Subject: Rotten teak & holly sole & outside teak
Date: Wed, 10 Feb 1999I'm an avid varnish-snob. I hate the look of Cetol & can barely tolerate Armada. I actually enjoy varnishing but we just bought a Crealock 37 with long teak grabrails, caprails & rubrails. I've seen your website & talked with a few people who've used the CPES system but have never actually seen what it looks like close up. I'm hesitant to apply something that's so permanent if I've never seen the outcome. Do you have pictures (which I couldn't find on your website) which would show a little more detail or a sample of teak you could send me?
No samples, but CPES applied to teak has exactly the same color result as a coat of clear varnish -- slight darkening and highlighting of the grain patterns.
I would like to apply varnish over the CPES, how long does it last? I live in Portland, Oregon so we have similar weather conditions. I can get away with only applying once a year on regularly varnished wood. Do you still have to reapply every year to keep the UVs up? What if I get a chip out of the varnish? Just touch up that spot, right?
Hey! I thought you were a varnish-snob :>) ? You can apply CPES to teak and as long as you don't build it up with multiple coats it will give the wood a dull, enhanced appearance. Varnish with the UV chemistry applied over will protect the CPES-epoxy from UV degradation. CPES acts as a primer-coat for varnish -- the varnish can go on full strength over the CPES. The result will look like standard varnished teak. Subsequent vanish maintenance is standard, as you suggested. And yes, yearly application is generally necessary for top appearance.
If you think you want to do this, it might be something you should test somewhere to make sure you are happy with the result. Cheap scraps of teak are usually available at the larger marine stores.
The boat we bought also has a couple rotten spots on the cabin sole (teak & holly). The major problem was rot from water but then apparently some bugs got in there. Will your product stop the advancement of the bugs? Should we rip out the whole sole so they don't spread?
The CPES will follow all the destructive paths that the bugs have created and completely saturate the deteriorated wood with epoxy. CPES application would be a good move in this instance. You can varnish over the CPES or just apply some more every once in a while to keep appearance up. The varnish does keep dirt from being ground into the wood. If you use CPES alone, for the cleanest and smoothest surface result, we suggest you apply CPES and then after about 15-20 minutes wipe down the surface with a clean, lint-free rag. This will smooth out the appearance, since different parts of the wood absorb CPES in varying amounts and without wiping the results sometimes appear mottled.
I appreciate any response you can give. Thanks!
LaDonna
LaDonna,
Have I been of any help to you? The Crealock 37 is a nice sailing and well built boat -- have fun! And come back if I can answer any more questions.
Doc