Stain or Seal New Deck?

Go to your local library and read the recent Consumers Report issue on deck treatments.

Hint: DO NOT use Thompson's Water Seal!

Thanks. Do you remember the month it appeared?

Travis Jordan wrote:

If you seal you will no longer be able to stain.

Stain doesn't really protect wood. You would still have to seal it.

July 2006. Here's a quick highlight.

Solid stain will not be a problem.

What is the deck made of? For woods like mahogany, ipe, cypress, etc, I'd use Penofin oil. If it is pressure treated, I'd use some sort of colored stain

Who told you that?

Read the following link:

The deck is 7 months old and it "needs treatment desperately" ???

What is it made of, cardboard?

Seriously, if your deck is desperate after only 7 months I'd be concerned about the quality of the wood.

Who told you that?

Deck stain (at least the deck stain products from reputable manufacturers like Cabot, Olympic, and Flood) effectively protects wood from water and sun damage.

Not having new wood not treated for the first part of its life, if I recall correctly, is actually a good thing. Don't forget to hit it with the sander first ((I'm assuming it's not pressure treated) to open up the pores.

I've had considerable success with Sikkens Cetol 1-2-3. Lasts more than one year and touch ups are only a one coat affair over what is there.

Good luck

My two cents: As I get older, the deck is going to be ripped out and replaced with a stone patio. When I think back over all the work done to try and keep the deck looking good, I shudder and get a little older!!

That used to be the conventional wisdom. But it seems that advice has changed in recent years, at least according to some of the on-line home-improvement websites.

The semi-transparent stain will protect from UV rays better than any clear water seal, plus the stain will last a lot longer. Cabot Decking stain is a good choice, in a dozen colors, about $30 a gallon, and their website will tell you where you can purchase it locally. When you stain, coat the end-grain well. You will need to re-stain every 3-5 years.

Thompson's seal is poor with long-term protection, although better than nothing at all.

I disagree, any decent decking stain will seal. I used Cabot Decking stain and my deck is going on 15 years, looks good, no rotten boards yet!

Quoting from that article:

For homeowners interested in having the most natural look, CR deemed the clear Olympic WaterGuard 55560, a latex that cleans up with water, as the best and only choice.

Does anyone know if this product is still available, and if so, where? I can't find it at the local Lowes, and

I saw this problem the last time CR looked at deck treaments a few years back. All the highly rated finishes had been replaced, or reformulated, in the 3 years it took CR to do the real-life testing.

Terry

Sure you will. The transparent sealer weathers off in less than a year especially horizontal surfaces exposed to a lot of sun.

I think PPG has only one 'WaterGuard' wood sealant product.

The page I reference above shows one product named "WaterGuard Wood", but shows 4 products that contain "WaterGuard protection". None of them are called "WaterGuard 55560", which is what CR references.

Even if they did only have 1 product, that doesn't mean it's the same product CR tested. Companies change their product lines all the time.

Terry

Deck stains also contain sealant. It's not like the sort of stain you might apply to furniture. That's why they're called "deck stain" and not just "stain" - that's the difference.

You can buy a sealant without stain, and that will protect against water but not sun damage. Deck stains have both sealant and UV protection.