Well it’s spring, got to stain the deck again! Should of done it last year,probably,but……. Read the archieves, talked with people,just can’t get it thru my thick head that you just have to do it every couple of years. All that prep., what a way to kill a spring weekend.
So, here’s the Question; What your favorite? Any special concoctions?
DAVE
Replies
Replace with plastic or composite.
DG/Builder
Plastic wood,eouwww....
No thanks, I guess they have their place, somewhere. I'm just not ready to make that leap yet.
DAVE
As I have redone my various decks between cottage and home over the years, the best results have come from sanding the deck down to raw wood ( I use one of those orbiting pad rental floor sanders), and using a best quality stain I can find ( Recently used Sikkens and have been happy with results). Although I love the look of the wood grain (my decks are cedar), opaque stains last longer and protect the wood better so I have stopped using transparent or translucent stains. Once re-stained from bare wood I give it fresh coat every 2 or 3 years depending on the condition of the finish (another reason I no longer use tranparent or translucent stains is that they do not lend themselves as well to recoating given that they tend to be penetrating sealers as opposed to film forming. ie they end up looking blotchy)
I did mine with composite on the floor cedar for handrails (I hate pressure treated wood) and aluminum spindles. I was recommended the Behr Premium Plus that Home Cheapo sells and after 1 year have been happy thus far. I used a translucent deck stain, but I have read elsewhere that the opaque gives better protection. I used a Sherwin Williams product on the kids playset (PT wood) and it was good for about 2 years. I probably wouldn't recommend.
John
J.R. Lazaro Builders, Inc.
Indianapolis, In.