Teak alternative

My company in Holland, is the SIKA distributor for the marine industry. We supply the black caulking that is used when laying teak decks. More and more costomers are switching to Flexiteak and similar PVC materials, so sales are slowing down. Sika developed a Polyurethane (PU) alternative. PU is much more durable than PVC. It is a two-component material that is cast onto a flat surface. Then the striping is milled in and filled. Any pattern is possible, including boat name and graphics if you like. But remember, one day you may want to sell the boat, so don’t make it too personal.

PU has the same disadvantage as PVC: it gets bloody hot in the sun. There are good developments going on whereby the PU is mixed with micro balloons and other supplements that reduce the heat transfer of the material. The latest materials should even feel cooler than real wood according to laboratory tests that I have seen but am not allowed to share. We are testing one of the earlier versions of DecoTeak, as it is called, on our boat. So far so good.