oil/diesel mix vs. Thompson's® WaterSeal for house deck

[2515R Dude]

I have rather large wrap around deck on my house
Every year i pressure washer it and seal it with Thompson's® WaterSeal. It lasts about 6-8 month and then by the next spring the deck looks like crap and i need to do it again.
There are discussions about trailer decks treated with mix of motor oil and diesel, but could not find anything about the house decks.

Any PROS or CONS using used or new motor oil and diesel mix? Does anyone have experience doing it at his/her house?

 

[Hay Dude]

I wouldn’t suggest using it on a house deck for a multitude of reasons. Biggest would be smell, and tracking it into your house.

 

[2515R Dude]

I wouldn’t suggest using it on a house deck for a multitude of reasons. Biggest would be smell, and tracking it into your house.

How long it is going to smell and dry? I can handle it for a week or two in exchange for not dealing with sealing the deck every year.

 

[Snobdds]

I do use the oil/diesel mix at my cabin on all the places I don't have composite decking or Hardy board siding. This is foundation beams and one set of stairs I made during construction. The one set of stairs is my kind of test to see just how well it works. The stairs have been their for 10 years with nothing more than this mix and there is no degradation. I also use it at the ranch on fence posts. It's amazing just how well it works.

The smell lasts a couple of days. It depends on how much diesel was used. I tend to put more oil in than diesel.

Now the big "However". I would not use it one a deck. There are better products that work better for this application as you want something that dries. Go to Sherwin Williams and get some super deck. It's the best stuff on the market and it will last a good 3 years before needed to be applied again.

Thompsons water seal is trash...as you know.

 

[Hay Dude]

How long it is going to smell and dry? I can handle it for a week or two in exchange for not dealing with sealing the deck every year.

Depends on the wood and how much you apply, evaporation, application, etc. You ok with tracking the residue into your house? Or do you remove shoes 99% of the time?
I know my wife wouldn’t like diesel fuel tracked into our home. I bring in enough on my work pants & shirts.

I use it on my shop wood posts near the ground.

 

[ponytug]

I've used boiled linseed oil and thinner, but that also stinks to high heaven for a while afterwards, and yes, it is going to get tracked into the house, where it is a captial P, pain, to clean up.

Sun and weather is just hard on decks, though shaded decks might even be worse due to rot in my view.

@2515R Dude I wouldn't use diesel and oil on a deck for a host of reasons, starting with smell, and moving on to health and fire hazards.

All the best,

Peter

 

[DarkBlack]

I hate the smell of diesel fuel. I can still smell it on my hands a day later after washing 10x.
That’d be one of the last things I’d ever purposely put on my deck. My dog lays on the deck too. I’d have a dog that smells like nasty diesel fuel

 

[Blue Mule]

Two years ago we built a new deck on the house. I waited a few months and then coated the entire thing with this:

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Valspar-Pre-Tinted-Clear-Exterior-Stain-Actual-Net-Contents-128-fl-oz/1000515769

It has a 3 year guarantee.

This year, 2 years in, I bought Thompson's Water Seal and just did the floor and tops of the hand rails only to give it a little more protection. The flat surfaces get blasted by the weather more.

Applying the Thompson's did not go as planned. I tried a new sprayer that I also got at Lowe's that was labeled as being for decks. It didn't work. I tried all the included nozzles. No dice. So then I tried to roll it on. That was not efficient and was going to use too much product. Thankfully I have an electric paint sprayer and so I tried that and it was perfect.

 

[2515R Dude]

You ok with tracking the residue into your house? Or do you remove shoes 99% of the time?
I know my wife wouldn’t like diesel fuel tracked into our home. I bring in enough on my work pants & shirts.

I use it on my shop wood posts near the ground.

We remove our shoes 100% of times. No one goes in with the shoes on, period. Dont have any dogs and do not plan on having one in the near future.
How often should i "reseal" the deck if i use the oil/diesel mix? Will it hold good look for 3-4 years without redoing it?
I can do it before i go on vacation and when i come back the smell is gone, not that i mind diesel smell, i actually like it some.

