Would you varnish over teak?

[CarvedTones]

I just took the cabin top hand rails off my sailboat. They were looking pretty bad - old and weathered. They had a gray cast to them and I expected to find them weak. I was just going to trace them and cut new ones out of white oak. I was surprised to find they were still quite strong, so I scraped them down. They are teak and they still have some life left. So, once down to smooth fresh wood, what would you do? I could do nothing, but they will go gray again within a year. I could oil them every few months, but if I forget they go gray. Or I could put spar varnish on them. That bugs me a little, only because a lot of the time when you see "varnished teak" it ain't teak. :no: Is that just me? It would last a lot longer.

 

[Mike Davis]

I don't think it would last "a lot" longer maybe two years with a great marine varnish. Then you would have to scrape it again.

I would oil the teak one a week for a month, once a month for a year then one a year for life. No scraping and it will look great from now on. Just put a reminder on your calendar.

 

[CarvedTones]

Well, I hope to keep a tarp or some kind of cover over the boat from now on, so my hopes for the lifespan of the varnish were quite a bit more optimistic. OTOH, the temperature under the blue tarp I have over it now is quite high. I probably should go with the oil, though. Searching around the net, tung seems to be the oil of choice for teak. I noticed some people resolve this question by mixing tung oil, spar varnish and terps. I am not sure quite what the point of that is. It seems like once you throw varnish into the mix, you make the tradeoff of getting the shell/coating but knowing it will need to be replaced someday.

 

[Travis Porter]

I'm with Mike, go with the oil. Mixing the varnish with oils just gives a bit more depth, and you will still have to scrape it in a couple of years.

 

[Douglas Robinson]

Andy:

Get some Teak oil. It is easy to apply and should only need to be reapplied every 6 months to a year depending on the weather conditions and how/where you store the boat. Some people like the grayed teak. I prefer the golden brown color. I just redid 4 Chaise teak lounge chairs. I also have two teak rockers on the front porch that I oiled a year ago. Although the porch has a cover, they are exposed and still look great.

Doug

P.S. WC and Klingspor sell teak oil.

 

[FuzzWuzz16]

Andy, I'm with the "oily" crew.

When I had my boat, the guy in the slip next to me used to varnish his teak and got to redo it every year. I used brass wool to knock off any gray and then a heavy coat of teak oil, which would be wiped down after about 1 hour with a dry rag. (There are specific teak oils made for boat decks and the one I used to get had a UV protector in it. Marine supply stores usually carry it.)

Good luck,
Jim

 

[striker]

I don't believe there is a right answer to your question. If you go the varnish route, plan on brushing on ten coats of varnish for starters then a coat or two twice a year to maintain the "Palm Beach" condition. Maybe less if you keep it covered - UV is not your friend. Keep in mind down the road - if it looks like they need another coat its to late - gotta be done before it starts lifting.

Oil is easy but has to be done more often.

Other options are: Sikkens for teak - others claim its great but I have no experience with it OR have someone shoot it with clear epoxy(Awlgrip/Imron).

* I'd bed the rails good with sealant to prevent water/moisture from lifting the varnish after you replace them.