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To Sand the Teak or Not to Not Sand the Teak...


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Ok I've been out in my 20 degree garage freezing my arss off sanding away on my teak platform, trying to get the nicks and the mars out of it. My fingers are so numb I can barely type, and I decide to jump online, 2hrs into my project. Just to make sure I was doing it right....yeah I know... just a little dumb but it is too cold to put anything liquid on it and I have cabin fever.... :crazy: So I had to do something in the garage with my BU.

Anyways I came across a teak refinish here on the crew and they said they didn't want to sand too much.... Crap what is too much???

Help my fingers are finally thawing and I am wanting to go back out there...and for some reason my ADHD brain couldn't find the refinish topic that had more details.

ThanKs...

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There's absolutely no problem with sanding and refinishing your teak. Just make sure you don't use too fine a grit of sandpaper and get the platform too smooth or it'll be extremely slippery when it's wet. Do yourself a favor, though, and buy an electric palm sander. Not very expensive and it'll make the job go much faster.

Ok I've been out in my 20 degree garage freezing my arss off sanding away on my teak platform, trying to get the nicks and the mars out of it. My fingers are so numb I can barely type, and I decide to jump online, 2hrs into my project. Just to make sure I was doing it right....yeah I know... just a little dumb but it is too cold to put anything liquid on it and I have cabin fever.... :crazy: So I had to do something in the garage with my BU.

Anyways I came across a teak refinish here on the crew and they said they didn't want to sand too much.... Crap what is too much???

Help my fingers are finally thawing and I am wanting to go back out there...and for some reason my ADHD brain couldn't find the refinish topic that had more details.

ThanKs...

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for sure sand, why not, there is lots of material there. When i did mine, i actually took the platform apart, sanded and finished it, then put it back together...my garage was heated though.

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There's absolutely no problem with sanding and refinishing your teak. Just make sure you don't use too fine a grit of sandpaper and get the platform too smooth or it'll be extremely slippery when it's wet. Do yourself a favor, though, and buy an electric palm sander. Not very expensive and it'll make the job go much faster.

What grit should I use?

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I do my sanding with 80 grit then 100 grit on a belt sander and finish with light 120 grit sanding by hand. If you are a novice with power sanders, the finish sander is the best bet. The grit you start with will depend on how much material needs to be removed. 80 grit is a good starting place if you have deep scratches. Otherwise, 100 grit is good. I finish with 120 grit. Finishing with anything rougher than 120 leaves a rough surface that is easily scratched by boards and fins. No matter which machine you use, remove the platform from the boat first.

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Get an electric sander and go crazy on it with 80 to 100 grit. Don't be afraid to sand out all the nicks. Once sanded, do not use any type of lacquer or permanent finish. Only use teak oil which you will wipe on after every trip to the lake. If you leave it out in the sun it will fade quickly so keep it covered. I don't bother much with the underside since it never gets seen. It can be a lot of work sometimes but worth it. The pic is my teak once I finished it.

post-2825-061714400 1299361876_thumb.jpg

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If you make it furnature smooth it will be very slippery. I use a palm sander and go at it with 80 then 120, looks great.

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I went out and got a Black N Decker Mouse sander...thanks for all the input. Do you put any kind of deck wash on it once it's sanded or just the teak oil?

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martinarcher

I use a product called Starbrite Tropical Teak Sealer since I'm a fan of doing the job and not having to do it again for a while. LOL.gif I refinished my platform with the following steps and below are the results. The first pic is the day after the last coat dried. The pic behind the boat is two seasons later with just a re-coat between seasons (no more cleaning or sanding). This stuff really lasts.

1. Cleaned deck with two part teak cleaner called TE-KA. This product uses the first part to open the pores in the wood to release dirt (scrub and rinse). The second part closes the pores in the wood. It worked like a champ as my deck was very dirty (black stains) before I started.

2. Sanded clean platform down with a DA electric sander until I was happy - finished with 400 grit hand sand to get all the slots.

3. Applied 3 coats of the Starbrite Tropical Teak Sealer (classic color)

4. After the last coat the deck feels a bit waxy. This is due to excess sealer on top of the deck (I probably put it on a little heavy with my sponge brush). Just wipe the deck down with a clean rag and the excess comes right off and leaves a beautiful color behind (see below).

Happy refinishing. Nothing looks as good as freshly refinished teak! Thumbup.gif

Teak3.jpg

DSC03143.jpg

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Here is after 1st go around with my Black n Decker electric sander...using 120 grit.

deck3.jpg

Edited by luvtheBU
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I use a product called Starbrite Tropical Teak Sealer since I'm a fan of doing the job and not having to do it again for a while. LOL.gif I refinished my platform with the following steps and below are the results. The first pic is the day after the last coat dried. The pic behind the boat is two seasons later with just a re-coat between seasons (no more cleaning or sanding). This stuff really lasts.

