Semco Teak Sealer

[mherrcat]

I am re-thinking my filler stain/varnish plan for my main saloon hatch interior wood trim for something simpler and possibly easier to maintain. Has anyone had any experience with Semco Teak Sealer?

 

[Mort Fligelman]

Semco Sealer

Mark:

I have one friend who used it on a Beneteau 370......lots of cockpit teak.....this was several years back, and from what I remember it was just a horrible shade of bright ORANGE.......later turned to dirty orange.....

I would suggest that you check it out very carefully......also....several years ago I seem to remember some not so favorable comments on it in a Practical Sailor long term test but can't remember what they were.....

I am a long time fan of Oiled Teak......requires a fair amount of frequent maintenance, but not that difficult, or requiring a great amount of patience and skill... and the amount of time required ......I am sure that many will disagree with me....but to each his own......FWIW....

Good Luck

Regards

 

[Frank Langer]

Mark,
I just re-did a couple of areas of the satin varnish on the interior of our E30+, and would certainly recommend that over a teak oil of any kind (having also used teak oil on a previous boat). Yes, the teak oil is easy to apply, but it does need it a couple of times per year, it does turn dark, is more prone to mildew and doesn't look as nice as varnish.
I don't add any stain, just the satin varnish and it comes out looking good.
Frank

 

[rwthomas1]

I stripped/sanded the cabintop handrails and those three teak "bulges" on my E38 and refinished them with Semco. I don't think of it as refinishing as such, more like sealing, as the name implies. I used the "golden" tone and am quite happy with the results. Not orange at all, looks like freshly cleaned teak. Very easy to apply, its thin like water and you can put on multiple coats very quickly. When it starts looking a bit worn you can just recoat anytime. I hate exterior wood and it will all be replaced with stainless in the future. Until then, Semco is the easiest. I cannot speak to its use on the interior but I suspect it would give a decent finish if not looking as rich as varnish. Easy to apply and difficult to muck up. RT

 

[mherrcat]

I haven't seen the PS article referenced, but based on some discussions on Saiboatowners and Woodenboat they mention that the sealer eventually "deteriorates" to basically nothing, which is apparently a good thing. It seems it is best for those wanting a "natural" wood finish and feel on decks, hand rails, cap rails, etc. I now think I will go with a couple of coats of Interprime Sealer and then Pettit Captain's Varnish. My concern with varnish is condensation sometimes forms on the inside of the hatch and I am afraid it might creep under the varnish and lift it. The sealer, Interprime or others, is supposed to help prevent that. I don't think I will use the filler stain as after cleaning the teak with a two part cleaner much of the grain is rather long and deep; I think the filler will pull out of the grain when rubbing it off.

 

[Emerald]

I've used Semco for years as a base to varnish over, and on it's own. It has worked well for me in both roles. I use the clear tone - the orange described doesn't match what I would expect, or a friend who uses it with some pigment. Orange always makes me think of the original Cetol.

 

[mherrcat]

I take it then that you have had no problems with the varnish sticking to the Semco treated teak?

Edit:

Well, I just spoke with Semco. They say there is no incompatibility with using their sealer then varnishing, but they also say it will not extend the life of the varnish. It also is not intended to be nor will it function as a grain filling sealer as some of the other sealers do. They also say that the sealer was developed as a treatment for exterior use without any additional coating.

So I guess that really answers the question. Guess I'll try the Interprime sealer and varnish to match the existing interior finish...

 

[Emerald]

I wet sand with either Semco or Daily's SeaFin. I then rub/buff this paste into the teak. This seems to give a nice base to varnish over, and if the varnish breaks through, there seems to be greater water stain resistance of the wood underneath versus just bare teak which has been varnished. Also, I think it helps doing a spot touch up if you get on it. Guess it's the same idea of sealing with an epoxy type product and varnishing over, but just using oil products instead.

 

[mherrcat]

Looked up your reference to Daly's and liked what I read about the "Ship 'n Shore" sealer so I ordered some. It's probably much the same as the other sealers from Interlux and Pettit but it's a little cheaper...we'll see...

The exterior surface on my companionway boards is starting to check after re-varnishing them about a year ago. I may remove that varnish and start over with the Daly's sealer.