86 JUNE–JULY 2019 | International Boat Industry ibinews.com
TECHNICAL
SECTOR SPOTLIGHT | DECKING
these catch on big time, with light grey
particularly popular in Florida at the
moment. We can create designs in different
colours and cut them into the deck design.
As with all logo makers, we just have to be
careful not to infringe copyright when it
comes to some brand names.”trend 10 Harnessing renewables
Boaters by their very nature love the great
outdoors, so are keen not to harm it more
than absolutely necessary. As such, there
has been a big rise in interest in how raw
materials are being sourced, used and then
recycled.
Cork, as used by Dutch-based
Marinedeck 2000 and Italian-based Marine
Cork, is an eminently renewable outer bark
material that is harvested every 10 years
without doing any damage to the tree itself.
Softwoods grow quickly and absorb a
lot of CO2 in the process, but their timber
is unsuitable for seagoing decks. However,
put it through a special treatment such
as offered by Lignia or Kebony, and the
result is an attractive, durable material that
in some cases is said to be tougher than
Burmese teak.
Other coverings such a TreadmasterThe installer’s view
UK-BASED ELITE-TEAK IS run by Tye Conway,
heralded as the first ever professional installer of
artificial teak in the UK. The company provides
bespoke decks in real teak, Permateek (PVC
extrusion) and Wasserdeck (EVA) to major OEMs
and private customers. A CNC cutter allows a
great deal of customisation to each order.
“Teak decks are still in demand, and a big
market for us is superyacht tenders,” Tye told
IBI during a recent tour of his Portsmouth-
based facility. “When it comes to artificial teak,
whilst some of the Permateek range we favour
is almost indistinguishable from freshly laid
golden teak, oddly the most popular colour is a
light grey. It seems that bright, natural-coloured
faux teak looks out of place on an older boat, so
customers prefer the weathered effect instead.
“Wasserdeck is proving increasingly popular
at the moment. It is incredibly light, available in
a wide range of colours, and very easy to install.
Being less dense than PU extrusion, it also cools
down quicker in the heat, and is half the price
of a faux teak deck. However, it doesn’t wear as
well, with a five-year expected lifespan. This is
sometimes an advantage as owners are happy
to peel it off and fit a new design in a new colour
to match a refit. The second and subsequent
decks are cheaper to make as we already have
the dimensions in the computer.
“For adhesion, we use Tesa adhesive and
polyurethane rather than epoxy to allow forcombine two natural materials, rubber and
cork, to create its famous diamond pattern
decking sheets. However, as the directors
told IBI some years ago, as the wine
industry shifts to the use of plastic stoppers
in its bottles, the abundant waste from
bottle cork manufacture has dwindled,
but they can still source enough naturalproduct for the business.
In the world of faux teak, an increasing
amount of the PVC material being used
can be fully recycled to create new product,
a growing trend now in the composites
industry. The PlasDeck Eco range, for
example, is said to use around 60% material
from the cutting and trimming process.
“This allows us to create a budget
deck covering that is just as durable, but
with perhaps not the same consistency of
colour, so is proving ideal for heavy tread or
commercial areas,” Kasserman explained.trend 11 Rise of the carpet
Deck coverings have invariably been fixed
into place, but a recent introduction to
the market are cockpit ‘carpets’ in a variety
of colours and made from closed cell EVA
foam. These carpets offer good drainage,
good grip and are easily washed out.
They can be snapped into position using
stainless steel studs and support logos Customisation is key. Here a CNC router
has scribed the OEMs name into a teak step.
The name can be highlighted with caulking
sealant Elite Teak offers a wide range of deck
options, including real teak as a deck or in
pre-made panels, Permateek, Cork Mat and
Wasserdeckflexing. Wasserdeck (EVA) is easily fitted by a DIY
customer, but we prefer our faux teak decks to be
placed by experienced fitters as they know how
to avoid the usual pitfalls of trapped air bubbles,
misalignment and other issues. We offer a mobile
fitting service to ensure our decks go down
properly and look great.
“The problems associated with faux teak can
be addressed by using lighter coloured seams,
made in silicon to reduce UV issues, and lighter
colours. We have found that the process of adding
ceramic beads is OK in theory, but the moment
you sand back the deck to restore the grain,
the beads are broken and become more prone
to staining.
“From the customer’s perspective, the artificial
deck is dependable, looks good and is infinitely
customisable. EVA is cheap, light and easy to fit,
but real teak is still favoured by the traditionalist.” Cork uses material that is totally
renewable, with cork trees harvested for their
outer bark every 10 years. This is an 8mm thick
section of engine room decking, which also acts
as a thermal and acoustic insulator Treadmaster is one of the original
composite deck materials made from
renewables. Manufacturer Tiflex combines
natural rubber and cork into a durable sheet
material featuring a distinctive diamond pattern