Varnish Teak?

[xstarman]

I have a 2005 Mastercraft X-Star and I am tired of working putting teak oil on my platform. The platform looks great for a couple of weeks then it gets dull and grey. I would like to put a coat of varnish on my teak but I heard good and bad things about this. Any thoughts?

Joe

[G_dog88]

My buddy varnished his platform and had to pay a wood shop to sand all the varnish off. Said he was told never to varnish teak a little to late!

[wholesalemarine]

xstarman,

Wholesale Marine in the past would have agreed with G_Dog88 and never recommended varnishing teak it is a recipe for disaster. We have had very good reviews with Interlux's Cetol product it looks like a varnish when applied.
Here is what they have to say about the product.

It is flexible allowing for the natural expansion and contraction of wood which prevents Cetol Marine from cracking. Cetol Marine is also micro-porous allowing moisture to escape from the wood which will prevent blistering and flaking of the finish. This allows Cetol Marine to provide a protective shell that is unaffected by the normal expansion, contraction and breathing of wood. Cetol Marine in addition contains synthetic transparent iron oxide pigments, which shields wood against damaging UV rays. It is these pigments that give Cetol Marine its attractive distinguished appearance. It is an easy to apply low maintenance alternative to wood oils and other wood treatments with an attractive, translucent finish has been specially formulated with one goal in mind to protect wood and keep it looking beautiful throughout the season with the least amount of maintenance possible.

Thanks,
Wholesale Marine
.

[Sundancer]

My neighbor used Cetol on his boat a couple years ago and loved it. I was going to use it on some patio furniture, but I couldn't find it locally.

[Confidence II]

We have used Cetol on our teak cockpit seating and cabin entrance with much success.

[21WhalerOutrage]

I actually used Cetol on the deck at our last house. The inital cost was on the high side, but the deck looked like it was just stained six years after the fact. Sikkens is hands down better than Thompson's and the like. They really aren't even in the same ball park.