My wife and I are trying to decide on what type of stain/sealer to use for our deck even though we have a while until we do it. We both agree that we like how the PT deck looks when it is wet after a day of raining. It soaks up a lot of water and I think gets a little darker.

Would a clear sealer cause the deck to become a little darker even though it is clear or should we go with some sort of semi-transparent stain with a little color to it if we are trying to get the look of a wet deck? Any suggestions?

 

CWF [sold at lowes, h-depot and paint stores] will probably give you the look you are seeking. I love the way CWF looks but it is not the best for longevity. A clear sealer like Thompsons doesn't change the color of the deck much. I have CWF on parts of my house and where it doesn't get a lot of weather it holds up great. I used to have to redo my back steps [full afternoon sun] every year but started using SWP's cuprinol on it 5 yrs ago and it holds up for 2-3 years. Hopes this helps

 

where can i get SWP's cuprinol ?

 

SWP is Sherwin Williams Paints

 

Cuprinol is now deck scapes. I like to use Sikkens products rtd or dek. rtd[lots of colors] is 1 coat dek is 2[ not too many colors]. The best may be wood tux it now comes in a formulation that is applied on wet decks=Wood tux wet. Not available local though. But worth the shippng, may even be cheaper than other products even after shipping.

http://www.epaintstore.com/paint/sik...erior_menu.htm


I tend to avoid clear finishes.
The wood will likely turn grey in like 6 months. even with uv protection. I like the sikkens, but if you choose it don't go with the natural light it is almost clear when dry. Natural is a good choice, but you need to decide for yourself.


Cuprinol [deck scapes] is good but cwf and cwf uv are at the bottom of the heap with Thompsons bringing up the rear. Just my opinion. I don't do too many decks but I know what I like

 

Yes clear sealer would cause the deck to become a little darker

I would also suggest natural over clear
For reasons above and I've had enormous customer satisfaction with it
The Cabot natural is my most popular finish
And that's saying alot here in New England, Land of the Grey Decks
The Cabot natural is a little dark (if you could call it that) to start but mellows with age
The little bit of color helps blend in the wood, gives a little goldish or brownish tint depending on the wood
I think that would give more the look your going for than a clear

 

Morning;

First thing you do is use a %30 household bleach and water solution to comple
tely washh and scrub the surfaces to be stained,etc.Then immediately rinse a few times so the with foaminess no longer occurs.

Allow all the washed areas to dry at least 2-3 warm sunny days.

You can use a Alkyd/Oil Semi Transparent Stain on the Deck Floor{or just a
good Water Repellent like Floods,every year or so}.Sherwin-Williams,Thompso
ns,Ben-Moore,M.B.S.,etc. are very reputable and should suffice your needs.

As you apply the Stain,the 1st coat has to be applied generously and evenly
{you can use a medium nap roller and hand brush to back brush to keep the
stain even in appearence,etc.}.After the 1st coat dried a couple days,again
apply your second coat as your first.

Allow a couple days dry time before you walk on your deck floor,etc.?

If you use just a Water Repellent,you'll have to treat the Deck Floor every Spring or Summer?As you walk on the surface,it causes wear.

 

I would advise anybody who is trying to figure out what to put on their deck to first find out what must be done before you can recoat it. Many of the products mentioned here must be removed or wear off completely before you can recoat. Putting it on is no fun-- stripping it off is many times worse.

 

which is exactly why i use "new" motor oil and a thinner.

maybe even to this day farmers/ranchers use "old" motor oil on the tops of their fence posts.

 

what was that formula again can't find it.

 

on flat surfaces that one would walk on, i use a 3 to one mix.

that would be 3 parts thinner to one part oil.

if you buy your motor oil 30 weight, on sale, that would be best.

if it is a fence i use 1 to 1, more oil into the wood.
just start at the top of the fence and work down.
less recoats due to the vertical nature.

if you use more than 3 to 1 on a flat surface, and it rains
within a few weeks you will slip and fall.

the first time i did it i used a 1 to 1 mix and it rained weeks later,
and i landed on my bum.

if you are in a sunny climate you need not worry, the sun is your
friend and enemy.

you can spend thirty dollars a ga. and get 2 to 3 years maybe.
or you can spend 3 dollars a ga. and coat your deck twice a year.
once after the snow/rain and once before the rain/snow.

i restored a twenty year old picnic table three years ago, which
had pine logs for the supports/legs and 2x6's for the tbl top and seats.

i sanded off all the old finish that was still on the legs and supports.
i then purchased five 2x6's x 10' and replaced all the flat surfaces.

i then stained all the wood with golden oak, and then with my oil/thinner
mix a few days later, depending on the sun, i want a couple three days
prior to the oil/mix.

truthfully, i do believe that i could have skipped the stain, as since then,
on other applications without the stain i have obtained the same
colour just using the motor oil/thinner.

like i said before, i will use deisel fuel as my thinner as it is half
the cost of paint thinner, although it takes a few days to lose
it's smell. that is where the sun helps.

this spring after cleaning the picnic table and oiling it, and after
a few days to obsorb/dry, i decided that it had enough oil and i
would use a paste wax to "seal" the oil in.

dont know yet if this will work, still, i am on the cheap side and
i dont have to sand.

 

This may be a stupid question but is this saying that one can use "new" motor oil and a thinner as a stain?

 

r bennu
yes, you can make a coating out of motor oil and thinner [can also be gas,disiel,kerosene,etc] For years some farmers have coated barns and such with thinned down burnt motor oil. It also kills bugs on contact. Personally I wouldn't use such a mixture around the house, but then leewaytoo swears by it.

 

I used to use used motor oil on railroad ties. It was a good way to get rid of it.

I have never thought of new motor oil. The color should provide some UV protection. Will it penetrate Ipe, or are the molecules too large?

----------
I just realized that I used a form of use 3 times in a sentence.

 

using new motor oil and a thinner to treat wood that is exposed to
the elements is no different that using some 30 dollar a gallon treatment,
just cheaper. have you checked the msds on the treatments you use?
bet they contain some degree of hydrocarbons/oil based ingrediants.