Hi,

I just had a 500 sq feet deck built and now I need to stain it. I live in North Carolina and I get a mix of shade and sun on my deck. I am trying to decide what to use .... TWP200 or Cabot 1400 series:

TWP200 - recommended by two deck contractors including the one I used. Only available via one supplier in the area. Not reviewed by Consumer Reports or anyone else. (that I can find) Their spec sheet on their web site says that their stain is "not recommended" for high traffic areas but the contractors still recommend it. Oil based product ??

Cabot 1400 Series -- rated best deck stain by Consumer Reports for the last couple of years. Local Ace Hardware carries the product. I was told that the Cabot was harder to apply than the TWP200 product. Acrylic based product.

Also, any comments on staining after 30 days if it stays dry and hot ?

Thanks !!

 

Hello Augie05, I havn't heard of TWP200 product and havn't used Cabots since they took the creosote out of it. Looking around, I found that Thompsons treated wood suggests waiting a year to apply water based stains, 30 days of good weather for oils. Here are a couple of links... http://www.woodsealants.com/twp-200-series.htm

http://www.wolmanizedwood.com/appearance.html

FWIW...around here we try to get our people to wait a year to paint treated material (fits with Thompsons suggestion) and at least a hot month to seal or stain.....Mike

 

TWP by Amtico is a good product, unfortunately it is very localized.

Re Thompsons: wait a year and you'll be applying on to grey wood. Not exactly what you want to do. Wet PT wood should dry good in about three weeks in most circumstances.

There is not a single contractor on the Deck Guide forum that will use the "T" stuff.

fred

 

Other options are PDF (premium deck finish - available on the web) and Sherwin-Williams.

BTW - don't rely on CR reports for your decision. Use it as input, but get there are other factors to consider. I don't know how prices are in your area, but a general rule of thumb is you get one year of life for every $10/gallon you spend. That is, with a $10/gallon product, you will need to retreat in a year. You can get 3 years before retreating with a $30/gallon product.

 

BobF,

Are you familiar with "SuperDecK" ?

Also, do you agree that 3 weeks is enough time for my PT deck to dry out ? Others have recommended up to 1 year.

Thanks !!

 

By no means am I an EXPERT in exterior wood, but I don't think 3 weeks is near long enough.

 

Sure, green, wet pt wood is going to take some time to dry.
But after about three weeks of dry weather the surface is dry enough to apply a quality penetrating oil stain. Wait any longer, especially with average use and you'll need to completley clean the deck again. Wait a few months and it is already turning grey from the uv radiation. Many of the currenyt stains are formulted and advise to stain as soon as possiblre. (This does not apply to film forming acrylic type solid stains that will peel.) Any film forming paint or stain will peel within a year.

Superdeck, if available in your area is a well known product in the trade.

fred