Cetol/varnish question.

[er9]

im currently scraping the exterior wood. it appears to be varnish over Cetol (see pic). I kind of like the look but am wondering if just plain varnish over the teak would be more durable than varnish over Cetol?

[rbk]

Looks like straight cetol. A search will gives you all sorts of opinions on your question. Know that whatever you choose requires maintenance.

[er9]

Dont suppose anyone would care to guess what color Cetol it is? I looked at the color charts but cant determine which one they might have used?

[oldersalt1944]

I have a GB 32, with LOTS of exterior teak. My very capable woodworking guy uses 6 coats of Cetol Gloss. It looks like varnish to anyone except a real serious boat owner or professional. Of all the Cetol finishes it has the most UV protection. After over a year open to the SF Bay weather, it looks like brand new.
Good luck!
Oldersalt

[rbk]

Most likely natural but you won’t be able to colour match it as it’s lost it’s bond with the wood is UV degraded and now needs to be completely removed.

[er9]

Thanks oldsalt i might do a test of just the cetol gloss first and see what it looks like. After some research it seems Cetol is prefered for durability.

[er9]

Originally Posted by rbk

Most likely natural but you won’t be able to colour match it as it’s lost it’s bond with the wood is UV degraded and now needs to be completely removed.

Thanks rbk. Yeah that pic is a year old. Im currently scraping everything back to bare teak. Hoping i can get the finish to look a little nicer than it was.

[rbk]

Originally Posted by er9

Thanks oldsalt i might do a test of just the cetol gloss first and see what it looks like. After some research it seems Cetol is prefered for durability.

It does last longer with less maintenance but once it goes off like it has for you it has to be stripped. Varnish can be touched up indefinitely as long as the bond is solid; This usually requires touch ups every other year. Cetol will eventually lose its bond no getting around that.

[er9]

Originally Posted by rbk

It does last longer with less maintenance but once it goes off like it has for you it has to be stripped. Varnish can be touched up indefinitely as long as the bond is solid; This usually requires touch ups every other year. Cetol will eventually lose its bond no getting around that.

Interesting. Do you think with yearly recoats/refresh of the cetol coating it would still debond/ delaminate from the underlying teak? With varnish it seems you can thin it to get it to soak in the wood.

[rslifkin]

Cetol has held up well for me, but it seems like it eventually loses bond due to either a crack or water managing to get under it. I need to refinish my pulpit teak this year, so I'll be stripping it and trying Interlux Perfection Plus (2 part varnish) instead this time. Supposedly it lasts even better and holds its gloss longer, so we'll see how long it lasts before I have to touch it again.

[CarlF]

Any thoughts on Deks Olje or TotalBoat Marine Boat Finish instead of Cetol on teak?

[rbk]

Originally Posted by er9

Interesting. Do you think with yearly recoats/refresh of the cetol coating it would still debond/ delaminate from the underlying teak? With varnish it seems you can thin it to get it to soak in the wood.

Touch-ups on cetol will prolong but not stop the eventual failure. Letting varnish go will do the same thing. The important part if going with varnish is to follow the application instructions and thin the first few coats, same goes for touch-ups. Select a good quality varnish preferably one that uses natural resins. Don't mistake spar urethane for varnish. Urethane (and epoxies) are hard and can crack letting water in. A varnish will flex and dent when it takes a hit. Oil or letting the teak grey are two other options as well. Oiling teak is easy but every finish has its drawbacks, even letting it grey. For instance the regular washing raw teak requires will eventually wear it down and it will require replacement. There is absolutely zero 'set and forget' finishes available anywhere. Pick your poison.

[Shoalcove]

I’ve had decent success using Cetol Light with Cetol Gloss as a topcoat on my teal toerails . I refresh the topcoat annually with another coat. It doesn’t get the thick orange look of regular Cetol and matches the varnished bits quite well.
I usually get about 5 seasons before it starts to fail.

[Cheechako]

My impression from using both is they are comparable, Cetol maybe a bit less durable but easy to add to. Doesn't look quite right right up close like Varnish, but looks good. One wonders if finding a paint color that would be close to Cetol and last far longer in the sun would be a good compromise on a non "bristol" yacht.

[er9]

thanks for all the replies so far. I honestly cant make up my mind which direction I might go but luckily dont have to decide for a couple more months. leaning a bit towards varnish. it seems more difficult to apply initially but possibly more durable bond long-term if I keep on top of it.