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I’m replacing the decking on a 20×20 deck with new cedar. I’m planning on staining with a synthetic oil product, probably Sikkens. They recommend washing new wood before finishing; they also recommend finishing all six sides of the board. I’ve read similar advice here and elsewhere.
My dilemma is this: I don’t relish the idea of laying out all that cedar lumber, washing it, turning it over, washing it again, letting it dry, finishing one side, turning it over again…. Life would be much simpler if I could just put it on the deck, wash, and finish. Spraying the underside afterwords is not really an option, as the deck sits only a foot above ground, and I’m not as slim as I used to be.
I’d welcome some experienced opinions. Location is Southern Wisconsin. The deck is on the SW side, gets sun from dawn until late afternoon.
Thanks,
Phil
Replies
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build frame...lay boards on frame, wash, flip,wash,dry,and so on...should be oh piece oh cake...
near the stream,
aj
*b TVMDCNo need to wash the wood nor finish all six sides. Just replace the deck every 5 years due to termite and dryrot damage.aj said it right.
*Phil, Cedar decking often causes problems because of mill glaze on the surface of the board. Stain will often just peel off of it in a short time. That is the main reason they recommend a "deckwash" type product before staining. The other alterntive is to let it weather for a year or so before staining.
*b TVMDCBy the way, when you lay the boards, be certain to put the Bark Side Down and use stainless steels screws.
*My husband (with two friends and I along with the neighbor's supervision) built a cedar deck on the back of our lake cabin three years ago. (The cabin is in NW Wisconsin.) I sanded every board to perfection, which removed mill marks, dirt, and sheen, but decided to stain them AFTER the boards were installed, because I was afraid they would warp if I stained them first. So, we installed the deck boards with the Deckmaster system and stained it with Penofin on just the top and sides. Well, three years later the deck looks great , but underneath there is evidence of rot and mildew that would NOT be there had I stained them ahead of time on both sides. The trim boards that were coated fully do not show the same rot or mildew. I can't go back in time, but you can learn from my mistakes. From that day on, we stained first on all sides. The rails we stained ahead of time on all sides, and they have held up beautifully. By the way, unless it's a humongo deck, consider using a painting pad. It's quick and uses much less expensive stain.
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Mr. Walsh:
My wife and I recently built a 200 sf cedar deck with an eight tread stair. It took the two of us approx. 7 hours to seal all sides with Superdeck. Our deck is 60" off the ground so a finished appearance underneath was important to us. I believe that's the right way to do it...especially if your deck is one foot from the ground. What we don't know is if it's your deck or if you're building it for a customer. I'm sure I'd have a hard time selling all that labor to 98% of the people wanting a deck built. It seems that what's on the surface is important and what's beneath is, well, out of sight. If it's your deck and you're going to stay, it's probably worth doing right. If it's for someone else, throw 'em a price and let them decide. Let us know what you/they decide to do.
The Machine
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I'm replacing the decking on a 20x20 deck with new cedar. I'm planning on staining with a synthetic oil product, probably Sikkens. They recommend washing new wood before finishing; they also recommend finishing all six sides of the board. I've read similar advice here and elsewhere.
My dilemma is this: I don't relish the idea of laying out all that cedar lumber, washing it, turning it over, washing it again, letting it dry, finishing one side, turning it over again.... Life would be much simpler if I could just put it on the deck, wash, and finish. Spraying the underside afterwords is not really an option, as the deck sits only a foot above ground, and I'm not as slim as I used to be.
I'd welcome some experienced opinions. Location is Southern Wisconsin. The deck is on the SW side, gets sun from dawn until late afternoon.
Thanks,
Phil