History of Teak on Boats

For as long as we know, teak has served as a hard, durable, maintainable timber for yachting, sailing, and fishing boats alike. Known as the safest deck surface available, the beauty of teak is that it can be treated or finished in a variety of ways for different needs and purposes. It can be sealed raw with a water-based sealer to keep the natural non-slip surface for teak decking or it can be coated with epoxy and varnish for an elegant and luxurious trim work known as brightwork on yachts.

Originally teak was used to build entire ships but as the prized timber became more expensive and rare, teak found its perfect use as trim, brightwork, and boat decking. What makes teak such an ideal wood for its use on the water is its high content of silica and oil, which makes teak extremely weather resistant. Its tight grain creates high tensile strength and its characteristics create a resistance to rot, fungi and mildew. Teak furniture is great for outdoor patio’s and boat decks for these same reasons.

Teak decking naturally forms a non-slip surface, again making it the ideal wood for multiple boating and yachting applications. Teak can be used for the aft bulkhead, decking, toe rails, cockpit, cockpit coamings, bridge cap rail, and for the helm pod.

Whether you want to keep your teak raw and treat it with an oil/sealer or you choose to varnish your teak for that glossy glow, the work is a delicate and careful process. Teak Works will always put quality first. We use only the highest grade products and tools and all work will be performed by an experienced teak technician.

Teak cleaning, teak sanding, teak deck refinishing, teak varnishing, and teak sealing should only be done by experienced professionals. Teak Works is your south Florida local expert in marine teak refinishing.