Deck coating recommendations

[Mike1903]

The previous owner used a latex based coating that didn’t last two seasons. So, need to redo the cedar deck with something that can last bit longer.

I am with clear or semi-transparent look. What do you folks recommend? Don’t mind spending bit more for a quality product. Are latex products worth considering or should I only look at oil based products?

Thx

 

[Zeke]

I would start with a deck cleaner. AFA coatings go, lots of good product out there and many are overpriced. My choice is a penetrating finish and oil does that better. Since I haven't done a deck in sometime, I'm not up on the latest. Penofin was always good.

 

[Shiftless]

Are you planning to sand that deck before refinishing?
If you don’t, I bet that any new penetrating finish will go on quite unevenly.
Power washing might be good enough but will result in raised grain and roughness.

Like Zeke said, a chemical deck cleaner/stripper would be a good place to start. Scrub it in with a broom and rinse. Do you own a pressure washer?

 

[flan]

I’d use the restore-a-deck stripper, and power wash the stripper off with a 1800 or less pressure washer. then use their brightener. That will get the cedar back to new looking. Consider doing something about the lack of proper gap between boards. It looks like the gap is narrow not allowing tree debris and whatever else you got going on there from dropping in between the boards. After that either restore a deck stain or defy for hardwoods stain should take care of you for a few years. You can’t really expect deck coatings to last past that depending on climate and sun exposure.

 

[Mike1903]

Are you planning to sand that deck before refinishing?
If you don’t, I bet that any new penetrating finish will go on quite unevenly.
Power washing might be good enough but will result in raised grain and roughness.

Like Zeke said, a chemical deck cleaner/stripper would be a good place to start. Scrub it in with a broom and rinse. Do you own a pressure washer?

Yes, have a gas powered Pressure washer. I am leaning towards an oil based product, so, was planning to sand down to the bare wood and almost start from scratch.

 

[Mike1903]

I’d use the restore-a-deck stripper, and power wash the stripper off with a 1800 or less pressure washer. then use their brightener. That will get the cedar back to new looking. Consider doing something about the lack of proper gap between boards. It looks like the gap is narrow not allowing tree debris and whatever else you got going on there from dropping in between the boards. After that either restore a deck stain or defy for hardwoods stain should take care of you for a few years. You can’t really expect deck coatings to last past that depending on climate and sun exposure.

Sharp eye! Thx for the suggestions.

The deck is under couple of old trees that shed year around and I need to keep sweeping. I was planning to cleanup the gaps with a putting knife before sanding the whole deck down.

 

[gba2331]

For pressure treated wood I’ve had good luck with TWP, but since the wood has been "sealed" previously it might not go on evenly.

 

[Grant Gunderson]

Here in the PNW we see lots of rain, so if it’s a wood deck it has to be made from Cedar, and the only stain worth bothering with is Sikkens. I don’t think they still make it, but if you can find their marine grade that was the best. You have to apply it yearly the first 3-4 years, then, once enough Is built up you can get away with every few years. There is no way around it, but wood decks require maintenance. After a decade of that, I’ll only use artificial planks now and just pressure wash them once a year.

 

[Mike1903]

Here in the PNW we see lots of rain, so if it’s a wood deck it has to be made from Cedar, and the only stain worth bothering with is Sikkens. I don’t think they still make it, but if you can find their marine grade that was the best. You have to apply it yearly the first 3-4 years, then, once enough Is built up you can get away with every few years. There is no way around it, but wood decks require maintenance. After a decade of that, I’ll only use artificial planks now and just pressure wash them once a year.

I am in PNW too.
Local fence guy swears by Cobot and Penofin. Will look for Sikkens.
Thx

 

[roc_on_the_rocks]

I'm very interested on the responses, my 330 ft2 deck is in similar or worse shape. I was hoping to re-floor it with composite boards but prices are insane (my neighbor just got his deck overhauled: $20k !!).

So I need to milk this deck for a lot longer...

It's a lot of work, but I like what this guy did with the Diamabrush. Has anyone here used it?

