Its Summer and one of our friends gave us a question about deck coatings and what might be the right products to use for his 5 year old deck that has never been sealed. Lets look at some of the possible options and when you might want to use each product.
The first thing to understand about pressure treated decks is that they do have an approximate lifespan of 15 to 20 years. The way you treat your deck will extend or shorten that time by quite a lot as will the conditions. Many people think that full sun would help keep the deck dry and potentially extend its life but in reality full sun conditions are very harsh on any type of natural material. Full sun conditions can be as bad or worse for the deterioration of your deck as an area that has tree cover and tends to get mold and moss buildup. So taking care of your deck is always important and sealing it is one of the best ways to extend its life.
As we said your deck has an approximate lifespan of 15 to 20 years and after you have built your deck and within the first summer season it is important to apply a Stain type sealer. Stains are better for exterior wood products because they seep deep into the pours of the wood where a latex or oil based paint will remain on the surface. Stain will also breath which means it won’t flake off due to moisture in the wood.
Stain Products come in Translucent or Semi Transparent and in Solid Colors. Solid stains are often suggested when someone wants to hide the color and texture of the wood or change the color. Pressure treated wood is often a greenish or brownish color that might not be exactly fitting for your home so you have the option to choose a natural color or one that matches your home. Semi Transparent colors will allow the natural color and texture of the wood show through. If you like colors like Cedar its a great choice and other colors are available. Its also important to note that different areas of the country will use different materials for deck building. East of the Mississippi it is primarily Southern Yellow Pine that has been treated. In the Northwest and West you might find decks built from a different species of pine or from Cedar. Some people even go with very expensive wood products but I would never suggest that for the outdoors. It is just too much money and for what a deck is it is not worth the expense in my opinion. Ask your paint supplier what options you have but if you have a Cedar deck you might not want to use a stain you might just want to apply an oil based sealer which is the same product but without pigment. Its up to you and what is best for your area.
Never Paint Your Deck Always Use Stain
Paints should never be used in my opinion because they do have short lives and they flake off in a very undesirable way.
When stain starts to fade from 1 to 3 or 4 years from the original application it will simply fade off of the surface and not flake or cause any biproduct. Recoating is very easy with stained decks you simply clean the surface and then after it drys you can stain just like you did the first time.
Applying Stain To Your Deck
It is very important that stain is brushed into the surface of the wood. I see many people suggesting that you can use an electric sprayer or a pump up sprayer but if you are using a pump up sprayer you need to back brush each board to make sure there isn’t pooling of stain that can cause really ugly spots and to promote proper saturation and even coats.
Specialty Products To Extend The Life Of The Deck
There are a few products out there that are stating that they will extend the life of a very old and deteriorated deck by resurfacing the deck with a thick paint type product. These products have filler materials in them are are suppose to fill cracks and add a non slip texture.
By the time where this product might be useful for resurfacing your deck you are probably only about a year or two away from total redecking your deck or a full rebuild.
Personally I don’t suggest you use them but if you are looking to get one final year out of your deck and need the time to save for lumber then they might get you through another year.
They are a last resort product.
Final Note
Sealing your deck with stain is a great idea to protect it from UV sunlight damage. You can pick a translucent stain but often you end up applying a few coats to get proper coverage. You can also go with a solid stain or if you like the quality of your natural wood you can use transparent sealer but that will not help you with UV Light Damage.
Whatever choice you make you should see the product in use if you can before you make your final choice. Solid Stains are normally flat and not glossy or they will end up that way within a year or so if you use a gloss sealer on top.
Make your life easy and understand both the initial application and what will be needed for resealing because these products are only rated for 1 to 3 years. Pick something easy to work with.