Teak

How to replace a boat teak deck: step-by-step process

Updated: 7 min readCaranva Boats

Quick answer

To replace a boat teak deck, remove the hardware and old teak, fill screw holes and repair any wet substrate, make templates and new made-to-measure panels, bond them with epoxy or a dedicated adhesive, caulk the seams and sand everything flush. It takes 1 to 4 weeks and is best done ashore by a marine carpenter.

Steps

  1. Inspect the deck and measure teak thickness and substrate moisture.
  2. Remove hardware, stanchions, cleats and trims.
  3. Lift the old teak with wedges, scrapers or an oscillating tool.
  4. Fill old screw holes with epoxy and repair wet core areas.
  5. Make templates and fabricate new made-to-measure teak panels.
  6. Bond the panels with epoxy or deck adhesive under vacuum or weights.
  7. Caulk the seams with deck caulking compound and let it cure.
  8. Sand, clean and refit hardware with fresh sealant.

Before you start: repair or replace?

You don’t always need a whole new deck. Measure plank thickness in several places (a loose plug is a good spot). If there is more than 5–6 mm left and the substrate is dry, re-caulking and sanding is probably enough. With less than 4–5 mm, leaks or plugs failing everywhere, replacement makes sense. More in how long does boat teak last.

Materials and tools

  • New teak (old-growth or plantation) in 8–12 mm planks, or synthetic teak. Compare in types of boat teak decking.
  • Epoxy or deck adhesive, caulking compound and seam primer.
  • Oscillating multi-tool, sander, wedges, scrapers and vacuum-bagging kit or weights.
  • Masking tape, cleaning solvent and protective gear (mask, gloves, goggles).

Step-by-step process

1. Survey and removal of hardware

Photograph and mark the position of every fitting. Remove stanchions, cleats, tracks and trims, keeping fastenings labelled.

2. Lifting the old teak

Planks are lifted with wedges and scrapers or an oscillating tool. On older boats the teak is often screwed and glued, so there may be hundreds of screws to remove. This is slow work and the biggest variable in the final price.

3. Substrate preparation

Every screw hole is a potential leak. Holes are filled with epoxy and core moisture is checked. Wet areas are opened, dried and rebuilt. Skipping this is the most common reason a new deck fails early.

4. Templates and panels

Templates are taken (card, thin ply or digital scanning) and panels are built in the workshop: planks, centre king plank and margin boards, with seams ready for caulking.

5. Bonding

Almost all new decks are now fitted without screws, bonded with epoxy or adhesive under vacuum or weights until cured. The hull is not drilled and future leaks are eliminated.

6. Caulking

Seams are primed and filled with black caulking compound. Once cured, excess is trimmed and sanded.

7. Final sanding and refit

Fine sanding, cleaning and refitting hardware with fresh sealant. From here on, follow our teak maintenance guide.

Common mistakes

  • Not fixing substrate moisture before bonding.
  • Bonding or caulking in high humidity or direct sun.
  • Pressure washing new teak (see how to clean boat teak).
  • Oiling deck teak: it becomes slippery and encourages mould.

How much does it cost?

As a guide, €600–1,200 per m² for natural teak and €250–550 per m² for synthetic. See the breakdown in boat teak deck replacement cost. If you would rather hire a pro, compare quotes from marine carpenters or see our teak deck replacement service.

Frequently asked questions

Can I replace my boat’s teak myself?

A swim platform or steps, yes, if you are experienced with epoxy and woodwork. A full deck needs a workshop, accurate templates and controlled curing, so a marine carpenter is the better choice.

How thick should new teak decking be?

For leisure boats, usually 8 to 12 mm. Thicker planks last longer (they can be sanded more times) but add weight and cost.

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