# TeaQua Teak Finish



## arf145 (Jul 25, 2007)

I know a couple of you have applied TeaQua to your exterior teak and I was hoping to get a performance report now that we've been through another summer. How's it doing? How long has it been on? Pictures?

And man I know this teak finish question has been beat into the floorboards but it is confusing to a newb like me. I'm taking ownership of an 87 Pearson 28 next week and the teak is sorry looking--appears to have been varnished and is 75% gone. No flooring here, just toe rails, hand holds, and companionway slats.

I know I could leave it natural--and that definitely appeals to my lazy side-- but I prefer a finished look, and one of my boat partners, my brother, _definitely_ requires that. He favors tung oil, which he pictures as something you can just wipe a bit more oil on now and then. Is this true?

Anyway, the TeaQua sounds interesting. But I'll take all comers with a finish that looks at least a bit finished but doesn't require stripping, sanding, and 7 coats every year or two--a compromise that satisfies my lazy side, my want-to-sail-not-always-work-on-the-boat side, and my aesthetic side.

Tom


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

Oil looks good for a few days...then it holds and attracts dirt rather nicely. 
I will not respond to the teaqua issue since I have not seen or used it.


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## ebs001 (May 8, 2006)

I have used TeaQua. My wife sanded down all the teak last January and said "never again". So we applied Teaqua. We were very happy with the result but understand it may not appeal to the varnish purest who would prefer more luster. I took pictures of the cockpit floor boards shortly after the TeaQua was applied. I can PM them to you if you like. They have been sitting out in the Georgian sun since mid April but I will not be going back to the boat for a couple of more months. So I cannot give you an update at this time. Unlike oil which as Cam mentioned ends up looking dirty, the TeaQua finished floor boards did not look dirty at all after 4 months of continuos use. I'll have to wait until I'm back at the boat to give my full endorsment, but we like what we have seen so far.


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## TrueBlue (Oct 11, 2004)

I have no experience with TeaQua either - but, with such little teak on a P28, varnishing may not be that much work - considering you're just talking about handrails, toerails and hatchboards. There's no mistaking the difference a well-maintained varnish job has over anything else on the market today.

However - as pretty as it looks . . . I hate the initial *8-10* coats traditional varnish requires, the *bi-annual,* between coat *sanding* and varnish recoating of exterior teak.

With all the exterior teak on my boat, after stripping, I chose to apply 3 coats of Cetol Light, with only *ONE* annual maintenance coat of Cetol clear gloss . . . no sanding between coats, and with experience, no blue tape needed either. Looks great!


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## arf145 (Jul 25, 2007)

Thanks TB--that settles the varnish side pretty well for me. Even with my little bit of teak, I know I'm not up for 8 - 10 coats, biannual sanding, etc.

And camaraderie, you've confirmed what I've heard about the dirt problem with oil, so I think that leaves that out.

ebs001, I'll still be interested to hear about your results when you get back to your boat, but I think we're going to go ahead and give TeaQua a try. We don't require the shiny varnish look. And maybe we've been given a gift in seeing the teak look so ratty to begin with--we'll be thrilled with the new look and will enjoy the easier (hopefully) upkeep.

Tom


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## chuckg5 (Jun 22, 2006)

I've had tea qua on my rails an deck for the 9months, here in florida.
i've tried to upload photos but haven't been able to. I like it. after a long hot summer, the deck still looks 'woody', dark stained, grainy. i'm thinking of cleaning it with soapy water an maybe some bon ami cleaners, then reapplying it. if i can upload some low res photos, i will. I put it on a 42' Vagabond cutter, ketch, a boat load of teak.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

chuck-

upload the photos to flickr.com or use Picasa (http://picasa.google.com) to do so to Picasa's web albums, and then use the little yellow postcard icon in the toolbar to link to the photos. The upload feature on sailnet is basically broken.


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## chuckg5 (Jun 22, 2006)

thanks, saildog
I'll work on that today


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## chuckg5 (Jun 22, 2006)

http://picasaweb.google.com/chuckg5/TEAQUAShots?authkey=ny9TJyvg3d4
http://picasaweb.google.com/chuckg5/TeaquaOnSept42007?authkey=a0s4PgVyDAQ

This is a long road but i tried. these are two albums i put up in picasa, ones
applying Teaqua in Feburary 07 the the other is how it looks today. hope it links up. we'll see


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Looks pretty good all things considered.. I'm glad Picasa worked out for you.


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## RichH (Jul 10, 2000)

I use a mix 'developed' by an acquaintance:
1/3 Teak Wonder
1/3 Semco Natural
1/3 Olympic Deck Seal (carmel)

the carmel helps it keep its fresh sanded look longer ... but seems to last well. I do a quick recoat at the beginning of each season. Had the stuff on now for two years and looks better than most other non-oil finishes. The nice part is that it protects the teak from UV damage (the 'grey') but allows water to penetrate (turns darker when the decks are wet) and best of all the deck traction when wet is the same as dirty/grey teak. 

