How to Sand Teak Decks

Clean the deck to remove surface dirt and dust. You can do this with your usual deck cleaner or by simply sweeping or mopping the deck. Make sure the deck is completely dry before you continue.

Hook up a random orbital sander with an 80-grit sanding wheel. The random orbital sander will move quickly and smoothly enough that you will not leave behind swirls or marks as you sand.

Attach a shop vac or wet/dry vacuum hose to the back of the sander if possible. This will suck in the sanding dust and prevent the dust from spreading to other areas of your boat. If your sander or vacuum is not equipped to attach, have someone run the vacuum behind you as you work, or pause regularly to remove dust buildup.

Activate the sander and move it across the teak deck, working in the direction of the grain. Keep the sander moving constantly so that it does not dig too deeply into any one area of the deck. Pause as necessary to remove dust. Continue until you have sanded the entire deck.

Change out the sanding wheel for 120- or 150-grit and repeat sanding. The higher grit is finer sandpaper, which will remove any small scratches or marks left behind by the coarser 80-grit paper. Continue until you have sanded the entire deck; it will look lighter in color than before you began, indicating that it is cleaner.