Products fitted by Beautiful Marine Floors

Introduction to synthetic teak products

There are a range of synthetic teak products fitted by Beautiful marine floor fitters with a range of qualities so it is important to make the correct choice of material that best suits your boat. For example, PVC synthetic teak is the most realistic alternative to teak choice but it is best cleaned using a power hose. It may not therefore be the best choice for fitting internally. So lets look at the choices available.

Deckfab PVC synthetic teak

PVC synthetic teak is an extremely popular alternative to natural teak and is basically an extruded form of plastic in a shade of wood that is sanded to produce a grain effect. The strips of fake wood are welded together and made in much the same way as a traditional teak deck. It is an extremely practical and easy to maintain alternative to traditional teak. The best quality PVC decks are made with 100% virgin PVC (not yet recycled) but the decks are recyclable for other uses when disposed of. Virgin PVC ensure the weld seams are likely to be stronger and the material will maintain its appearance longer. For that reason we fit Deckfab synthetic teak decks.

Deckfab EVA foam synthetic teak

There is a wide variety of foam materials that are used to make synthetic teak decks but they vary in quality markedly. EVA closed cell foam is the most rugged and comes on a semi rigid sheet. Other foams  that roll easily tend to be cheap and non lasting and really not suited for marine purposes. The decks are templated and the pattern converted to an electronic file for machining. The patterns are etched onto the foam using a CNC machine and cut to shape from the sheet material. The EVA foam is a sandwich material so once the pattern is etched the “sandwich” colour shines through to provide the colour of the caulking lines. We supply the templates to Deckfab who cut the decks for us to fit. Foam is a less rugged choce than PVC and softer underfoot. It is also cooler to walk on in hot climates which can be a consideration.

Deckfab rubber synthetic teak

Rubber synthetic teak is another form of plastic decking made largely of nitrile rubber. It is produced in much the same way as the foam decking with the material produced in a semi-rigid state in panel form. The pattern is etched out. Rather than the product being made of a “sandwich”  the channels are filled with a caulking material in the same way a traditional teak deck is made. Larger decks may router the channels by hand. often once the product is already laid.  Alternatively the deck can be made in smaller panels which are CNC cut just like the foam. The advantage of rubber decks are they are more robust than foam decks, and cooler and softer underfoot than PVC decks. Nitrile rubber does also have a tendency to discolour “grey” like wood in UV sunlight so customers may wish to protect the product from any such deterioration by painting a protective coating over the surface periodically which may have a wood staining ingredient to maintain a wood deck like appearance. 

Deckfab cork decking

Cork decking is a composite cork/rubber compound supplied in strips and fitted “in situ” on the boat. The strips are simply adhered to the deck with a gap (usually 5mm) and the gap is sealed with caulking material. It is fabricated in much the same way as a traditional teak deck ie.plank by plank. Cork is robust and cool underfoot.

Flooring

Beautiful marine floors can a range of teak carpets, vinyls and laminates that can enhance the appearance of your boat. More detail on these products can be found below.