Teak in this sun: sand it, oil it, or leave it grey?
Every owner asks. The honest answer depends on how thick the deck still is.
Measure before you decide
Teak wears with every sanding. Before any advice, we measure what is left with a depth gauge at a few plugs. Above about 5 mm you have options. Below it, you are choosing between living with grey and replacing the deck.
In short
- Silver-grey teak is not damaged teak. Left alone and washed with salt water, it lasts longest.
- Oiling looks good for weeks in this sun, then needs doing again. It also feeds mould in the seams.
- Sanding is the last resort, not routine maintenance.
What we recommend to most owners
Wash with salt water and a soft brush across the grain, never a pressure washer, and keep the caulking sound. Recaulk when seams lift. Sand only when the surface is genuinely rough, and only after measuring.
Need this done on your boat?
Teak decks
Measured first, then sanded, recaulked or replaced.