Your Guide To Perfect Teak Decking
– Achieving The Best Results!
If the decking on your boat has seen better days, you may be thinking about replacing it with marine teak decking. Whether you own a small fishing boat or pleasure craft – or a mega yacht – teak decking is the #1 choice for a durable, attractive, and long-lasting deck material.
In this article, we’ll look at the basics about teak decking and why it’s so popular – as well as some tips on how to achieve the best possible results when adding a teak deck to your boat. Let’s begin.
Why Teak?
Teak is a specialized tropical hardwood, and it has been prized as an ideal wood for marine applications for more than 2000 years. Why? There are a number of reasons.
First, teak is extremely strong and relatively dense, which makes it able to stand up to heavy wear. It also resists rot and bacterial growth effectively, which means that it won’t fall prey to decay in the moist environment of a boat.
It also has a low shrinkage rate, which means it won’t “pull” away from the floor when it undergoes changes in moisture. Teak also is strong, easy to work with, and provides a gorgeous result – we could go on.
But we won’t – instead, we’ll talk about how you can get the best results when using teak for a marine deck.
You can’t get the best results without the best materials. The best teak comes from India and Myanmar, as well as Indonesia. Ideally, the best teak should have a vertical grain, and be free of splits, knots, and any other cosmetic issues.
When partnering with a teak installation company, see if you can examine some of their products, or past work, and make sure they’re sourcing top-grade teak. It will be expensive, but worth the investment.
- Check The Finish
The best marine carpentry services will use high-quality materials like epoxy to finish and lay down their teak decking. You will want to make sure that you partner with a company that can properly coat, finish, lay, and caulk your teak decking – to ensure there are no leaks or other issues that may result in a shorter lifespan.
- Hire The Right Installation Company
You should hire a specialist yacht or boat refinishing company such as Chi Yacht Refinishing to install your teak decking. It may be tempting to turn to an inexpensive boat repair service, or a non-specialized carpenter to save money – but this will give you poor overall results.
- Get The Maintenance Your Deck Needs To Stay Perfect!
Contrary to popular belief, teak is not maintenance-free. While it requires minimal maintenance, it should still be properly cared for, for a long lifespan and a beautiful appearance.
Luckily, you won’t have to do much. Simply wash it down every few weeks with a hose and a soft brush, and apply specialty teak deck cleaner once or twice a year. That’s all you need to do to keep your marine teak decking looking spotless and perfect!
Get A New Deck Now From Chi Yacht Services!
At Chi Yacht Services, we specialize in restoring teak decks, and installing new decks on boats of all sizes. If a new teak deck sounds like a good investment, contact us today to learn more about our past work, and our approach to marine carpentry!