# Now to seal (not stain) my PT deck..what to use?



## Hossenfeffer (Apr 1, 2010)

Following the builders instructions we have left our new pressure treated deck "season" over the winter (Vancouver, BC, Cdn. kind of winter) before deciding what to treat it with.

Now I know there are no stains that are very long lasting...even oil-based, so I simply want to seal it with the best sealer possible. I'd be grateful for any recommendations...esp of products available in British Columbia.


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

If not using a semi-transparent stain product, my preference is still for clear, oil based sealer penetrants but some prefer things like Thompson's Water Seal. Note that it contains liquid wax though which can make it slippery when wet and impossible to do anything with for a season or two until the wax wears off. Oil sealers will actually be less expensive.

Careful though. Some of the oil penetrants can be slippery until they soak in completely too.

And by the way, most of the top end stain companies will have good clear sealers too and possibly with some UV protection tossed in the mix.


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## Faron79 (Jul 16, 2008)

Oooooh I hate it when this particular question pops-up...

This may "shock" some here, but I'd rather you do NOTHING instead of using Thompsons....PLEASE DON'T use that stuff! It's harder to get out that you think, and can screw up adhesion of future stains big-time.

>>> BECAUSE of the waxes as sdsester said.

The clearer a "water-sealer" is...the more worthless it is for ACTUAL U/V protection however.

ACTUAL U/V protection (for a while) comes from the actual pigment particles in a particular stain.
Knowing what I know now about deck-stains, you couldn't PAY me to put a "clear" anything on MY deck. UNLESS you have a deck that never gets any sun on it....

Faron


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## poppameth (Oct 2, 2008)

If you have to have a clear then something like Flood CWF UV would be my choice. It does contain UV blockers, but still isn't anywhere near as good as a pigmented stain.


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

Why your opposition to a lightly pigmented semi-transparent stain by the way? If you like the color of the pressure treated deck you can pick a stain that would be similar?


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## Faron79 (Jul 16, 2008)

Lightly pigmented vs. CLEAR (or "near-clear") is where my hang-up lies!

I actually have people year-after-year...want to put a CLEAR water-sealer on their decks! Obviously this is a terrible way to go...you may get SOME U/V protection...like...1 weeks worth.
(I think an SPF-45 sunscreen lotion would be better...:laughing:!)

Some Thompsons products don't have the "Stearates" (WAXES) in them, and that's fine. 
* As many of you know, Behr & some others had SILICONES in some stain series.
* I always inquire if the customer knows what's on their deck b4 I suggest anything else. If they state the above products are on, I'll stop-'em right there and have them either STRIP OR SAND-OFF that finish. There's NO WAY future staining will last as long/not peel with either of those substances in their wood.
* A lightly-pigmented S/T Oil stain is fine.
* Realize however, that the..."Closer to clear you are, the less REAL U/V portection" there is.
* U/V-degradation is the worst beating a deck can take. 
* If the deck is well-shaded, then light stains will do well.

>>> Just don't fall into that trap of using "Clear Water-sealers"!!!!

Faron


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## poppameth (Oct 2, 2008)

Yep definitely stay away from Behr. If you get one of the silicone products on there you'll have a nightmare restaining in the future. They have to be mechanically stripped.


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## Hossenfeffer (Apr 1, 2010)

Thanks for the information. I did not want to use a coloured stain at all because in my (limited) experience I saw that the stain just flakes off in a year or two anyway. (I had put Thompsons on that first deck and would never use it again....what a waste of time. It lasted one season.)

If I put a semi-transparent stain on the PT deck which has nothing on it now, how long should I expect it to last, and would I have to sand the blotchy old job before it could be restained?

What about a Skkens product?...their Cetol Dek or Cetol SRD or SRD semi transparent were recommended by an acquantance many years ago.


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

Hossenfeffer said:


> If I put a semi-transparent stain on the PT deck which has nothing on it now, how long should I expect it to last, and would I have to sand the blotchy old job before it could be restained?


Look, decks need continual care. I would hope if you get two to three seasons of brutal weather and constant use out of a stain you would feel alright about it all. Spend the money and buy quality stuff from your paint store. You should feel lucky if you get six months out of box store crap. 

As for stain peeling off? Baffles me and frankly I have never seen it happen with semi-transparents. Unless someone tried to stain over something hideous and with wax like Thompson's. Solid stains are thicker and I could see them peeling off if applied to a horizontal deck surface. I know of one solid stain product I use a lot that claims it can be used on deck surfaces. I would not use even that solid stain on a deck. 

To answer your question, of course you have to get whatever paint/solid stain product is peeling on the surface. You could sand it off. I think you will find a real, not a box store electric toy, pressure washer perfect for most of this though.


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## housepaintingny (Jul 25, 2009)

You should use a quality sem-transparent, sikkens oil/alkyd has high solids and will penetrate, but first you need to remove mold,mildew, dirt, tannin stains, and dead wood fiber. I use wolman deck bright to prep decks before staining. Its a per carbonate, contains no bleach, and has a brightner in it. Bleach actually has long term effects on wood. Use a power washer 500-800psi. Use a nylon brush to scrub the surface. Using the proper cleaner and steps your deck would look like new in about half a day. Deck brite also opens the wood pores up too.


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