Removing Teak Treads From Deck

[Sheepdog012]

I will be removing the teak boarding treads from my R21-EC to refinish them. Would anyone have any tips on removal? I assume I will carefully drill out the teak plugs and then remove screws below them. After refinishing, use some butyle tape on the screws before resecuring to the deck. Then put in new teak plugs and and sand them level. Any tips or things to watch out for? Any insights are appreciated, Thanks!

 

[knotflying]

Never heard of people removing their teak to refinish, but maybe the R-21 is different. There are plenty of products available to strip finishes.

 

[Sheepdog012]

Knotflying, The previous owner had used some type of varnish on the treads and it is all flaking etc... I am thinking it would be easier to sand it off if the treads were removed as well as less chance of messing up the surrounding gelcoat. I plan on getting them clean and then oiling them so I can just scrub and re-oil when needed. Any thoughts on a product that would remove the old varnish without harming the gelcoat so I don't have to remove them? Thanks!

 

[bob daily]

It might be a lot easier and less expensive to tape the area around the steps. Use a good equality tape and ensure area around work site is well protected. This should save you a lot of time so you can tackle those other winter projects! Bob

 

[PanaSeaAh]

There are several strippers (Kleen Strip, Aqua Strip) that are safe on Gelcoat. Just search strippers safe for fiberglass. Use a good masking tape before stripping, and a fresh tape before oiling or finishing. I use a stiff brush to clean, not sandpaper. IMO much better than drilling out the plugs.

 

[knotflying]

Gelcoat is pretty hearty. One time I was trying to take the painted boat name off a former boat that I purchased. It was really tough. After over an hour of working on it I called a fiberglass guy and asked him if he had any suggestions. He told me to use Easy-Off oven cleaner. Pretty caustic stuff! I had the paint lettering removed in 15 minutes. I'm not necessarily recommending Easy-off. My point is the durability of the gelcoat. I would tape the perimeter with Frog tape and then apply any good paint stripper available at Home Depot or any hardware store. Just take care and cover the floor nearby.