TheDeckMedicOcom

I am in a unique position.. I not only build decks but I maintain thousands of decks built by just as many people. This has given me the opportunity to see a lot of mistakes made by a lot of people and learn from them. 50% of my coatings business is fixing other peoples mistakes.
I have been washing and sealing decks for 18 years. At one point we had 22 guys full time and sealed over 1 million sq ft of decking surface per season (including rails, lattice, privacy wall etc.) This is what is some of what I have learned actually seeing decks go through there entire life span.. Not just decks I built but from hundreds of different builders and people who thought they were builders.
I doesn’t matter what side you put up if you don’t seal the deck consistently with the "right" sealer it will come apart. Pine decks that have boards triple nailed fair far better than two. Ring shanks are better than standard screws for several reasons. If you seal the underside of a deck it will cup. The reason for this is that after the surface coating wears the wood absorbs more water and the sealer under the board holds it in and then the board only dries from the top. So the top surface shrinks dry quicker and more often than the bottom in doing so it curls the boards. That’s just a little of what I have found out sealing way too many decks. If anyone has questions feel free to email me. Sean at TheDeckMedic.com