I used to leave them grey but that leads to too much maintenance as the plugs would more rapdily work, etc. Since Ive been putting this 'compound' down my 'maintenance' is virtually zero other than an occasional wash with Meguires Car Soap.


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## ebs001 (May 8, 2006)

Art1, the other advantage of TeaQua over varnish is that you need only do ONE COAT. That's days saved when initially finishing your teak.


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## Sabreman (Sep 23, 2006)

You may wish to consider Cetol. IMHO, it's the easiest to apply, most durable, best-looking exterior finish. Some don't care for the slightly amber/orange tint, but Cetol Light gives a more natural look. Cetol Gloss gives the wet varnish look.

http://www.boatpaint.com/USA/sikkens/default.asp


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

Sabreman...ditto that. I don't use anything but saltwater on the decks but on the rails and other teak I use two coats of Cetol Natural Teak now (rather than the standard Cetol) and then gloss on top. Holds up well and resembles varnish without the work and sanding. A better look than the Teaqua based on those photos IMHO...but everybody has their own opinion of what looks best.


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## TrueBlue (Oct 11, 2004)

Since you mentioned it first Cam, I also questioned the effects of TeaQua - based upon chuckg5's photos of his deck - 7 months after application:








As was said, nothing but water, preferably seawater, should be applied to a teak deck.

Here's a photo of my coachroof, followed by the foredeck, both taken in June, 2007 season. This is the condition after the last finish was applied - an annual maintenance coat of Cetol Clear Gloss over Cetol Light - in summer of 2006 - the deck of course, is left nekid.

There are three initial coats of Cetol light under one coat of gloss on the pulpit and rails. In August I applied this year's annual coat of Clear - looks even richer with more depth.


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## Sabreman (Sep 23, 2006)

Oh man, I like that gloss! I have a can that's never been opened and have been afraid to use it for fear that there could be problems if I apply non-gloss Cetol over it in the future. I use straight Cetol and have really liked the look, but the gloss is even better!

Nice job, TrueBlue!


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## TrueBlue (Oct 11, 2004)

Thanks Sabreman - but you know how easy Cetol is to work with - for lazy sailors.

Actually, I've only applied the clear gloss to the caprails, toerails and pulpit . . . been too busy sailing to do the rest (both pilothouse doors, eyebrows and trim). It doesn't add any color or opaqueness to the wood - which is why I like it.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

TB-

Beautiful boat...  for a monohull...


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

Sabreman...once you have the undelying Cetol coats in place you never have to re-apply Cetol finish...all you do is rough up the gloss a bit and re-apply gloss as needed when wear begins to show.


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## Sabreman (Sep 23, 2006)

Thanks for the info cam. I usually apply a coat of Cetol toward the end of the season. If I can replace that step with a coat of gloss, I think that I'll have a better look.


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## johnnyboy2 (Feb 25, 2011)

does anyone have any updates on teaqua and how well it works and lasts.


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## arf145 (Jul 25, 2007)

Doesn't last in the sun particularly well. I like the way it looks when applied to clean teak, but it doesn't survive a whole season in the Chesapeake area and appears to suffer the problem that all oil products do, so far as I know: turns dark from dirt and growths. In the end, you'll need to scrape or sand the surface to reapply.

I believe I tried to keep up with, say, monthly applications on a few parts, but the wood wouldn't take any more TeaQua even as it weathered.

So, no magic beans, as far as I can tell, but I do like the look. The inside of my hatchboards, which get no sun, look great a year later.

Tom


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## johnnyboy2 (Feb 25, 2011)

Well, we just purchased a 42 ds Jeanneau. It has bare teak on the cockpit floor, on the cockpit seats, toe rail and rub rail. The admiral likes that golden color and wants to put something on it. The dealer uses the TeaQua, but it sounds like it will not hold up that well. We are northern chesapeake bay and should have the same conditions as you. I think I need to talk her into going natural.


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## allene222 (Nov 10, 2007)

I had pretty good luck with Mr. Clean home pro bleach spray and a brush cleaning up my teak. It came close to the gold look of new new teak. My friend uses deck cleaner (~$14 a gallon) which he sprays on once a year. My teak has been unfinished for 55 years. It is wearing away and may not last another 50 years. So if you want to varnish 4 times a year and have that nice finish, go for it but consider that teak doesn't need the finish and you are doing it not to protect the wood but to make it look nice.


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## ebs001 (May 8, 2006)

We put TeaQua on our teak in 2007. It has not been touched since and has sat out in the weather, mainly Georgia, since. It cetainly has stood up very well, but it looks ugly. Over time it loses any sheen and gets darker - much darker. If you only wish to protect your teak and don't mind ugly, it works well. But if you want the varnish look, you need varnish and all the work that entails. Somebody I talked to said they have known people to paint their brightwork. Different strokes for different folks (pun intended)


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