 

[butchdsd]

Pnw as well.....
TWP......TWP.......TWP......
From logs homes to decks....
Negative dry....Easy to "refresh" seasonally or every other season....The real upside of twp is the ease of reapplying.
Spray a mild etching solution....rinse...let dry...reapply twp stain. It will always look like the day you installed the decking and applied stain for the first time....year in....year out....

 

[paredown]

Sharp eye! Thx for the suggestions.

The deck is under couple of old trees that shed year around and I need to keep sweeping. I was planning to cleanup the gaps with a putting knife before sanding the whole deck down.

Yes--keeping the gaps clean is critical. I hate the job, but the alternative is having the deck rot--I did a bunch of board replacements for a friend's huge cedar deck. Too many years of leaf and tree debris getting trapped--and even the cedar rotted out.

 

[My Old Tools]

Strip it with lye. Brighten it with oxalic acid, finish with your favorite. I like Armstrong Clark.

 

[racecougar]

I like Armstrong Clark as well. Their stain really soaks in and seals the wood.

Oil Based Stain | Stain for Decks | Wood Stains | Armstrong-Clark

For all your wood staining, wood restoration and water repellant needs, come to Armstong-Clark Company. Oil-based stain coatings for wood and non-toxic wood stains of all kinds and colors.

www.armclark.com

 

[justler]

Used Armstrong Clark here as well. Honestly i'd try and give it a spray with a bleach/water mix in a pump sprayer and let it sit for 15-30 mins and spray off to see how it does before you try something mechanical like a pressure washer. Quick easy test and if it meets your needs it's easy. You can also do a deck cleaner from the store in a pump sprayer.

 

[MerlinsBeard]

My deck prep is power wash, sand, and then usually some kind of box store oil based stain like cabot. Tarp the concrete patio underneath and I painter's tape the white vinyl posts. I do this about every 2-3 years. I'm 10 years in and I just have my first split corner piece on the outside of the railing, so it won't last forever.

 

[Zeke]

Standard gap is a 16d nail and not a box nail at that. Debris will collect in a gap of that size but it will collect over the joists even at 1/4" gap. You have to use an air hose or blower frequently.

A word about pressure washers: depending on the condition of the wood, you can really tear up the wood fibers using too much pressure or the wrong nozzle. I know that sounds Capt. Obvious, but a good hose end nozzle with enough pressure is normally enough.

I'd limit the sanding as well to the extent that you cut down any raised splinters. Go deep and you only thin out the grain and expose more potential splinters. A really good scrubbing with a floor polisher will wear away some of the soft wood leaving a nice look as well as a safe walking surface.

People spend money to get a textured look when it's a natural phenomenon.

That "Diamabrush" is a terrible way to go about this. When he gets done he's gonna have a deck about as smooth as the crust on an apple pie.

 

[My Old Tools]

Used Armstrong Clark here as well. Honestly i'd try and give it a spray with a bleach/water mix in a pump sprayer and let it sit for 15-30 mins and spray off to see how it does before you try something mechanical like a pressure washer. Quick easy test and if it meets your needs it's easy. You can also do a deck cleaner from the store in a pump sprayer.

Deck cleaner is oxalic acid and water with a high price. Deck stripper is lye and water with a high price. Buy the powder and use your own water.

 

[danfromsyr]

I'd flip the boards and expose the old NEW side for the next ~10years.
sure it's more work.. but it probably isn't. and might be time for new fasteners on the sub framing anyways..
decks weren't built up to today's standards.. which are standards because of how decks were built back in the days before standards..

meaning I'd want to see how the structural fasteners are anyways..

if you have odd shaped cut ends. then flipping may require some creative replacement..

but that's what I have and would do.

 

[glennm]

I'd flip the boards and expose the old NEW side for the next ~10years.
sure it's more work.. but it probably isn't. and might be time for new fasteners on the sub framing anyways..
decks weren't built up to today's standards.. which are standards because of how decks were built back in the days before standards..

meaning I'd want to see how the structural fasteners are anyways..

if you have odd shaped cut ends. then flipping may require some creative replacement..

but that's what I have and would do.

This, we thought our deck was done but two days work flipping the boards and it look new.

 

[macgee]

Deck cleaner is oxalic acid and water with a high price. Buy the powder and use your own water.

