Hi guys! I have a Najad 380 with a glued original teak deck. However I am having a hard time keeping it clean. There is lots of dark gray/black markings that form on the deck, and light wood fibers seem to erode at a rate that does not seem normal. I have tried using boracol several times to get rid of algae but it does not help against the gray/black stuff. Is there any advice you could give? Is boracol bad for the health of my teak?
Thanks for your question! Sorry for the delay in response. We know we had response issues and have fixed that procedure. We hope we can still help you with your situation. Without seeing some pictures of your deck it isn't easy to give much advice, but I can tell you that Boracol is a very strong chemical normally used only in commercial settings. It cannot be imported into the US as it is classed as an insecticide, and we do not recommend its use on our caulk as it is one of the very few chemicals that can attack the binders in the SIS440, causing excessive black “rub-off”. It would be best to see some pictures of your deck to best assist you, if you’d like to send it is products@teakdecking.com, attention Jeff. At this point its possible that a light sand-out may be in order, and if the stains you are seeing are mold/mildew/algae then you may have to treat your deck with a mild bleach solution to see if that helps. You need a cup of bleach in a gallon of water, and be sure to rinse well. We have some of our mold/mildew preventers left, which will stop the growth from returning, but when our supply is gone, the manufacturer has discontinued making the active ingredient, so I wouldn’t wait long. It is an amazing product, and there is nothing else out there like it.
Thanks, we are asked that question a lot! The answer is - as many times or as often as you want! Our ECO-100 does not damage your deck but will do an excellent job cleaning and brightening it. The most important thing to keep in mind is the type of brush used. For best results and also to help keep your teak “flat” (without grooves), we recommend the red Scotch Brite scrub pads. They do a great job and are easy to use, as the pad is non-directional and can be used in any direction. A scrub brush is fine, too, but it should always be used against the grain so as not to dig out the soft wood, which can result in a prematurely “rough” surface occurring in a reasonably short period. The best way to use our ECO-100 powder is to wet the deck, sprinkle the powder on the wet deck, and scrub it in. For the best brightening effect, allow the ECO-100 that has been scrubbed in to stay for about 10 minutes, keeping a mist of water on it so it doesn’t dry. Repeat scrubbing, and get ready to see a huge difference! Don’t worry about the cleaner going into your local marina or waterway; ECO-100 is 100% environmentally friendly and is able to be flushed overboard with no ill effects.
Your best bet is the red Scotch Brite pad, which is flat and non-directional. You don’t have to worry about “grooving” your teak, and the pad will both help keep your teak “flat” and also does a great job cleaning it.
The reason our Black caulking has been hard to obtain lately has been due to raw material shortages. These shortages are currently being felt throughout the states and have made it very difficult to keep our caulking in stock. TDS has started to receive shipments again and they are being shipped to our distributors. All TDS distributors can be located using our “Find a Product Distributor” search on our website. Our nearest distributor in Hong Kong is below. SMS Superyacht Marine Supplies International Ltd Units 1605-6 Multifield Plaza, 3-7A Prat Avenue Tsimshatsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong Tel: +852-6016 3350 Fax: +852-9440 3968 Email: jim@smsmarinesupplies.com christine@smsmarinesupplies.com sms.marinesupplies@yahoo.com jimkant@hotmail.com www.smsmarinesupplies.com
Hi guys! I have a Najad 380 with a glued original teak deck. However I am having a hard time keeping it clean. There is lots of dark gray/black markings that form on the deck, and light wood fibers seem to erode at a rate that does not seem normal. I have tried using boracol several times to get rid of algae but it does not help against the gray/black stuff. Is there any advice you could give? Is boracol bad for the health of my teak?
Thanks for your question! Sorry for the delay in response. We know we had response issues and have fixed that procedure. We hope we can still help you with your situation. Without seeing some pictures of your deck it isn't easy to give much advice, but I can tell you that Boracol is a very strong chemical normally used only in commercial settings. It cannot be imported into the US as it is classed as an insecticide, and we do not recommend its use on our caulk as it is one of the very few chemicals that can attack the binders in the SIS440, causing excessive black “rub-off”. It would be best to see some pictures of your deck to best assist you, if you’d like to send it is products@teakdecking.com, attention Jeff. At this point its possible that a light sand-out may be in order, and if the stains you are seeing are mold/mildew/algae then you may have to treat your deck with a mild bleach solution to see if that helps. You need a cup of bleach in a gallon of water, and be sure to rinse well. We have some of our mold/mildew preventers left, which will stop the growth from returning, but when our supply is gone, the manufacturer has discontinued making the active ingredient, so I wouldn’t wait long. It is an amazing product, and there is nothing else out there like it.
How often do you recommend cleaning the teak with your eco teak powder?
Thanks, we are asked that question a lot! The answer is - as many times or as often as you want! Our ECO-100 does not damage your deck but will do an excellent job cleaning and brightening it. The most important thing to keep in mind is the type of brush used. For best results and also to help keep your teak “flat” (without grooves), we recommend the red Scotch Brite scrub pads. They do a great job and are easy to use, as the pad is non-directional and can be used in any direction. A scrub brush is fine, too, but it should always be used against the grain so as not to dig out the soft wood, which can result in a prematurely “rough” surface occurring in a reasonably short period. The best way to use our ECO-100 powder is to wet the deck, sprinkle the powder on the wet deck, and scrub it in. For the best brightening effect, allow the ECO-100 that has been scrubbed in to stay for about 10 minutes, keeping a mist of water on it so it doesn’t dry. Repeat scrubbing, and get ready to see a huge difference! Don’t worry about the cleaner going into your local marina or waterway; ECO-100 is 100% environmentally friendly and is able to be flushed overboard with no ill effects.
Is it really safe to scrub? Does it not remove material? Can I, as alternative, use a softer sponge and still achieve the same cleaning effect?
Your best bet is the red Scotch Brite pad, which is flat and non-directional. You don’t have to worry about “grooving” your teak, and the pad will both help keep your teak “flat” and also does a great job cleaning it.
Getting the caulking especially black is impossible in hong kong
The reason our Black caulking has been hard to obtain lately has been due to raw material shortages. These shortages are currently being felt throughout the states and have made it very difficult to keep our caulking in stock. TDS has started to receive shipments again and they are being shipped to our distributors. All TDS distributors can be located using our “Find a Product Distributor” search on our website. Our nearest distributor in Hong Kong is below.
SMS Superyacht Marine Supplies International Ltd
Units 1605-6 Multifield Plaza, 3-7A Prat Avenue
Tsimshatsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Tel: +852-6016 3350
Fax: +852-9440 3968
Email: jim@smsmarinesupplies.com
christine@smsmarinesupplies.com
sms.marinesupplies@yahoo.com
jimkant@hotmail.com
www.smsmarinesupplies.com