Ditec Triton teak sealer

Teak sealer is like cleaners and fuel additives. Every year someone comes out with the latest and greatest. There's a few dozen on the market. Not only do you want to know how the wood is 5 years down the road, but also how available is it. You know that (if it's any good) eventually the big box stores will buy it, change the name and formula (to make it cheaper to produce) and you won't be able to find it anymore. J you've been at this awhile. What have you been using on teak for the past 5 or 10 years. Obviously you've been satisfied with it. Why risk something new on a customer's boat? This stuff may make water bead; but does it get sticky in heat or cold; rub off on wet skin or clothes; does it peal or flake or get dusty 5 years from now; how will it react to the next latest and greatest you put atop it in 6 months or even to itself after multiple coats over time? I'm a big believer in tried, true and proven.

We spent a fortune to seal our teak furniture on EVVIVA in 2016. Complete waste of time and $. The manufacturer has told me they've changed their formula, but fool me once...

Whatever happened to cleaning teak with A,B and keeping it oiled? Sounds like a lot of money and time being wasted. I remember some beautiful teak on boats as a kid.

We clean our teak decks with a Scotch Brite scouring pad and heavy dishwashing soap solution. Just lightly scrub with a Shurhold pole pad, not trying to get the sanded wood color look, it dries a clean light grey color and the teak will last longer. Amazing how much effort some will go to maintaining teak decks.

The reason Teak was used on boats was because it could be kept nice and last with minimal effort (for wood). Now it's a fashion statement. Soon people will be varnishing or urethaning it like mahogany. (or should I say paying crews to)

Less than a season, so 1.5 months doesn't sound out of line. My guys spent a fortune on low pressure spray equipment and then the product, and I was really disappointed. We had a spray room in our shore facility, so the furniture was prepped nicely and applied exactly as the manufacturer instructed.
They also did on small section of teak deck, and that had the same results.

I admire well maintained varnished exterior mahogany and teak....on other people's boats. At one time I earned a living varnishing mahogany and teak on wood boats. Really liked doing that type work, especially a swirled grain Honduras mahogany transom.

It's one thing to varnish/finish a toe rail or a brow or hand rail but another to do a transom or any acreage w/o spraying and make it look good. My hat is off to you.

Thanks, nothing magical just the way it was done at the time. You had to have good weather and work fast. We used Penetrol to work the varnish longer and level brush marks. Badger hair brushes were a necessity to minimize brush marks. The trick for mahogany (which is grainy) was using a filler/stain and seal with a base coat.

Since you brought up mahogany, I thought I would ask. We recently bought a boat with exterior and interior mahogany. Interior still looks good. Exterior has been neglected for years. What type of filler/stain and base coat do you recommend? Also any additional hints on refinishing the exterior mahogany. Previous owner had used some really thick coating made in FL, don't recall the name, it is really ugly although the previous owner is very proud of it.

Thanks,

Bob

Sounds like you will need to strip the exterior mahogany, sand, apply the filler stain and then several coats of varnish. Thin the first coat for a base oat soon after the filler stain has dried. You can go online and get detailed instructions to refinish exterior boat varnish. We used Interlux and Pettit filler stains and varnish years ago, would be worth doing some research on new products. Good luck on your project.

Thanks, seriously considering paint. Last few boats were teak and I didn't mess with it until time to sell.

Don't know how much mahogany you have, painting would be much easier than varnish.

The current coating is something called Honey Teak and it looks like it was applied with a trowel it's so thick. Painting would be a last resort.

When I was a kid my Dad bought a 36 Richardson cabin cruiser.
It was all mahogany.
The P.O. painted the cabin sides maroon.
This looked like stained mahogany from a distance....like a mile or so.
First he painted it white & sea foam green, then when I was older we stripped it and varnished the entire cabin sides.

Big improvement.

I was too young to know what he used and technology has improved since then but you could always paint it maroon.................

Z-Spar filler stain , standard mahogany is what I've used after you strip and bleach the wood. You have to thin it down till it gets like latex house paint, it's to thick right out of the can, then rub it on with a rag, let is sit a minute or two and rub it off .
I use only Jen foam brushes for all the hand rails, toe rails, trim,etc.
On a transom or big surface, use a West system yellow foam roller and tip with a Jen foam brush. Good paint and hardware stores carry the Jen brushes. You can double coat Captain Varnish per day to build it up and save time then two coats over that with Epifanes Clear varnish. It will look real good for a DIY job and last a long time, for varnish.
You still have to do at least one coat a year to keep it up no matter what varnish you use. I'm not big on the two part varnishes/clear coats. They are quite brittle , not very flexible, and can crack on you causing lifting problems. Also harder to put on and cost quite a bit. IMO.