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do you apply it to the wood before it has varnish or some finish on, or should a sealing coat of varnish/etc., be on the wood first? thanks
Asked on 04/24/2013 by UndisclosedI assume you are using this to caulk the seams on your teak deck. The instructions state that the caulk should be applied to clean dry teak. Go to the web for Teak decking systems for advise on your specific application or call them up they are very helpful. The short answer is no varnish or sealer. But, why varnish a teak deck anyway.
Answered on 05/16/2013 by JAMES HALTERMy teak decks are bare wood. TDS adheres nicely even after almost 4 years (I know that's not alot of time but that's my experience so far). To add to that I had almost 10 extra tubes that I used on my deck in the cockpit. After 4 years they were still good. Not sure how a smooth (varnish) or oily surface would be but I'm assuming it wouldn't be as effective. I'll buy this product again when it's time to do the top of the cabin. Baby steps. Good luck. Mike
Answered on 05/15/2013 by MICHAEL EVERETTFrom what I have seen most teak decking is put down unsealed (or unvarnished). The caulk is used between the slats. If you were planning to seal or varnish the teak deck after installation as opposed to leaving it natural or just oiled,which would then have to be maintained (recoated periodically), you can seal it before putting in the caulking.
Answered on 05/15/2013 by MARK EPSTEINBetter to apply to clean raw teak.
Answered on 05/16/2013 by TEDDY HOOGSThe wood should be wiped down with acetone to remove surface oils, then the caulk applied and allowed to cure prior to sanding. Only after finish sanding is completed should a surface treatment be applied, typically teak or tung oil. Varnish will need constant attention due to expansion and contraction of the wood and caulk surface, although it is beautiful to behold if done correctly. Good luck with your project!
Answered on 05/15/2013 by ETTA R HEWETTNo. Just sand ( 220 ) and tack. I then use 2 coats of Cetol light. Cetol adheres well.
Answered on 05/16/2013 by HENRY MALKOWSKIOnce the seams were reefed we lightly sanded vaced and taped. Then ran the caulk in. Seems to have worked fine. CH
Answered on 05/15/2013 by CHIP HOLMESbefore any finish ... apply to raw clean wood.
Answered on 05/15/2013 by KEVIN KEANFor new teak decks - do you tape the bottom of the seams and do you prime the sides of the seams? If so which primer? Thanks
Asked on 03/12/2013 by Anders JensenI don't know about new teak decks. I am in the process of re-caulking my existing teak decks on my Baltic 37 sailboat. The seams were not previously taped or sealed as far as I could tell. To re-caulk, I remove the old caulk using a caulk removal blade on a Fein Multimaster tool, sand the seam with 60 grit folded onto an 8.5 inch plastic Bondo spreader inserted into the seam, tape each side with 3M 1.44" blue, apply new Teakdecking Systems caulk using a cordless electric caulking gun, smooth out with a putty knife, carefully remove the tape before the caulk dries, then sand using a 6" orbital sander after the caulk has cured for 72 hours. I know this doesn't answer your question about new teak decks, but hopefully it's still helpful information. Good luck!
Answered on 03/15/2013 by WILLIAM BRANDTHi I did tape the bottom with a 3m product but before that washed the groove out with acetone but did not prime the sides. Three years going strong and no separation Great product.
Answered on 03/16/2013 by ANTHONY GILLESSESince you don't want the sealant to stick to the bottom of the groove, it should be taped. To insure a good bond, be sure to clean the teak oils from the sides of the grooves with acetone before applying the sealant. No other priming is needed.
Answered on 03/14/2013 by DON WILSONTDS needs no primer; but teak must be dry and of low moisture content. Low moisture is an absolute requirement of end grain seams (butts). I use 3M mylar tape as a bondbreaker in the bottom of the grooves.