Not trying to save money, trying to avoid doing it every year or every other year because in those cases it looks like crap either after 6-8 month or after 12 month. If it holds a good look for at least 3 years and i need to redo it on the fourth year, i'm fine with it

 

[jyoutz]

There are far better options for decks today than Thompson’s seal or oil/diesel mix. Go to a good paint store like Dunn Edward’s or Sharwin Williams and ask them for recommendations. Oil/diesel is great for fence posts but I wouldn’t use it on a house deck or porch boards.

 

[Hay Dude]

We remove our shoes 100% of times. No one goes in with the shoes on, period. Dont have any dogs and do not plan on having one in the near future.
How often should i "reseal" the deck if i use the oil/diesel mix? Will it hold good look for 3-4 years without redoing it?
I can do it before i go on vacation and when i come back the smell is gone, not that i mind diesel smell, i actually like it some.

Not trying to save money, trying to avoid doing it every year or every other year because in those cases it looks like crap either after 6-8 month or after 12 month. If it holds a good look for at least 3 years and i need to redo it on the fourth year, i'm fine with it

OK, well that’s a different situation. We have pets in/out and frequently people pouring in/out with shoes left on. Don’t forget the smell, residue on your shoes will be tracked into your vehicles or other people’s homes, too.

I’d still have some concerns about smell, but it sounds like you’re ok with the smell.

 

[JohnP3616]

I’ve not tried it, but my late brother-in-law swore by a 50/50 mix of linseed oil and Thompson’s Water Seal.

 

[jyoutz]

I’ve not tried it, but my late brother-in-law swore by a 50/50 mix of linseed oil and Thompson’s Water Seal.

Linseed oil mixed with some kind of thinner is a good preservative, but I wouldn’t use it on an outside application where appearance is important. It attracts mold growth and treated wood will become very dark over time.

 

[ponytug]

Linseed oil mixed with some kind of thinner is a good preservative, but I wouldn’t use it on an outside application where appearance is important. It attracts mold growth and treated wood will become very dark over time.

I would say it can become very dark over time, but I think it depends a little on how often and how much one applies. I first used it on a cedar shake house to help preserve the shakes on the advice of the builder. He said let the shakes weather, and then spray on the linseed oil/thinner mix, and repeat as needed by color.

I agree with you that I think that there are far better options for decks. I would go to a good paint store and ask for advice on what to use on a deck.

All the best,

Peter

 

[2515R Dude]

OK, well that’s a different situation. We have pets in/out and frequently people pouring in/out with shoes left on. Don’t forget the smell, residue on your shoes will be tracked into your vehicles or other people’s homes, too.

I’d still have some concerns about smell, but it sounds like you’re ok with the smell.

Ok, here is the question again, how long the smell is going to be there or it is indefinitely?
If it is a week or two, not a bigie. Can you give some rough estimate? Here is the wood. This part of the deck is original 8YO never saw sun nor rain. All the rest is just crap

 

[jyoutz]

It’s

Ok, here is the question again, how long the smell is going to be there or it is indefinitely?
If it is a week or two, not a bigie. Can you give some rough estimate? Here is the wood. This part of the deck is original 8YO never saw sun nor rain. All the rest is just crap



View attachment 1345958

It’s more than smell. Oil and diesel will make your deck even more flammable than wood boards. You’re basically pouring fuel on your house deck.

 

[2515R Dude]

It’s

It’s more than smell. Oil and diesel will make your deck even more flammable than wood boards. You’re basically pouring fuel on your house deck.

Thanks for your input, So, any idea how long will it smell? a week, a month, a year?

 

[ponytug]

Thanks for your input, So, any idea how long will it smell? a week, a month, a year?

For me, oil/diesel treated fence posts stink for a long time, like years, but I'm sure everyone is different in their ability to smell.

I just think that there are lots of toxic chemicals in motor oil and diesel that you don't want to be inhaling any more than you have to.

All the best,

Peter

 

[nyone]

I have use motor oil on sheds and trailer decking. I wouldn't use it by my house.
TWP makes a good oil based stain.

Sorry but Thompsons water seal and things like boiled linseed oil are really crappy outdoor stains.

 

[JeepHead]

Having stained hundreds of decks professionally, if you want it to last and make it easy to clean, use a solid stain. I understand people want the wood grain to show through BUT solid stain is the best protection for your deck and makes it the easiest to clean.