to refinish the teak wood on it i have no idea when the last time it was oiled do you thinks it will be better to replace it or sand it and oil it again.

[Road King Cole]

I think you will be surprised how well the existing teak will clean up.

You can do like me and just power wash it and then slap some starbrite or similar on it. I'm sure you can also spend more time sanding and such and get it looking pristine.

I am thinking buy the time you find\craft replacement teak, you could have cleaned what you have and been boating.

rkc

[jeffmo]

i did mine last year and it was pretty easy.bought a kit at west marine that had a cleaning solution and the teak oil.just wet down the wood then use the cleaning solution and scrub it w/ a stiff brush.then rinse it off and let it dry for a couple of days.then apply a coat of oil and let it soak in for a day then apply one more coat of oil.i ALMOST sanded then urethaned mine but decided to ask around first and i'm glad i did.turned out looking pretty good.

[Fitz]

Unless the wood is physically damaged in some way, you don't need to replace it. Teak is extremely dense and amazingly durable, whether it's finished or unfinished. That's why it's used on boat decks.

I recommend you sand it with 80 - 100 grit to start, depending on its condition, getting out all of the nicks and stains, and then finish it with 120. It's really not as hard or time-consuming as some people think.

Before you oil it, give it a coat of oil-based teak stain. You just need to wipe that on with a rag and rubber gloves. Let that soak in and dry, then oil it. I guarantee you'll be amazed with the results.

Depending on your wood's exposure to the elements, you may want to oil it again once or twice during the season, but that oiling will be really quick and will bring it right back to its prior condition. At least that's been my experience.

Fitz

[Fitz]

Two other suggestions: remove all of the wood from the boat before doing any refinishing. It takes a little more time at the outset, but the job will go much, much faster and you'll get much better results.

If the teak was previously finished with any hard coating or finish other than oil, first use Zip Strip to take it off. It works very quickly. You can sand immediately thereafter.

[reelapeelin]

Originally Posted by Fitz

Two other suggestions: remove all of the wood from the boat before doing any refinishing. It takes a little more time at the outset, but the job will go much, much faster and you'll get much better results.

If the teak was previously finished with any hard coating or finish other than oil, first use Zip Strip to take it off. It works very quickly. You can sand immediately thereafter.

Take a look at Fitz's beautiful V20 in the Gallery...he knows of what he speaks on caring for teak!!...

[keepitgreen05]

i stopped at west marine and the guy there told me i would have to oil the wood once a month is that true or was it a sales pitch

[phatdaddy]

if you only put teak oil on it and no sealer or any uv protection and it is in the direct sun all day, down here in fl, sure. the wood is like a sponge, it will soak up a lot of oil, but it also loses a lot unless its sealed.

[capitanmike]

o.k. i'll bite, what is cetol? my hatch covers had NEVER been fooled with so i hit 'em with 80 grit on the belt sander then 120 w/ the jitterbug. looks great, like new, just want long lastin, low maintenance finish. (life story). mike

[Fitz]

CaptainMike:

This is just my opinion, but I wouldn't coat the hatch covers with Cetol or any impervious finish. The reason is that they're inevitably going to get knicked and scratched, and they're going to take a lot of direct sunlight. I'd finish them with a coat of natural oil-based teak stain, then a coat of teak oil.

Depending on how much sunlight and wear they get, you might have to recoat them once or twice in the season, but that's literally a ten minute job. Use the Cetol on all other wood surfaces that are not going to be underfoot or getting banged regularly. A single surface penetration will begin to ruin any impervious finish, whereas oil and stain will just gradually wear off.

Fitz