Answered on 03/15/2013 by RICHARD HAMPELHi Anders, depends on the deck. Teak laid over deck beams full thickness, or thinner teak planking glued/screwed to fiberglass? These days I would assume thin teak over fiberglass, as full teak decks are a rarity for the purist only. I would use no tape on the bottom of the seams. After the planks are secured (screws and/or adhesive) wipe the seams with acetone on rags wrapped around tongue depressor or similar. Tape along both sides of the seams (believe me, it's well worth the cost of the tape) and apply the caulk fully into the seam while pushing it in. Jamestown has a good vid on the process. With a 2" putty knife spread the caulk into the seam, leaving a little standing proud above the seam. Remove the tape using lots of buckets/bags and gloves after you finish a section, let it dry 7 days then sand until the seams are fine edged and pronounced. Good luck, it's excellent stuff!
Answered on 03/14/2013 by ETTA R HEWETTI would definitely tape the bottom of the seams, not sure about primer. Check with the manufacturer. I would make sure the wood is dry and I suppose a swab out of the seams with acetone wouldn't hurt. Make sure you give the acetone sufficient time to "flash off" taking moisture with it before you caulk. I just finished the deck on a 60 year old, 32' Friendship Sloop "Eastward" using TDS. It came out great and looks awesome. Get some comfy knee pads and a good caulking gun. Have fun!
Answered on 03/14/2013 by ANDREW KEBLNSKYI have never primed nor taped the bottom of the groove as the instructions suggest. I have never had a problem. I would suggest calling Teak Decking Systems and discuss it with them. They are most helpful
Answered on 03/14/2013 by JAMES HALTERtaping the bottom of the seams is suggested in order to aid in reefing out the compound ages from now when you need to re do the seam. No need to prime the teak. The caulk fills in all of the voids and keeps the seams clean and dry.
Answered on 03/14/2013 by ALEC MCLOCKLINVideo instructs laying fine line tape in the deck seam prior to applying caulk. What is the purpose of this application? Thanks - Steve Hopkins Oxford, MD
Asked on 06/10/2012 by UndisclosedI hired a shipwright of 30 years experience to instruct on proper application of this product and he saw no necessity for lining the seam. He recommended a 1/8" chisel to scrape old caulk from seam, making sure to remove all black. He used a Fein tool with groove bit (202 HA and 201 HA) that sped the process. Deepen the groove and then vacuum or blow out all residue. Rescrape a 2nd time to insure a clean side surfaces. Mask topdeck on both sides of seam and apply Mr. Smith's penetrating epoxy sealer into seams...let sit for 20 minutes. Cut tube tip square and pull toward you. Use putty knife to force caulk into seams. Remove tape and avoid walking on new caulk for 24 hrs. It has been 2.5 years since caulking repair and still looks like new. Shipwright had used this product in past and recommends it
Answered on 06/16/2012 by BRIAN JOHNSONMy husband Roy says: I believe the idea of the tape is for the caulk not to stick to the deck, to allow for more expansion and contraction in the seam. But I've had really good results just filling the seam with the caulk, without the tape. Bearing in mind the teak is epoxied to the deck. This is the second time I have caulked my cockpit teak in 25 years, and the first application worked very well. I imagine it would be quite difficult to put down that tape, too.
Answered on 06/13/2012 by NICKY TODDI actually used it for an outdoor teak BBQ area in Carmel CA at a vacation home. It gets the same weather as a boat since our house is basically beachfront. Looks great and held up fine. Easy to apply. No issues at all.
Answered on 06/13/2012 by TOM CHRISTALThe thin tape is a "bond break" It keeps the caulking from adhering to the fiberglass/wood below and alowes the caulk to move withthe teak. from what I understad if the caulking sticks to the surface below its possable that it would pull away from the teak, hope this helps. at the time I redid my boat they also had a booklet that you could download that had much more info than the video. also check out fein multi tool, they had a bit that is made for removeing the old caulk. It was a lifesaver for me. Good Luck to you. Peter Caron
Answered on 06/14/2012 by PETER CARONHello The idea of that is so the caulk adheres to each side of the seam but not to the bottom of the seam. Supposedly tha
Answered on 06/13/2012 by KENNETH SIMPSONThis question is probably better answered by the manufacturer, but my understanding is that it allows the caulk to move with the slight torquing of the deck because it does not adhere to the bottom of the groove. My teak deck is very old - 1982 -and is thin in many places. I have skipped that step where that has been a problem to make sure the caulk is well seated. I have not had a problem in those locations where tape has not been used.
