THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO ADDING OR REPLACING A TEAK DECK

When you find yourself in the position of either wanting to add a teak deck to your boat or needing to replace the existing teak decking, here's how you go about it:


To properly plan the financial side of the project, the first thing you want to determine is an approximate overall budget. Calculating the cost to add a teak deck is more straightforward than replacing an existing deck, because there are no unknowns of how difficult the existing teak will be to remove and what condition the underlying structural deck will be in. Although TDS will be assembling the modular deck system, it will most likely be installed at a facility near the boat's location, since shipping a modular deck is far easier than relocating a boat.

For that reason, you want to start by discussing the project with the service manager at the yard that normally services the boat. In that discussion, you will want to learn the following:


  • Is there a shed or watertight tent large enough to enclose the project, or is there another solution for preventing the weather from causing damage or delay?
  • If the boat is hauled, can it be staged with scaffolding for safety, if necessary?
  • Does the yard have qualified personnel to perform the necessary tasks? These include:
  • Properly protecting the boat's surfaces from damage during the refit.
  • Removing any deck hardware that is in the way, this may require taking down headliners or removing interior trim to access the fasteners.
  • If a replacement teak deck is required, can and how will they remove the existing teak without damaging the rest of the vessel, including the structural deck beneath the current teak deck?
  • After removing the existing teak, are they qualified to inspect and make any necessary repairs to the structural deck? On fiberglass boats, damage may appear as soft spots due to compromised structural core material. In some cases, on metal vessels, it may be necessary to replace damaged sections of plating.
  • Do they have marine carpentry skills to properly final fit and install the new modular teak deck system?
  • With the new deck installed, do they know how to reinstall the deck hardware properly and, if a sailboat, install and tune the rig?
  • Are they capable of re-commissioning the vessel and any systems disabled during the refit?
  • What is the proposed schedule and timeline for the refit?
  • What is the estimated budgetary cost, and which of these costs can be assured?
  • If the yard is not a suitable fit for the project, can they recommend an alternative solution?

Working back up the list, starting with budgetary cost, what can be accurately estimated with the proper information is the cost of the TDS modular deck system and the time required for final fitting and installation when performed by qualified installers. The service manager should also be able to fairly accurately estimate the cost to get the boat sheltered and staged, including removing and reinstalling the rig, if it is a sailboat.
Teak Deck Removal

Unfortunately, there are several things the service manager will not know until they are in the middle of the project. The first is how difficult it will be to remove corroded or inaccessible deck hardware fasteners, along with the myriad of screws holding many old teak decks down. Once past that hurdle, if it is a refit, there is the worn-out teak decking to remove. Some old teak decks practically fall off while others climb up the scale to nearly impossible to dislodge. Until the existing teak decking is removed, the condition of the underlying structural deck remains unknown and cannot be assessed. An experienced service manager will be able to detail the range of costs you might expect but will be reluctant to give you a fixed quotation, unless he has a comfortable pad in it.

As for the schedule and timeline, you should agree to a yard period that least interferes with your boating plans. Depending on the project's scope, the boat might be out of service for a couple of weeks or several months.

LEO Scanner TDS Deck Scan

The modular teak decking process begins with creating full-size templates of the deck areas where the new deck is needed. The team either builds physical templates using wood strips and hot glue or captures the deck's exact geometry with a digital scanner, depending on the project requirements and location. This templating work does not require the vessel to go out of service. Aside from the few days the templating crew is on board, the boat can remain fully operational until the scheduled yard period.


After the templates arrive at TDS, the fabrication process will take about 6-8 weeks for vessels up to about 100' (30m) in length, and a bit longer for larger vessels with multiple decks to add or replace. Shipping times within North America are around a week or two, while international container shipments take around 5-6 weeks. In some cases, vessels traveling internationally have their decks templated at one location and installed months later at another shipyard halfway around the world.

