Lke new deck.

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Jim DeVito
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Joined: Wed Jul 11, 2007 7:11 am
Location: Lakewood, Ohio

Lke new deck.

Postby Jim DeVito » Sun Sep 05, 2010 11:41 am

So when I bought my house 3 years ago it came with a nice size deck in that back that had been neglected for some time. I have spent the summer with chemical strippers, power washers and I am just now sanding the deck. It has been alot of work but defiantly worth it after seeing the almost new wood after the sanding.

So my questions is after all this wood prep, what do I do next? I have seen products that offer stain and water sealant in one. But at this point I want to make sure the finish is going to look good and last as I have spent (much to the wifes chagrin) alot of time on the deck.

Any Thoughts?

Thanks!!


Will Brown
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Joined: Sat Nov 10, 2007 10:56 am
Location: Lakewood

Re: Lke new deck.

Postby Will Brown » Sun Sep 05, 2010 1:11 pm

Did you clean up and sand the bottom side?

Once that is done, you can use it to test whatever type of finish you select, since it won't show.

If you don't do the bottom (and the sides and ends of the boards) no finish will last, as moisture will get into the wood through the unfinished areas and pop the finish off the finished areas.

You should also find out the type of wood it is, as that would affect your choice of finish.

The fact is that, for almost all woods, in an external application, periodic refinishing is necessary.


Society in every state is a blessing, but the Government even in its best state is but a necessary evil...
Stan Austin
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Re: Lke new deck.

Postby Stan Austin » Sun Sep 05, 2010 2:29 pm

Jim--- Sounds like a rewarding job! (And bet the wife won't object to time spent on the Deck deck after you're done)
Will made some good recommendations. I would just go to Lkwd Hardware, Home Depot, or Lowe's and get the series of products from the same manufacturer. They should be able to walk you through the stain, and any topcoat. I would be leery of any all in one product. Stain it the way you want, might take a couple of coats wiped even, then at least two coats of any clear topcoat. Most of the products now are going to be water based. Hard to find any solvent based products anymore.
Stan


Will Brown
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Joined: Sat Nov 10, 2007 10:56 am
Location: Lakewood

Re: Lke new deck.

Postby Will Brown » Mon Sep 06, 2010 1:35 pm

I assume you want to keep the appearance of wood, rather than painting. Here is my experience.

Our front porch is douglas fir, which used to be very common. I wanted a painted floor, so I used porch and deck enamel (alkyd, if I recall correctly) and it has held up very well. For the sideboards and some redwood trellises I built to repllace the railings, I wanted a wood finish and I wanted to keep the color of the wood, so I used Flood clear wood finish with UV protection. It looks real nice, but has to be recovered every four or five years. I don't know if it would hold up as well on a floor where it would be exposed to traffic.

My back stoop/porch is made of treated lumber, and I think there is no way to do much with that stuff, probably because of all the chemicals in it. I used a combined stain/finish which obliterated the grain and has not held up well at all. Replacing the whole thing is on my to do list.

On the teak parts of my yacht, I use teak oil, but the hot sun is hard on even that, and the teak I finished over the winter is already bare, so I have to redo it again this winter; some people redo theirs more than once a year.

Stain just darkens the wood, so if you are happy with what you have, don't use stain. UV protection is vital with any clear finish to prevent the sun from bleaching the wood.

Many of the good finishes of old are no longer sold because of EPA restrictions. I have a lovely natural finish on my interior floors. I recently went to buy more because I was doing a couple of upstairs rooms. I visited their web site and they still are making it. I went to their dealer, and they said it wasn't in stock, but they could order it, and it was only sold in quarts in Ohio, while I wanted a gallon (the Ohio EPA apparently doesn't realize you can buy four quarts and have your forbidden gallon). Four quarts was expensive, and they would have had to order it, so I went online and found an accommodating store in another state that had gallons and that shipped.

I've gotten decent advice at Sherwin Williams, and I haven't asked at Lakewood Hardware, but at Home Depot and Lowe's I think the quality of advice is mixed and questionable, as are their goods. There was, a few years ago, a very knowledgeable man hidden away in an industrial warren north of Madison and East of West Boulevard, just next to the rapid tracks, but I've forgotten his name, which I have hidden away somewhere so I wouldn't forget it, but then forgot where I hid it. Assuming he is still there, he would be absolutely the best source of information.


Society in every state is a blessing, but the Government even in its best state is but a necessary evil...
Michelle Kruse
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Joined: Fri Feb 23, 2007 2:56 am

Re: Lke new deck.

Postby Michelle Kruse » Thu Sep 16, 2010 6:16 pm

If you want NO EFFORT for at least 5 - 10 years use One-Time-Wood. This is a stain that is applied to clean wood (no paint or stain residue) for a remarkable finish. It is set by sunshine and will not work in shaded areas. I used it on another house and the cedar deck and railing still loooks like new after 15 years. Two years ago I used it on fencing - still nice. Ingersoll Hardware stocks this. The price is high, about $80 for 5 gallons, but it is well worth the cost. Absolutely the best wood finish product I have used.


Jim DeVito
Posts: 946
Joined: Wed Jul 11, 2007 7:11 am
Location: Lakewood, Ohio

Re: Lke new deck.

Postby Jim DeVito » Thu Sep 16, 2010 6:41 pm

Thanks all.

The one time wood product has got a lot of praise. But I am an eternal skeptic so I will keep doing research. I have at least a week's worth of sanding left (small kids, full and part time job ;-) that should give me time to look into all the product and seek some expert advice. Thanks again I will let you know how it turns out.


Charlie Page
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Joined: Wed Oct 01, 2008 3:31 pm
Location: Lakewood

Re: Lke new deck.

Postby Charlie Page » Fri Sep 17, 2010 12:49 pm

We are painting our house with linseed oil paint. Part of the prep is to give a first coat of boiled linseed oil before painting. According to their website, the boiled linseed oil is an excellent wood preservative and protects better than petroleum based products. It needs a fresh coat every year, like other products but I’m not sure how it will wear on a deck. It might be worth a look.

http://www.solventfreepaint.com/cleaned_linseed_oil.htm

I’m thinking of doing an experiment by coating a section of two by four and letting it sit out all winter, spring and summer just to see how it holds up. I know you can’t wait that long.


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