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Removing Exterior Teak to refinish

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aggie
Deckhand

Member Avatar

USA
8 Posts

Initially Posted - 07/25/2002 : 12:26:37

I was curious if it easier and less of mess to remove the exterior teak from the boat to refinish. The teak has an old varished finish and I plan to replace it with cetol. Here in Texas, it is so darn hot
now and would be alot cooler to refinish in my garage.
From what I can see, the teak is held on by screws that are
accessed from the cabin.
Am I asking for more trouble by removing and re-installing the teak?

Thanks.

Edited by - on

Buzz Maring
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1775 Posts

Response Posted - 07/25/2002 : 13:28:14

Hi Rick,

I suspect you'll get about a 50/50 split on this one. I removed my grab rails, the two flat trim pieces on each side of the companionway, and the flat piece on the sliding hatch. I think I would have removed them all anyway, but I HAD to ... a previous owner had painted them with black lacquer ... they looked awful!<img src=icon_smile_dead.gif border=0 align=middle> I had to use paint stripper, a pressure washer, and mucho sanding to get them back to normal teak. The good news is, they look good now (I used Cetol light).

I tried to remove the trim around the companionway, but it was on there really tight ... 'decided to leave well enough alone, and I refinished those three pieces on the boat (they weren't painted black, thank goodness).

BTW, I squeezed some silicone into the open screw holes to keep rain from getting into the cabin while I was working on the grab rails.

Good luck!

P.S. My older daughter will be a freshman at A&M this fall ... Gig 'em!

Buzz Maring, C-25 SK/SR #68, "Freya"

Edited by - on

Tony Dillon
Navigator

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USA
168 Posts

Response Posted - 07/25/2002 : 13:59:14

Just finished that job 2 weeks ago. I removed most of the teak from Mental Floss to refinish it. It is easier to contain the mess that way. Be sure to carefully rebed all of the pieces when you put them back on. It is amazing how much water can come through those little holes<img src=icon_smile_shock.gif border=0 align=middle>.

I know there is a lot of different opinions on Cetol and the color it adds, but I would rather spend my time sailing not refinishing bright work!

Tony Dillon
Mental Floss

Edited by - on

Rick Heaverly 86 C25 5382
Navigator

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Belize
206 Posts

Response Posted - 07/25/2002 : 14:15:59

I re-did the teak last year and removed it. Much easier off the boat than on especially if you need to strip and prep before applying finish. I also used Cetol.
This year I did not remove it to put a couple of coats on because I re-sealed it last year with life chaulk and didn't want to go through the re-sealing procedure again. I did tape off all areas near the gelcoat. That was more work than re-coating. When finished I removed the tape and took a knife and carefull scraped all cetol off the gelcoat before it dried.
I'm going to put another coat of cetol on within the next couple of weeks and will probably not even tape off this time.

Rick Heaverly
"Invictus"

Edited by - on

Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3324 Posts

Response Posted - 07/25/2002 : 15:37:14

Rick, I agree with Rick (!) that it's a much easier job with the teak off the boat - especially the first time that you do a refinish as you can sand ALL parts of the teak. Subsequent touch-ups can be done on the boat.
BTW - when reinstalling the hand rails be careful - they curve and it is really a 2-person job to align them and secure them without splitting.
Derek(not)on "This Side Up"<img src=icon_smile_sad.gif border=0 align=middle>

Edited by - on

aggie
Deckhand

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USA
8 Posts

Response Posted - 07/25/2002 : 16:00:44

Thanks all. I just have one more question. Is there any special
process I should follow in re-attaching the teak and sealing the
screws / screw holes.

Thanks.

Edited by - on

Rick Heaverly 86 C25 5382
Navigator

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Belize
206 Posts

Response Posted - 07/25/2002 : 18:03:23

Rick,
I agree with DerRICK!!
When completely finished with job, apply life caulk white to underneath of teak and squirt or apply with putty knife to screw holes. If a little bit oozes out, don't worry, it can be scraped off after it hardens.

Rick Heaverly
"Invictus"

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 07/25/2002 : 19:37:08

I, too, refinished my teak with Cetol. I removed the teak(17 pieces <img src=icon_smile_shock.gif border=0 align=middle>) and took it home where I could lay it all out and do a quality job without worrying about getting Cetol on the gelcoat. Additionally, by doing it in your garage you will not have to worry about dirt, insects, water,...etc, getting on your still wet Cetol and mucking things up. Also, if your teak has never been removed before or if it has been a long time, rebedding will probably head off any future leaks. An orbital sander and dremel tool makes short work out of prepping the teak for finish. Be sure to use an easy hand when sanding and don't bother with messy strippers. They are more hindrance than help.

