International Boat Industry – June-July 2019

84 JUNE–JULY 2019 | International Boat Industry ibinews.com

TECHNICAL

SECTOR SPOTLIGHT | DECKING

seam material has switched from tar

to thermally-stable PU or silicon-based

material. Companies like Sikaflex can

provide seam material in white or grey

to complement teak’s natural ability to

stay cool. However, the first generation of

artificial teak was a solid and quite dense

PU (polyurethane) which has a reputation

for getting so hot that warnings had to be

issued to always wear deck shoes, or risk

burns. Advances in material technology are

beginning to mitigate that problem. One

solution has been to add ceramic beads into

the compound to reflect back some of the

heat. Another is to alter the chemical nature

of the vinyl to make it less dense or add

more air in the form of a closed cell foam.

These solutions have often proved very

successful. Flexiteek’s new 2G, for example,

claims a 30% saving in heat absorption

compared with other faux teak materials.

Whilst real teak is only available in

golden brown (or silver grey if you don’t

clean it) faux teak and other coverings

are available in a wide range of colours,

including light greys and pale yellows,

with the seams in white, grey or cream.

These colours also help minimise the IR

absorption.

trend 5 Ease of installation

The actual fitting of deck materials has

been greatly simplified to help the OEM

and the DIY enthusiast alike.

Even the creation of traditional

teak decks, largely the preserve of the

professionals, has been made easier by

having the teak strips pre-fabricated into

panels. The design is submitted to

the teak decking company, which then

uses a combination of design software

and time-served craftsmen to create the

final panel, taking care to ensure the

wood colouring and grain is as consistent

as possible. The completed panels are

shipped back to the customer who simply

glues them down onto a prepared deck,

with no screws required.

A design service is also offered for

the makers of faux teak. The customer

templates the area to be covered using

a transparent mylar sheet and includes

as much information on the templates

as possible. These are then sent to the

panel manufacturer along with some

digital images to help the design team

interpret the drawings, and maybe

improve the shape a little. The panels are

then made up in the factory and returned

to the owner for fitting.

Companies like US-based Sea Dek

and Marine Mat provide the decks with a

self-adhesive backing, so all the fitter has

to do is orientate the panel, secure it with

masking tape, peel off the backing paper

and push the deck down into position.

The company helpfully supplies some

videos with a guide as to how to do this

successfully.

trend 6 Better resistance to UV

Ultra-violet radiation is the curse of the

boating industry, despite customers

wanting to soak it up themselves. Natural

teak tends to go a silver grey unless

cleaned, and some of the early generations

of faux teak would actually darken over

age but could be revived by abrading off

the top layer. Now the later generations

of faux teak contain colour stabilisers and

other additives to greatly slow down UV

degradation to give a lifespan of decades.

trend 7 Ease of maintenance

The turnkey boater wants to spend less

time maintaining the boat, and more time

using it. Whilst natural teak decks are

prone to damage and staining from oil,

diesel, red wine and sun-cream, artificial

deck coverings are pretty much immune.

Most stains will simply wash off, especially

with a proprietary cleaner for that

formulation.

A big problem with teak decks is when

owners use a pressure washer as it damages

the fibres, creating a contoured surface that

is even more prone to getting dirty. The

 Same attractive deck style, different

destinations. The more standard ’traditional’

deck will be cruising in north European waters,

but its cooler counterpart is destined for the

Caribbean, hence the lighter colour of wood

and seams

 Teak decks can be assembled in panels and

transported to the deck for on site assembly

using minimal tools

 Faux teak vinyl decks are easily cut and

shaped using a sharp knife

 Customers are able to send in detailed

templates to the manufacturers of all types of

decks for them to make a deck. This is a typical

template, drawn onto a stable material that can

be laid flat and won’t distort when wet