1. Cleaned deck with two part teak cleaner called TE-KA. This product uses the first part to open the pores in the wood to release dirt (scrub and rinse). The second part closes the pores in the wood. It worked like a champ as my deck was very dirty (black stains) before I started.

2. Sanded clean platform down with a DA electric sander until I was happy - finished with 400 grit hand sand to get all the slots.

3. Applied 3 coats of the Starbrite Tropical Teak Sealer (classic color)

4. After the last coat the deck feels a bit waxy. This is due to excess sealer on top of the deck (I probably put it on a little heavy with my sponge brush). Just wipe the deck down with a clean rag and the excess comes right off and leaves a beautiful color behind (see below).

Happy refinishing. Nothing looks as good as freshly refinished teak! Thumbup.gif

Teak3.jpg

DSC03143.jpg

I am totally jacked to see my end result... Your deck looks great, I went to ACE and snuck in a can of Teak Oil when I was suppose to be getting cleaning supplies for one of our rentals...but I am probably gonna have to get some TE KA that looks like pretty good stuff.

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martinarcher

It is. Just to clarify, the TE-KA is a 2 part cleaner. The first part opens the pores in the wood and allows you to scrub the dirt out and the second closes the wood back up. It will rough up the grain a bit, but a quick sanding knocks it right back down.

The finish on the desk is the Starbrite Tropical Teak Sealant (classic color). If you click on it in the above post it will take you to a site where you can get it. I love good looking teak and it really helps keep the deck looking nice without making it slippery.

Good luck!

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Damn you malibu crew. Now I want a teak deck.. I'm sorry but it is worth every inch of maintain. When you see that gorgeous teak.. :thumbup: .

Gotta LUV LUV LUV the natural beauty of wood...plus every time you take it out and put the oil on afterward it's like getting a brand new one all over... :biggrin:

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It is. Just to clarify, the TE-KA is a 2 part cleaner. The first part opens the pores in the wood and allows you to scrub the dirt out and the second closes the wood back up. It will rough up the grain a bit, but a quick sanding knocks it right back down.

The finish on the desk is the Starbrite Tropical Teak Sealant (classic color). If you click on it in the above post it will take you to a site where you can get it. I love good looking teak and it really helps keep the deck looking nice without making it slippery.

Good luck!

:thumbup: That's where I just was... Thanks for the link.

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martinarcher

Damn you malibu crew. Now I want a teak deck.. I'm sorry but it is worth every inch of maintain. When you see that gorgeous teak.. :thumbup: .

Totally agree! Thumbup.gif Coating it once a year is easy and teak looks awesome.

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martinarcher

:thumbup: That's where I just was... Thanks for the link.

Good deal. I just saw your pic and your deck looks pretty decent from what I can tell with that little pic. Biggrin.gif I think a couple coats of the Tropical Teak Sealant would get it looking close to what mine does without needing to use TE-KA.

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Get an electric sander and go crazy on it with 80 to 100 grit. Don't be afraid to sand out all the nicks. Once sanded, do not use any type of lacquer or permanent finish. Only use teak oil which you will wipe on after every trip to the lake. If you leave it out in the sun it will fade quickly so keep it covered. I don't bother much with the underside since it never gets seen. It can be a lot of work sometimes but worth it. The pic is my teak once I finished it.

Very nice deck...Teak Oil is all I have ever used too, but I had newer Malibu's and I took care of them from the get go, this one didn't get much oil in her 17 rs of life...LOL

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I went out and got a Black N Decker Mouse sander...thanks for all the input. Do you put any kind of deck wash on it once it's sanded or just the teak oil?

After I completed the sanding I hit it with a pressure washer (coin operated). After that I only use Watco teak oil.

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Here is after 1st go around with my Black n Decker electric sander...using 120 grit.

deck3.jpg

Your's will be a little more work because of the open slots. That will have to be done by hand. Hit the sides with the sander as hard as you do the top.

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Here is after 1st go around with my Black n Decker electric sander...using 120 grit.

deck3.jpg

You are off to a great start! I really like thelook of clean teak. You will need to sand the eadges and the slots as well, but it looks great so far. All the gray will come off and should for a good finish. keep sanding or use a strong cleaner and a stiff brush to get the mildew and dirt out of the poors. A pressure wassher has been known to work for this but I have never used one my self.

Great job keep posting pics.

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Good deal. I just saw your pic and your deck looks pretty decent from what I can tell with that little pic. Biggrin.gif I think a couple coats of the Tropical Teak Sealant would get it looking close to what mine does without needing to use TE-KA.

Ya think? I think I am going to start with the oil first, just because I have it here. Can you put the TE KA on after the oil if I don't like the result?

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