Fake Teak on 38XX Swim Platform-gctid349422

dmcb wrote:
Found your post Mike but all I get for pics is the dreaded red X. Something I want to do but I am concerned about a templet. What did you use for that?

The migration to the new forum rearranged all the photo albums so the links broke. I'll send you an email this weekend with photos.

You have a number of choices re templating. You can make a full-scale template out of paper or similar. I found acetate is best because you can see through it and trace every curve and edge perfectly. With the full-scale template you then build the entire section on a bench or floor, and glue it together as one piece. This worked well for me, 'cause I was on the hard and could manage large pieces. My swim platform main section was more than 5'x15' and pretty heavy too.

Another option is to apply the "planks" one at a time. This might be best for you Doug; you simply take the materials with you for the summer and work a little each day on it, cutting, trimming and gluing down as many planks as you feel like doing. This way you always have somewhere to work so you're not on freshly glued decking. Stepping on it carefully is fine, but if you're moving around a lot, it can squirm and squish out of place.

On a swim platform, you'd do the perimeter one day, then install 1/2 the field inside the perimeter one day, then the last 1/2. Then do the hatches in the cockpit, then the cockpit sole, then the stairs to the bridge deck, then the bridge deck. Then the side decks. Then the foredeck.

:go-:go-:go-

[MidnightSun]

Well this stuff is what I am installing. This is the same stuff installed on my PWC which is dark brown in colour and really no heat can be felt even after baking in the sun all day. I do have experience with the faux teak on friends boats and no way would I ever put that on mine as yes it is too hot to stay on on a very warm sunny day. http://www.seadek.com/default.aspx

Windsong, thanks for sharing the results of your field test. Based on that story, I'm striking this particular product off the list. Does anybody know details of the other product Woodsong mentioned that won't cook feet in the southern sun?

[dmcb]

whiskywizard wrote:
I installed Plasteak on my swim platform and steps. There are pics in the project gallery http://"http://baylinerownersclub.or...e: <br /> here. I was installing a dinghy roller system at teh same time so you'll see those pics intermingled.

After living with the Plasteak for a season I posted again with my feelings. They were:

"Before launch this season I installed PlasDECK Plasteak on my swim platform. Some BOCers asked me to report back on it after it had seen some real use. So here it is:

• Traction - excellent. This stuff is grippier wet than it is dry.
• Bare-foot comfort - excellent. It has a bit of give and feels good under foot. You can now kneel on the swim platform and couldn't before (Tiara's non-skid is very pointy).
• Dirt/stain resistance - excellent. Everything we got on there rinsed right off. That included blue 2-stoke premix oil.
• Heat - it gets much hotter than white gel coat. On one really hot sunny day it got hot enough that we all talked about it. Not quite so hot that you couldn't walk on it comfortably, but close. I'd think twice if I were in the south. My daughter and her friends all loved laying on it to warm up after swimming.

Looks - pretty subjective but I like the looks. It doesn't look quite like real teak but it's close. I have had dozens of compliments and I think they were genuine. But who knows."

For somebody in BC or PNW, the warmth would be great, and not something to avoid. Texas, Florida - yes.

Found your post Mike but all I get for pics is the dreaded red X. Something I want to do but I am concerned about a templet. What did you use for that?

[Woodsong]

I can tell you, beyond a shadow of a doubt, if you are in the south, I would strongly advise against putting synthetic teak on any areas that get sun exposure due to how hot it gets. It doesn't get just hot- it gets so hot it will burn your feet.

Ducksoup- we had friends that had it on the swim platform of their Carver 396 on Lanier. I always thought it looked nice when walking by on the docks. That stopped once they rafted up with us one weekend when I was still on lanier. I literally almost burned my feet silly when I jumped from my boat to theirs. He literally had to have a bucket handy to throw water on it before it was comfortable to walk on. As nice as it looks, there is no way I would put it on a boat in the south. Someone told me they recently came out with a synthetic teak that does not absorb heat but I have not seen it.

A good alternative for southern boaters may be to do a teak/holly looking exterior carpet. We put this on the swim platform of our Monk 36 trawler and loved it (gaps in the real teak platform were too far apart and the kids and dog kept getting their toes stuck in it). We had a guy local in our marina in Chattanooga do it- loved it. Picture attached of it. We are going to have him install some on the sole of our cockpit on our "new" 4550 asap. We probably won't do it on our swim platform as we plan on storing our kayak there but we'll see.

Attached files [img]/media/kunena/attachments/vb/652385=24523-DSCF9386.jpg[/img]

Well, I have to say that news bummed me out. We've been talking about adding one of the faux teak products to our swim platform for awhile, but we're in the deep South and the heat retention properties sound like a deal breaker.

I installed Plasteak on my swim platform and steps. There are pics in the project gallery here. I was installing a dinghy roller system at teh same time so you'll see those pics intermingled.

After living with the Plasteak for a season I posted again with my feelings. They were:

"Before launch this season I installed PlasDECK Plasteak on my swim platform. Some BOCers asked me to report back on it after it had seen some real use. So here it is:

• Traction - excellent. This stuff is grippier wet than it is dry.
• Bare-foot comfort - excellent. It has a bit of give and feels good under foot. You can now kneel on the swim platform and couldn't before (Tiara's non-skid is very pointy).
• Dirt/stain resistance - excellent. Everything we got on there rinsed right off. That included blue 2-stoke premix oil.
• Heat - it gets much hotter than white gel coat. On one really hot sunny day it got hot enough that we all talked about it. Not quite so hot that you couldn't walk on it comfortably, but close. I'd think twice if I were in the south. My daughter and her friends all loved laying on it to warm up after swimming.

Looks - pretty subjective but I like the looks. It doesn't look quite like real teak but it's close. I have had dozens of compliments and I think they were genuine. But who knows."

For somebody in BC or PNW, the warmth would be great, and not something to avoid. Texas, Florida - yes.

[cosmo777]

Plastic teak has a reputation for absorbing heat and getting so hot in the sun, that you need shoes to stand on it.

Take a look at someone else's installation and in the sun before making a final decision.

[Vic_Stewart]

I'd get some plugs and fill the holes....make it like a decoration. Teak is Teak...plastic teak is not teak.

Just my pennies worth.

Vic

Ft Myers, Fl

[Johnny_Vintage]

Has anyone out there put that fake teak on the swim platform? Mine has so many holes in it from previous davits systems, I'd really like to fix it up. I've seen it on some of the newer boats and I think it looks pretty good.