"fake" teak decking

[mix]

Has anyone installed or have any comments about these syntentic products out there that are made from recycled plastic products? Am considering using for my 34' Hat's cockpit.Mix

 

[stormchaser]

Sure looks nice on the new production boats I've see it on...

 

[SeaEric]

I have Flexiteek on the aft deck of my boat. I like it, but its expensive at around $75/sf installed. It is also a little warm in the sun, as real teak would be. It is a good answer for a nice yachty look that is very non-skid with little maintenance. There are some do it yourself products out there, but Flexiteek is currently only available as a professionally installed product.

Black caulk decking is traditional, but I chose the white caulk for my deck. I like the look.

 

[Bugsy]

See the Amtico threads. We're very pleased.

 

[MikeP]

I installed Amtico "teak and Holly" ( actually their "teak" and "warm beech") extensively in the interior of our 53MY several years ago but I don't think Amtico is suitable for exterior marine use. But I could be wrong...

 

[Pascal]

amtico is an interior product,won't work outside...

problem with the "fake" stuff is the price... why pay the price of the real thing or more for recycle plastic?

here is a source for solid teak with caulking, in ready to install panel for less than $75 a sq ft

http://www.teakdeckcompany.com/products.htm

there are other sources, a little more mainteance and install but it's the real thing.

 

[Passages]

I hear you Pascal, but the synthetic products are just so much easier to maintain.

I have put many hours and hundreds of dollars into teak oil potions tring to keep my britework fresh. To me, $75/sq' is a bargain if I don't have to spend time & money on maintenance.

 

[stormchaser]

Pus, I believe with the fake stuff, you can glue it down...no holes in the deck is a HUGE plus...

 

[Pascal]

for teak decking (which i think can be glued as well), Snappy Teak Nu is a two part cleaner that is easy to use and will do a great job restoring the blond color. pretty easy to use as well.

 

[67hat34c]

Seen the fake teak on Disney cruise ship. Looks good. Appears they sand it to make it new again.

 

[mix]

Thanks for the replys everyone.Glad to get the inside scoop-on both the "real" and the "fake" teak. mix

 

[DAlter]

I have Plasteak on my aft deck and fly bridge instaled by the previous owner. Mine is a darker color and gets very hot in the sun but it is easy to maintain and looks fine.

 

[SeaEric]

The current Flexiteek is much lighter in color than the older stuff, and much lighter in color than Plasteak. The caulk lines in Flexiteek are more narrow that Plasteak's. Flexiteek does darken slightly as it ages. If you sand it lightly with 60-80 grit it does refresh and lighten the surface. Mine has been down for a year and I have powerwashed it one time.

I have it on my center console too. On boats that have little or no teak trim, it does impove upon the stark "Clorox Bottle" appearance of all the white non-skid.

 

[Brian Degulis]

That looks great!!! Takes away that tupperware look very nicely.

Brian

 

[67hat34c]

Scott when we do your back deck I think you should look into this stuff. Think it would be a lot easier to install than to smooth and fair the deck and then put non skid. Same with the bridge. Cut the soft spots from the top then repair and cover the deck with this stuff. No worry about non skid and no time spent with fairing etc.

 

[stormchaser]

My non-skid is wearing thin...when it comes time to redo it...I will definitely be doing this rather than repainting the decks.

 

[Pascal]

problem is that the aft deck alone will run you 10k at $60/70 a foot!... and probably just as much for the rest of the decks.

 

[stormchaser]

Aft deck will probably be last since it's carpeted. lol

 

[67hat34c]

Guess at that price fairing and painting and non skid is a better choice.

 

[MikeP]

We were interested in it for the back deck but the price is more than we want to pay. We have a sisal carpet on most of the back deck now with non-skid about 18" between it and the gunwhales. We think it looks pretty good and the cost of redoing the relatively small bit of non-skid there is minimal. The rest of the boat, however, is a different story and the all the nonskid is getting pretty non-nonskid and it is discolored in spot so it's something we need to address...