Answered on 06/12/2012 by JOHN KEEFEI omitted this step in my installation because I could not find any reason for it. My aft deck turned out great and I have had no issues with moisture penetration at all. No masking of edges was performed either, I just knifed off the excess and sand the deck clean.
Answered on 06/13/2012 by JAMES WATKINSIt acts as a "Bond Breaker" between the caulk and the teak. It allows for greater flexibility of the seam. It's a good thing!
Answered on 06/12/2012 by BRIAN TIMMINScan I use this on a mahogany chris craft ? has there been other people who've tried it on mahogany decks? Can you varnish over it?
Asked on 10/21/2011 by UndisclosedI am using it on teak decking so really do not know the answer WRT mahogany. I am quite pleased with the results on the teak seams. Sorry I cannot tell you more.
Answered on 10/21/2011 by KEVIN KEANSorry, cannot help. I used this on my teak deck and did not varnish over it. I would talk to the manufacturer directly.
Answered on 10/21/2011 by JAMES HALTERTDS will stick just fine to mahogany, though you won't get the traditional color constrast. I would not varnish over it since it remains rubbery so as the varnish ages and loses it's elasticity it will crack.
Answered on 10/21/2011 by RYAN MCCRILLISI used this caulk on a teak deck and used Cetol. I emailed the company and asked if it was ok with Cetol. They answered right away and said it was ok. Don't know about varnish. Suggest you email or call the factory
Answered on 10/21/2011 by FRANK RUGGIEREit works well on any wood but you cant varnish over it. it is siilicone and nothing sticks to it. try wiping coats of semco teak sealer on it. the rag applications wont leave marks on the black lines. joe MBY
Answered on 10/25/2011 by RONALD BAUMANI have used this caulking on teak and mahogany with very good results. I prefer white on the mahogany, and yes I have varnished over this product many times. The early chris craftt's had white with varnished decks. Good Luck.
Answered on 10/24/2011 by LARRY BUXTONI have used this on teak decks. I have not varnished over it. It is very stable a few days after drying does not seem to shrink or expand. It remains slightly springy and flexible. Hope this helps
Answered on 10/21/2011 by MICHAEL CARRINGTONMy first reaction is that it will work fine and perform well for years. One thing though, it has a high degree of chemical resistance and as such, not much sticks to it or affects it. I know that paint won't stick but could not vouch for a mahogany stain. The folks that could specifically answer that can be found listed on the back of the cartridge. Good luck.
Answered on 10/21/2011 by JOHN BLASKOIs teak decking system appropriate for topside hull seams in a wooden boat? Seams will be traditionally caulked with cotton then topped with 'rubber" and then painted with Interlux enamal. Thanks you
Asked on 08/11/2014 by peter WoodMy gut tells me it may not be the best idea. To putty hull seams you should use a compound that is formulated for that purpose. This stuff is for teak deck seams. Also, I'm not sure this product will hold paint very well but you may want to contact the manufacturer about that. Plus there are less expensive compounds. No matter what you do, always prime the seams before you putty.
Answered on 08/12/2014 by JAMES GRENIERDon't know. Only used on tradition teak deck seams over fiberglass. Call TDS they are very helpful.
Answered on 08/11/2014 by JAMES HALTERGreat Stuff. Used to do deck on my 50' sailboat. Very easy to work with. Teak has to be sanded and clean to get good adhesion. I didn't used anything other than teak oil to do deck after sealing. Lasts about 2 years max. I don't think any enamal will stick to the rubber surface. If you paint it I think you will end up with a mess!!!
Answered on 08/11/2014 by THOMAS SANDERI have never tried to paint the caulk with enamel. I used the caulk with teak wood only without paint. Rest assured the caulk is really a good quality product. It doesn't get soft over time.