+1

Oxalic acid may not be the very best cleaner but it's also a safer bet to not harm the ($$$) wood. A lot of it will depend how dirty it is, if there's mildew and how much work and scrubbing you're willing to do? Buy the Oxalic acid powder and mix it with water yourself, it's significantly cheaper and like the post above deck cleaners can pretty much be the same thing; many expensive deck cleaners can also be bleach but costing many times more. Grew up as kid on sailboats, my job was to clean all the teak decking and trim on the boats and this is what we used.

The paragraph below was liberally taken from another site as I couldn't write it better:

"redwood or cedar deck surfaces can become grayed and appear weathered. Oxalic acid removes the tannin on the wood surface; as well as rust stains. The acid can also help neutralize the sodium hydroxide treatment if it was used previously by professional deck cleaning companies to clean and brighten decks (not sure this applies to you). Oxalic acid's main benefit is aesthetic. It does not work well as a dirt remover, nor is it effective at killing mildew." This is partially true, Oxalic can clean some when using a good deck scrub brush and elbow grease (mostly because of a good brush and elbow greases). Your decks can look much cleaner using oxalic because the dark tannins are removed in the wood and elbow grease and brush removes dirt in the woods surface but it will not clean as well or remove mildew like Bleach with detergent. The results will depend a lot on how much elbow grease you're willing to do.

"Sodium hydroxide and chlorine bleach are the two chemicals most often used by professionals for deck cleaning. While they are more effective at deep cleaning than oxalic acid, they may cause surface damage to the wood over time. Chlorine bleach is excellent for wood brightening as well as killing mold and mildew (I see some in 2nd pic?), but must be combined with a detergent to clean well, and long term use of this harsh substance is hard on a deck's surface" Also have be careful with bleach as it can stain items and the paint around the deck and can leave bleach drip marks below as its dripping while drying.

As mentioned earlier about being very careful with pressure washer is very sound advice, It can do an amazing job while not breaking a sweat and can reach deep but at the same time it can cause a fair amount of damage to the wood; especially on wood that's been soften by being in the shade and under tree's; this also applies when trying to sand. Keep pressure low, then use a good deck scrub brush on the whole deck with the chosen cleaner. Then apply oxalic the same way afterwards to neutralize. The above will do an amazing job to your deck wood, it will make your deck look fresh and bright; and totally ready for applying the protection coats you've chosen.

Good luck

 

[olytdi]

PNW here as well. I have a 30 year-old cedar deck that was "painted" with a solid stain. I had to rent one of those big floor belt sanders after setting about 3000 nails below the wood surface. Took a week but now I'm able to maintain the deck annually with about a day of labor total.

If there is no paint or solid stain to remove, you don't need to sand. You cannot use deck stripper to remove old paint or solid stain -- you have to sand.

If there is semi or transparent stain, you can use a stripper like Restore-a-deck then follow with the brightener (which will neutralize the stripper). It will make the deck look awesome and ready for your stain.

Once you've picked a stain type (I use TWP 100 series), you can use the Restore-a-deck cleaner with, again, the brightener to neutralize, prior to staining annually or every two years. The cleaner/brightener step is the key.

I find that those portions of the deck out in the weather and under trees require a yearly clean and fresh up coat of stain. Once you have the process down, it's a do-able task.

I had been a fan of Pentofin previously but had some bad black mildew buildup with it on a flat deck under the trees at my last house. In the sun, it probably would be superior. Armstrong Clark and TWP are good oil stains. Using a transparent stain leaves you the most options going forward -- using a paint or solid stain gives you the fewest and results in a LOT of work when it fails or needs replacing. Resist the urge to use a solid stain!

 

[Mike1903]

Great advice! Thanks everyone.
Current coating is a latex semi-transparent. Here is the current plan:
1) sand lightly to remove all the latex coating
2) cleaner and brightner (great suggestions to make my own).
3) good quality oil based semi-transparent stain.
4. Repeat 1-2 years as needed.

 

[butchdsd]

Only used oxalic as a brightener.....not as a "cleaner"....but....always brightened decks before staining....

