Clear Awlgrip Over Teak ?

[solanderi]

While perusing another boating site I came across someone who was selling his boat and he wrote that he had cleaned up the teak and then painted over it with clear awlgrip. Has anybody heard of that or want to comment on it. Just my eternal search for a better way to skin the cat. Thanks,

Greg
1985 45C
Hat Time
N. Bay Village, FL

 

[Boatsb]

I did that on Egg Harbors in NY and it looked great. With the heat and the Florida sun I would be betting it would last maybe a year two tops and the work involved is far more prep than varnish.

We would clean the teak and sand it before washing the oils out with acetone.

 

[captddis]

It has been used for a long time and it lasts. You have to put a base on the wood first, usually varnish or epoxy. I am doing a set of rails with 5 coats of West epoxy with the 207 hardener and 2 coats of clear. Then recoating the clear once a year. Most have gone to Awlbrite which is made for wood. I have Awlbrite over epoxy on my nameboards for 4 years now and still looks new. Either way it is a lot of work.There is no magic solution.

 

[Brian Degulis]

Over epoxy it works fine the clear Awlgrip has the UV filters in it. The Awlbright plus works just as well and is easier to brush on. Both of these products are much harder than varnish which is a plus for areas that are subject to wear (steps) but a negative in areas that are subject to movement (joints) because it has a tendency to crack.

Brian

 

[Maynard Rupp]

The clear Awlgrip that has been available for 30 years has no UV inhibitors. Maybee some are confusing some other Awlgrip products. The clear is just like the pigmented paint without the pigment. It is great as a tough and durable interior finish. I use Bristol Finish which is a similar product to clear Awlgrip but is loaded with UV inhibitors.

 

[REBrueckner]

One check whether your teak is in good enough condition for top coating is to observe the way the teak dries when the surface is wet...if you notice after a rain or cleaning that portions of some joints and or screw plugs are the last to dry,moisture along edges of planks,etc, then you know there is some moisture down there....that is NOT a situation you want to cover with a top coating because the joint material is loose and the top coating is guaranteed to crack there and readmit moisture. That's the weak spot and you are fooling yourself to think a top coating will cure it. Those sections need to be reseamed first and given plenty of time for the seam material to cure.

While teak is a relatively stable wood, coating it and getting more than a season without flaws is NOT (NOT) easy to accomplish on an older boat.

 

[solanderi]

Thank you for the replies.

Greg
1985 45C
Hat Time
N. Bay Village, FL

 

[Brian Degulis]

The clear Awlgrip that has been available for 30 years has no UV inhibitors. Maybee some are confusing some other Awlgrip products. The clear is just like the pigmented paint without the pigment. It is great as a tough and durable interior finish. I use Bristol Finish which is a similar product to clear Awlgrip but is loaded with UV inhibitors.

Clear Awlgrip is now and always has been loaded with UV inhibitors. It's intended for use as a clear coat over Awlgrip finishes if it had no UV protection it wouldn't work. Bristol finish is overpriced crap all marketing and no product.


Brian