Sikaflex Marine Handbook

Working with TeakTeak has been used for hundreds ofyears as a decking material forships and boats because of itsanti-rot properties. Teak is abeautiful material in its unfinishedstate and, when caulked withSikaflex ® , provides an elegantsolution for the anti-slipproperties required from a wet deck.Teak, however, is not a uniformmaterial; oil, and resin-content,as well as porosity, vary greatlyand the water content changesdepending on storage conditions,duration, temperature andhumidity.General ConditionsProper working conditions areessential for a successful result.Optimal results are obtainedunder constant or fallingtemperature conditions ofbetween +5°C and +25°C.Exposure to direct sunlight andrain during the operation andespecially during bonding orcaulking needs to be avoidedunder all circumstances.Exposure to the elements duringand following each step of theapplication procedure needs tobe prevented for at least 8 hours.Good ventilation in a well-organisedworking area areimportant factors for success.The Quality of the WoodTeak planks should showvertical, standing year rings.The core humidity content of thewood should ideally not exceed12%. Too high a level couldresult in excessive shrinkageleading to failure.Ideally, the humidity content of thetimber should correspond to theequivalent humidity expected inservice.Teak DecksIt is imperative that the width ofthe seams be directly related to thewidth of the teak planks and to thedepth of the seam; guidelines arelisted below.Should the joint dimensionsnot conform with ourrecommendations, please contactSika.plank width seam width seam depth(mm) (in) (mm) (in) (mm) (in)35 1 3 /8 4 5/32 4 to 5 5/32 – 3 /1645 1 3 /4 4 to 5 5/32 – 3 /16 6 1/450 2 5 to 6 3/16 – 1 /4 6 1/475 3 8 5/16 7 9/32100 4 10 13/32 8 5/16125 5 12 15/32 10 13/324