faux teak deck disintergrating!!

[geoleo]

I bought a Gemini that had that faux foam teak dek material installed aroundthe cockpit by PO. It is deteriorating alarmingly! Little red dots by the thousands are coming off it. Its in the fForida sun . Is there any way to stop it? I don't know what brand it is -there are several that sell same looking product. Is there any coating that can help this situation. Any sun awning is very hard to rig due to configuration. HELP! (lol)

[ttex]

Sounds like it is toast. I removed a bunch from my cabin top. It is a heck of a lot easier to get off than the real thing.

[geoleo]

It is MELORS EVA Foam. Advertised to be UVA resistant. Going bad after only 7 months on boat. Made in China crapola.

[Tupaia]

Originally Posted by geoleo

It is MELORS EVA Foam. Advertised to be UVA resistant. Going bad after only 7 months on boat. Made in China crapola.

Perhaps it is the UVB.....

[OS2Dude]

We installed similar product in our boat about 3 months ago. It's holding up OK. As an experiment I put some left over on our boarding steps/platform. So far it seems to be doing OK in the sun here in Atlanta.

Could your problem be cleaning chemical and/or power washing related?

[geoleo]

I don't think so as I never use any of those. I think the problem is the PO bought cheap crap from China

[Cheechako]

How much is there? Can you get it off and lay down Treadmaster or something like that?

[OS2Dude]

Originally Posted by geoleo

I don't think so as I never use any of those. I think the problem is the PO bought cheap crap from China

Perhaps the PO had used something. After it arrived I discovered mine was also sold from China. But at this point, the damage is done regardless. I'd try to remove it. The decking underneath should be in whatever condition it was in when it was applied.

[David B]

Originally Posted by geoleo

I bought a Gemini that had that faux foam teak dek material installed aroundthe cockpit by PO. It is deteriorating alarmingly! Little red dots by the thousands are coming off it. Its in the fForida sun . Is there any way to stop it? I don't know what brand it is -there are several that sell same looking product. Is there any coating that can help this situation. Any sun awning is very hard to rig due to configuration. HELP! (lol)

Once plastic starts to degrade like that, there is nothing but replacement as an option.

Consider real teak. It looks better, lasts decades, and is close to maintenance free.

[HellBentSailing]

Interesting. Several of the boats I have been on at our Marina have had faux teak decks on them for several years and they look basically good as new. As far as I can tell there is no drawback to the good stuff. It looks clean, is easy to clean, and will continue to do so as you watch those with real teak decks deal with leaking screws and fumbling with oil as you spend your time doing something other than slaving away in order to keep your decks looking nice. I'll admit that real teak decks are timelessly beautiful if kept in good condition, but I have seen (in person) my fair share of absolute disasters from owners who neglected to maintain them. Replace it with Flexiteek or another longstanding, reputable brand and you will never look back because once that coating on the cheap stuff starts to degrade, there's no saving it.

[Tupaia]

Originally Posted by David B

Once plastic starts to degrade like that, there is nothing but replacement as an option.

Agree

Originally Posted by David B

Consider real teak. It looks better, lasts decades, and is close to maintenance free.

Total madness. looks aren't everything. It doesn't last decades, it is too hot to walk on, makes it hot below deck, requires constant soaking and grows mould and if screwed down usually results in leaks. There are enough things to fix while sailing without introducing teak decks. Cruising in the tropics with the stuff is an absolute nightmare. Can't beat treadmaster or even simple deck paint.