Decks, Patios, Porches and Docks - Best sealer for high traffic deck

We are currently finishing our cedar deck which allows our 3 boys and 3 dogs :eek: access to our back yard and pool. This deck will experience high traffic daily as well as the late afternoon sun. We have friends who recommend Rymar Premium Pentrating Wood Sealer as her dad used it on his fence several years ago and it has withstood our NE Wisconsin weather nicely. Does anyone have any experience with this product or can recommend another? From what I've gathered so far an oil-based sealer is better than a water-based sealer, and semi-transparent will protect better than clear. Am I on the right track?

Thanks - any input is greatly appreciated!

Patrice

We are currently finishing our cedar deck which allows our 3 boys and 3 dogs :eek: access to our back yard and pool. This deck will experience high traffic daily as well as the late afternoon sun. We have friends who recommend Rymar Premium Pentrating Wood Sealer as her dad used it on his fence several years ago and it has withstood our NE Wisconsin weather nicely. Does anyone have any experience with this product or can recommend another? From what I've gathered so far an oil-based sealer is better than a water-based sealer, and semi-transparent will protect better than clear. Am I on the right track?

Thanks - any input is greatly appreciated!

Patrice

Your on the right track.

But you cannot judge how a sealer performs on a vertical fence as any indicator of how it will perform on a flat, high trafficked horizontal surface of a deck.

So much more UV light, weather, and traffic issue to contend with for a deck than a fence.

I have had good results with CWF (Clear Wood Finish) by Flood....Also comes in tints or can be tinted.

And opaque stains have better results than semi-transparents...

What homebild said is absolutely true. Unless your neighbor has 3 dogs and 3 boys that run up and down his fence daily, and his fence is laying horizontally, there's NO COMPARISON!!

I use SuperDeck sealants on the decks I build. (I use it on the fences too, but that means nothing other the the dealer is giving me a good price, and I have never been called back to fix it!!)

Decks are tough on ANY sealant, and the boys and dogs simply compound the problems. Use a high quality sealant -- you are going to pay about $30 a gallon for that -- and reapply it every 2 years, or less, depending on the traffic

Thank you both for your replies.

My concern was exactly that - how do I know that the sealer that was applied to his fence will provide adequate protection for my deck? :confused:

I guess as long as I know up front that even if I use a quality sealer I will need to re-seal every 2-3 years - then I'm prepared. At least I won't be expecting it to last 5-6 years and then be disappointed with the product. Last night I went to my friend's house to look at her benches and railings that they applied the Rymar sealer to, they used Eon for the deck floor, and I did some research on the internet. I know that price does not always dictate the quality of a product, however, the cost ($30+ per gallon) combined with the product description, and good reviews, leads me to believe it is a good product.

We will be ordering the oil-based Rymer sealer in a semi-transparent or semi-solid color this weekend. Hopefully we'll be on track to start sealing in a few weeks.

Thank you for your input!!

In my part of the country one can expect about 1 year for every $10/gallon spent.
The Rymer sounds like a regional product. Some of those can be very good.
Yes, a semi-transparent sealer will work best as it penetrates the wood. Clear also penetrates, but the stain will help protect against UV. Solid stains won't penetrate like a semi-transparent stain will.

Thanks, BobF, I was leaning toward the Cedartone Semi-Transparent and after hearing your reply I will definitely make that my choice.

Thanks for the advice everyone!

:D