Staining T&G for exterior use

We're having our 22X9 front porch rebuilt by a contractor (who won't be doing the staining/painting/sealing of the wood). The porch is under a roof and has a ceiling; except for a balustrade, its sides will be exposed to the elements.

We live in New Jersey, which does get snow. The porch faces east (morning sun); one side has northern exposure (rain and snow), and the other has southern exposure (sun for part of the day).

We're having a mahogany tongue-and-groove floor installed. (I'm not sure whether it's true mahogany or another wood that's just called mahogany. It sure is dense, though!) The lumberyard delivered the wood very dusty and dirty.

What's the best way to clean the wood and prepare it for installation? Is there a book you could recommend that would instruct us on how to seal and stain the wood? Should that be done before it's installed?

Thanks!

Anne

Reply to
anwinesp
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Best to do it before installations on all sides can be sealed. I have no idea why you'd use a stain on this wood, but Penofin Oil would make it look very nice as well as offer a lot of protection. You can see a couple of Penofin oiled mahogany benches and tables on my web site.

Brush off the dirt, wash with a hose if it is that dirty, let it dry a few day, then put on the oil. After the deck is completed, go back and touch up any pieces that were cut so they can be sealed also.

Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

We would stain it only out of ignorance, because we didn't know any better!Thanks for setting me straight! :-) Your wood products are beautiful!

Is the Penofin oil a sealer as well, or should we use a different product to seal? Would Penofin oil make the surface slick? How often would we have to reoil?

BTW, I've done a lot of reading on the Internet about this, but I've seen many different opinions. It's interesting to me that there's not just one right way to do something like this.

Anne

Reply to
anwinesp

Thank you.

It will seal and offer UV protection. I'm probably going to put a second doat ont he outdoor furniture but it sill looks as good as new.

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Maintenance A maintenance coat of Hardwood Finish should be applied within 3-6 months after the initial application or as soon as oil looks depleted. The next maintenance coat should be done again in approximately 10-12 months or whenever wood looks depleted. Over time, the wood fibers become fully protected and the maintenance will become less frequent. Wash the wood with a mild cleanser and warm water. Rinse well. Allow wood to dry for a minimum of 48-72 hours before application. Apply maintenance coat of Hardwood Finish. After 20-30 minutes of absorption time, wipe the surface with a nap-free, clean, dry cloth.

Often times the "best" way for one person is different that "best" for others. Sort of like all ice cream is good except coffee is wretched, but vanilla is still the best.

Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

I love that you are doing a traditional T&G porch floor. Most people would just tell you to get some green pressure treated pine boards and nail em up. Post some pictures when complete. If you can get a first coat of finish on all six (or is it 10 because its T&G ?) sides. make sure you installer does not face nail when at all possible. It will look a lot better. Also, make sure you have a slight pitch away from the hose to properly shed water. Even though you will apply finish before its installed you should then coat again after its installed. (Will fill any small gaps, etc.) I have never used penofin but Ed P seems to know what he is talking about.

Edwin - I have used Sikkens Cetol 123Plus on exterior Western Red Cedar siding in the past. It looks great and touch up was easy. Has lasted many years with minimal maintenance. I just did a Mahogany deck rail with aluminum Dekarators balusters. Since I had good luck with Sikkens I suggested they try their 'Dek' product. It calls for multiple coats and recommends 6 sides. Well that's impossible unless I would stop and treat/let dry after each cut. So, the entire thing is up w/o finish. They are going to finish themselves in a couple of weeks. It will be a pain for them with the aluminum balusters but that's what the wanted. Anyway - have you used any other products that cause you to lean toward penofin? Can you make any comparisons to Sikkens? I know Sikkens > penofin is apple and oranges as far as technology but they both get you where you want.

Reply to
No

I have a 12X50 cedar deck that faces South so it gets a lot of sun.

On recommendations from "those who should know" I put Sikkens on it.

It looked great for 1 year and I applied the finishes as per = instructions.

By the second year the finish had lifted in spots and I reapplied the = product as per instructions.

By the forth year most of the deck was again peeling and the spots I = fixed in year 2 were again looking real bad. I cussed Sikkens and let = the deck weather.

By the fifth year the deck was clear of Sikkens and had started to turn = a nice shade of grey.

Since then, I have had opportunity to discuss deck finishes with several = "pro's". =20 The consensus is: 1. Varnish, Spar Varnish, Marine Varnish, etc. do not work and need = lots of replenishing. 2. Sikkens is a fine product for walls as long as it is not is = direct full sun. 3. Nothing works on a South facing deck (except Penofin Oil???? = SHMBO says this is next and if it does not work, natural = grey will be the choice) Even the folk from Penofin say their product need to be re-applied = bi-annually in my case.

All in all, I like silver grey and am willing to use the oil if it will = help prolong the life of the deck. =20

--=20 PDQ

| > We live in New Jersey, which does get snow. The porch faces east | > (morning sun); one side has northern exposure (rain and snow), and = the | > other has southern exposure (sun for part of the day). | >

| > We're having a mahogany tongue-and-groove floor installed. (I'm not | > sure whether it's true mahogany or another wood that's just called | > mahogany. It sure is dense, though!) The lumberyard delivered the = wood | > very dusty and dirty. | >

| > What's the best way to clean the wood and prepare it for = installation? | > Is there a book you could recommend that would instruct us on how to | > seal and stain the wood? Should that be done before it's installed? | >

| > Thanks! | >

| > Anne | >=20 |=20 |

Reply to
PDQ

"I love that you are doing a traditional T&G porch floor. Most people would just tell you to get some green pressure treated pine boards and nail em up."

One of the contractors who came to look at the porch for an estimate wanted to do a regular PT deck on my porch. It would have looked ridiculous, as this is a sort of Arts and Crafts type house built in

1940: .

"If you can get a first coat of finish on all six (or is it 10 because its T&G ?) sides."

My husband and I are trying to figure out the logistics of this. Some of the boards are 16' long. We don't have anywhere to put the boards while we clean, sand, and oil them, or to store them out of the rain while the porch is built. We might have to pay someone to take the wood away and do it. It's a shame, because I think this is a job my husband and I could have done, as unhandy as we are.

" make sure you installer does not face nail when at all possible. It will look a lot better."

I'm not sure what "face nail" means, but I'll be sure to see what the contractor says. (He's been in the business a while and seems to know what he's doing.)

Thanks so much to everyone who took the time to respond in this thread!

Anne

Reply to
anwinesp

See

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The 1/2" gap in the illustration does not apply to you as the illustration is from a flooring website. The first board will need to be face nailed on the groove side but all other nails should be able to be blind nailed. The advantage is that the nail heads are covered by the next board. This blind nailing can be done by hand, using a pneumatic finish nailer or by using a special nailer for flooring.

Reply to
No

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