Teakguard instead of oil or varnish?

  • September 14, 2014 10:22 AM
    Message # 3099213
    Deleted user

    I got tired of varnish on my caprails and teak oil on my teak deck and had teakguard applied to the bare wood. It looks beautiful and only needs a topcoat applied with a foamy brush every 4-6 months taking about 2-3 hours. Does anyone else have experience with this product? I was awarded "boat of the month" by my marina harbormaster for the cosmetic appeal of the boat LOL. Got $100 bucks off my slip rent in August.

    http://www.teakguard.com/index.html

    Last modified: September 14, 2014 10:23 AM | Deleted user
  • September 14, 2014 3:13 PM
    Reply # 3099268 on 3099213
    Deleted user
    I two am tired of the varnishing! I am switching to the Awlgrip solution i.e. 10 year+ Cetol look. = not varnish but OK +/- and not the pain in the a##. So yes I am looking forward to NO varnishing on the caprails, rudder cheeks and bowsprit for 10 years = 0 hours touchup every 3 months. I can only resist lazy for so long, then I have to regress. Oh: not this year, but next year at the northern Cal. rendezvous you can see it up close for yourself. One note, the price could set you back a bit, 700+ in materials.
    Last modified: September 14, 2014 3:15 PM | Deleted user
  • October 01, 2014 7:00 PM
    Reply # 3113478 on 3099213
    Deleted user

    I have lost too much cruising time to those weekends spent sanding and varnishing.  I would be interested to know how well it holds up.  I am planning to strip the winch islands this fall and treat it with Teakguard as a test before going all in.

  • October 04, 2014 8:05 AM
    Reply # 3116380 on 3099213
    Deleted user

    I'd be curious to know if anyone has had experience with Teakguard vs. Semco.  After sanding all my teak to fresh wood during Second Wind's rebuild I applied Semco.  It lasted about nine months here in Florida and after a year now I need to recoat or apply a different product.  I made the mistake of putting the Semco on my teak deck which caused a loss of traction for the first couple of months (not a good thing), but it was fine on the other teak surfaces.  While recoating is easy, I'm always looking for a better product.  -Tom Koehl 

  • October 04, 2014 2:18 PM
    Reply # 3116460 on 3099213
    Anonymous

    I might just be a neophyte or maybe an anarchist or something but...

    I've never understood the fascination and obsession with covering teak in chemicals.  The wood is one of the most naturally oily and resistant to the elements.  Why not just let it go natural and scrub it down with salt water every so often.  I enjoy the gray teak color and the traction cannot be beat. 

    Every piece of teak we have dealt with so far has been sanded down (removing all previous products), repaired if needed, had its seams caulked (usually with TDS) and left out in the sun.  It has remained beautiful to our eyes and doesn't leak.

    Is the reason for all of the oiling and varnishing or cetoling and semco'ing just a looks sort of thing?  Why not just enjoy all that time and go sailing instead?

  • November 23, 2014 11:16 AM
    Reply # 3156564 on 3099213

    I am with Tate on this! I'm switching to using "BEHR PREMIUMĀ®
    Transparent Weatherproofing All-In-One Wood Finish" on our Douglas fir bowsprit, and that'll be the only thing top-side that has a coating. I tested the stuff on a cedar planter box that I built for our balcony at home, it has been sitting directly in the Florida sun for a year and a half with two coats on it, only on the faces as well, and the coating has held up very well. I'm sure that the bowsprit, encapsulated in the stuff, will be fine, and it is extremely easy to reapply. Water-based, so easy thinning and cleanup, and all you have to do is scuff the surface with a green 3M pad before reapplying. It's about $12 for a quart.

    As someone else pointed out a while back, these big companies that market to homeowners have a lot more money to throw into figuring out good formulas, and as far as I can tell this product is about as good as you could ask for in terms of protection and ease of application, and it looks quite good.


    -Aaron