Sealant peeling from new deck?

We recently had our deck rebuilt and are not overly happy with the results. I noticed today that the stain which the contractors applied appears to be flaking off, but I wanted to be sure I was understanding what I'm seeing correctly. The grey bits are flaking off, revealing the raw cedar beneath. These photos were taken during a standard day of drizzle.

We live near Seattle, so I'm concerned about the deck over the winter without the protection of the sealant. Am I correct about what I'm seeing? If so, what should we do to remediate and/or make it through the winter?

The overall build quality of the deck is not that great, so I'm guessing that the application of the stain may be equally poor.

 

Welcome to the forums!

What type of decking was used? is it pressure treated pine? Pressure treated wood needs to dry out before it can successfully be stained. Normally you need to wait 6 weeks to 6 months before applying the stain.

 

Thanks for the reply. It's cedar but not pressure treated. The stain was applied right after the boards were laid down. The contractor used Thompson's WaterSeal Advanced.

 

Thompson's WaterSeal isn't a great deck sealer. It's been about 40 yrs since I've applied any to a deck. I know if it's applied too heavy it doesn't dry well although I don't recall it ever peeling. Normally it just wears away within a years time. Do you know if the cedar was kiln dried or was it air dried? Maybe one of the others will chime in with more recent TWS experience.

 

After 30 years of Maine weather: PT lumber needs painting/recoating every 2 yrs, cedar lasts another year or so. I went composite this year. More $$, but I hope to get 10-15 yrs out of it. Not great luck with TWS, either.

 

Getting ANYTHING to dry in Seattle before painting or sealing it has got to be an impossible dream.

I agree about the Thompsons... and I expect that if it was rolled or sprayed, that makes the adhesion even worse. Some reviews give it good marks but say it MUST be brushed. Personally, I wouldn't use it on my doghouse.

You have nothing to worry about the way it is over the winter. Come spring or summer you will need to completely power wash the old coating off and let it dry (is there a dry season there?) before coating it again.