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Deck stain & finish

| Posted in Construction Techniques on January 31, 2003 04:36am

Customer wants me to pressure wash a deck (wolmanized lumber) and apply a stain.  I plan on using an Olympic linseed oil semi-transparent stain.  They would like a glossy finish.  I contacted Olympic and they have no suggesstions as to a finish.  Any ideas?  Would a spar varnish be appropriate?  South Texas location, deck faces south & west.

 

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  1. don26299 | Feb 03, 2003 08:23am | #1

    Not varnish.  What would stick would peel.

    I think CWF might have what you want.  I think there is an improvement over this now but the name escapes me. 

  2. Mauiman | Feb 03, 2003 10:36am | #2

    In my opinion wolmanized lumber is not stain or clear finish freindly. You are better off just painting it.  The preparation to get the material to a stainable grade is too much. On the other hand if it was made out of cedar or redwood than it might be worth it                                                                                                                                                                          

  3. CAGIV | Feb 03, 2003 10:41am | #3

    I was always told dont pressure wash decks?  Im quite possibly wrong, but I have heard it can do more harm then good, anyone else, or am I on crack?

  4. User avater
    goldhiller | Feb 03, 2003 06:07pm | #4

    Here's what I have , for what it's worth.

    I'd stay with a penetrating water repellent myself.

    Do not use CWF unless you want to remove what remains of it every year and recoat. Flood also makes a stripper just for this purpose. There............ that should keep you busy every summer. My BIL applied this stuff to his deck against my advice. He knows he should have listened now.

    Have these folks considered that any film type finish they apply will be treacherously slippery when wet or covered with snow? Even penetrating sealants become slippery, but nothing like a film finish.

    If they insist on such a thing............. Sikkens varnish or a high quality marine varnish with UV inhibitor.

    Get a waiver of responsibility.

    Knowledge is power, but only if applied in a timely fashion.
    1. InspectorBob | Feb 03, 2003 08:56pm | #6

      Consider Sikkens. Expensive, but worth its cost.

      I have found the finish to be no more slippery than treated lumber.

      Bob

      1. User avater
        goldhiller | Feb 04, 2003 04:57am | #10

        Bob,

        Are you referring to Sikkens water-repellent or Sikkens varnish?

        I use the Sikkens varnish on exterior wood doors and the like and it's performed remarkably well. Two of my neighbors/friends (both within a two minute drive) took note of this and decided to use it on their decks, both in the same summer. I warned them concerning the potential slipperiness of this material on the surface, but they both decided that it would likely be okay. Well……………it's slippery on those decks when wet or snowy and there's been a few falls, but luckily no serious injuries yet, just some big bruises. There's an integral spa in one of these decks and those folks have taken to putting a long rubber mat down during the winter to avoid doing a header or back flip into the spa.

        Knowledge is power, but only if applied in a timely fashion.

        1. InspectorBob | Feb 04, 2003 08:17am | #12

          I have Sikkens Cetol Dek on my deck. It forms a micro-porous film on the wood. It was $50 a gallon a few years ago, but it is well worth it, in my opinion.

          Bob

          1. User avater
            goldhiller | Feb 04, 2003 05:09pm | #14

            Bob,

            I thought maybe we were talking about different products and indeed we are. I'm referring to Sikkens exterior clear alkyd finish coating ....Sikkens TGL....available in either satin or gloss. This, too, is a superior product, but IMO isn't appropriate for a deck floor.

            Cetol Dek is the product that I recommended to these folks, but they decided they wanted the look of a high gloss film type finish. All I can do is make my recommendations and explanantions and then they must decide. At least I wasn't responsible.

            Knowledge is power, but only if applied in a timely fashion.

    2. FastEddie1 | Feb 04, 2003 04:23am | #8

      'preciate the advice, but you missed one item...you mentioned slippery with snow...what's that?  We get frost on the windshield about twice a year.

  5. User avater
    ProDek | Feb 03, 2003 07:47pm | #5

    I would recommend replacing the wolmanized cracking splitting (hem fir) deck with another product that weathers better in a Southwest Texas climate.

    Perhaps a man made composite likeTrex.

