# teak decks... pros and cons



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I certainly love the look of a teak deck, but I have noticed that some 
of the older ones are screwed down as opposed to being glued. Not 
having a boat of my own (yet... still looking and being patient as 
well) I wanted to find out from some experienced sailors as to the pros 
and cons. I almost HAVE to assume that screwed down decks can and have 
leaked, causing a multitude of problems. Please shed some some light on 
this including answering this question... Has anyone taken up a screwed 
down deck, patched and filled the holes and then re-glued the deck down? 
Can't wait for the replies on this!!!! BTW i am probably looking at 
something in the neighborhood of a 38' to 42' or possibly a 44' boat! I 
have seen a Bristol that I like very much! but a Columbia 41 or 45 might also 
be a possibility, along with a few select others.

Michael,
Future cruiser!!


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## TrueBlue (Oct 11, 2004)

There has been lots of info published on this topic, here and throughout the internet. But the bottom line is a properly maintained teak deck will last well over 30 years.

My boat's teak deck is 20 years old and is in great condition. It is screwed and bunged planking originally about 5/8" - now averaging 1/2". The counterbored screw holes are about 1/4" - 3/8" deep, ample for holding bungs. Four or five have popped out, which I had replaced - but never had any leaks to deal with.

Of course, Nauticats being the only boat having solid 1-1/2" fiberglass decks under the teak, prevents any leaks from occuring. Cored or plywood decks are prone to leakage . . . IF caulked joints aren't maintained and screw bungs are left to deteriorate. 

The most important thing to remember with teak decks is to leave them natural - only water should be used, preferably sea water, to clean the deck. If brushing is required to remove stains, brush across the grain to preserve the soft grain and thickness.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Screwed down teak decks over cored decks are not only subject to leakage, but to delamination and core rot—which become very expensive repairs. 

I agree with TB on keeping them natural... anything else is really way too much maintenance. 

Teak decks look nice, and are fairly good in terms of non-skid surface and often fit the character of an older, more classically designed boat. 

However, they tend to be hot underfoot in the direct sun. They have some serious maintenance issues, like replacing bungs, deck leaks, caulking, etc. They're also fairly heavy and add significant weight to the boat. 

If you're going to replace a teak deck or install one, patching the holes, after making sure that the deck hasn't got a rotten core, and then gluing the new deck down is probably a good idea, if you must have a teak deck.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

how do you know if the bungs need replacement? Do the screws "pop" out? or are they just loose? and at this point do you check for soft spots or spongey areas on the deck? And this would (or at least should) show up on a survey, should it not?


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

The bungs can pop out all by themselves...this doesn't necessarily indicate anything about the screws. It is hard to check for water intruding into the core of the deck with the teak deck over it. I believe you can check it from the interior, but don't know for sure. Soft or spongey areas can also be masked by the teak decking As for whether this would show on a good survey, you'd have to ask CardiacPaul about that, as he is a marine surveyor.


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

My boat has a teak deck that has lasted for 20 years with no leaks at all so it is possible with a good initial install and good care to have a very long life out of teak decks. There is nothing better for traction on deck and it does look pretty. That said...it does get hot in the caribe sun and if not taken care of it is a big, labor intensive job to replace it. 
In terms of inspection of a boat, I've found that you can simply look at a teak deck and tell whether there are problems currently or in the offing. The wood is deteriorated with deep grain instead of smooth planks, bungs are missing, joint compound is missing, evidence of leaks can usually befound below if there is access above the headliner.CPaul can probably add more, but I think it is more difficult to find core problems with a teak overlay as Bob Bitchin found when he did his re-fit of the "lost soul" a couple of years back. Only removal of the deck revealed the full extent of his problems. 
On balance, I would opt for a boat without a teak deck which is exactly where my head was at when we bought Camaraderie. Obviously...my head wasn't making decisions that day...so I guess I would say don't let a teak deck in good condition stop you...but make darn sure it is in good condition.


