Most durable finish for porch deck?

I'm building a log cabin and need to find finishes that are durable and long-lasting, since I live too far away for easy maintenance and I'll be too "cabin poor" to afford frequent maintenance.

I purchased antique heart-pine boards that were salvaged from a tobacco warehouse and remilled as t&g flooring. I spent a little more to get these, partly for character, but mostly because I figure they will be more rot-resistant than other decking options. The porch itself is covered, so probably not much rain exposure except on the edges; morning sun; relatively humid climate (northwest Pennsylvania -- third-cloudiest region in the continental USA).

What is the best way to finish this deck, using what product(s), to give me the most durable finish? Should the boards be prefinished before installing them? All sides or just top, or top and side-edges? Should the finish "breathe" or should the object be to prevent any penetration of moisture or humidity?

I went into this assuming there would be some scientific consensus on what finishes work best for certain objectives, but am quickly realizing that there are many theories and little, if any, independent testing of methods and products.

Thanks for any advice!

 

Because you spent extra for reclaimed wood I assume you want the wood to show as much as possible. In that case, I'd use a quality toner or translucent stain. It will give decent protection but not as much as a stain that has more pigment. Having a roof will help the stain have a longer life.

btw - PT wood is more rot resistant than most any other wood you might have used.

 

Solid body stain would be my choice for durability but it's going to hide the grain almost as if you painted it, which I'm guessing (along with Mark), that you do not want to do.

 

Thanks!

I have pressure-treated wood on the back deck but we wanted the front porch to look more like an historical cabin, so went with t&g pine. It seemed the reclaimed antique heart pine would be the most rot resistant in that category.

 

Hi crcurrie,
I'm going with composite decking for a similar application. I'm not too confident your assumption of "the reclaimed antique heart pine would be the most rot resistant" is correct. IMO, pine is still pine and I've seen many 100 plus year old homes that have struggled to keep their porches in tack. They usually require a yearly coat of new paint. Even exposed pressure treated wood requires careful attention or it falls apart in less than 10 years.

No direct experience from using reclaimed pine, just opinion.
Bud

 

Personally, I would go the composite route like Bud but if I used wood outside, it would be cedar or pressure treated, not untreated pine (redwood is also ok but not readily available here).