Decks, Patios, Porches and Docks - Refinishing an old deck

My deck needs refinishing and I have a few questions to ask. First, all of the material I have seen says to apply a cleaner, rinse this off and stain / refinish. Do you recommend sanding as well? I think that this would probably help the wood out and may make it look better. Second, what if I purchase a stain for the deck, do I still need to get a waterproofing product as well or are these generally all-inclusive. Finally, I have seen some pretty bad reviews on Thompson's products - what do you recommend for a deck that will require minimal maintenance down the line.

Thanks,
Rex

Hello Rex,

If the wood beads water at all from a previous 'sealer', it should be stripped. If it has been a number of years it probably just needs a good cleaning. I recommend an oxygenated bleach(sodium percarbonate) as opposed to a cleaner which contains sodium hypochlorite(bleach). Oxygented bleaches are harmless to vegetation and will not bleach the color out of the wood. With the cleaner applied it needs to be scrubbed or pressure washed.
Pressure washing will accomplish the same thing as sanding - the removal of grey dead wood cells and dirt/algea on the surface.
With three days of dry sunny weather it can be stained. The top three Consumers Report rated deck stains are Cabots, Sikkens and Wolmans F&P. These are oil base stains with water repellency and uv blockers built in.

fred

Depending on where you are, you may or may not be able to find Cabots, Sikkens and Wolmans F&P. In that case, look for a similar product. Since I have never found any of these 3 locally, I use SuperDeck. Very similar product to the ones Fewalt mentioned, and, unlike Thompson's, it beads water all winter long!

Unfortunately, Lowes/HD do not carry the best products. They carry inferior Thompsons due to advertising dollars.
The better products are carried in the better paint stores, and sometimes even the larger hardware stores.

fred

Amen!

I wouldnt use F&P or sikkens, have you read on some of the other boards, they have some major problems. I would stick with Penofin, or readyseal.

http://www.waterworksnw.com

mhpoole,

What information do you have on Sikkens or the F&P that contradicts the Consumers Report findings/results.

If ReadySeal was available here I might try it, but I'm not paying for the shipping.

fred

I have no information accept for all the guys that have used that stuff in the past and those that are having trouble with it. check around to the other message boards.

From what i hear Ready seal is very good. And penofin of coarse

Hello Mark,
I've seen most of the other deck/restoration forums at times - I see some professional contractors and many wannabes. I don't have the time to give my knowledge to more than one or two forums. I've settled here and one or two other garden forums.

My experience with Penofin was many years ago (early 80's), not a bad product, but the entire product line has changed now. I've been using the F&P for about three years now, and the ONLY problem I've encountered is some fading, but no more than any other product that should last two to maybe three years.
I have not seen any particular complaints relative to the Sikkens or Wolman F & P. I do remember one amateur contractor rag on the F&P when he had trouble with a second coat. Obviously, he didn't read the label which states one coat only. You think the first coat was repelling coat number two??
Most consumers don't understand that deck stains have a limited life due to the sun's UV radiation.
If either ReadySeal or Superdeck were available here I would probably give them a try. They do get good 'contractor' ratings.

Regards,

fred
Deck-Kleen Powerwashing
(I CRINGE AT ACRYLICS)