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## chris_gee (May 31, 2006)

I had a look at an 18 year old teak deck boat recently. Although the bungs were all filled, some seams had bits of epoxy in them and gaps were common on the sealing. Sure enough from underneath where the ply was exposed it was all soggy, and there was water in other areas, as well as evidence of corrosion in the chainplates, and longstanding saltwater in the bilge.
A past survey commented on some rot. A quote had been obtained apparently for 16000US supposedly to redo the teak.
I suspect the teak itself might have been ok but until the whole boat was dried out one would not know how much the deck was rotted and if the teak could remain and recaulking would suffice. I suspect not so the quote was suspect. It sounded like it was to replace the teak but this seems odd as one would assume the whole deck needed replacing.
With that degree of negligence on a beautiful boat it became a substantial risk which could to me only be justified by a major discount the owner probably would be reluctant to accept.
The gluing idea may be possible but the major source of leaks is the seams which have to be flexible as the wood expands and moves. Presumably glue would stop much of the movement. The screws shouldn't leak if plugged, and hopefully epoxyed though that might be doubtful. 
One shipwright recently told me teak is good for 8-10 years and then a p.i.t.a. It may well be thick enough to go for 30 years on some boats but seemingly would need recaulking regularly.
The other point is that there is likely some glue already there. The only account I have read of taking the teak off suggests that it will be mostly in small pieces and not reusable. You also have the problem of clamping the teak down presumably the function in part of the screws.


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## SimonV (Jul 6, 2006)

There are a couple of cons. They become very hot with the sun; we had to wash down the deck at regular intervals if you didn’t want to burn bare feet.
Teak is damaged quite quickly in the tropics if not cared for and I have never seen a teak deck that did not leak as it aged.


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## Valiente (Jun 16, 2006)

I wish to make the perhaps ignorant and certainly obvious comment that I love seeing and treading upon a nicely maintained teak deck and that there is no way in hell I would ever have one on my boat. There are materials that are far more effective in the long run at near zero maintenance and which don't involve sawing trees down in Indonesia.

I appreciate scrimshaw and ivory chesspieces, too, but I won't own them.


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

Valiente...my understanding is that the old teak forests have been thoroughly plundered and that what is being used today is farm grown young teak. Kinda like plastic scrimshaw! <g>


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## Valiente (Jun 16, 2006)

I'll take Treadmaster or Dec-o-lay or even sand mixed in Awlgrip, thanks. As I said, I love the look of teak decks, but the caulking and filling and sanding and varnishing and the ten thousand screws in my deck just don't appeal much. Nor, it must be said, does having all that weight topside, a weight only increased by the insulation and headliner necessary to stave off the amount of heat a teak deck can absorb in the tropics. Finally, the through-bolts for deck gear have to be longer and thus have more leverage as they traverse several layers of dissimilar materials (mounting pad, teak deck, fibreglass structural deck, core material, inner FG skin) to whatever kind of backing plate is going to be under the deck but over the insulation, the furring strips and the headliner. 

Re: the young teak. This implies that the teak pieces would be smaller or shorter, meaning more scarfing together, more drilling and screwing and plugging and more potential points of failure. Why not screw a jigsaw puzzle of Starboard into your deck instead?

I approve of plastic scrimshaw, on the other hand. (grin)


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

V- Understood...was just commenting on the teak rainforest issue.


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## Sabreman (Sep 23, 2006)

I don't have a teak deck (but can appreciating them), but one quick comment is to agree with camaraderie - much "wild" teak has been milled although the logs that are milled are numbered and registered. There is quite a trade in black market teak (due to the extremely high value of teak) which continues with pressure from outsive influences such as China. The good news is that most commercially available teak is farmed and is also used to replant clear-cut rain forest and to provide a cash crop. In my woodworking semi-business, I sometimes buy plantation teak. It's not nearly as expensive as the obscenely-priced stuff at West.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Valiente-

One word of warning on the sand in paint as non-skid. If you're going to do that, use beach or river sand rather than construction-grade sand. Beach and river sand have rounded edges, construction grade sand is sharp, razor edged crystals, or that is how it will feel when you slide across it... It is very similar to sliding across sandpaper... no fun at all.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I own a 47 foot sailboat that I have owned since new. It has a sprung deck that I used all sorts of teak cleaners on -- I learned a valuable lesson about keeping the teak blond. That is, at about 18 years after I bought the boat, I am the only person in my area of south Texas that has personally replaced a teak deck. The bungs wouldn't stop falling out. My original deck was screwed down. When I removed it there was a fair amount of core rot but the repair was easy since there was no need to make a pretty cosmetic repair. We replaced the entire deck with 9/16ths teack that is in 1 and 1/4 wide planks. We glued the new deck down and caulked with Teak Decking Systems Caulk. Except for a few spots where the boats meet the king plank the deck has been maintainence free for 6 years. It has been a good decision for me to replace the deck because all of the boats that had the teak removed and replaced with non skid look like that -- to me it is never cosmetically right. Frankly, it may save a lot of money to use deck paint but you are going to repaint the deck one extra time before the teak needs to be replaced again. Also, if life was about dollars it never made sense to buy the boat to begin with as Sailtime is the best deal on the planet.


