Deck and Maintenance: understanding teak to make it last longer

The teak deck has always been a synonym for elegance and quality, characteristics that make it increasingly associated with classic canons and flavors of yesteryear. On the other hand, the choice of teak is also a solution that is (partially) diminishing, partly due to the emergence of more sustainable solutions, and partly due to the increasingly pulled search for performance. Nonetheless, it is full of teak decks and, consequently, it also makes sense to figure out how best to care for them.

Teak and maintenance: how to best wash your deck

In previous articles related to this short series on maintenance of hulls (especially Classic), we have addressed issues related toosmosis, wear and tear of steering components and themast itself. In the last article, HERE, we finally addressed the topic ‘teak deck’, understanding how to best repair/maintain its damaged coments. But in order to best maintain one’s deck, it is not enough just to intervene when the damage/usage is done, it is indeed good to take care of it consistently. So here is how to best wash your teak deck to preserve it for as long as possible.

• Are you looking for a Classic Boat? Do you want to sell one? Use our Used Boat Market! It is the perfect place for anyone looking for a Classic Boat to buy, as well as the perfect platform for those who have a desire or need to sell their vintage gem. And, using it, it’s as simple as that!

Deck and Maintenance: understanding teak

A first step in taking the best care of things is generally to know and understand them. In this light, to best approach washing teak, it is good to know its properties and reasons behind it. After all, if one uses teak, there are certainly good reasons. Indeed, teak is a particularly fine wood characterized by two distinct qualities that make it ideal for decks: its mechanical properties and its aesthetic qualities.

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In fact, its fine and compact grain makes it particularly homogeneous and, from a material point of view, easily workable and resistant to temperature changes. In fact, teak’s fibers are naturally impregnated with an oily resin, a quality that makes it particularly resistant to water and salt (as well as mold and insects), thus making it a particularly long-lived wood in marine and brackish environments. Add to this the great quality of undergoing minimal hygroscopic changes, a crucial factor in not having dimensional changes in the presence of moisture. On the other hand, however, it is a soft wood, which is why bumps and nicks are particularly noticeable on its surface. Equally, it is prone to absorb grease and oil stains, which risk leaving indelible marks if not treated properly. Already knowing these details can help with prevention. But let’s come to cleaning.

Deck and Maintenance: maintaining the teak deck

Let’s start with an assumption: that teak changes color is inevitable. It is part of a natural oxidation process of the material, and that is perfectly fine. It is not synonymous with poor maintenance. There are, however, owners who do not like the discoloration. In that case, it will be necessary to resort to specific products and oils in order to derive/maintain a color similar to the original. But this does not concern the cleaning of the same; it is purely cosmetic.

As we mentioned earlier, teak is a material particularly well suited for boating precisely because of its dense fibrous structure rich in oily resins. Obviously, however, with time and weathering, even these are lost. Ergo: to preserve one’s teak, first and foremost, it is necessary to meet its needs. Certainly, a good practice is to cover it from ultraviolet rays (with tarps and cagnari), but cleaning it properly is also essential. Andthe key is not to approach it aggressively.

In fact, to clean teak you need a brush with thick but soft bristles, so that it does not affect the fibrous structure of the wood itself. On the other hand, moisturizing is important, especially during the long summer weeks: it is good practice to bathe it often (weekly, if possible), either with fresh water or salt water (if clean), partly to make sure it rinses away the dust, and partly to keep its fibrous structure moisturized, slowing its drying. Seawater will also further slow the drying of the fibers, thanks to the salt crystals, thus slowing the evaporation of the oils contained here.

Coming to the washing itself, the matter is relatively simple: just take care. After wetting the deck thoroughly, one will proceed to brush it using neutral soaps/detergents (possibly also bio-degradable), which should then be rinsed off carefully (unless they are dedicated products that do not provide for the latter). Importantly, in brushing, care should be taken not to follow the direction of the veins (great dockside debate). The grain of teak, in fact, is composed of an alternation of fibers, hard and soft: following the vein when wet is detrimental as it will tend to remove or damage the softer components of it, leaving marks and compromising the qualities of the material. Working perpendicular or at an angle to these is far preferable. If you want to test this for yourself, approach two decks washed differently: you will feel by touch how aggressively faced grain will be much less even and deep than those washed orthogonally with soft brushes (or, simply ask any deck-hand engaged in washing a deck, observe it, and see for yourself the process of those who do it for a living).

• You might also be interested in:

Coperta e Manutenzione: come sostituire la gommatura del teak

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Are you looking for or want to sell a Classic Boat?

• If you are looking for or want to sell a Classic Boat, remember our Used Boat Market(HERE), the ideal place for anyone looking for a Classic Boat to buy and/or, even more so, the ideal platform for those who have a desire or need to sell their vintage gem. If you have a Classic Boat to sell, or if you were looking for one, remember the Marketplace. Using it is as simple as it gets.
• Want to learn more about the world of Classic Boats (1967-1998), the iconic boats of the period, the legendary designers, the stories and races of the “golden age” of sailing? Check out our section dedicated to Classic Boats!