Deck Preservatives Is There A Difference

[PineRidge]

It's a beautiful cold but sunny day here in Northeast Ohio. As I sit here pecking on the keyboard I can't help but look out the window at my attached deck. It is currently calling me for some attention. It looks like it's time to pressure wash it, and add some wood sealant of sorts.

So my question is this, are all deck sealants created equal? Is price the only difference between the products themselves? Tell me your personal experiences on which is better if any as I only want to do this deed every couple of years if I can get away with it. I hate asking this info form the local supply houses as they will most always tell you the product that they handle is the best for most any given application. Can that always be true? /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

I have a neighbor that swears by the use of Kerosene and oil mixed as a deck preservative. But that sounds like an accident looking for a place to happen if you ask me. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

My deck is made from standard pressure treated lumber, is 790 square feet in size, and is currently about 4 years old.

 

[5030]

Mike:

I have decks on both of my rental properties, large ones at that. Every year I cold wash them with my pressure washer after spraying them down with cheap chlorine bleach in a garden sprayer. Then I let them dry out for a week or two. I wait for a nice sunny day and mix boiled linseed oil with mineral spirits. 1 part of boiled linseed oil to 4 parts mineral sprirts and apply that with my garden sprayer to the deck. The decks are over 10 years old and still look like new.

You have to be careful with a pressure washer or you will lift the grain of the wood and make it "fuzzy". My pressure washer is 3500 psi, hot-cold or steam. I back the pressure down to about 1000 psi and use a wide fan tip, no heat or steam. I soak the decks with the bleach for about 15 minutes prior to washing.

 

[PineRidge]

Daryl thanks for the heads up. I'll crank my pressure washer down and give your formula a try.

 

[BB_TX]

I remember a report in Consumer's Report magazine some time ago (couple years maybe /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif) where they compared various brands of deck treatments aged over a period of time. There was quite a difference in the results. Unfortunately I don't remember who was good and who was not. You might try your library. Some libraries keep back copies of the magazines.

 

[coachgrd]

Thanks for your preservative concotion....wish I'd had that 4 years ago when I put my deck on.

Just thought I'd throw this one in...an Amish gentleman who I bought my shed wood from suggested I use transmission oil and mineral spirits to coat my shed. It looks better than my deck now!

Gary

 

[EastTexFrank]

Just a thought .... where do the Amish get used transmission oil from???? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[PineRidge]

<font color="blue"> Just a thought .... where do the Amish get used transmission oil from???? </font>

They drain it from those Amish buggies. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[jayhawkRoy]

Consumer Reports has an on-going project concerning exterior paints and siding/deck stains, etc. Their test results, combined with my personal desires to see some of the grain of the wood, led me to using Cabot deck stain with good results. We get about four years of use between new applications with semi-transparent deck stain. I believe in their tests Akzo-Nobel (sp??) was the best, but it was completely opaque, so it looks like you painted your deck and the grain doesn't show through. That's why I voted on Cabot and am happy. The annual update for exterior paint/stain products should come up in a month or two.

 

[jayhawkRoy]

Found the article. Consumer Reports, Aug 03:
1. Cabot Decking stain was best. CR considered it opaque, but I consider its cedar color I used semi-transparent.
2. Wolman Durastain (semitransparent) was #2.
3. Olympic Water Guard (clear) was third best.
4. Akzo Nobel Sikkens Cetol SRD (semitransparent) came in #4.
Ratings were based on 3 year test. I think there will be an update in Aug 2004, since they are testing ten more products that have not finished the three year test period.

 

[PBMAX]

I have used Thomson 1 once... Found it lacking, lasted just over 1 year. Think it's water based... Used it back at the old home stead...
Switched to Bear (spelled?)after that. it has Linseed oil (as someone mentioned using) in it and lasted a good 3 yrs... Is what I will use, unless some one can point me in a different direction for the deck here at the new CASA...Not Cheap though..

Great question... Been trying to talk myself in to doing it soon...before the summer heat rolls in May...Been here about 3 yrs and the deck is starting to show the lack of treatment...