Synthetic teak vs painted deck

[Wckoek]

Originally Posted by Clivevon

My old boat comes with Treadmaster, which you either love or hate it seems. Needed renovating. I looked at fake teak & was impressed but pricey - I ended up painting the deck myself. Hardest job was applying hundreds of yards of masking tape round all the panels. Looks good but would have been much quicker just to paint over them.

One issue - you dont say what is wrong with your original teak deck but I would advise making really really sure you have no other latent or underlying deck problems (leaks or wet core) before spending a lot of money overlaying that deck - it would be a shame to have to rip it off in the future.

The boat is fine and the teak had already have the teak deck removed and painted over.
The boat is more of a traditional kind of design above water and look a lot less "warm", I am just considering whether it is worthwhile to have synthetic/cork/EVA form over the deck.

[Clivevon]

I was wondering what the boat deck construction was? Assume it is GRP (glass reinforced plastic - fibreglass)? Is the deck solid GRP? or is it (as is usually the case) a GRP skin top & bottom with a core of (usually) end grain balsa wood? If that gets wet (due to leakage from deck fixings - or maybe teak deck fixing screws?) it will rot, lose its strength, & need replacement by opening up the deck structure to get at it. (Bet you wish you hadn't asked now?). My sole point - & it is a vital one - is that before you do ANYTHING with the deck, you need to understand & check out these issues. Your last post strongly indicates this information is news to you?

If the boat is more modern, the core may be structural foam not balsa, in which case deck rot is not so much of a problem. But best to check it out.

What exactly is the year, make & model of the boat ? Maybe someone on here will know how it was built?

[Wckoek]

Originally Posted by Clivevon

I was wondering what the boat deck construction was? Assume it is GRP (glass reinforced plastic - fibreglass)? Is the deck solid GRP? or is it (as is usually the case) a GRP skin top & bottom with a core of (usually) end grain balsa wood? If that gets wet (due to leakage from deck fixings - or maybe teak deck fixing screws?) it will rot, lose its strength, & need replacement by opening up the deck structure to get at it. (Bet you wish you hadn't asked now?). My sole point - & it is a vital one - is that before you do ANYTHING with the deck, you need to understand & check out these issues. Your last post strongly indicates this information is news to you?

If the boat is more modern, the core may be structural foam not balsa, in which case deck rot is not so much of a problem. But best to check it out.

What exactly is the year, make & model of the boat ? Maybe someone on here will know how it was built?

Yes, it is cored, certainly balsa wood. A 1985 Perry 41, it was somewhat like a transom stern Valiant.
There is no issue of leaking I can see.

[Clivevon]

There is no issue of leaking I can see.
The leaking I am talking about would not be visible as it would be hidden within the deck core. Just do a Google search on "rotten deck core" & you will see what I am talking about.
How to check out your deck? Well, does any part of it feel a bit spongy underfoot? A bit softer than the rest? If you tap it with a hammer, does any part of the deck sound different to the rest? Are any parts of your deck delaminated, so it bulges up a bit & sinks when you stand on it? If you go over the whole deck bit by bit with a good moisture meter, do any parts of the deck give a different reading to the others? If so, you might want to investigate further, maybe by drilling small test holes through the deck & into the core. Does the drill show nice clean dry balsa wood core? Or rotten black mush?

I am not saying you have a problem. I am simply suggesting that on a 36 year old boat, before spending significant money making your deck look pretty, it would be a good idea to ensure it is still structurally sound. Otherwise you might have to damage your cosmetic work in the future to make a structural repair.

[Clivevon]

Deck leaks into the core can come from many sources, unfortunately, including leaking gaskets on coachroof windows, & inadequate or failed sealing on almost anything screwed or bolted down to or through your deck, especially maybe any DIY additions made by previous owners. They are all suspect & due for checking by now.

[Clivevon]

You say your previous teak deck was removed. How was it fixed to the deck? was it glued down (hopefully) or was it screwed down (leaving myriad screwholes, some of which may have penetrated to the core. If so - how long ago was it removed & has your boat been in the rain much since then? Why was the deck painted?? What is under the paint?
Sleep well... Please don't shoot the messenger.

[bcboomer]

Originally Posted by Wckoek

They look really nice, are cork or EVA foam as hot as synthetic teaks?

I have no experience with the foam but the Seacork, because it a good insulator, is a lot better than solid wood.

