Teak deck recaulk job; is this normal?

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ryastu

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Getting prepared to recaulk my teak deck which seems overall pretty straight forward. However, where my teak butts up against the fiberglass on both inboard and outboard side of the deck, rather than a fat bead of deck caulk, there is a thin line of some other type of caulking material (photos attached). I’m curious if this is common; and if so are there some traditional practices to deal with it?

As a layman, my initial impression is that I need to dig out the old stuff, clean it up, and recaulk with the TDS 400SIS (as I’m using for the rest of the deck), but to my eye looks narrow, and seem like a weak spot going forward.

Any thoughts? Thanks in advance for your input! -Ryan
 

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I would put the 440 in there. The 440 will stick to the teak while some other caulks won’t.
 
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Is the teak bedded with dolphinite? Maybe you’re seeing some of the bedding?
 
sean9c said:
Just use the same TDS caulk. You want the same result, it sticks to the teak and stays flexible, so use the same product.
Reefing out old caulk from grooves is a tedious, miserable job I don't envy you.
Click to expand...
Yeah, fortunately I don’t have a ton to do, couple narrow side decks…..
 
Greetings,
Mr. R. Looks to me that inboard and outboard of the teak was never caulked and the ?? your finger is pointing to in the first picture is factory bedding compound that has oozed out over time. Follow advice already given after cleaning the area(s). My. $.02.
 
Jamestown Distributers have a tool for use on multi-tools that wll cut the caulking. They are shaped like a J and are very very sharp. You run it down the caulking and it will cut most of the caulk loose. Then sand the sides of the planks. They recommend putting a bond breaker on the bottom of the grooves so the caulk doesn’t stick to the bottom of the groove abd only sticks to the teak on the side of the grooves. I tried and tried to get the little rolls of tape to stick in the bottom of the grooves but finally gave up on that. The caulk seemed to work fine without the bond breaker. They also sell a tool that you stick sandpaper on and run it up and down the grooves to sand the sides of the planks. It worked pretty good.
 
Comodave said:
Jamestown Distributers have a tool for use on multi-tools that wll cut the caulking. They are shaped like a J and are very very sharp. You run it down the caulking and it will cut most of the caulk loose. Then sand the sides of the planks. They recommend putting a bond breaker on the bottom of the grooves so the caulk doesn’t stick to the bottom of the groove abd only sticks to the teak on the side of the grooves. I tried and tried to get the little rolls of tape to stick in the bottom of the grooves but finally gave up on that. The caulk seemed to work fine without the bond breaker. They also sell a tool that you stick sandpaper on and run it up and down the grooves to sand the sides of the planks. It worked pretty good.
Click to expand...
Dave,

My research/prep pretty much has me going down the path you outline. Thank you!

The tool you speak of (by Fein I think); has a ‘Starlock attachment’, can those be used on most multi tools: or is there an adapter that allows them to be used? I don’t think my multi tool has a universal attachment.

I have heard a lot of good things about the tool. -Ryan
 
I don’t remember exactly how it was configured but I don’t own a Fein multi tool. So I believe it worked on my Ridgid tool.
 
BruceK said:
It`s extracted from deceased Dolphins, not sure I`d encourage using it
Click to expand...
Lol, I love that.
Dolphinite is used to bed teak trim pieces many times, but I didn’t know if it was also used on the deck or if decks were always poly sulfide sealant. It was only a thought.
 
ryastu said:
Dave,

My research/prep pretty much has me going down the path you outline. Thank you!

The tool you speak of (by Fein I think); has a ‘Starlock attachment’, can those be used on most multi tools: or is there an adapter that allows them to be used? I don’t think my multi tool has a universal attachment.

I have heard a lot of good things about the tool. -Ryan
Click to expand...
The Fein tool is available in different widths to suit different channels and will fit any multitool.
 
A Fein tool is top notch for removing the material between the teak boards. Be certain to do your research carefully re: which attachment to use. I witnessed a terrible outcome when a ham-handed boater with a 50' sailboat used the incorrect attachment on a Fein tool. The result was so much teak splitting that he had to completely remove all the teak and pay $thousands to have a professional re-teak his decks. The result was gorgeous, however the owner learned a difficult lesson.
 
Buy the Fein Multi tool. It’s so much better to use due to the isolation from the vibrations on your hand. A very worthwhile $250 spend.
 
Another thing recaulking a teak deck has in common with everyday life is if things appear to be going badly....stop.
 
I've just completed a project to reconstruct the flybridge gunnels due to the underlying wood rotting due to leaks. All finished and now I've just started the process outlined above. I have the 'J' rasping tool and the hand sander for the groove sides. I also have the FEIN tool with the appropriate attachment. After 30 seconds, I realized that I needed to practice on something other than my boat, it can sidewind very easily and savage the teak. I'm sticking to the hand tools for the moment, Good advice above on the caulk material.
 
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Yes, it does take some practice to learn how to control the blade. It will indeed cut into the teak since it is so sharp. I have knee issues and have trouble kneeling. It takes two hands to control the blade so I have a foot stool that I kneel next to and put the footstool under my chest to support my body weight. That way I don’t have to use a hand to hold my body up and I can use both hands to control the multi tool.
 
That is a great idea, I've been doing it laying down to save my knees. I practiced with the FEIN tool using the sawing and sanding attachments on some home projects (sanding down the cedar patio furniture for new coats of varnish) to get a feel for the pace. I'm plugging along....
 
I have many knee pads that I use whenever I am working on things. I can’t kneel on a hard surface at all. I get them at Lowes garden department.
 
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