Answered on 08/12/2014 by JOHN WONGDon't know if appropriate for planking
Answered on 08/12/2014 by JAMES JOHNSONI have a similar situation. I have a 37' wooden ketch with yellow cedar planking.I redid the seams last November, traditional cotton with the teak decking material on top. The hull is bright finished with Cetol Marine over the caulking. The boat has been in the water since, and I have not seen anything untoward happening. I do wonder about the Cetols retention over the teak for the long term, but so far it is working. I also did the deck, which is fir, and the cetol does come away in some of the heavy use areas such as in front of the companionway. I will post some results as time goes by. The boat is located in the west coast of BC so is exposed to the weather all winter.
Answered on 08/13/2014 by BARRY LONEYTeak decking system caulk has been a great product to use over the last 7 years. I have only used it to rework seams in my teak decks which have held up well when applied correctly. Not sure you can paint over it but it does adhere well to the oily teak deck and seems to stand up well to temperature changes, -10 in Rhode Island winter to 110+ California Delta summers. I always keep a few tubes around to touch up my 30 year old teak deck. The product shelf life seems to be greater than stated.
Answered on 08/12/2014 by CHAD MCNAMEECan this be used with Star Brite Tropical Teak oil? Also do you recommend taping the teak before applying the caulk? Over spill can be sanded off correct?
Asked on 07/18/2014 by Tabbetha LopezHi Tabbetha, I'm pleased with the product. I don't use any finish on my teak decks. I think that defeats the purpose of teak, low maintenance non-skid. I taped off each seam. Most decks are 1 7/8" wide so two layers off 1" tape make it easy. I used the cheapest tape as it's going to need to be taken off almost immediately. If you wait too long the edges of the caulk lift. The caulk is pretty tenacious and if you don't mask, you'll have a lot of sanding to do and if the deck's not perfectly flat, and none of them are, you'll have to sand for more hours than it takes to do the masking. I suggest reefing a 2'X2' section. Masking it, caulking and smoothing it and then immediately lift the tape. I found I could peel the tape in towards the center from both ends and the sides and not make a mess. Good luck, Dennis
Answered on 07/18/2014 by DR DENNIS WILCOXONYes, be sure to remove tape when caulk is still very pliable.
Answered on 07/18/2014 by JUDITH LYNN MEISSENCan't answer the question about that particular teak oil. I used Semco after I calked my deck. I have tried taping and not taping. I tape small runs but do not tape long runs. Need to evaluate whether or not you think taping time is effective. Sanding the produce works fairly well. Use 80 grit as suggested and make sure it is fully dry. Cptned
Answered on 07/18/2014 by CPTNED STRICKLERHi Tabbetha, I can't answer your question about Star Brite having never used it. I recommend masking the teak to minimize the black dust when sanding, just be sure to remove the tape before the caulking has dried completely or you may pull the caulk out of the grooves. Also you should put pin striping tape on the bottom of the groove so the caulk sticks to the sides and not the bottom causing it to separate from the sides during shrinkage. Hope this helps and good luck.
Answered on 07/18/2014 by PAUL SPELTZI dont oil Teak. For teak decks I seal with Semco. For filling teak deck, etc. grooves I carefully mask & tape before caulking and let the TDS rest for several hours and the pull the tape and allow the caulk to fully cure. I then use a very sharp chisel to 'plane' down the caulk to be flush with the teak, followed with a hand hand belt sander to clean any TDS that has embedded in the surface grain of the teak. The reason that level the caulk is to prevent any foot traffic from tearing the caulk loose from the sides of the grooves of teak deck strakes. I then bleach the deck with oxalic acid, rinse well and let dry. (After full drying, I then apply Semco (natural) ... just before nightfall so that the Semco has a longer penetration time into the teak for better and longer service life of the sealing. )
Answered on 07/18/2014 by RICHARD HAMPELI can't answer the question about the teak oil as I never use oil on teak decks. I see no reason it wouldn't be compatible but I don't use oil on the decks as it just attracts dirt. I do not tape off the teak when using SIS440. I use a hooked scraper first and then sand. Works quite well. Jon Davis Davis Boat Works
Answered on 07/18/2014 by DAVIS BOAT WORKSTeak oil is not advised. Just attracts dirt. Don't use it. Absolutely yes to taping before caulking. If you don't you will have a huge mess. After it's dry(48 hours) you can sand it evenly.
