Ladder steps

fourreins · Post by **fourreins** » Sat Oct 22, 2011 11:15 am

I am looking to replace the teak inserts on my ladder to the bridge. Does anyone have any other ideas of a material I could use? Love the look of teak but hate the work behind it. I guess I have become lazy in my old age!

Scorpyon · Post by **Scorpyon** » Sun Oct 23, 2011 6:28 pm

How about something in a fake teak. Plastic wood, like they use on decks now a days. durable, no skid, colour match ur teak and for what lengths u would nedd, relatively inexpensive. There is also a product out there called NuTeak...its quite remarkable based on the images.

Just some idle thoughts.

Vitaliy · Post by **Vitaliy** » Mon Oct 31, 2011 3:06 pm

On my F36 i replaced the old teak worn out steps with the fake wood plastic ones, went to home depot into the porch section and picked up one of the porch beams that they had for $16 which was 8 foot long and a little bit bigger then the original steps, a little bit of tinkering with the tools and i got them manufactured in about 30 minutes, sandpaper and a little varnish and they fit just right, no problems whatso ever after 3 months now

Stripermann2 · Post by **Stripermann2** » Mon Oct 31, 2011 3:53 pm

I replaced all my steps with IPE. Brazilian hardwood. Looks like a teak and is very strong.

http://www.abswood.com/pages/ipe-decking.htm

Vitaliy · Post by **Vitaliy** » Mon Oct 31, 2011 4:51 pm

looks jsut like the stuff i got, a little different in tint

DAVIDLOFLAND · Post by **DAVIDLOFLAND** » Tue Nov 01, 2011 12:03 pm

I've thought about having some diamond plate broken into a channel, then cut to length to cap each step. just a thought.

jimbo36 · Post by **jimbo36** » Wed Nov 02, 2011 3:44 pm

"KING STARBOARD" is a white dense plastic product that can be cut like wood and is great for the Marine environment. West Marine sells it. Cut it to size on a table saw and cut grooves for treads. Not as nice as teak but if you are looking for no maintanence this a good choice.

ready123 · Post by **ready123** » Wed Nov 02, 2011 4:26 pm

I would not use Starboard for unsupported stair treads on an F32 ladder..... it is not that strong unless you go quite thick

jimbo36 · Post by **jimbo36** » Wed Nov 02, 2011 5:00 pm

ready123, Are you sure of this?

A 1" thick piece of starboard is tough stuff and used for stair treads frequently. This is the same material they use on playgroung equipment in public parks. We're talkin "bulletproof"

Stripermann2 · Post by **Stripermann2** » Wed Nov 02, 2011 5:11 pm

jimbo36 wrote:ready123, Are you sure of this? A 1" thick piece of starboard is tough stuff and used for stair treads frequently. This is the same material they use on playgroung equipment in public parks. We're talkin "bulletproof"

Plus I believe, they use the same or similar material on other boat ladders.
I woldn't be crazy about that look on a Trojan though...

ready123 · Post by **ready123** » Wed Nov 02, 2011 7:15 pm

jimbo36 wrote:ready123, Are you sure of this? A 1" thick piece of starboard is tough stuff and used for stair treads frequently. This is the same material they use on playgroung equipment in public parks. We're talkin "bulletproof"

Not sure the existing are that thick and I wouldn't trust it on the 20"

span..... of course being a wood purist I wouldn't switch away from teak steps either.
You may be right that it would work..... I just felt an exact replacement of the existing wood one's wouldn't cut it, wish I knew the dimensions of the wood one's, my F32 memory may be a bit weak (not been on it since 2010) but I did not think they were as thick as 1".

prowlersfish · Post by **prowlersfish** » Wed Nov 02, 2011 7:25 pm

I agree with Ready . Starboard is not made to be load carrying .

captainmaniac · Post by **captainmaniac** » Wed Nov 02, 2011 11:22 pm

I would have thought Starboard would be plenty strong enough... The ladder steps on an F32 are typically 1" or more thick, so the Starboard should (in my mind) support the weights okay.

BUT, I still prefer teak. How about taking a simplified maintenance approach to the teak instead of throwing it away? I use Cetol on my bridge ladder steps. I have been using Cetol for almost 20 years. The ladder steps were last refinished with Cetol 4 or 5 years ago. This past spring I applied 1 or 2 coats to seal some chips. That's about it - two quick touch up coats every 4-5 years.

To prep for Cetol you want to remove the treads, then strip and/or sand to bare wood, then apply 4 coats Cetol (don't use Cetol Gloss because it gets slippery when wet - stick with standard Cetol or Cetol Light depending on the look you want). No sanding required between coats, just give it 24 hours drying time in between coats and lay the new coat over top.

Then re-install, and forget about them for a few years. Touch up involved a quick wipe down with solvent, then re-applying a coat of Cetol without pulling the treads (watch for drips!). 10 minute re-application. Caveat - I am on the Great Lakes... so your mileage / UV issues may vary depending on where you are.

Cetol is very low maintenance. Some people don't want to use it as they feel it takes on an orange cast over time. To me - the colour is fine especially given how long I can go without maintenance, and how easy the maintenance is. It's certainly not like stripping and re-varnishing annually, or applying Teak Oil every 60 days.

jimbo36 · Post by **jimbo36** » Thu Nov 03, 2011 3:03 pm

I totally agree with sticking with the teak. The process stated by Captainmaniac I too have followed for years and would not change. My suggestion was for someone who wants the no maintenance approch. The first time I saw Starboard used for stair treads was in the publication DYI Boatowner.

TC · Post by TC » Thu Nov 03, 2011 7:07 pm

My vote is go with the teak. I used Cetol and applied it "by the book". The steps have seen 4 seasons. No wear, no marks. I made up covers for the steps that go on in the spring and again in the fall when the boat is on the hard been serviced. Your shoes no matter how hard you try end up tracking grit and mud onboard from the parking lot. I did bridge steps, swim ladder steps, hatch frames and the single boarding step all at the same time. The only one showing any signs wear was the edge of the boarding step that everyone steps on everytime with shoes of all sorts. That got touched up this past spring.
The other thought about Starboard is that stuff is slippery and I would be worried that with wet feet you may find yourself tangled up, with parts of you on both sides of the ladder at once.