Monthly Archives: July 2017

Teakwood is rich in color and timeless on your boat or garden. Teak wood is treasured as the best suited wood for use aboard boats, as decking on ships and as the choice material for premier outdoor furniture.

However these uses present the harshest of environments.  Over time the sun and weather will cause surface erosion leading to discoloration, mildew, graying etc….

Many people enter our shop with the question how to prevent the teak will go grey without working day and night on the boat cleaning it?

There are a variety of “teak oils” on the market for the protection of teak, these usually consist of linseed or tung oil mixed with mineral spirits.  When first applied to the wood these oils impart a nice finish to the wood, but left outdoors teak oils wear away in weeks and requires re-coating.  With each re-coat the oiled finish becomes darker and the surface becomes sticky and collects dirt.  The organic waste from these oils provides a wonderful garden patch for the growth of mold and mildrew.  In a very short period of time the wood requires a complete re-cleaning.

Varnish, polyurethane and polymer finishes apply a coating to the wood that will eventually be pushed off by the natural teak oil coming to the surface. The owner is then faced with the major job of stripping and sanding the teak before re-finishing.

If teak has been allowed to weather, the grey and any mildew must be removed before finishing the wood.  The cleaning process is harsh on the wood and may contribute to a rough surface if repeated many times.

When teak is newly milled or has been sanded with a mechanical sander the heat from those processes will burnish or polish the natural oils in the wood.  The dust created from sanding teak is very fine and oily, and it will clog the pores of the wood.  These two phenomena cause the “waxy” feeling the wood has when it is new.  This burnished oil and dust must be removed piror to finishing. The finish will not soak into the burnished areas and the dust will absorb the finish and eventually be washed away causing a blotchy appearance.

To clean weathered teak, Carpintero Naval Patrick Klee offers SEMCO Two Part Teak Cleaner.  This product is easy to use and will produce dramatic results.

To preserve the teak in its natural color for an extended period of time, we are proud to offer SEMCO Teak Sealer, SEMCO Teak Sealer is a solvent based teak finish with water like viscosity containing pigments, midewide, UV inhibitors and moisture protection.  SEMCO does not contain silicone, varnish, polymers or exotic oils.

When SEMCO Teak Sealer is properly applied to teak, the wood will look as if it has nothing on it, yet it will not turn gray or support the growth of mildew.  Surface soil can be washed away with mild detergent, and with seasonal recoating the teak will be preserved in its natural state for many years.

If you still have doubts about our work please look at our last project photo (Before and after Semco cleaning and sealing). We cleaned and 2 x sealed this deck. For the coming 6 months there will be no maintenance necessary. After 6 months we will have check on this deck. When the first few grey small spots will disappear (Between 6 months and a year, depends on the weather conditions and cleanings you have done on the deck) we won’t need to clean it again and 2x seal your deck again. We will only have to seal it with one coat for the next 6 months.

For more information about cleaning and sealing your deck (or your terras) please pass by our shop or call us. We will pass by your boat or garden to check the status of the wood. We will do a test so you can right away see the result and offer you a quote to clean and seal your deck.

Important is that if we clean and seal your deck you can’t be walking on your deck for 3 days! So off season will be the right time to do this or during the week…the weekends are of course to enjoy your boat!

Let me remind you of our winter rebate! When you will treat your deck between October and April we will give you a 10% rebate on all working hours!

Hope to see you soon in our shop, have a great summer!

Patrick and Brenda

Carpintero Naval Patrick Klee
Avnd. Joan Fuster 2B
03700 Denia (Alicante)

Mobile: +34 699 525 407 (Patrick Klee)
Shop: +34 685 125 586 (Brenda Ketel)

Opening hours: Monday till Saturday from 9.30-13.30 hours!

Gone Sailing…. | Patrick Klee | Pulse | LinkedIn