 

[My Old Tools]

+1

Oxalic acid may not be the very best cleaner but it's also a safer bet to not harm the ($$$) wood. A lot of it will depend how dirty it is, if there's mildew and how much work and scrubbing you're willing to do? Buy the Oxalic acid powder and mix it with water yourself, it's significantly cheaper and like the post above deck cleaners can pretty much be the same thing; many expensive deck cleaners can also be bleach but costing many times more. Grew up as kid on sailboats, my job was to clean all the teak decking and trim on the boats and this is what we used.

The paragraph below was liberally taken from another site as I couldn't write it better:

"redwood or cedar deck surfaces can become grayed and appear weathered. Oxalic acid removes the tannin on the wood surface; as well as rust stains. The acid can also help neutralize the sodium hydroxide treatment if it was used previously by professional deck cleaning companies to clean and brighten decks (not sure this applies to you). Oxalic acid's main benefit is aesthetic. It does not work well as a dirt remover, nor is it effective at killing mildew." This is partially true, Oxalic can clean some when using a good deck scrub brush and elbow grease (mostly because of a good brush and elbow greases). Your decks can look much cleaner using oxalic because the dark tannins are removed in the wood and elbow grease and brush removes dirt in the woods surface but it will not clean as well or remove mildew like Bleach with detergent. The results will depend a lot on how much elbow grease you're willing to do.

"Sodium hydroxide and chlorine bleach are the two chemicals most often used by professionals for deck cleaning. While they are more effective at deep cleaning than oxalic acid, they may cause surface damage to the wood over time. Chlorine bleach is excellent for wood brightening as well as killing mold and mildew (I see some in 2nd pic?), but must be combined with a detergent to clean well, and long term use of this harsh substance is hard on a deck's surface" Also have be careful with bleach as it can stain items and the paint around the deck and can leave bleach drip marks below as its dripping while drying.

As mentioned earlier about being very careful with pressure washer is very sound advice, It can do an amazing job while not breaking a sweat and can reach deep but at the same time it can cause a fair amount of damage to the wood; especially on wood that's been soften by being in the shade and under tree's; this also applies when trying to sand. Keep pressure low, then use a good deck scrub brush on the whole deck with the chosen cleaner. Then apply oxalic the same way afterwards to neutralize. The above will do an amazing job to your deck wood, it will make your deck look fresh and bright; and totally ready for applying the protection coats you've chosen.

Good luck

And sodium hydroxide is lye....This past sprimg I skipped the pressure washer, sprayed the deck with a mix of bleach (the real stuff, not splashless), sodium percarbonate (OXI), and water. Then i used the floor buffer with a poly bristle brush. Went much faster and cleaner than the power washer. The power washer was very effective however when we stripped it using lye.

 

[MarlynOC]

HD-80 or Ripit deck stripper. Let dwell for about 15 minutes keeping moist, Power wash off then follow up by deck brightener Oxalic Acid. Let dry and seal with Armstrong Clark or ReadySeal once moisture meter 12%

 

[Mike1903]

And sodium hydroxide is lye....This past sprimg I skipped the pressure washer, sprayed the deck with a mix of bleach (the real stuff, not splashless), sodium percarbonate (OXI), and water. Then i used the floor buffer with a poly bristle brush. Went much faster and cleaner than the power washer. The power washer was very effective however when we stripped it using lye.

Edit: disregard… found lye under drain opener

Do you mind sharing links to what you purchased? I see that oxalic acid is called wood bleach and available at Ace/Amazon but not finding a good source for lye.

Is your above mix of bleach + oxi better then just oxalic acid?

 

[MarlynOC]

HD-80 or RipIt are both strippers https://www.acrproductsinc.com/

HD80 Deck Stripper Review | Best Deck Stain Reviews Ratings

HD80 Deck Stripper Ratings (1-10) Removal of Graying, Dirt, Grime: 9 - HD80 as with most stains stripper scores exceptionally well when it comes to the removal of dirt, grime, and mold. Cost Per Square Foot: 8 - Scores very well when it comes to cost-effectiveness. One container

www.deckstainhelp.com

Look up the Grime Scene for deck information.

