Decks, Patios, Porches and Docks - When to Stain new Deck? Hw to stay dry below.

I have a new deck that is in it's final stages of build. How long should I wait to stain and what is a good item to use to keep below dry for use that does not cost a ton? underdeck is Very expensive.

If it is PT wait 2 months to a year. It neede to dry out or the stain won't last.

Dick

And dry below the deck?? Sorry about the price, but that's just what it is for something that will work!

Under Deck, Dry Below -- either system works just fine, looks good from below, and it's a bit on the pricey side. Otherwise, you are going to cobble something together using corrageted tin, aluminum or fiberglass. It'll cost less for the material, it probably won't work as well, and we won't go into the looks.

I attended a pressure treated wood seminar. The speaker said that waiting to seal pressure treated wood was old school. He recommended sealing immediately with a high-quality sealer immediately to protect wood from the elements.

Twelvepole,
Do you agreewith the person at the pressure treated wood seminar ?

I have a new deck that is in it's final stages of build. How long should I wait to stain and what is a good item to use to keep below dry for use that does not cost a ton? underdeck is Very expensive.

For Western Red Cedar you need to wait 4-6 weeks for it dry out. Applying to early would jeoprodize the results fo the finish.

IMO all wood needs to be dry before any type of finish is put on it.

Here are 2 products that you can use right away. Weathermax (http://www.primeshop.com/wmaxinfo.htm) or cabot (http://www.cabotstain.com/towoca_htm/proinf_body.cfm?ID=49&cabot=1&subArea=proinf) s. You may want to actually make it a little more wet by hosing it down. There are others, but they are available only to professionals.

The Deck is PT in CT I hear cabots is the way to go. The deck has been omplete for 2 weeks and 90+ Degrees everyday since :alarm:

2 weeks is nothing and a few hot days do not work wonders. I would wait until early fall to let the PT dry out. Waiting long enough to get the moisture content down and before winter weather sets in.

I also have built a PT deck.
I have browsed other threads similar to this and am stuck in the middle between Wood Preservatives. It seems that "good ol Thompsons" is at the low end and $30+ Cabots at the high end, with a passing mention of Behr and none of Olympic, McClosky, Armor-All, etc. Also, is oil better than water-based?

Assuming it is a good idea to seal/preserve my deck before the NY winter, I need to make a choice. My deck is 12'x16' and a gallon will probably do, so I guess I shouldn't quibble about price.

I have a gallon of Behr No. 4 Natural Redwood Tone Semi-Opaque Water-Repellant Penetrating Oil Stain and Sealer. I also have about 3 gallons of oil based Thompsons Sealer. Apparently, the Behr product has been replaced and is no longer sold. I got both of these from an ex neighbor when he moved out of the area and if I was going for "free", I guess I would choose the Behr product. I have applied some to scrap PT and my wife has no objection to the "Redwood" color.

On the high end, I have browsed Cabot suppliers online and yes, they are $27.50 to $30 plus. I think their "Austrailian Timber Oil" might be overkill.

I have also browsed "TWP Total Wood Preservative 100" in the $20 area.
Does anyone have an opinion on TWP. One plus for TWP is the larger choice of colors.

I have no idea of where to get Cabots or TWP locally. I don't think they are available at Lowes or Home Depot. I guess I could start looking at my local lumber yard store, which is about 3 miles away.

I think there is more than 1 product that uses twp but if it is from these (http://www.wooddefender.com/) people it is a wise choice indeed. May be the best choice all things considered. Grab it. :thumbup: :thumbup: Two thumbs up!!!

Just reread the original post and the product (http://www.woodsealants.com/twp-100-series.htm) you site is another good one. No reason not to use it if you can find it local or even order it.

The Behr Product is not so hot. It is terrible to recoat and should be left in the can. Forget the Thompsons too.

I think oil bases non film forming products are best. The one from above[weathermax]looks interesting though. More and more manufacturers are adding waterbased products to their lines each year. They can be applied right after washing while the deck is still wet and can be recoated easily. Cabots water based SPF looks good too. Waitin' on a guinea pig are you interested.

You should start your own thread if you need more suggestions. Just a suggestion.

twelvepole- Can you give us a little more information about the pressure treated wood seminar you attended? Who was the presenter? A wood company person? A sealant company representative? Was this a one hour presentation at your local Lowe's or an industry convention speaker? Just give us a little background info please. This kind of thinking ie "do not wait one year or longer" will sound like heresy to the MAN workers. Give us some ammunition. Thanks Lyn Clarke

My father just built a deck for me while visiting. How long should I wait to stain it? I have a dilemma- our backyard gets very little sun this time of year, and it's very humid here (southern cali). The deck seems to be staying wet most of the day, and we're heading in to rainy season. Any suggestions?

Wait until the wood has been dry on the surface for several weeks -- even if that means waiting until next May or June, or even August!

The stain/sealer won't penetrate wet or damp wood properly, and you won't be happy with the finish it you apply it to wet or damp wood.

The deck isn't going to suffer if you have to wait several months before sealing it.