This deck is well supported with pressure treated box frame technique and ranges from 1.5-3" off the ground. It is on the southern side of the house but my backyard is sloped toward and to the left of the home so that water runoff prefers to run under the deck. Due to soil type (clay) the underside of the deck doesn't dry as well as it could. I was thinking of sealing the underside to prevent rot/degradation, is there a sealant or stain you recommend for the underside of a deck?
Thanks
jay_myself
07-25-05, 04:56 PM
There are a number of good deck sealers for hardwoods like IPE, Superdeck, Sikkens and Australian Tongue oil come to mine. What ever surface you plan to seal, use a transparent stain, not one of the sealants like polyurethane.
On the need to seal the underside, I'm not sure there would be a consensus. If you have adequate ventilation underneath, I think that would be all you need to do.
Have you sealed the topsides? Are you noticing anything that would make you believe the dampness is affecting the wood or is you question just precautionary?