What happened toThompsons Water seal?

[krw]

It can't be any worse that the original.

[G Ross]

Shopdog wrote that 11 years ago. Since then the deck has rotted and gone.

[Steve]

G Ross, I laughed about this, because 11 years ago, yes, Thompson's alread y sucked... and then they made it 'suck worse" when the VOC laws got change d. Most of us saw those products infiltrate the stores in early 2011, rega rdless of whose brand... paints, primers, stains all affected.

So, regardless of timing, 2006 or 2013, both posters were correct... and a s Dusty noted this month, they certainly remain correct today. Thompson 's hasn't been right since about 1997 or so.

Look for Cabot's Australian Timber Oil for a transparent (or lightly tinted ) product that does today what Thompson's used to do then. Yes, even this has gone downhill based on the VOC terrain, but it's still a high quality oil blend, compared to the other crap on the market today.

General Finishes makes a nice outdoor oil, too... but be advised it's pric ey. I don't suspect that the people looking for Thompson at around $60 fo r a fiver want to pay for General at around $25 a quart, but it's a quality product and worth a mention. I use it on cedar trellises and maybe a benc h or table or two, a bench or two, not on my entire deck surface.

[Markem]

Thompson was real good attracting a nice layer of "protective dirt", just cause they say it good does not mean it is. "They" being marketing department.

[J. Clarke]

I think we need a Constitutional amendment to the effect that if Congress is going to ban something they have to first come up with an equally effective alternative that doesn't come at ridiculous cost. Or just remove their power to ban anything.

[Markem]

Or just get California to quit doing it.

[krw]

Getting California to do something sane? Are you nuts? ;-)

[Markem]

Nah the glass is half empty on that.

[Leon]

While $25 a quart for General Finishes outdoor oil is high it is probably available in gallon and five gallon buckets. These type products tend to only double in price with each next increment. A gallon would probably be closer to $50 than $100.

[tony.h.collings]

I have recently re-ordered Thompson Water seal and was surprised to find th at product is very different to what I had before. As I am seeking to prot ect timber for a listed (protected) building, I have carried out a compara tive water penetration test with a strip that I had treated with the old pr oduct. The result was dramatic, the previously treated wood shed water wit hout any penetration whilst the new product showed insignificant improvemen t to untreated wood. I will not use this new product as it simply does not seal the wooden surfaces and offers no added rainwater protection

[whit3rd]

Oh, you're so YOUNG. The black fog in London (1952) killed somewhere from 4000 to 12000 people in a week. Coal heat did it, and coal heat was banned (or very limited).

There hasn't been a similar event in decades, because... there's a good reason for such bans. You're alive; enjoy the ban.

[J. Clarke]

Way to drag up a three year old post.

So what did people do for heat in London after coal was banned? And how long did it take to implement and what was the cost? And how many people froze to death in the interim?

And I do not now and never have lived in London, so my being alive or otherwise has no relationship to such a ban.

[Dr. Deb]

When we were in the London area in the mid 60's, the wife had a nice light blue suit. IF she wore to London, when she got home, she would turn down t he cuffs on her jacket and you could tell the difference. One trip in and then clean the suit. The Brits were still burning coal when we left in 67, but were converting to electricity. But a lot of the power plants burned coal, though they were bringing nuclear online.

[Sixgunn_#]

They change the formula remove the petroleum bass.

[Sixgunn_#]

Every civil war reenactor has used the original Thompson water seal on every one of their A-frame tents and tent flies. The new stuff is garbage!