As for your question,

"Is there any special process I should follow in re-attaching the teak and sealing the screws/screw holes." - Aggie

As with painting and/or refinishing wood, the more prep work you do, the better the outcome. The same goes with caulking. I dry fitted all of my refinished teak before applying caulk to check for proper fit(and because I removed the teak in the fall, lost my notes, and couldn't remember how the teak came off, which screw went where,...etc <img src=icon_smile_blush.gif border=0 align=middle>). Anyway, during the dry fitting I put masking tape at every screw position on both the gelcoat and teak so when I caulked and tightened the screws, I could just wipe off the excess with a finger and then removed the tape leaving each surface unblemished. Go easy when applying the caulk, because a little goes a long way when you start tightening the screws and the caulk starts oozing out. Run a small bead of caulk around each screw hole or just place a dollup over the hole, but be sure that there is caulk around the entire hole. Don't tighten the teak all the way at first, just sort of snug it up. Let the caulk set up overnight, then the next day do the last little bit of tightening. This will allow the caulk to form more of a gasket-like rubbery seal. As Derek mentioned, the handrails are curved and it is best if you had help when reinstalling these pieces because you will have to bend these pieces to get them back on and you don't want to split these rails. Also, when reinstalling the hatch rails don't forget that the hatch must be installed when the rails go in. If you don't do this, you will have to remove one of the rails to get the hatch back on (don't ask how I know this! <img src=icon_smile_blush.gif border=0 align=middle>)

Don Lucier, North Star
C25 SR/FK

Edited by - on

nate
Navigator

Members Avatar

240 Posts

Response Posted - 07/25/2002 : 20:36:19

Aggie,
I removed all the exterior teak on Heeling Properties a couple years ago and refinished it with Cetol after sanding it all down to bare wood and I must admit it looks great. The Cetol label makes no mention of using a spray gun but we did and got super results. No thinning was required...just right from the can into the gun and viola...5 coats later we had some really hot looking trim.
A couple words of advice: (I apologize if these seem obvious)
Label everything!!
Buy more teak wood plugs and finish them before you try to pound them in place...if they seem way to thick cut them down vs. sanding around your fresh finish. Tap them in with a rubber mallet.
Get some help when it comes time to install the handrails. The curve in the cabintop caused me fits and I screwed-up one of my handrails when a screw didn't go in the proper hole....it came shooting out the side of the handrail!!
Rebed everything with Lifecaulk.
After taking the time to refinish all the wood keeping up with the finish is much easier. I put a fresh coat on as needed (wood on the boat) and have been really pleased with the durability of the Cetol.
If you have anymore questions feel free to drop me a line.
Nate

Edited by - on

Clay
Deckhand

Members Avatar

USA
22 Posts

Response Posted - 07/25/2002 : 20:53:38

Rick,
I think you’ve been given good advice on removing and installing the woodwork on your boat so I won’t add anything there. However if you haven’t worked with teak before you’ll discover it’s rather unique in the amount of natural oil in the wood. Depending on how bad the wood has deteriorated you will need to take all the dry or “dead” wood off until you can see the oil & grain. Once you get to that point you will be able to get a hard and lasting finish. If you put Cetol or any finish on the “dead” teak it will soon turn black and appear dirty.
I went through this process about 3 years ago and took all of the flat pieces to a cabinetmaker to take off the “dead” layer. We ran the pieces thru a big belt sander with terrific results. In fact the cabinetmaker seemed more excited than I was to see the oily grain appear. I guess it’s some kind of occupational thing with him. He was interested in the Cetol since he built a lot of custom exterior doors. When I got ready to leave he acted guilty in charging me but I left him some cash anyway.

I’ve been pleased with how well the Cetol has lasted. I lightly sanded everything this spring and put 2 more coats on. I still get a lot of compliments as to the appearance.

It’s a worthwhile project Rick, enjoy.

Clay
#5549 Savannah

Edited by - on

capn rick
1st Mate

Members Avatar

USA
36 Posts

Response Posted - 07/26/2002 : 15:52:51

bed the teak with "Lifecaulk" huh?

So WHY didn't I JOIN this &*$^ list "LAST" year???

Capn Rick #2438 "Cavale"

with drips down the cabinwalls..............

Edited by - on

deastburn
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
334 Posts

Response Posted - 07/28/2002 : 22:41:27

Three bits of advice I have not seen anyone else give:

1) While the grabrails are off the boat is a good time to install new, longer bolts, so that you can install a set of corresponding grabrails on the INSIDE of the cabin. It really imporves comfort below when sailing and your crew needs to go to the head. It is a simple task. First, once you have the grab rails removed, drill out the plug so you can remove the bolt. install longer bolts (3 and a half inches if memory serves me, but check)so you can through bolt the grab railon the inside of the cabin. Install new plugs, sand, and apply Cetol.

2) Remove all mildew, either with a sander (random orbit is perfect for this job) or with a micture of Chlorox, TSP and warm water, or the Cetol will turn black. If you use the Chlorox method, wait until the wood is dry again to sand or you'll raise or even tear the grain.

3) When bedding in Lifecaulk (which I also recommend), apply a bead around the hole and allow it to dry for about five minutes until it has filmed over. It provides a better seal and is less messy.

4) Re-apply the grabrails slowly, and be patient. One person can do it easily, but if you follow my advice and install inside grab rails, you'll need a second person.

Good Luck!

Edited by - on

RichardG
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
990 Posts

Response Posted - 07/30/2002 : 17:23:34

Dave:

"grabrails on the INSIDE of the cabin" -- great idea!

Where did you get new grabrails? Are they teak?

"bedding in Lifecaulk"

Do you apply it only around screw holes, and not anywhere else?

Thanks.

RichardG 81 C25 SR/FK "Sanity"

Edited by - on

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