Refinishing the cabin steps

[TBOT422]

I am trying to refinish the steps on the cabin ladder of a 2007 Catalina 350 and would like any advice you can provide. I removed the steps from the ladder and I stripped the old varnish off with a heat gun on one of the pieces. It seemed to darken the wood a little bit. Some serious sanding brought back what looks like the original teak, but it doesn't look much like the varnished sections. The varnished pieces seem to have a light orangish color compared the the light tan teak. What type of varnish finish is on the Catalina interior teak? Would a chemical stripper such as CitrusStrip remove the varnish without making the teak appear darker? Nearly any kind of finish (oil or varnish) will slightly darken the wood. Is there a good way to lighten the teak before applying varnish so that it comes closer to matching the rest of the interior?

[KenKrawford]

I think you've run into a common problem with plantation raised teak - color variation between boards. If you've sanded to bare wood then I suspect you're seeing the native color of that piece. If you're determined to get them to match as closely as possible I think you're going to have to experiment with stain to try and get all the boards to match. Without an extra piece to test on it's going to be a difficult job.
When I refinished my companionway steps, I covered about 3/4 of the tread surface with non-skid tape. I also filled the grooves on the treads with black silicone caulk to minimize dirt collection in those recesses.
Page 15 of the 350 owners manual devotes several pages to the product(s) used to finish the teak. A quick Google search failed to find any info on the named company.

[TBOT422]

Ken,
I think you're right. I don't see how I could get the base teak that is generally greyish to ever come out close to the lighter almost yellowish color of the original steps and table and everything else in the cabin. It's pretty hard to match 14 years of yellowing varnish. I could lighten the teak some with teak brightener and maybe test stain the back side of the steps to get closer. Or, I could just put a clear varnish on the base teak, that could be close to the teak on the flooring which is a little darker than the table and everything else. The steps would look beautiful, but just not match anything in the cabin. Maybe just fill the groves in the steps with yellow caulk and they would match the teak and holly flooring?

[TBOT422]

Ken,
I think I like your idea about filling the grooves with silicon. If you can could you please post a picture? How has it held up? I assume you filled the grooves after varnishing? I was also thinking about putting on the non-skid. However, for the past 8 years or so, we had cut some thin carpet like material to fit and held them in place with elastic bands under the steps.
Thanks

[Murphysox]

I used a product called Citristrip paint and varnish stripping gel and a plastic scrapper knife

2-3 applications some wood will be a little darker than others...that's what real wood does and it's fine.

then clear polyurethane 5 coats

5 years later they still look great. Trick is to keep them dry and out of direct sunlight

[KenKrawford]

I'm heading back to my boat next week so I'll snap some pics then. Your assumption is correct - I did varnish first and then caulked. I taped each edge of the grooves with painter's tape and then "troweled" with my finger to level it out. Be sure to remove the tape before the silicone starts to set. I added the non-skid tape after a neighbor with wet feet tumbled down the steps.

Ken,
I think I like your idea about filling the grooves with silicon. If you can could you please post a picture? How has it held up? I assume you filled the grooves after varnishing? I was also thinking about putting on the non-skid. However, for the past 8 years or so, we had cut some thin carpet like material to fit and held them in place with elastic bands under the steps.
Thanks

[KenKrawford]

Here's a couple of pics showing what I did with my steps. The non-skids strips look a bit shopworn and probably need replacement. I also cut some additional grooves in the treads. I didn't like the aesthetics of Catalina's version.

[hperros]

Ken

What kind of varnish did you use on the steps?

I came across a varnish in Catalinadirect, which is apparently what they used in the factory from 99 to 07. It's semi-gloss Target Coatings EM2000wvx. I wonder if anyone in the forum has used it.

[TBOT422]

I wound up using the CitriStrip, followed by a light sanding with 120 and 240 grit sandpaper. Then 7 coats of MinWax Spar Urethane Clear Semi-Gloss. They look fantastic. They are a little darker than the table that seems a little yellow, but fit in nicely with the rest of the interior.

[KenKrawford]

I responded to your post yesterday but it somehow vanished. Where's that darn forum moderator when you need him!!

Three years ago I finished a pair of mahogany entry doors with the MinWax product you used. I sprayed 8 coats and it looked like a piece of furniture when I finished. With an exposure to morning sun, it only lasted 3 years before it started to develop a bluish haze. Just a few weeks ago I recoated it with Target EM2000wvx. Time will tell if this is an improvement but I was able to brush 3 coats on in an afternoon and it looked great.
I do a lot of woodworking and probably have 6 or 7 different Target products in my shop. Sometimes it can be difficult to decide which of their products is best for a particular application but I've always been pleased with the end results. Most of my finishing involves spraying so the fact that everything they sell is water based is a big plus.
I'm sure your stairs look great!

[hperros]

Thank you both for your responses. I think I have a good idea how to proceed!