Teak decks. Should I run away????

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by LakeSuperior

OK! Teak decks eventually leak, got it! Teak decks are expensive to repair, got it!



So why is just about every cored deck on a plastic boat over 10 year old waterlogged?



Is it because eventually, a cored deck will leak? Depending on the extent they are seriously expensive to repair.



Seems like a wash!

Sorry I have a cored deck and at 16 years there no wet areas. There are loads of grp boats with dry cores on the go. Certainly not “ waterlogged “

The point is take a perfectly sealed grp deck then put in 4000 screws into a cored deck which isn’t designed to take screws in the first place

Sounds good to me.

[LakeSuperior]

Originally Posted by Issywa

Regarding the original question of inspection for a wet core, I wonder if an infrared red scan might be able to pick up a wet core? As I understand, there needs to be a temperature difference between the cabin interior and teak exterior. A friend recently had this done on his boat for insurance purposes. Not sure if this is possible but I’d investigate it

The simple answer is yes. The key is to choose conditions where the temperature difference between the wet core and dry core is maximized. There are times when this delta T could be very small and undetectable with other factors coming into the equation to give you a false indication.

So the best time for an inspection is when there is a rapid ambient temperature change. I would suggest morning or evening when the rate of air temperature change is the most.

Another time might be when the hull or deck has been in direct sun for an hour or so. Be wary of shadows moving across the surface as they could give you a false indication.

Basically, you want to have a temperature gradient between the inside of the hull surface and the exterior hull surface.

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by Issywa

Regarding the original question of inspection for a wet core, I wonder if an infrared red scan might be able to pick up a wet core? As I understand, there needs to be a temperature difference between the cabin interior and teak exterior. A friend recently had this done on his boat for insurance purposes. Not sure if this is possible but I’d investigate it

Scroll down to the bottom of this article to see some examples and the complexities of infrared thermography on boats.

Moisture Meter Mythology and Flir thermal imager

[Tomaj]

Remember the old Herreshoff quote "the only thing that needs extra weight is a steam roller". Teak decks are nothing but problematic extra weight that certainly isn't going to help your boat sail well, and will surely cost you money and time in the future.

[Icarus]

Originally Posted by George DuBose

Flex-i-teek

Yuck, couldn't think of anything more hideous.

[George DuBose]

Hideous??? I don't think so and I can pressure wash it.

[Bowdrie]

While their always has been, and always will be extremes/outliers, as well as anecdotal evidence, in a general way the future issues that would arise with teak being used as a covering material for fiberglass decks largely started with the "glory days" of the Taiwan built boats of the '70s>'80s.
And, with the American yards as well.
So, a few decades later we see the results of what was, shall we say, "less than correct construction procedures".
As has been posted by others, their is no intrinsic reason that teak has to leak.
Outside of the Gougeon method of using teak for decks, perhaps the best scenario for teak is as a "real" deck.
Thick planks fastened to beams directly with no underlayment and with seams properly payed/caulked.
Then, when their is a leak, (and it will,) you can see exactly where it is and deal with it.
Of course initial costs are horrendous.

[mako]

Originally Posted by Bowdrie

… perhaps the best scenario for teak is as a "real" deck.
Thick planks fastened to beams directly with no underlayment and with seams properly payed/caulked.
Then, when their is a leak, (and it will,) you can see exactly where it is and deal with it.
Of course initial costs are horrendous.

That’s the way one builder I know in I dis still builds it’s wood boats. Good quality methods and materials. The problem is that the cost of the wood hull/deck isn’t any cheaper than building in steel or fiberglass. So what’s the advantage???

[Penna]

If you do plan to renew the teak decking, this video demonstrates a technique in which most of the planks are saved and reused.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMw8o0bLhW0

[moodyfinn]

Okay, you have teak decks that are 22 years old. Give it 5 years and you will need new decks. If you can’t remove the headliner, how can you remove deck gear to replace the decks? This may be acceptable once a big job like replacement is commissioned. To check for water in the core, get a vacuum cleaner, remove the dodgy screws and suck like crazy. Check around the screw hole on the teak for moisture. If there is, remove another couple of screws in that area and set vacuum on blow. Blow into a few of the holes and see if you get any air/moisture out of the others nearby. This will tell you if the core itself has been compromised. This is not a perfect test especially if you are talking microscopic quantities of water but on my boat it worked.

[Lightwave99]

Another thing to consider about teak decks is that they would make the boat very hot in hot countries. When we travelled south offshore several years ago, we had very light grey decks, and even then they created greater heat in the boat, when we were in Mexico, and we didn't even get as far south as the South Pacific or Caribbean! When we painted the decks white there was a huge difference in the interior heat.

[RobPatterson]

It is really nit that big of a deal. If the teak is not too worn down just enjoy it. If it is too far gone, remove it. Dry out the holes. If necessary, cut out water damaged core and fill the hole with epoxy filler. Sand the deck, cover it with epoxy and anti-slip. It is only expensive if you have to pay for high priced labor. There are numerous youtube videos to show how to do it.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by RobPatterson

It is really nit that big of a deal. If the teak is not too worn down just enjoy it. If it is too far gone, remove it. Dry out the holes. If necessary, cut out water damaged core and fill the hole with epoxy filler. Sand the deck, cover it with epoxy and anti-slip. It is only expensive if you have to pay for high priced labor. There are numerous youtube videos to show how to do it.

This sounds like the advice and wisdom from someone who has never done the job himself. All the folks that I know who have done the job would likely disagree with your opinion of the difficulty, expense and time involved.

Jim

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

This sounds like the advice and wisdom from someone who has never done the job himself. All the folks that I know who have done the job would likely disagree with your opinion of the difficulty, expense and time involved.

Jim

and the method and materials

[Jim Cate]

^^^^^

Yep, those too!

Jim