Restoring teak steps

[Hydrotherapy7]

I have a 2008 340 Sundancer. The steps going down into the cabin are Teak. The steps are stained. The stains look like water marks. Has anyone restored teak steps?

 

[sbw1]

If they are solid teak, yes, they can be refinished. If they are some sort of synthetic material or a thin veneer over plywood you may be out of luck. The step treads on my Tiara are made from 3/4" solid teak finished with polyurethane. The finish is very robust and still looks like new. I would suggest using a similar finish if they are solid wood.

 

[dvx216]

Any finish besides an oil will over time push off due to the oils in the teak. There's a bunch of teak cleaners on the market . You can try Vinegar or lemons and salt make a paste use that and wipe off with a damp rag let the wood dry and finish it with Tung oil or something similar.

 

[sbw1]

Any finish besides an oil will over time push off due to the oils in the teak. There's a bunch of teak cleaners on the market . You can try Vinegar or lemons and salt make a paste use that and wipe off with a damp rag let the wood dry and finish it with Tung oil or something similar.

This is really a common misconception. Many builders use teak for trim and apply multiple coats of high gloss varnish or polyurethane to it. Of course the nice thing with teak is you can do nothing to it other than keep it clean. Some people prefer that look. Oil, as you point out works as well. Tiara uses polyurethane in a mat finish that lasts years with no maintenance other than wiping it down with a damp rag.

 

[sbw1]

this is a photo of teak finished in high gloss polyurethane on the left and in mat finish on the steps. These finishes have held up for 17 years with no apparent wear.

 

[boatman37]

There is a guy on the Rinker forum that makes really nice looking replacement steps for Rinkers using a CNC. I'm betting if you sent him yours he could replicate them. Here is a link to his FB page > https://www.facebook.com/RinkerCustomSteps

And here is his steps on the Rinker forum > https://rinkerboats.vanillacommunities.com/discussion/7336/new-cabin-steps#latest

 

[Henry Boyd]

Here is exterior teak that has been in service for 12 seasons. We had it refinished over the winter. It was stripped and sanded down to bare wood, then resealed with diluted Epiphanes and slowly recoated with nine follow on coats with the dilution reduced until the final coats were straight varnish. And since the removal labor was about equal to the coating labor, I would say the notion that the only thing that will stick to teak is oil clearly an old wives tale. That also tracks with my own experience building teak boat tables and cup holders.

 

[boatman37]

Here is exterior teak that has been in service for 12 seasons. We had it refinished over the winter. It was stripped and sanded down to bare wood, then resealed with diluted Epiphanes and slowly recoated with nine follow on coats with the dilution reduced until the final coats were straight varnish. And since the removal labor was about equal to the coating labor, I would say the notion that the only thing that will stick to teak is oil clearly an old wives tale. That also tracks with my own experience building teak boat tables and cup holders.

View attachment 113218 View attachment 113219

That looks great. When we had our 1986 250DA I used to re-do the teak every winter but it never looked that good. It was a pain to keep it looking good but like yours, when it is done nothing looks better