Answered on 07/18/2014 by JAMES CRAWFORDis this product suitable for caulking between teak and fiberglass?
Asked on 06/12/2012 by g MACI never used the product. I still have tubes but never needed to use it.
Answered on 06/18/2012 by JAMES DIDONATOI have only used this as caulking betwen Teak planks on wooden boats. I have never caulked from a Teak plank up to a fiberglass edge. The product has good adhesion to Teak so I think it would adhere well to fiberglass with appropriate prep. John
Answered on 06/13/2012 by JOHN STONEYes
Answered on 06/12/2012 by CHRIS MCGREAVYSuitable for caulking between teak and fiberglass on edges where they meet. I would not recommend it for a bedding compound for teak strips or planks over a fiberglass deck, unless it is a small area.. Teak planks should be bedded in resin and screwed to the fiberglass, then seam-sealed with TeakDecking caulk. Wait a week or so before sanding the joints, the material works great!
Answered on 06/12/2012 by ETTA R HEWETTYup.
Answered on 06/12/2012 by PAT TILSONI used this product to replace all the seams on my teak deck. The product worked very well and did the job. I have also used this with fiberglass and so far everything has worked well. The jamestown folks know there products and are quite helpfull. This is a good product
Answered on 06/12/2012 by MICHAEL DIMITRUKHow do you keep the router bit in the seam?
Asked on 06/11/2012 by George BennettWhen I replaced caulking on my teak deck, I did not use a router to remove the old caulking. Everything that I had read about using a router was bad. I have a Fein Multitool that I used to remove the old caulking. Fein also has the caulk removing bits. They are very expensive, but I found that they are worth every penny. Jamestown sells the Fein tool and attachments, but I did not get mine through Jamestown. I was amazed at how well the tool remained within the grove between the teak decking. If you just used moderate pressure, and did not force the tool, it quickly removed the old caulk without any damage to the teak itself. I did use the caulking sold by Jamestown. It worked very well. Just take your time taping the teak so that the caulking does not go where you don't want it.
Answered on 06/12/2012 by GERALD NEILRouter bits are too hard to keep in a seam or even to make a jig for so I used a skill saw that has two blades to make the thickness of the seam. If needed, I used shims to make the width. The depth of the skill saw was set just to clean out the seam to the depth needed to hold the caulk. I free-handed it through the caulk seams by using the guide on the saw. This worked really well for me. When I couldn't use this to get close to a certain place, I used a wood chisel and a multi-tool to get it out.
Answered on 06/12/2012 by EUGENE LINDBLOMYou can make a special base for the router with a nib that will fit in the seam that has been started to be reefed to keep the router in line. Alternatively you can tack a batten through an adjacent seam set to the right distance from the seam you are reefing. If you use a slightly dull router bit you may be able to freehand it as the dull bit will cut the softer caulk but resist cutting into the teak.
Answered on 06/12/2012 by ROBERT EGERGood question! I only did the router on a few seems. While it did make the seam more uniform, it was very difficult to control since you are not at eye level. I had the best luck using a razor knife to cut along both sides of the seams and then pulling out the caulk with a hooked tool. The hot knife worked well, too but the blade is so sharp that it would also take a slice out of the teak. Hope this helps! John Loving
Answered on 06/12/2012 by JOHN LOVINGI did not use a router to remove the caulk in the seams. I used the electric heat gun for removing the caulk. It has a knife- like tip which becomes very hot and it softens the caulk so that you can easily remove it from the seams. You just push it along slowly and it will remove the caulk. Lastly I used the special wood sanding blocks, which holds the sandpaper vertically, and I push it back and forth to clean the wood on the sides of the seams so that there is clean fresh wood for the caulk to adhere to. Do not forget to use the material on the bottom of the seam to prevent the caulk from adhering to the bottom of the joint. Caulk should adhere to sides only so that the wood and caulk can expand and contract together. Hope this helps! Paul.