While some boat and shipyards have personnel with the skills to handle all phases of the refit, others subcontract some or all of the work, providing, in some cases, only the facility and heavy equipment requirements. For your own peace of mind, it is good to understand up front who is doing what and when.


If your boatyard has skilled carpenters but is unfamiliar with installing a modular deck system, TDS can send an installation technician to guide the local team. Alternatively, if the yard has the skills to do everything but the carpentry and installation, TDS can send an installation team for that phase of the project...as well as to make templates, if necessary.

There are several methods, and combinations of methods, for getting the existing end-of-life teak decking off the boat. The efficacy of any of them depends on how the teak was originally attached to the vessel. If you're either committed to replacing the deck and don't mind the damage or don't mind spending a bit to learn something about how well attached the deck is, you can remove, or have removed and replaced, one of the deck planks. The degree of difficulty will forecast the future challenge.

Deck hardware removal (and reinstallation) is part of the project that some owners or crews choose to take on themselves to save costs while allowing themselves to inspect and service or replace the various components. Unfortunately, most boat builders do not assemble the boats with any thought of future disassembly. So, accessing the fasteners and removing them can be tedious and time-consuming. If you're not doing the job yourself, take a look at what is involved, so you have an indication of the degree of difficulty and consequent cost. Reinstallation of the deck hardware requires properly bedding it and the fasteners to avoid future leaks and associated problems.

Its important to keep the vessel wrapped or in a tent during installation

The environment in which the deck refit takes place is important for several reasons. You want the boat, or at least the deck area, replaced or installed in a weather-tight environment, typically a shed or tent. During the replacement process, there will be open holes in and through your deck, allowing rainwater where it shouldn't be. In addition, adhesives and caulking have minimum cure temperatures, and professional marine carpenters have a minimum tolerance for working in direct sunlight. The carpenters are expensive (and rightly so, given their skill and the costly damage of any mistake). So, you want them working as efficiently as possible to achieve an economical, high-quality result. Finally, it takes teak surfaces a while to dry out enough to work on if it gets wet. Weather delays will likely affect the delivery schedule and the project's cost.
TDS can assist in advice and guidance in replacing or adding your teak decking

If a good local boatyard is not available to you, or if you'd like a bit more advice and guidance, contact the team at TDS. We will be happy to discuss your project with you and help you sort out a plan forward. After 30+ years building and installing modular teak decks, we've helped a fair number of clients through some interesting challenges.


Throughout the years, TDS has assembled somewhere between 70,000 and 100,000 modular teak decks. If we haven't already built a deck for a sistership of your vessel, or provided decks for a previous custom yacht from the builder of your yacht, we have done something similar enough to provide you with good information. 

If you are planning to add or replace an existing teak deck, providing the following information to us will allow us to speak more directly to your project:


  • Vessel size, model, and year, if a series production boat or yacht
  • Deck plan, if a custom yacht or boat.
  • On vessels with multiple decks or deck areas, identify the specific deck for discussion.
  • The size of the deck area in square feet or meters. TDS has guides on the website to assist with measuring deck areas. (See 'Request a Quote' page)
  • The original, or desired, plank thickness and width. To control costs, TDS offers standard plank widths and thicknesses that meet most requirements, but can custom mill planks upon request at an additional cost.
  • The width of the caulk seams between the planks. The width is typically somewhere between 3mm and 6mm. A precise measurement is required when matching other decking on the boat.
  • Photographs of the deck area, both overall and in detail, help us spot any challenges that may affect the cost. These are important; you would be amazed at what we learn by studying them.
TDS Team is ready to assist you with every aspect of your decking needs.

Once TDS is aware of the project through you, your captain, or the boatyard, we will put together the cost figures for our part of the project and coordinate with the boat or shipyard to finalize the timing and logistics. When you are ready to pull the trigger, you will contract with the yard, and we will subcontract with them to provide the deck system, as well as templating & installation assistance, as necessary.

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