Over time the caulk on a teak deck may become weathered or worn. This may be due to a number of factors, including:
- Age of the teak deck and caulk used.
- An inferior caulk product was used on the teak deck.
- The seams with the teak deck were not properly filled with caulk.
- Over use of aggressive two-part acid washes.
When re-seaming a teak deck it is importing to properly clean and remove the existing caulk from your seams.
This is commonly done in one of three ways:
- You can use a razor knife to cut the caulk seam on both sides. Be careful not to cut into the side of the teak baton. Once you have cut the sides of the caulk, you can then use a reefing hook to pull out the old caulk seam.
- Another way to remove the caulk from your teak deck is with a trim router. A Guide or straight edge should be used to ensure that you do not deviate from the seam.
- Alternatively, you can use a saw such as a Porter Cable Model 314 Trim Saw with a modified blade designed specifically for re-seaming teak decks. Great care should be taken when using a saw such as this. Once again, it is strongly recommended that you use a guide or jig in order to prevent unnecessary damage.
Once the old caulk has been removed, you should use a seam sanding hand tool to remove any residue from the old caulk and to ensure that your seam lines are true. Thereafter, you should clean your seams using acetone and a rag.
Once your seams have been sanded and cleaned, you are ready for caulking. There are those that recommend inserting a thin tape line in each seam. However, with today’s technically advanced, hard wearing and flexible marine caulks; this is not really necessary.
Depending upon the size of your re-seam project you can simply caulk the seams or tape the surface of the teak deck, either side of the seams in order to reduce the amount of clean up or sanding that will be required.
When caulking the seams, make sure you use a quality Marine Caulk such a Teak Marine USA, Inc.’s UV Resistant Teak Deck Caulk . You can apply the caulk using a hand caulk gun, a battery operated caulk gun or an air caulk gun.
Make sure that you fill the seam when caulking. Finally use a putty knife or plastic spreader in a pulling motion along the seam to press down the caulk and ensure that the seam is completely filled.
You can then scoop up the excess to make sanding easier. Once the caulk is fully cured (dried) you can then sand the teak deck to finish.
Needless to say, re-seaming your deck is a time consuming process and one that requires a level of care and expertise.
Teak Marine USA are experts in restoring aged and weathered decks back to a vibrant, aesthetically pleasing appearance. Whether you have leaking worn out seams or caulk separating from the teak, we can expertly repair your teak deck. Our boat flooring repair services help prolong the life of your teak deck. We remove the bad seams, clean the inside edge of the seams and re-caulk. We perform full or partial seam repairs, including full deck re-seaming. Teak Marine USA are able to remove the stress from the process. Contact Andy on 954-213-2655 for a free consultation.
You can also find Teak Marine’s Deck Caulk on the link shown above.