Synthetic Teak Decking

Hi,

These guys seem to have the market cornered on the bigger boats.

I know of two using it who rave about it- foredecks and tender garages.

http://www.bolidt.com/root_uk/actueel/fa.show_133_bolidtinsoverzicht?&breedte=1280&hoogte=607

for some reason i cant' get much info on that site...

my gripe about the fake stuff is the price... 40, 50, $60 a square foot for plastic? i cant' get over it... the real stuff is cheaper although requires more upkeep.

Hi,

They do seem to be having some shortcomings with the site today.

They quote a poured surface for between 15 Euro and 450 Euro a Sq M depending upon thickness and finish.

The two boats I have seen it used outside on had a teak like finish which was evidently sanded into the finished product then grooves were routed and caulking added. It feels like teak to walk around on in bare feet and according to one guy I know who is on a boat using it it is a pleasure to clean and look after. There is no need for Teak Cleaners etc for the areas using this type of decking material.

Cheaper? I don't know about that. The last time I talked with Teak Decking Systems they wanted $110 per square foot for a new teak deck. And that was a couple of years ago. And since then the price of teak has done nothing but gone up and up.

i had found teak decking planks last year at around $10 a sq ft, obviously plus install...

http://www.worldpanel.com/proddetail.asp?prod=STdecking&from=3

for smaller surfaces, this comes to around $30 a sq ft, in ready to install sheets, with the caulking between planks. the sheets aren't ideal for long decks because of curving, but woudl work well for cockpits, aft decks, flybridges, etc...

I have Flexiteek 45mm white on my 31 Chris Craft engine hatch deck area. I'm quite happy with the results and I think it looks great with my existing teak covering boards. It cost around $75/sq ft installed. It does get warm in the sun, but not too warm to walk on in bare feet. Curiously enough, the original Chris Craft dark beige color on the lower aft deck area does get too hot to walk on.

Yeah, but they are only 8mm or less than a third of an inch thick. Kind of thin for a deck. Not a lot of wood to work with as it wears down. Plus, as you noted, they are not curved.

Teak Decking's panels are a min. of 12mm and go up to 22mm. And come curved if you want.

Heck a good teck deck used to be 5/8 or thicker.

But that old $110 per square foot price was for a custom cut deck, installed as I recall.

One caution. I used to work a boat that had the fake teak coming from the bow, down the sides and then meeting real teak at the quarters into the stern. It looked terrible. Impossible to get the real teak to anything close to the color so it just looked like someone cheaped out. It works for boats under about 45', but I don't like the look on more serious yachts except in places like mentioned before (tender garage, etc.). Just a matter of taste. It does get a bit hot underfoot, but for easy of maintenance it has it hands down over teak. That said, well cared for teak catches a lot of attention.

No doubt. Flexiteek works best on late model fiberglass small craft. On a larger yacht with crew to maintain her- it should be the genuine article. Real teak decking and trimmings all the way.

You must admit though, the PVC stuff sure does dress up a plastic deck and platform!

"You must admit though, the PVC stuff sure does dress up a plastic deck and platform!"

Absolutely. I recently worked a boat show where we had a 45' express style rigged out to the max. It had the Flexteak from the swimplatform through to the helm. Very sharp, especially since she had tan-ish accent colors. There's nothing like real wood though.

Your thoughts on fake teak are certainly valid. However, I think the Flexiteek is an improvement over non-skid. It sure changes the look of this Regal 4460. For most owner maintained boats, Flexiteek is a good choice.

Can anybody speak to staining, fading, cutting or turning brittle with age?

Hi,

I have been told by a guy who has it on the foredeck and in the Tender Garage of a yacht that it does not stain and cleans like cleaning the outside of the boat with normal cleaning products.

I guess it is going to have to wait for time to tell if the Bolidt System I linked to above has any shortcoming or other issues outlined in your post NYCAP.

Based upon the recommendation I received from the guy with it on his foredeck and tender garages I am recommending it to an Owner for the same locations now.

I keep hearing stories of it coming unglued over time in the S.Fl. and Caribbean sun and heat like Treadmaster did. Anybody seen that?

I have never heard of Flexiteek coming un-glued on its own. In fact, I recently spoke to a guy who had to take a section of Flexiteek up off the deck of his Jersey sportfish. He needed to replace a fuel tank that was below. This guy and his father worked with hammers and chisels for the better part of a week. He said it was quite a task. They got the deck panel up, undamaged. He plans to glue the Flexiteek decking back down after the tank replacement.

Some of the other boat owner installed, do-it-yourself decking products may be having installation failures. That would not be a surprise.

"This guy and his father worked with hammers and chisels for the better part of a week."

Hammers and chisels on a fiberglass deck? Glad it worked out, but I'd have been more inclined to use heat, an adhesive remover and patience.

Hi,

Just to make it clear the product I am talking about here is a completely poured and screeded product. There is nothing glued to any substrata except the steel deck, it is around 20mm thick in the applications I have seen.

The guy who has given me his thoughts and experiences with it also says it is easy to repair if mechanically damaged.

The boats I have seen it on and had a report back about are yachts over 250' with steel hulls and decks. (up to Maindeck anyway)

That doesn't sound like the same stuff. The stuff pictured I believe comes in a sheet. What you're describing sounds like a substitute for non-skid.