Replies

1. 
   goldhiller | Jul 16, 2002 06:01am | #1

   Use the water repellant. Use a penetrating water repellant, e.g., Thompson's is a good product and is readily available whether you choose the "water seal" or "wood protector". Don't use a film type finish, e.g., Flood's CWF (clear wood finish) or any other film type finish unless you relish the idea of watching them peel, blister, and flake off, leaving you with the job of stripping it off and redoing the job year after year. Sikken's makes a excellent product for your purpose, also.

2. 
   Piffin | Jul 16, 2002 06:21am | #2

   Ugh!

   Thompsons is just a wax based float that you'll be redoing every other year.

   Penetrating oils are the way to go.

   Excellence is its own reward!
1. 
   Handydan | Jul 16, 2002 11:24am | #3

     Is it to late to consider a composite deck instead?  If so then I vote for the penetrating style of finish.  I'm not sure, but I think that the oils in the cedar may give the films a lot of trouble.

   Dan

3. 
   TomT226 | Jul 16, 2002 08:04pm | #4

   Got a 17 year old cedar deck that's been treated with the origional

   Thompson's water seal once a year. I usually power wash it, let it dry for a couple of days, and then put on one heavy coat of Thompson's. This deck has outlasted one treated pine deck I had in another area.

1. 
   jimblodgett | Jul 16, 2002 10:50pm | #5

   I agree with whoever said to use a penetrating oil instead of a product that forms a skin over the wood.  I have CWF on my cedar siding and Penofin on my deck.  I like them both.

   I think composite decking looks like hell and is too expensive.  I'd much rather do the maintanance required for a wood deck than have that crap on my house.

4. 
   Redfly | Jul 17, 2002 12:59am | #6

   This probably is not apropos to your situation, but I once used Thompson's Water Seal on a beautiful blind-nailed redwood deck around a swimming pool.  It was spec'd by the architect against my recommendation.  We did 2 coats, following exactly the recommendations on the can as to time of penetration, wiping of excess, waiting time between coats, etc.

   When the thing was finished, the first time a person came out of the pool and walked across the deck it left black footprints across the deck.  After a few days, the deck looked like s--t, the owners were furious and the architect was backtracking.  In the end, the only thing we could figure to get the stuff off was to scrub the deck with a stiff brush and straight Simple Green cleaner - cost the owner an extra $1K to clean up the mess and apply another sealer (I think we used Penofin).

   It was a miserable experience and I will NEVER use Thompson's again.  By the way, we called tech supt @ Thompson's and they weaseled out of any responsibility by saying we probably applied it outside the recommended temp range, which I think was 65-75 degrees or something.  This was in Palo Alto, CA, where you couldn't ask for better weather conditions.

   Thompsons?   NEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

   Thanks for letting me vent after holding it in for all these years!!

5. 
   TomMoen | Jul 17, 2002 06:22am | #7

   Thompsons is crap. 

   Penofin ROCKS!

   Tom

1. 
   nailbender40 | Jul 17, 2002 06:45am | #8

    Thumbs up Tom. Penofin has never let me down.

2. 
   flintin | Jul 19, 2002 05:29am | #9

   Who makes Penofin and do you know if it is available in Canada?

1. 
   jimblodgett | Jul 19, 2002 06:34am | #10

   Poke around here http://www.penofin.com. they should be able to steer you towards a dealer nearby. Brinkmann for president in '04

1. 
   xMikeSmith | Jul 19, 2002 06:40am | #11

   blodgett... get a life....while you're renewing your finish on your cedar deck.. i'll be playing golf and enjoying my Trex... hah, hah, hahMike Smith   Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore

2. 
   rreed40 | Jul 19, 2002 06:55am | #12

   I gotta chime in Jim, the day for cedar decks is gone....its plastic bags, milk cartons and sawdust...which, by the way, will never chip peel crack rot check or warp OR require toxic sealers to be poured on it.

1. 
   jimblodgett | Jul 19, 2002 07:26am | #13

   "To each his own" you guys.  Some people don't mind doing a  little maintanance on their home, some people like plastic.  Either way is no skin off my nose.  I just know what I like, and what I don't like.

   Hell, SOME people actually pay good money for F*rds.  If you can believe that.

   Brinkmann for president in '04

2. 
   MikeS | Jul 19, 2002 07:30am | #14

   Jim,

   To quote Kermitt the frog

   "It ain't easy being green" :)

   Mike

   It's O.k. to think out of the box,           Just don't walk off of the plank!

3. 
   Recko | Jul 19, 2002 07:35pm | #15

   Smitty,

   I'm disappointed in you...putting down a plastic deck and all...and you call yourself a builder!!!!! Fer cripes sakes!!

   Last house we owned I added a cedar deck (no plastic here Smitty!!) I sealed it with a product called Total Wood Protectant distributed by MFG Distributing, Atlanta, GA, 404-355-0668.

   I applied their Cedartone #201 finish and it kept the cedar looking like cedar. You do need to reapply it periodically, but it looked beautiful!!!

   Plastic deck.....Hey James DuHamel, can we have a rule at your Fest?? No plastic allowed.

   If I had known that, I would have excorted Mike to the door at our get-together!!!"My mother failed to see the irony in calling me a sonofabitch" - Jack Nicholsen

4. 
   xMikeSmith | Jul 19, 2002 09:00pm | #16

   look , bozo....it's   KERMIT , with 1 "T"........

   an ur rite, it ain't easy bein green....

   an doan confuse me with Mr. Toad.... he may have been drivin a Jimmy.. but i likes my FORDS....Mike Smith   Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore

6. 
   decks | May 08, 2011 12:45pm | #17

   Thomson Water Sealant Sucks

   I had the same thing happen. Sealed freshly sanded and cleaned redwood deck exactly according to specs. It is  full of black footprints now. Thompson's sucks.