    If they want to keep the wood look they should consider using real wood like redwood, ironwood, or mahogany.Use Penofin or Superdeck on these products.

    No matter what you put on the surface of wolmanized wood you will have to re-apply it every other year.

    Stay away from varnish or someone will get hurt on the slick surface, as some have already mentioned. 

    Semi transparent stain will work on wolmanized wood if you stay with the same original color.

    Pressure washing will blast out the soft grain and leave the hard grain in wood leaving a surface that will collect even more dirt in the future. Use a deck wash and scrub brush on a handle then hose off the dirt. I don't recommend doing this till July, after all the leaves are on the trees. Otherwise you will trap tree pollen between the stain and the wood. But then again there aren't any trees in Texas are there?LOL

    Bob

    "Rather be a hammer than a nail"

    1. workman67 | Feb 04, 2003 01:07am | #7

      wash with oxolic acid----go to abrp.com and find out where you can purchase thier stain----i am a contractor for them for years and i won't use anything else anymore!!!---good luck

    2. FastEddie1 | Feb 04, 2003 04:30am | #9

      Pro, the wood is not split, it's just weathered gray and they want a new-wood look, hence the stain.  Changing the deck to another product is not an option...it's a little more than 1200 sf and that much $ is not in the budget.  based on your comments, and others, it looks like varnish is not a good choice.  Lady saw a picture in a magazine and like the shiny look...it was probably wet.  Do you have a brand of deck cleaner you would recommend?  yes, we have trees here...mostly cedars and live oaks.  The cedars, which are evergreen, are actually juniper ashe trees, gnarly looking things with short fine needles that tend to drop all year.  The live oaks are due to loose their leaves in abbout a week, and they will be fully re-leaved by the end of Feb.  That's why they're called live oak...they keep green leaves on the branches for the entire year, except for about 2-3 weeks, and they contrast with the regular decidious (?) trees that drop in the fall.

      1. User avater
        ProDek | Feb 04, 2003 04:59am | #11

        Well 1200 sq.ft. is a big deck, and I can see why you would try to make it look good.

        This is the deck cleaner I use is called "30 seconds" which is endorsed by Ed Hume the gardener because it won't harm plants.

        I like it because it is more powerful than some of the more expensive brands of biowash.

        Lowes carries it for $8.95 a gallon which actually makes 2 gallons.Bob

        "Rather be a hammer than a nail"

        1. User avater
          goldhiller | Feb 04, 2003 05:23pm | #15

          I'm presuming that this 30 Second product has no bleaching characteristics because I don't see any listed on the label and you didn't make mention of it, either.

          Would you care to make a recommendation of what you feel is the best deck bleaching product out there at the moment? I've used one in the past a few times that I was really satisfied and impressed with, but I'm curious as to which, if any you'd recommend.

          Knowledge is power, but only if applied in a timely fashion.

          1. User avater
            ProDek | Feb 04, 2003 07:22pm | #16

            The "30 second" is a bleaching product and it works great. Here is my clean deck after using the product. I'm just sorry I didn't take the before and after shot.

            The deck was black before I cleaned it.

            Bob

            "Rather be a hammer than a nail"

          2. FastEddie1 | Feb 05, 2003 02:24am | #17

            It looks a little shiny...is it wet or did you coat it with something?

          3. User avater
            ProDek | Feb 05, 2003 02:58am | #18

            Elcid72- It is wet from cleaning and hosing off the dirt. I wait 2-3 days for it to dry before I apply Superdeck transparent stain with a pump sprayer, then back wipe with terrycloth rags to eliminate any puddling.Bob

            "Rather be a hammer than a nail"

          4. User avater
            goldhiller | Feb 05, 2003 04:55am | #19

            Nice deck. The product appears to do it's job well, so I'll give it try. Thanks for the info.

            Knowledge is power, but only if applied in a timely fashion.

          5. User avater
            ProDek | Feb 05, 2003 05:04am | #20

            No problemo - Glad I could help.Bob

            "Rather be a hammer than a nail"

  6. User avater
    ProDek | Feb 04, 2003 05:00pm | #13

    Oops! I forgot to post the picture of  that deck cleaner. $8.97 per gal

    Bob

    "Rather be a hammer than a nail"

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