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Frequently Asked Questions
Which hardwood should I choose for my cockpit floor grate?
My Burmese Teak Grate is the best choice for cockpit floors. Burmese teak will happily sit outside all year round, without any kind of coating, not only is it incredibly strong and durable, it dries out very quickly, and provides good grip underfoot. African teak, otherwise known as Iroko, is a much cheaper alternative, having similar properties to teak, this will also silver of beautifully if left outdoors uncoated. My Sapele grates have a lovely colour reminiscent of mahogany, Sapele is incredibly durable, but I prefer to use a two pack varnish if a Sapele grate is going to live outside. This preserves the colour of the Sapele.
How should I maintain a hardwood grate?
The maintenance schedule for a hardwood grate will depend on three factors; The hardwood in question, the location of the grate, and the original coating, (if any).
Iroko and teak grates, if left completely untreated and uncoated from day one, will soon turn a charming silver gray colour if left outside They will keep this colour indefinitely, but the silver layer will only be paper thin. Underneath this the teak or Iroko will keep its golden hue, so you can always sand your old grate back, to recover the original colouring. Sapele may silver off, but will tend to turn a darker grey, or even black in the presence of lots of moisture.
If your grate has been oiled, then I would recommend scrubbing the grate and re oiling every six months to a year. A standard teak oil can be used (it works perfectly well on Sapele and Iroko too!) This will maintain the original colour.
Once upon a time Hardwood grates were painted with yacht varnish. I use the modern equivalent; an advanced two pack polyurethane system. This can be used on grates indoors or outdoors, and has very high UV resistance. It gives a high gloss shine to the hardwood, it sticks like superglue to the substrate, and cures to a hard shell, to withstand foot traffic. A Two Pack finish tends to work best on a Sapele grate. The high oil levels within Iroko can reduce the coating life of two pack systems when used outside. I have had very successful results using two Pack on Burmese teak however, where the comples grain and depth of colour provides a stunning result.
How Much are your Grates?
Prices for my hardwood grates vary depending on the shape and size, whether you would like a thick frame around the grate, whether you would like me to use Burmese Teak, Iroko, or Sapele, the required thickness of the grate, how you would like the grate to be coated, and the delivery location. I usually prefer to deliver my grates in person, but for customers further afield I have to use a courier.
How long do they take to build?
Turnaround varies from one week upwards. Naturally the larger, more complex shapes take a bit longer!
Standard Practise for window frames
Glazing bars will be plain T cross section, unmoulded, 18mm wide bars with approx 6mm upstanding unless you request otherwise. Glass is not included. I recommend that my frames are either painted or sealed with a good quality satin yacht varnish. In order to minimise any visible bordering on double glazed units customers may wish to specify low sightline glass. beading pieces will not be included unless requested, beading will be square cross section unless requested otherwise. Shipping is via parcelforce express 48 unless requested otherwise. The price guide is a guide only, prices may vary over time, call or email for an exact quote. Glazing drain holes will not be drilled unless specified, if using drained double glazing installations follow the glass manufacturers instructions re siting and size of drainage holes. turnaround times on custom builds are estimates only. |
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