[Wckoek]

Originally Posted by Clivevon

There is no issue of leaking I can see.
The leaking I am talking about would not be visible as it would be hidden within the deck core. Just do a Google search on "rotten deck core" & you will see what I am talking about.
How to check out your deck? Well, does any part of it feel a bit spongy underfoot? A bit softer than the rest? If you tap it with a hammer, does any part of the deck sound different to the rest? Are any parts of your deck delaminated, so it bulges up a bit & sinks when you stand on it? If you go over the whole deck bit by bit with a good moisture meter, do any parts of the deck give a different reading to the others? If so, you might want to investigate further, maybe by drilling small test holes through the deck & into the core. Does the drill show nice clean dry balsa wood core? Or rotten black mush?

I am not saying you have a problem. I am simply suggesting that on a 36 year old boat, before spending significant money making your deck look pretty, it would be a good idea to ensure it is still structurally sound. Otherwise you might have to damage your cosmetic work in the future to make a structural repair.

It had been reglassed and painted over, as well as headlining replaced 5 years ago, so I supposed most potential problems are fixed?
Thanks for pointing out, I will look and ask a bit further.

Originally Posted by bcboomer

I have no experience with the foam but the Seacork, because it a good insulator, is a lot better than solid wood.

Thanks, I will look into the option if I may think of getting it for detailing instead of the whole deck.

[bcboomer]

I did the cockpit, surrounding deck and scoop because the rest of the molded deck is in good shape. The cork is significantly grippier when wet or dry which is nice when getting on the boat with a load of stuff.
At first we recoated with the sealer but now we just let it go natural. A soapy scrub once in a while is all it needs for upkeep.
I did the galley and it is a lot easier on the feet than the teak and holly.
I don't know where you are but shipping to Canada from France was cheap.
Good luck with it.

PM me if you have any questions.

[Wckoek]

Originally Posted by bcboomer

I did the cockpit, surrounding deck and scoop because the rest of the molded deck is in good shape. The cork is significantly grippier when wet or dry which is nice when getting on the boat with a load of stuff.
At first we recoated with the sealer but now we just let it go natural. A soapy scrub once in a while is all it needs for upkeep.
I did the galley and it is a lot easier on the feet than the teak and holly.
I don't know where you are but shipping to Canada from France was cheap.
Good luck with it.

PM me if you have any questions.

Which brand or product do you use?

[bcboomer]

Seacork.com

[Icarus]

Originally Posted by Wckoek

Aside that the synthetic teak deck looks better than painted or antislip deck, are there any advantage of synthetic teak over either?
Is there any significant drawbacks of faux teak over painted or antislip?

Emeclad white is the go.
Plastic imitation teak is hot, heavy and looks horrible.

[Swift Drift]

Originally Posted by Icarus

Emeclad white is the go.
Plastic imitation teak is hot, heavy and looks horrible.

This is the truth. Do a professional quality non-skid application.

Synthetic teak is slightly better than gluing residential vinyl flooring to your decks.

[seatotaler]

Just a couple days ago I noticed a deck covered in cork. I started chatting with the skipper and he said his 1984 sailboat was made in Sweden and it came with a cork covered deck according to the previous owner who bought it new. Other than being a bit darker than new cork it looked to be in almost perfect condition. All the black seams were looking great. I'm assuming the side decks were individual strips because of the curve in them. Each strip was quite long. Notably the raw edges were in great shape. But it seems that the current suppliers also offer pre-caulked sections about 20 inches by 5 feet or so. But I haven't seen any videos on DIY applications so I'm curious what adhesive is used? Also when you apply the seam filler, I'm curious how easily it is to remove any "mistakes". What would you use to remove the caulking stain, Acetone? The skipper said it keeps cool in 30 plus temps and his dog loves it for traction. What I forgot to ask was how hard it is to remove seagull crap during blackberry season.
I'm getting tired of painting my aft deck every second year. According to rough pricing I think it would be more affordable than that fake teak. As I look at all the multi-million dollar yachts every time I see that fake teak, it looks like something you'd get from the dollar store.

[bcboomer]

I think that Seacork have information on their site that should answer your questions. At least they used to, although I see they have diversified a lot since I bought mine.
I used their glue, uncaulked panels, strips and some plain cork. There is no caulk staining and the joints are caulked.
I did some tight curves that wouldn't stay in place with tape long enough for the glue to set so I used contact cement and then re-glued them a couple of years later when the contact cement gave up.
Once it is all down a light sanding removes the excess caulk.