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My deck is treated yellow pine 12 years old and is begining to check a little in the Texas sun. How should I clean it (trisodium phophate?) and prevent further damage. Color isn’t important to me…just don’t want it to detiorate further. Thanks.
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Sorry to disagree with Barry, but you don't need any tint; go to a coast and look at beautiful wooden boats of mahogany, cedar, teak, and other woods. They use spar varnish, or spar varnish applied over epoxy. The varnish has the uv inhibitors and is sanded and reapplied on a regular basis (like yearly). You could probably get a lot of info from sister publication Wooden Boat. If you can (and care to) treat your deck like the deck of a boat and seal all exposed surfaces, you will get the rot and insect protection, but unless it's a to-be-built deck, I would think it very difficult to get a thorough penetration of all 6 surfaces.
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I'm in the process of building with Ipe` wood. I think you will find it cheaper (and sturdier) to go to 12" spacing rather than thicker material.
If you are coming to Maryland anytime soon, I'll take a load of Q.S. white oak please. I want to build some book shelves to match a mission desk I have.
*David,You seem to be disagreeing with me by changing the subject, which I believe has been deck finishes, not boat varnishes. Your example doesn't counter the fact that a tinted deck finish will resist UV deterioration better than a clear deck finish. I also cringe at the concept of walking on an epoxied and varnished deck that's gotten wet. I guess that's what boat shoes are for, right?
*... and boat insurance. Sailboats in particular seem designed to injure people!
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"I'm hoping to keep the wood looking as new as possible without
graying. Also hope to get rot and insect protection."
Hi, I wasn't trying to change the subject at all; merely trying to provide an example of wood that is kept looking new while providing rot and insect protection. It also involves no tint.Spar varnish is equally effective on the deck of a boat or the deck of a house. Any film finish is slippery when wet; most people broadcast (more or less) clear silica into one of the final coats of varnish while it is wet for traction.
The bottom line is: the maximum protection for the substrate (wood deck) will always be a finish that locks into the wood and forms a film barrier and has uv inhibitors. White paint will give the maximum protection to the substrate. Clear paint (varnish) will give the best appearance (assuming the natural color and grain of the wood is considered desirable.) Any tinting away from clear and toward opaque will offer increasing uv protection and lesser appearance. Any finish which only penetrates but forms no film, or such a thin film that it is abraded away quickly with normal traffic, cannot offer protection against water penetration or uv degradation.
*...and you get to pay a lot of money for the pleasure of allowing yourself to be injured :)
*andrew d: I recently had our deck powerwashed and then stained using the Cabot semi-tranparents. Looks great now and will let you know how it holds up, but the guy who did it cautions that the manufacturer recommends only one coat or you get a shiny buildup. We can see this where he did a test with a color we found was too light and then went over. Just a word of caution. They seemed to have the better color selection. That was our reason for using it. Andy
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Any preferences on deck finishes (red wood)? Thompson's water seal? Oil? All thoughts appreciated. I'm hoping to keep the wood looking as new as possible without graying. Also hope to get rot and insect protection.
*There was a Consumer Reports article that included test data for deck sealers sometime around April through June of '98 that is very informative. They are doing an ongoing test. You can probably find it at the library.Some well known brand products were rated very poorly.
*Notably, they despised Thompson's. I think it has already been pulled from the test.The graying is due to UV damage. Clear coating provides some protection but needs to be redone frequently.
*In So.Cal. I have come to the point where I try to avoid any exposed wood on the south side. ALL finishes are high maintainance in this climate. As to fishes, adirondackJack by the stream must know about those things I heard they live in streams.
*you may want to try a transparent stain so that it will both protect your wood as well as mask fading and other imperfections.As for brand names, I would definitely stick with Thompsons or cuprinol. I have seen the results those bargain products yield and turns out they are hardly a bargain at all.Pete Draganic
*Around here Thompson's isi thebargain finish. . . always i on saleavailable everywhere, including the laundromat. . . why it will seal your siding, your decking, your concrete foundation, patio, sidewalk, your roof, your neighbours big mouth, the wife's p/hose. . . a daily application for ever-and-a-day should be sufficient, some restrictions apply!!!
*Hey, my property abuts a river, so i know about fishes as well....if fact, the DEP sometimes crosses my land with their fish stocking trucks.Seriously tho, anyone have thoughts about using white oak as as exterior deck material? there is a sawmill closeby and I can score red OR white oak (rough sawn or planed) for 45-cents per board foot. When I observe the quality of this sawyer's work I'm VERY impressed by his selection process, ie, his product is virtually knot-free. Would one-inch rough sawn be strong enough for use with joists spaced 16 inches on center? Or do I need to go to 5/4 stock? Is this material likely to splinter heavily in an exterior environment? Any suggestions to maintaining an oak surface outside?Thanx,Brian
*The only way to keep wood from graying is to have some tint in the finish and to apply it regularly. Olympic and Cabot produce good medium priced products. Higher end include Penofin and Sikkens. Thompson's is junk. The Consumer Reports study mentioned recommends avoiding paraffin-based products and to choose linseed oil-based products instead. I personally use Olympic Natural Look Protector Plus on my cedar, and it has a mild tint. It's also available for redwood. Go to .
*Your thoughts on Cabot? (Held out as premium stuff here.)
*B,I would think white oak would hold up fine although I would be inclined to use a true 1" (5/4)boarrd on the deck. I've taken apart 40 yr old structures of white oak that were always exposed to the weather & was amazes at how well it held up. It dosen't seem to do as well with ground contact.Thompsons water seal is a wax emulsion. Glorified furniture polish with color. Look at the stuff from flood.
*Cabot is medium priced compared to Sikkens and Penofin. I haven't used it, but that's because I had already used the Olympic product before I ran across Cabot. Will try it for grins next year, though, when I do the next outdoor wood rejuvenation.
*My deck is treated yellow pine 12 years old and is begining to check a little in the Texas sun. How should I clean it (trisodium phophate?) and prevent further damage. Color isn't important to me...just don't want it to detiorate further. Thanks.
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Here in the midwest we use a lot of a product
called TWP. It seems to be the most common finish
used by professional painters. I've used it with
good results. A trick of the trade, apply your
finish with a "bug sprayer" , it'll save tons of
time on the spindles and won't blow finish all
over the rest of the house, just don't pump it up
too much. The Sikkens product performs amazingly
well, although I've never used it. It's much more
like a varnish and the prep is extensive.
good l