Answered on 06/16/2012 by PAUL MUSKETTGeorge, I can't answer your specific question. I wasn't able to use a router on my deck. Every plank was on a curve and I didn't want to remove the toe rail to provide enough room for a guide. I did try a dremel tool on a base but gave up on that. I ended up cutting all the old material out with a box knife then sanding with 80 grit sandpaper, then using a solvent to clean the residue, coated the inside seams with shellac. Mine is a laid deck, not sitting on plywood, so I also had to recaulk with cotton wicking before taping it all off and pumping the goop in. I will say that I had used other brands of both one-part and two-part polysulfides and the this brand was by far the easiest to use and even did well blending in on some areas I left older goop in. Wear gloves when working this stuff and use enough force to push all the bubbles out. Lastly, this company is great about customer service. call them up and they will help you out. Good luck.
Answered on 06/12/2012 by JAMES GRENIERI need to re-caulk my deck, the weather right now is over 100 degrees, should I wait until cooler weather maybe this fall or can I apply the caulk during evening hours and let it cure over night? During the day I still expect it to be somewhere between 90 and 100 degrees.
Asked on 07/25/2016 by UndisclosedI would wait until the temperature of the deck is below 90 deg F. The product label says temperature needs to be between 40 and 90 deg F. If the deck temperature is above 90, especially in the tropics, it may cause the caulk to bubble out of the seam as you lay it down.
Answered on 07/25/2016 by GEORGE THORseams need to be clean and dry. after i caulk the seam i run my finger down the seam, use latex gloves. after the caulk cures a bit i run a putty knife down the seam i like to tape both sides of the seams, makes clean up easier.
Answered on 07/27/2016 by MICHAEL J GRAYGreat product. Have installed it in 90 to 100 degree summer heat. Flows nice and sets up just fine. Need to work fast or it glazes over quickly. Have had some installed for 5 years and it is holding up well.
Answered on 07/25/2016 by CHAD MCNAMEEI would refer to mfg. for answer
Answered on 07/25/2016 by hugo lernerHi I have recalled the teak decks on 2 yachts in summer in Georgia using this product. It went off too quick in the middle of the day so that time was used for preparation. ..it was in the 70's and early 80's so 100 degrees F will definitely be too hot. Early morning and late evening is best but you need a large fan pointing at you to keep the no-see-ums at bay!
Answered on 07/25/2016 by BRUCE BLAYNEYI have a Grand Banks 46 classic .How much product will I require to complete this project?
Asked on 11/22/2015 by Rod SheppardRod, That is a great question and the answer depends on how much caulking you plan on replacing. If you are only doing a small area, like I was, I used very little. If you are recaulking your the entire teak deck I would not venture a guess. I recommend that you call Teak Decking Systems in Florida and ask them the same question. Have a great holiday. tom little
Answered on 11/23/2015 by THOMAS LITTLEI have a CHB 34 and I used 45 tubes I would think that you would be looking at around twice as much. A LOT Depends on how how thick the Teek on the deck is. Its a big job but worth the effort. Gary
Answered on 11/22/2015 by GARY TUCKERThis is a great product ! Obviously, you'll need several tubes, BUT, consider buying 1 tube, time the project's consumption of that tube, and then order a number of Teakdecking caulks to complete the next phase of work. It is time that limits your purchase. Some people will restore the deck in sections over a long period, BUT the Teakdecking caulk does not have a long shelf life. Open a tube, use it within two or three days. I have heard reports of Unopened tubes being wrapped in aluminum foil, refrigerated, or kept in a cool, dark space in order to extend shelf life. Knowing your work schedule will allow you to order fresh tubes and not be caught with a hardened un-opened caulk that has been sitting around neglected for a few months. This is the only teak deck caulk I use. It is great stuff!
Answered on 11/23/2015 by BRUCE FRANZWithout more info impossible to answer your question. I did a Hudson 50 sailboat and used a lot, probably around 25 tubes. After two years of work and still more leaks than when I started I got rid of the teak. I tore up about $40,000 worth of tesk and put down a nice fiberglass deck. Painted it, striped it and No leaks!!! Looks great. I now have a functional boat where I can spend time cruising rather than working on teak decking. Hudson 50 Seute Deern Sailboat & crew.
Answered on 11/22/2015 by THOMAS SANDERBy signing into your account, you represent that you have read and agree to our Terms and our Privacy Policy