Hello All,
A newbie here with a question for you. I am looking for a recommendation on a finish for a new deck using 2×6 cedar. The deck is located in Anchorage, Alaska. We have cool damp summer weather and of course 5 months of snow on the ground in winter. Previous experiance with solid color stain in this climate was very unsatisfactory. I spent each summer having to scrape off the places where the stain bubbled and lifted, then having to restaining the deck. I am looking for better results this time. I would like a transparent or semi transparent deck finish. The primary concern is low maintenance. I want to spend our short summer sitting on the deck, and not working on it. Any recommendations? What is the best you have seen in terms of appearance and low maintenance. Thanks for the replys.
Cheers,
Greg
Replies
We have a south facing cedar deck in Winnipeg, Canada, so similar issues - hot summer, cold /snow winters. We have tried many products over the years. The best so far is Sikkens expensive but seems to be worth it.
Confused2,
Thanks for the Sikens recommendation. It is carried by the same lumberyard I used when I built the house, so is available here. Yes, I'd say your part of Canada and Anchorage are probably very similar in climate, so if you have had luck with it, it should probably work here.
Cheers,
Greg
I have had the same experience with solid colour stains, although the last time I used a solid colour stain I used the Sikkens products which actually has held up very well (at the cottage). I would probably be reluctant to use one of these solid (film forming) stains given your climate. Two years ago at our new home I (like you) also decided not to use a solid colour stain again on my new cedar deck , and this time decided to try a water-based translucent stain. The results have been better than I hoped for. I love the way the finish has held up. Two years later and the finish shows no sign of degrading, and still looks fantastic. We are also in a fairly extreme climate. Winters are much like yours, though the summers are probably a bit drier than the description you give for yours. I would highly recommend it as a finish. The beauty of it is that the colour is impregnated into the wood and does not form a film, so there is nothing to peel.
Mine was a two part system - two coats of the colour stain, followed by a clear coat. There was some prep-work (sanding) to do, but the overall results have been really great. The product I used is called Envio Stain from Sansin ( http://sansin.com ) which if I recall correctly comes from the west coast of Canada (a very wet environment). I am sure there must be other suppliers also.
water cleanup was a nice change...
I recently used Cabot's Australian Timber Oil, and liked it lot. I think its a mixture of linseed oil and tung oil, among other things. I used the 'mahogany flame' color, on a 5 yr old, never treated, PT deck. The color was quite dark (which I wanted) but with none of the milky or muddy look that I associate with typical dark stains. I can't speak to its longevity, but since it is a penetrating finish, there will never be a question of having to scrape it prior to refinishing.
We use the Cabot Oil, mix 2 shades of oil together to acheive the colour we wanted. We have tried many different stains in the past and have been very happy with the Cabot. This oil fades does not peel or bubble. We just wipe a coat of oil on when it's needed every couple of years.
How is the Cabot oil with stains? I have been using Sikkens deck at a nearby resort and have problems with chlorine from hot tubs and wine.
On a related note, the combination of resort guests, hot tubs and too much wine lead to the discovery of a sure fire Sikkens stripper.
ya, don't you hate that, problems with chlorine in your wine, in the hot tub ...
I am sure Sikkens isn't the only stripper around by the end of the night, hot tub, wine, resort where are you???
We have the deck around the above ground pool and it doesn't seem to do anything to it. Now, the floor boards do have to be done more often than the walls, We do the floor boards every year (suppose to anyway)and the walls every few years. With the floor, if you keep it up you don't have to sand anything down you just add a coat on top of it. With the Cabot Oil you can only apply 1 coat you can try and apply a 2nd coat right away. (wet on wet) We rub it on with a cloth and rub it off with a different cloth, for the floor boards you can get a cloth pad that screws on to a handle. and then rub off with another one or a cloth.
We have the cedar deck in a dark Mahogany/ brown so it needs to be done every year.No problem with wine, don't know about the clorine from a hot tub.
We tried the Sikkens 2 part and felt it was a waste of time, also tried the Behar from HD, . We have 2 Muskoka chairs, 1 done in Behar one done in Cabot, the Behar looks terrible, flat not even colour where as the Cabot has an even colour with a slight sheen. You can even feel the difference in the 2 products once they are applied.
I have posted a partial pic of the deck. ( disregard the 2nd pic I couldn't delete it.)
I guess I was unclear. It's not ME in the tubs with too much wine etc. I do a lot of work for a nearby resort here on Vancouver Island. It's a nice place (http://www.pointnopoint.com) , but guests can be animals. The real problem is our weather. By the time the rain stops, the cabins are fully occupied for the season, making any maintenance difficult. The Cabot sounds promising.
Test first. I did mine and the mill glaze was so slick it made a real mess when I stained it. Hardly soaked in at all. Found out later I should have sanded or let it weather a bit.
Growing old is inevitable, Growing up is optional.
Western red or Alaskan yellow?
Either way, I would recommend letting it turn silver. Staining decks is a crazy way to guarantee yourself a lifetime of work.
Thanks for all the comments. I am building a deck in western red cedar. Go figure. I live in Alaska, and the lumber yard imports from Washington state. Based on the comments above I guess I will avoid the Sikkens and give Cabot a look. Thanks.
Greg