 

[My Old Tools]

Edit: disregard… found lye under drain opener

Do you mind sharing links to what you purchased? I see that oxalic acid is called wood bleach and available at Ace/Amazon but not finding a good source for lye.

Is your above mix of bleach + oxi better then just oxalic acid?

Bleach and oxi to clean and kill mildew. Oxalic acid is a brightener, takes the gray weathered look out. Lye to strip the old finish if needed. Sherwin Williams deck stripper is literally lye dissolved in a gallon of water for $40. Read the label.
It's all available on Amazon.

Amazon.com : lye

Amazon.com : oxalic acid powder

Amazon.com : sodium percarbonate

 

[K'ledgeBldr]

Great advice! Thanks everyone.
Current coating is a latex semi-transparent. Here is the current plan:

#1 powerwash

2) sand lightly to remove all the latex coating
3) cleaner and brightner (great suggestions to make my own).
4) good quality oil based semi-transparent stain.
5. Repeat 1-2 years as needed.

You want to use a "stain/sealer"- not just stain. I have been spec'ing/using TWP for over 20yrs. As long as the maintenance schedule stays in the 2-3yr cycle your deck can last well past 20yrs. But that's also doing the underside also.

But, the flip-side of this job is the overall condition of the deck- especially structurally. Sometimes the effort for esthetics far outweighs the usefulness of the deck. Remember- "Time is Money"!

 

[isb cornbinder]

We had our deck, stairs and front porch coated by RHINO LININGS. This was done about 15 years ago. The deck coating has outlasted an active dog and hundreds of person-feet. I do not expect to have a problem with the coating for another decade.

 

[Mike1903]

Bleach and oxi to clean and kill mildew. Oxalic acid is a brightener, takes the gray weathered look out. Lye to strip the old finish if needed. Sherwin Williams deck stripper is literally lye dissolved in a gallon of water for $40. Read the label.
It's all available on Amazon.

Amazon.com : lye

Amazon.com : oxalic acid powder

Amazon.com : sodium percarbonate

Do you think if using lye, I can skip bleach + oxi or should I make it a three step process?

Thx

 

[My Old Tools]

Do you think if using lye, I can skip bleach + oxi or should I make it a three step process?

Thx

lye to strip. No need to bleach/oxi if you strip, its already bare wood. Oxalic acid will help neutralize the lye and brighten the wood before you stain and seal.

 

[Sumboodie]

Trex

 

[Mike1903]

Trex

Hopefully get another five years out of it… then time to replace with concrete

 

[MarlynOC]

The stripper will turn the wood black eventually that is why you need to apply the oxalic acid to neutralize the stripper.
Remember high school chemistry DO NOT MIX ACIDS AND BASES TOGETHER. NO OXALIC NEAR BLEACH gives off chlorine gas which is deadly.

 

[Mike1903]

Bleach and oxi to clean and kill mildew. Oxalic acid is a brightener, takes the gray weathered look out. Lye to strip the old finish if needed. Sherwin Williams deck stripper is literally lye dissolved in a gallon of water for $40. Read the label.
It's all available on Amazon.

Amazon.com : lye

Amazon.com : oxalic acid powder

Amazon.com : sodium percarbonate

Got all the supplies.
What % concentration is recommended for stripper and brightener?
I read through some product labels and they seem to be in the 5-10%. One site recommended a milder solution (3%) but longer dwell time.

Below is with 6.25% for both. The leftmost board is untouched but mostly original because it was covered with deck box, grill etc. Next 6 are the ones I cleaned up and further they are from the wall, the more weathered they are.

Thx

 

[glennm]

That’s what mine looked like. I unscrewed them and flipped them. Like new on the underside. Best method I found for cleaning is a surface cleaner for a pressure washer

 

[My Old Tools]

looks pretty good. I honestly can't remember my percentages but I'm sure I googled it. More Oxalic can bleach those dark areas.

 

[peterp]

TWP

TWP

TWP

TWP

Agree with TWP. I did a ton of research when we did our deck 10 years ago and TWP seemed to be the best product far in everything I read. I went with the TWP 1501 Cedartone -- it looks great and has held up very well. Very easy to reapply every few years. I would not use anything else.