Steppenwolfe
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Cedar deck help please!
- Thread starter jymbee
- Start date
Probably not. We're actually a large portion of the original cedar deck that was installed around 20 years ago. A bit over 1,100 linear feet for around $2k. Ouch...
Hmmm... well, of all the opinions I've heard so far the notion that nothing you can apply will help preserve the wood is a new one! The lazy/cheap part of me would like to believe that but although I've received a number of different suggestions, none of them concur with that advice. Could they all be wrong??
HillStreet
Veteran Member
More important than brand is the type you apply, in my humble opinion. I have two cedar decks and use only a penetrating oil stain or sealer. It colors nice without the fear of peeling. My brand is Sherwin Williams which I particularly like.
I haven't tried it, maybe look into this, Cedarshield — Dock and Fence Wood Treatment & Sealant
Billrog
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I've experimented for over 45 years with everything available up until a couple years ago and found there is nothing you can
put on a flat surface that isn't going to require annual maintenance if your particular. Lots of good advice here avoid any finish that leaves a surface skin or you be creating a labor intensive job for your self when it comes to redoing it. Thomson's seal for a short time like a couple others because paraffin is the water repel-ant it it and the sun evaporates it off requiring more frequent application. Some penetrating oil stains I've managed to get 2 years but that's been the limit .
put on a flat surface that isn't going to require annual maintenance if your particular. Lots of good advice here avoid any finish that leaves a surface skin or you be creating a labor intensive job for your self when it comes to redoing it. Thomson's seal for a short time like a couple others because paraffin is the water repel-ant it it and the sun evaporates it off requiring more frequent application. Some penetrating oil stains I've managed to get 2 years but that's been the limit .
quicksandfarmer
Veteran Member
There are two things that age wood outdoors, sunlight and moisture. A stain will block sunlight. It won't block moisture. The only thing I know of that will keep wood that is exposed to the elements from rotting in time is pressure treating. Even paint only works on vertical surfaces if they aren't sheltered.
Gem99ultra
Veteran Member
I sure love the looks of cedar. But, I've had a lot of difficulty of it splitting when building with it. It seems to require pre-drilling before screwing or nailing.
My choice for decks has been 5/4 pressure treated pine. I build decks with the boards pulled up tightly against one another. It will shrink probably a quarter of an inch when it has dried a few months. That's a good thing - it allows for drainage. At that time I paint it with porch quality paint with some anti-skid powder mixed in with the paint. I think powdered granite holds up better than sand, and it's cheap enough. A little will do-ya.
That will make the surface much safer to walk on when wet. Nothing can be more dangerous than a painted floor when wet. And you can be assured, the deck will be wet every morning from the dew. Let wife bust her azz just once on a wet painted deck on her way out to enjoy a good warm cup of coffee first thing in the morning and you'll understand exactly what I mean ;-)
Like others have said, Thompson's is good for a year. Paint is about the only thing I've found that will hold up for very long on a deck. Of course, you'll loose the beautiful effects of cedar, but that's something you'll have to decide for yourself, i.e. short term beauty, or long term serviceability.
PS For my trailer decks I use a mix of diesel and boiled linseed oil. But that's another subject...
My choice for decks has been 5/4 pressure treated pine. I build decks with the boards pulled up tightly against one another. It will shrink probably a quarter of an inch when it has dried a few months. That's a good thing - it allows for drainage. At that time I paint it with porch quality paint with some anti-skid powder mixed in with the paint. I think powdered granite holds up better than sand, and it's cheap enough. A little will do-ya.
That will make the surface much safer to walk on when wet. Nothing can be more dangerous than a painted floor when wet. And you can be assured, the deck will be wet every morning from the dew. Let wife bust her azz just once on a wet painted deck on her way out to enjoy a good warm cup of coffee first thing in the morning and you'll understand exactly what I mean ;-)
Like others have said, Thompson's is good for a year. Paint is about the only thing I've found that will hold up for very long on a deck. Of course, you'll loose the beautiful effects of cedar, but that's something you'll have to decide for yourself, i.e. short term beauty, or long term serviceability.
PS For my trailer decks I use a mix of diesel and boiled linseed oil. But that's another subject...
EddieWalker
Epic Contributor
If all things are the same, and you took a 12 foot long piece of cedar and cut it into 3 equal sized lengths, then installed all three the same, then treated the top of one, all sides of another, and left the third untreated, they would all last just as long.
I've noticed that some of the worse things people build are decks. There is a complete lack of understanding of how beams and bracing works. And even worse, how important air flow is under a deck. Nothing will destroy a deck faster then enclosing the bottom of it.
While I have no idea who you are talking to about your deck, odds are very good that they are all wrong.
MacLawn
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What old Eddie said. The boy is right most of the time.
Snobdds
Elite Member
This is the best stuff on the market. It works and looks good...last more than a few years as well.
The only other thing that works better is 60/40 of new motor oil and diesel fuel. My trailer decks never rot with this concoction.