I have just finished building a deck out of recycled PT lumber. The wood came from another 3 year old deck.

Before staining it, I want to patch the nail holes left over from the previous nails, along with some gouges made while it was being disassembled.

What patching material should I use? I plan on using a semi-transparent oil stain.

Thanks,

Tom

 

No matter what you use, the old nail holes and the gouges are going to show. Solid or semi-transparent stain won't make any difference -- they are STILL going to show!

 

I realize they will still show. I just want to patch them to reduce the chance of future splintering/rotting/etc. where the old holes are. I flipped the boards so that the undersides are now the tops. The boards look brand new with the exception of the nail holes, some of which are fair sized and a little splintery.

I'm mainly interested in finding a product type that will stay put for the next 10+ years, and will accept an oil stain.

Tom

 

Tom,
lefty is the expert here, but I don't know of any putty or wood filler that is going to accept stain OR stand up to the constant shrinking and swelling due to rain, ice, snow and sun on an exposed pressure-treated wood deck.
Actually, leaving the nail holes for extra drainage may help prolong the life of the decking, although it may not give you the appearance that you want.
Trying to patch nail holes and gouges with something that won't last may make it look worse.
Good luck!
Mike

 

HD sells it and probably others too. Comes in a wax like tin can, yellow and black, but I foget the manufacturer. Damn thing is pretty close to epoxy, in fact you have to mix it just like you would epoxy. Sands, paints and stains well, but mind ya, you'll never get the exact color match (a shade or two off the same stain on wood). I used it to fill a few knot holes in my deck a year ago and it held up fine, I can look up the name tonight. Stay away from water based putty.

 

Thanks Markiz: Sounds like what I'm looking for. Would appreciate the name/manufacturer info.

Tom

 

That's the one. Good luck

 

Thanks a lot- sounds like exactly what I'm looking for.

I'll pick some up this afternoon.

Thanks again,

Tom

 

You could do some furniture style patching. Cutting hole plugs out of PT, drilling the nail holes out clean, glueing/pounding them in with some good exterior glue and sand smooth. Gorilla glue would probably be a good choice.

 

TomLusk,

I think what markiz37 is referring to is a Minwax product -- that comes in a yellow and black can. But like Mike pointed out, the expansion and contraction of the wood from one season to the next, as well as the beating it will be taking from the sun, isn't going to be working in your favor.

Personally, I wouldn't bother filling the nail holes. Just lay the boards out so that the holes DON'T occur over a joist, and leave them.

But if you want to fill them, then I would use about a 1/4" drill and enlarge the top of the holes, down maybe 3/8" to 1/2", then fill them, or install plugs. Plugs might be a better way to go. Put a stop collar on your drill bit so that the depth is consistant, cut plugs from a length of dowel the same diameter as the hole you drill that are maybe 1/16" longer than the depth of the hole, glue the plugs in place, then sand them down smooth to the top of the deck board.