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## TrueBlue (Oct 11, 2004)

docketone,

If we were ever faced with a similar decision as yours, I would opt for replacing my teak decks with teak as well - without hesitation. Choosing a synthetic material, or applying non-skid, is analogous to stripping the redwood shingles off my house and replacing them with cheap, vinyl siding . . . never happen in my lifetime.

I would guess a common reactiion with owners of new or newer boats, commissioned with teak decks, is to make every attempt to preserve that new blonde look. You learned the hard way that unless the natural _grey_ characteristics of a teak deck are accepted, it's expected life span will be shortened by chemicals and abrasive brushing.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

As a builder, I think the easiest comparison to houses would be a slate roof. They last over 40 years and with minor inspection and maintenance they are easily maintained. If, however, you are the one that has to replace that roof at the end of it's life, or if it suffered from a previous owner's neglect, the cost to remove or replace is tremendous. As Cam points out, we have harvested all the old growth timber, including teak and mahogany (which today is probably an 8" tree cut in Malaysia). A 20 year old boat with teak decks - no way. I own Bristols because I love and pay for the exterior varnish, but teak decks are over the top for me. By the Bristol (the poor man's Hinckley) and spend your money on varnish.


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## Valiente (Jun 16, 2006)

sailingdog said:


> Valiente-
> 
> One word of warning on the sand in paint as non-skid. If you're going to do that, use beach or river sand rather than construction-grade sand. Beach and river sand have rounded edges, construction grade sand is sharp, razor edged crystals, or that is how it will feel when you slide across it... It is very similar to sliding across sandpaper... no fun at all.


I actually have Dec-O-Lay non-skid (think a rolled-on Treadmaster or a sandy sort of truck-bed coating: DECOLAY) on my steel deck and wouldn't likely go for the sand on the steel...but would consider it for fiberglass. I had heard about the river/beach vs. construction sand issue...thanks. I have also heard that people have tried such substances as ground walnut shells and ground apricot pits with some success.

Whether this success is _real _or not, I couldn't say.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

The weirdest way of making a non-skid surface I've heard of is by sprinkling the wet painted surface with sugar, and letting it set into the surface. Then, after the paint has dried, washing the deck with water... and getting rid of the sugar. It supposedly leaves little holes where the grains settled, and acts as a non-skid surface. The one major downside to it that I've been told about is that the little craters tend to collect dirt.


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

...and ants! (G)


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Cam-

No ants... the sugar gets washed off after the paint dries...  Weird way to do it though in my book.


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## shantijwk (Nov 11, 2006)

Has anyone had any experience with applying teak strips to the fiberglass of seat or deck surface al la west system and filling the gap with a caulk product?


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## shantijwk (Nov 11, 2006)

I guess I have to adjust my screen resolution - that way I could see that there are additional pages written on the topic. Still any other experiences regarding direct applied teak? I'm considering redoing the seating on my O'Day 27. The former owner screwed spacer strips down athwart(?) seat and then bolted strips @ 90 degrees 9 (fore to aft). The strips are now +/- 1/8" and when you step on to the seat some are breaking. When you open the lazzerett there are a bizillion nuts sticking thru underneath.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Shantijwk-

Yes, many boats are now doing something similar to that, to avoid the detrimental side effects of screwing the teak into the fiberglass deck.


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## Witte 70 (Aug 20, 2020)

Hi , I have laid many real decks on large , very large and smaller boats and even on the 10 to 15 meter yachts we glued a 6mm marine ply on the polyester deck with sika flex . To glue it down we used weights . On that we glued out teak which was usely 10 m'n thick and he'd a small rebate on each side to make the groove . By doing this we could use wedges to force the curve in the teak and were able by loosing or tightening the wedges to make a stroking curve . We used aluminium plates with a hole in the centre to put a screw to in to the groove to screw the teak down in the 6 mm ply . You don't need a lot of force to keep the thin teak down . On each side we placed a thicker plank derecly on the glas deck . We used a 2 component deck rubber that was mixed very slowly to prefent air coming in the mixture , it was quite runny and that was poured in cylinders and than sprayed with air pressure on the groove and we sprayed that much in that it overflowed the groove . When that was dryed out it was cut off and the deck was sanded . If you do it like that and use enough sika under the plywood and under the teak you will have a leakproof deck for years and there will no water getting in to the core . I have no experience with ready mixed deck rubber from the shelf !
Regards Karel .


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