Getting Ready to stain/waterproof my deck- Suggestions?

Hey guys,

Just finished my deck and waiting for some of the "wet" wood to dry, anyone have any tips or recommendations for waterproofing/treating my deck?  What products and or your favorite application tools.

Thanks

Paxamus

Just a couple.  Wait 6-8 weeks for the "wet", I assume treated, wood to dry out, sand off mill glaze and stamps, use only good quality product.  The protection is mostly in the pigment, so for longevity, semi-transparent or semi-solid oil base products are best.  If you go with solid pigmentation, use water based acrylics, not oil based.  There surely are differing opinions, but I have found the best products to be Benjamin Moore Deck Stains, Sherwin Williams Deckscapes, Cabot stains (which give more gloss after the first application).  Do the deck again (with the same product) a year before you think it really needs it to build on what you have rather than having to start over.  I know that this is contrary to what is generally advised, but it works well in everyday practice.

I have come across two products which I have used with great success. Stain solver oxygen bleach to wash the deck and a semi transparent stain called Defy Epoxy. Both can be found on the Internet. I use a roller to apply the stain and then back brush with a paint brush.  Best part about the stain is there has not been any growth of any kind on the boards. I use these products every 2 to 3 years.

Thanks a lot guys, I have put too much work into the deck and not take care of it

Paxamus:

Hey guys,

 

Just finished my deck and waiting for some of the "wet" wood to dry, anyone have any tips or recommendations for waterproofing/treating my deck?  What products and or your favorite application tools.

 

Thanks

Paxamus

I hope I'm not too late. Practiced DIY'er here and while I've had some great successes I've had equally colossal failures. My biggest mistake was staining my brand new deck after waiting a year with Behr stain…what a nightmare! I followed the directions for prep and application of the stain to the “T” and within a month I had problems…fading, chipping…it was more like paint than stain. So after scrubbing, gently sanding, brightening the wood was again bare. Whew!

You can imagine my anguish knowing I had to at least seal the deck for it’s own protection. I spent weeks researching blogs, diy sites etc…what worked and has for the last three years is Ready Seal, we liked the now med brown which is now called Pecan. It looks amazing, easy deck prep, they suggest a 1-3 ratio bleach and water then scrub and rinse. It was so easy to apply, no over lap marks and is just now fading out. I ordered the pecan on line, their site readyseal.com,  and received deliver two days later (I’m in New England). Tested it on the back stairs and it looks amazing…again! So, I hope this helps as I was in complete confusion initially and went with the hype on Behr deck stain…stay away! Funny, I used the left over Behr deck stain on a shed and it still looks great (4 years now), they should re-package it for horizontal surfaces not vertical.

Good luck!!!

I am curious if you have any problems with mold on the new decking.

JD-123:

Paxamus:

Hey guys,

 

Just finished my deck and waiting for some of the "wet" wood to dry, anyone have any tips or recommendations for waterproofing/treating my deck?  What products and or your favorite application tools.

 

Thanks

Paxamus

 

 

I hope I'm not too late. Practiced DIY'er here and while I've had some great successes I've had equally colossal failures. My biggest mistake was staining my brand new deck after waiting a year with Behr stain…what a nightmare! I followed the directions for prep and application of the stain to the “T” and within a month I had problems…fading, chipping…it was more like paint than stain. So after scrubbing, gently sanding, brightening the wood was again bare. Whew!

You can imagine my anguish knowing I had to at least seal the deck for it’s own protection. I spent weeks researching blogs, diy sites etc…what worked and has for the last three years is Ready Seal, we liked the now med brown which is now called Pecan. It looks amazing, easy deck prep, they suggest a 1-3 ratio bleach and water then scrub and rinse. It was so easy to apply, no over lap marks and is just now fading out. I ordered the pecan on line, their site readyseal.com,  and received deliver two days later (I’m in New England). Tested it on the back stairs and it looks amazing…again! So, I hope this helps as I was in complete confusion initially and went with the hype on Behr deck stain…stay away! Funny, I used the left over Behr deck stain on a shed and it still looks great (4 years now), they should re-package it for horizontal surfaces not vertical.

Good luck!!!

 

I have been a painting contractor for some years, and have used many paints and stains.  Without exposing all the nasty details, I tell potential customers that by far the best thing about Behr paints and stains is the marketing.  The exterior paints are fine but as for the exterior stains and interior paints????? Not on my job.