Deck stain/ sealant

Dennis Gardner wrote: »

I like CWF UV stain by Flood. It isn't cheap, but lasted longer than any other coating I had used. I pressure washed the deck to clean dirt and grime, let it dry and rolled the CWF on early in the morning. Don't try it on a hot sun drenched deck or it will clump up and dry as you roll it.

http://www.flood.com/wood-care-solutions/product/2/details

+1.......in my opinion it is the best out there. Easy to apply, stand the test of time and is easy to reapply when the time comes.

Sometimes it is better to wait a few weeks to stain after installing new decks or decking boards with treated wood. Gives the wood time to cure and settle. It seems sometimes the treated wood chemicals don't allow the stain to properly take hold. Just from personal experience

jflail2 wrote: »

And great intel on the Behr brand Hermitism. That is officially now on my do not buy list.

So is one coat usually enough, for those who have done this?

And it sounds like I need to break down and add a pressure washer to the fold, so I can get it done right the first time. Which is fine, I've been pondering picking one up for my vinyl siding anyway.

I'm not sure what the reason was for that one bad gallon. It could have froze during transport to the store, or something could have happened at the manufacturing plant. I do know Dad mixed it well, he uses one of those metal stirs that you attach to a drill to mix paints and stains, and always cleans it after. The wood decking was about 10 years old. When my Dad contacted the manufacturer and told them what had happened, the guy from Behr told him you should never pressure wash the wood before because all that does is push all the crud down into the wood. I think he was just trying to get out of reimbursing him. Everyone I know that has sealed a deck has ALWAYS used a pressure washer beforehand. I think Dad waited a week after using the washer before he started staining.

I don't know if this applies to what you will be using, but I've used a clear concrete sealer on a sidewalk before and that product said to never apply it in direct sunlight.

http://m.cabotstain.com/product-detail.php?t=Exterior&c=Wood%20Staining%20Products&a=Semi-Solid%20Finish&p=7bd51b47-8cbc-11e2-9064-4fa1f1c236bf

Cabot stains worked the best for me semi solid is the way to go make sure you properly prep your deck.

Power washing to get dirt and grime will normally take off the old stain along with it. Sanding would be needed on any slivers/splinters that are pulled up so that it is safe for bare feet. You don't need any more than 1k PSI or you could actually remove too much wood. Any stain that is tough enough to stick will be okay to stain over the top of. The CWF is an oil based product, so I wouldn't want to use it over latex painted wood, but it can be purchased with its own coloring mixed in, and I usually reapplied every other year as I liked the fresh look over the weathered look. I was using on redwood deck with cedar lattice. You will want a stain if using over treated wood to get a better look than the green tint the treating gives.

The truth about decks is that if wood is used for a deck, maintenance is required to keep it nice, no easy way out. If I was building from scratch, I would go with a manmade product like Trex or similar composite for durability.

I'm not arguing with anyone as to what is best, only commenting what worked for me keeping a full 3 tier 25x50 deck with a 15x30 pool in it fresh for our 5 kids for 10 years.

I've personally had bad luck with sealers (peeling, flaking, bubbling, etc). Now I stick to staining only on the deck I built. The older one that came with the house I put Restore on it 2 years ago to delay replacement. I'm quite happy with the results.

Hermitism wrote: »

My Dad stained some wood decking last spring. He bought two one gallon cans. One can worked fine, the other started peeling off over the winter (less than one year after applying). You could literally grab a piece that was peeling between your fingers, and pull up a four foot piece of the stain. It appears he got a bad batch. The manufacturer reimbursed him for the gallon, but he had to scrape all that off himself. So he switched to some other brand. I just called him to find out what product peeled up, because I would personally avoid it. He said it was Behr Premium Deckover.

Your dad's not alone. Both my moms deck and mine are doing the same thing. I'm letting mommy fight this battle for me/us. She's more tactful than I am. A quick google search pulls up a boatload of unhappy people.