Teak deck refurbishment question

[Capt. Rodbone]

I bet plenty of you have been through this. It started out with the necessary replacement of missing and questionable bungs and caulk seams, then “well while I’m at it why don’t I sand these down while I’m at it?” There are a couple of spots where there are gouged out areas, which you see one of in the attached in the pic. My thoughts are I take some of the teak dust I save in ziplocks and use a generous amount of that as the thickener in some epoxy. I’m thinking that is the best way to get a good color blend, but I’m open to suggestions?
my other question is should I follow up behind the 40 grit I’ve been using with 60? Maybe even 80? As much as I’d like to be finished with the tedious sanding, and once I wash them down they are going to look great, the rough finish of just 40 grit is probably an invitation to letting dirt and grime get a foot hold. If needed in long run to make the trip around with 60 then 80 I’ll do it but wow. Admittedly though I bet two trips around with those will only take about the same amount as the 40 grit did.
Looking forward to your comments.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. C. IF you've already done the re-bung and caulk, I would not do any further sanding past #60 grit. Sanding simply wears down an (probably) already thin deck. The use of 2 part "brightening" systems also wears down the teak.

As I understand it the best way to maintain a teak deck is regular washing (brushing across the grain). Salt water seems to be the easiest. As to the missing teak...Scrub it well and leave it.

I've attempted to fill voids with epoxy and teak dust and have never been able to match the existing colour. IF the gouge is clean it will be much less noticeable than if you try to fill it IMO. Remember. If you apply any finish (oil/sealant etc.) it will compromise the natural non-skid property of the bare and clean teak.

 

[Mac2]

Are you worried about water intrusion due to the gouge, or bung? If so, then teak dust, or a teak colored caulk might be your only option.

 

[Scrib]

You really can not use epoxy to fill that gouge. Epoxy does not like UV and will quickly deteriorate into a yellowed crackling mess. You'll need to live with the gouge but definitely re-set & lower the screw under that bung and put a new bung in.

 

[Pascall]

The only correct solution is to replace the teak slat.
Epoxy comes loose and you never get the right color, when you mix the teak with sawdust it gets dark!
The sandpaper you indicate to use is very coarse, 220 is the right sandpaper for this job.
It is important to have a good brand of sandpaper, for example 3M, and a good powerful rotary sander.This combination will make you wonder how fast the sanding will go.

 

[Comodave]

Agree, sanding with 40 grit very many times and you will not have any teak left.

 

[mvweebles]

Personally, I'd go with 150 grit, maybe 120 grit and a 6" random orbital sander (fairly light touch). Follow up with oxalic acid wash to bleach the deck a uniform color which will diminish the gouges. Either leave it to weather naturally or apply a finish coat. As to what finish to use, id pose the question to TF with your location as recommendations tend to vary by region. What works in PNW may not work well in Florida, and vice versa.

Few things look nicer than a freshly fonished teak deck. Very satisfying project. A lot of work though.

Peter

 

[Bmarler]

It’s been sanded with 40, I’d hit with 180 to de-fuzz it and move to semco cleaner with a good deck brush. Don’t skimp on the brushing/cleaning step. Then use semco top dressing of your choice.

 

[sean9c]

Why are you sanding them? The problem with teak decks is they wear, then the plugs get too thin and pop. Then you're chasing repairs. By sanding them you're just accelerating the process. Epoxy has no UV protection, making putty with it won't like being in the sun.

 

[Comodave]

I like Semco sealer. It is very easy to apply and you don’t have to sand it to recoat.

 

[Bmarler]

I like Semco sealer. It is very easy to apply and you don’t have to sand it to recoat.

Me too. I was turned on to it by a professional detailer. He was doing the decks on a beautiful nordlund we docked next to, and the decks were stunning.

 

[Comodave]

We could recoat the aft deck on our last boat that was about 9’x13’ in 45 minutes or less each year. It was amazingly easy.