teak deck

hello,

i wonder what should be done for maintenance of teak deck at winter time and for whole year to have it longer life.
The boat is in Turkey, now winter is beginning here. it usually doesn't snow here sometimes rain. the temperature varies between 20 to -5.

Is it very necessary to cover the boat with a tent and when will i need to paint it with teak oil?

Every information about teak deck will be appreciated.

Regards
Ulas

 

http://www.ftkltd.com/Teak Deck Care.htm

http://www.woodenwidget.com/files/Teak_Decks.pdf

http://professionalboatcare.com.au/maintaining-teak-decks

 

Cover it if possible. Teak decks dont like water or UV radiation. If a cover is not practical...seal it with a product such as SEMCO or Teak Wonder . The sealer guards against UV and keeps the deck dry. Both these products are very effective at minimizing weather induced erosion of your expensive teak deck. These are not oils. Ive never had much success with teak oil.

The deck pictured is almost 20 years old. Teak wonder. 300 thousand sea miles, always sealed and still in good shape.

 

The best thing for cleaning teak is sea water and a SOFT brush. No pressure washers, no hard brushes, no chemicals.

When not in use, try and cover the deck, but maintain ventilation. That is very important. dry teak, protected from the sun lasts forever. Teak that is wet, covered in snow, and multiple freeze/thaw cycles detoriates faster. Try and avoid parking the boat under trees.

 

...I use soft "Doodle Bugs", 3M kitchen type scourers, they do not rake out the soft wood in the teak deck. Yes Teak Wonder searer seems to be very good, we use it all the time too.

 

I know this is late, however...
My husband works with teak wood a lot and my yard and boat makes me look like a "teak snob" so I have done my share of research and questioning regarding it.

Teak is able to withstand extreme temperatures. With that said, it is always helpful when you cover up the teak because it does not have to withstand those elements as much. With that said, I do support covering the teak because it will result in less maintenance on your end.

Regarding teak oil, because this is a boat where moisture content is high I would not use a teak oil on it. Teak oil can trap in moisture causing mildew growth and even worse, become slippery when wet. My preference is to use a water based formula (I use Golden Care Teak Protector) to keep the color nice and new and then use the cleaner of the same brand when it needs more maintenance (which is water based as well). I posted a link below so that you can see what products I am talking about.

http://www.westminsterteak.com/CID74/Furniture-Care

And, as Herman said... pressure washers are never a good idea... IF you need one, it needs to be done on low pressure, but the teak cleaner I use gets the job done perfectly for me!