Teak is naturally beautiful with it’s exquisite color, rich grain and durability providing a material suited for use aboard boats. Teak is a top option for decking and furniture on board boats. Despite it’s high durability and solidity, teak when used aboard a boat is challenged by the harsh ocean environment. Over the course of some time, the elements will cause erosion, discoloration, mildew, graying and roughness to teak.
Although teak is resistant to rotting and insects (due to the natural oils contained within teak),a certain amount of care is required to maintain teak in order to preserve the natural colors of the wood.
Some teak aficionados will prefer the teak to naturally weather into a grayish, rough and cracked look.However if you wish to hold the the teak’s original color,we recommend Semco Teak Care products as a top choice for boaters to seal their teak instead of using cumbersome oils. Varnish can chip the wood and cause it to flake and teak oil can lead to mold and mildew. Semco Teak Sealer contains UV protection and mildewcide to prevent the natural teak oil from oxidizing.We also recommend the wood to be weathered for at least two weeks or washed and is thoroughly dry before applying the sealant to allow it to adhere better (more instructions can be found on the product itself).Semco Teak Cleaner can also be used to restore teak that has developed mildew, stains or is weathered.
We hope this mini article has granted you some insight to teak aboard boats and it’s care.