Best finish for teak & holly

[jcchev]

I'm using teak & holly flooring and just finished the forward stateroom using Awlgrip M3131 spar varnish. It's darker than I wanted and I see many of your boats with lighter finishes. What do you recommend to get a medium finish rather than the darker finish I'm getting?

Thanks,

Clint

 

[bobk]

My experience with teak paneling is that varnishes darken the wood. Where I used epoxy primers before a two part PU top coat, I achieved a honey teak color like what is seen in Taiwanese trawlers. The problem you might have is it is difficult to brush or roll most of the epoxy primers... the surface doesn't come out smooth. Spray is preferable but requires great care inside a boat.

Bob

 

[Boatsb]

I love varnish but it does add color to the wood. With lighter woods that's why you use it. It's just not the right finish for flooring though. There are some very tough finishes for flooring. many are 2-3 times longer wearing than varnish. Look for the different finished they have and you should find some do and some don't add color.

 

[SeaEric]

Its been my experience that the finished teak will get lighter over time. If you're using the teak and holly veneered ply, you could leave the panels exposed to sunlight prior to install and finishing, which will lighten it. We did this by accident one time and noticed the results. I have found that its always best to get a coat or 2 of finish on prior to install, if you can.

 

[clubdowd1983]

In the past when I put down teak and holly plywood flooring I either finished with varnish or poly.Both darkened the wood.I just did my pilothouse.I got the wood from World Panel.They sent me the West System for putting it down.I first cut all my pieces.I the sealed them,all sides and edges,with west.I the put it down with west.After it cured I put two coats of west on top.The color stayed true.It is a rough finish.You sand it smooth and the I put 2 coats of poly on top.All sides are waterproof and it looks great.

 

[boatwright]

are you sure its not the plywood thats dark?much of the new teak/holly sole ply is much darker than older stock. wipe the bare teak with mineral spirits,to reveal the teaks color, no finish will be much lighter. time and sunlite will lighten somewhat or you can bleach to get a lighter color.

 

[Kim Beatley]

For those of us who have never worked flooring in a boat, but need to, what do you trim the edges of hatch covers with when you put down teak and holly. Is there something you can do to make the edges flat, or do you have a raised area? Glue? Screws?

I so want to get rid of the 37 year old carpet. When I pull it, it is going to the Smithsonian as a new species!

 

[jcchev]

Thanks for the input guys. Kim, what I did was use 2x2 strips of brazilian cherry. Using a table saw I cut away the outside parimeters, then cut strips the width I desired and matched the depth to the thickness of my paneling. The result is a perfectly smooth surface with all hatches trimmed on the side and top to protect their edges. It came out beautiful.

Clint

 

[dwaynec]

Pictures????

 

[jcchev]

I've only finished the forward stateroom and will likely finish the rest this coming week. I'll send pics when I finish.

Clint

 

[MikeP]

Here's one of my hatches that we did after doing Amtico teak'holly. It's teak mitered into the hatch and the floor and is level with the floor/hatch surface. This is the passageway hatch but the two galley hatches and the forward compartment hatch are the same.

 

[dwaynec]

Mike, that is absolutely beautiful. I can only hope that someday I can get the soles on our boat looking half as good.