Why Teak Decks Become Worn

Teak will last for many many years but after time it will need replacing. The factors that will shorten a teak decks life are poor quality teak , frequent washing with two part acidic cleaners and sanding on a regular basis. A yachts deck is best left to only regular cleaning with the yacht. If a golden colour is desired a cleaner with oxalic acid will remove the silver and bring back the colour but it will also eat away at the soft grains in the teak wood. Poor quality teak will become rutted with time and then require sanding to level out the teak and bring the caulking flush with the deck shortening the life span of the yachts deck.

Removal of the old Teak Deck

If your teak deck has any fasteners in it they will need to be take out first or atleast try and get most of them out as some will be filled with epoxy and difficult. After all the screws have been removed from the teak decking set a circular saw to the depth of the deck so that it will not touch the subdeck underneath. Run the saw across the deck repeatedly from port to starboard and from aft to forward, cutting the deck into small 2 inch squares. Then a hammer and chisel, start at one side and chip each small block out as you go, you will find a "sweat spot " in the layers, usually at the paint or primer underneath the teak. For decks that are already very thin a hand power planer can be used. A power planer will also help to remove any pieces left over after chiseling.

The surface will then need to be sanded to a smooth fair surface. Any fibreglass that is damaged should be repaired and for metal proper primer applied. The final step in preparation for the new teak deck is to fair any areas and check that water will drain away and not leave puddles once the new teak decking is laid.