Is Your Boat Ready for High-End Synthetic Teak?
If your boat’s nonskid decking has seen better days, high-end synthetic teak is one of the best investments to transform a boat.
Durable and low maintenance, synthetic teak delivers the richness of real wood without wood’s maintenance demands. Boaters have a couple of choices when it comes to marine decking, either premium PVC/composite or EVA/PE foam decking.
Determining what high-end synthetic teak decking is best for your boat depends on the kind of abuse it takes. A center console boat with heavy foot traffic will likely need more durable decking than a watersports tow boat where bare feet rule.
Real Teak Talk
Real teak has been the gold standard in boat decking for decades, but it comes at a price. The wood and installation can cost $200 to $300 per square foot, and on a 30-foot boat, it adds up quickly.
Genuine teak flooring offers unmatched natural beauty, stays relatively cool in direct sunlight, and is naturally slip-resistant when dry. You can sand and refinish teak multiple times to extend its life, but its maintenance is why many boaters seek alternatives.
Teak requires boat owners to oil and clean it regularly, and they need to be diligent about applying a sealant to prevent bleaching and cracking. The caulking between planks can deteriorate, too, which adds to the maintenance load. And finding old-growth teak is getting more difficult, so many boat manufacturers are using thinner planks. While thinner planks reduce weight, the teak generally has a shorter lifespan.
Enter Premium Composite Decking
At a quick glance, it’s difficult to distinguish premium composite decking from the real stuff. Made from high-grade marine polymers that are textured like wood grain, the planks have faux caulk lines and come in various widths and lengths.
What makes the decking so popular is its durability. When Flexiteek was working on its next-generation Flexiteek 3G, they built a deck in their parking lot and left potato chips, ketchup, and red wine on it for several hours in the sun. The food and drink came off with water and a cloth, while smeared asphalt needed light scrubbing and a pressure wash.
Owners find it relatively easy to fix any scratches from dragging a cooler or a fishing pole, said Chad Adams, USA managing director for U.K.-based Flexiteek.
“We sometimes call ours ‘dog-paw friendly’ because scratches can easily be cleaned up with a power washer or a stiff scrub brush,” Adams said. “With that said, our product is 100 percent repairable. I can cut a section out and put new material in, and at first look, you would never find that spot.”
Composite decking gets hotter in direct sunlight than natural teak, so manufacturers have been working on products that absorb less heat and release it faster. Call it the foot test.
“We’re constantly looking for improvement, because it’s the one thing that people talk about, especially as the planet warms up and things are getting hotter,” said Steve Moore, Flexiteek’s marketing manager.
Adams said about 75 percent of its business in the U.S. is in retrofits, with owners opting to update old decks. Premium decking costs about 33 percent to 50 percent less to install than genuine teak. It weighs more than its EVA/PE foam decking counterpart but will outlast the life of the boat, Moore said.
The Softer Side of EVA/PE Foam Decking
If the deck feels soft and squishy underfoot, there’s a good chance it’s closed-cell foam. The EVA/PE foam decking, manufactured by companies such as SeaDek or AquaMarine, is popular for its comfort and affordability. Manufacturers offer laser-etched faux teak lines on their products, but not many people will mistake it for real teak.
Closed-cell foam offers excellent anti-fatigue comfort but a shorter lifespan because it breaks down under prolonged UV exposure and heavy foot traffic. With heavy use, owners can expect to replace the material every three to six years.
You can tear this material when you drag coolers or equipment over it, and the foam can have adhesion issues, leading to curling corners. EVA foam has its advocates, and the reasons are practical. It’s affordable. Product installation can cost one-tenth of real teak. Closed-cell foam is lighter, too. That improves fuel economy compared to composite and teak decking.
Just like composite decking, closed-cell foam is susceptible to mold. Boaters have to remove grime or stains to avoid damaging the foam. If a piece is damaged, replacement is straightforward.
Do-it-Yourself?
I asked Flexiteek representatives if installing premium composite decking is a do-it-yourself job. They were a clear no. Many Flexiteek installers have woodworking experience because the installation requires saws and routers. The fabrication and adhesion can be tricky.
“The fabrication of the panel itself has to create a watertight surface,” Moore said. “And then the adhesion onto the boat, and that’s to ensure that you don’t get things like air bubbles, so it’s got to be done right.”
When it comes to installing EVA/PE foam decking, the major brands are DIY-friendly. Many foam manufacturers offer pre-cut kits specific to popular boat models, which eliminates most of the guesswork during the installation. For semi-custom boats, the manufacturer will send clear plastic sheeting for the boat owner to use to trace the shape and the locations of the hatches and seat bases.
A professional installer will likely use a digital scanner for an exact layout. It’s worth noting that some manufacturers will only warranty a product if the installation is completed by a certified installer.
For the weekend warriors, the biggest challenge is getting proper adhesion and avoiding air bubbles. Done successfully, the work can save a boat owner significant labor costs.
To get a yacht-quality finish without the price of teak is no longer a compromise. Modern high-end synthetic teak—composite decking and EVA/PE foam—have changed the equation.
Images are courtesy of Flexiteek.
Gregg Mansfield