Pressure treated decks

[Charles Pisano]

I know we had a discussion on this board about a year ago. But what was the verdict? My deck on my newish home is almost a year old. The Pressure treated wood (wolmanized-Interesting name) says wait a year and stain to water proof and keep it from aging and greying.

But I seem to remember differing opinions here. As I'm a lazy SOB I'd rather not do anything I don't need to do.. And beyond that I don't want to do anything that will hasten the demise of my decks. Most neighbors in this development do, however, treat theirs..

TIA Charles

[Roger]

Go to your local library and check out Consumer Reports to find the best, longest lasting deck treatment. I have had good luck with Cabots pigmented products. The transparent and semitransparent stains don't last nearly as well. Over time, PT wood will tend to warp and get splintery, and finally rot, and deck treatments tend to slow the process, and greatly increase deck life. Roger

[Frank]

Just to add my 2 cents worth. I'm not sure how good modern pressure treated wood is. I know they are switching from arsenic to copper treatments, but I have pressure treated stairs on slopes, in the ground, that are over 25 year old. Also, last week at our swim club's work party, I applied Thompson's water seal to picnic tables and it was awful. Stuff was crystallizing out of it clogging sprayer and when painted on thick was also phase separating. Probably related to reformulating for VOC's but my point is you need to shop carefully and be up to date on available products.

Frank

[TH]

Absoluty treat the deck. Use a penetrating oil stain like Penofin which will soak well into the wood.

[Roger]

CU says avoid Thompsons Water Seal at any cost! Really a bad product. Roger

[Charles Pisano]

I've read bad things about Thompson's as well. The PT web site says wait a year. So my time is about up. And I've read that you should use something with linseed oil as a base.

Amteco TWP-500 seems like the best I can find when I research it. $35 a gallon. I looked on Epinions and found out about Thompsons and TWP there.

I HATE painting/ staining..ugh..

[NickySantoro]

Clean the deck thoroughly. Apply a quality pigmented semi-transparent decking stain, two coats, wet on wet. Go to a real paint store. They will explain what that is. Cabots, Benjamin-Moore, Sikkens, are examples.