Decks, Patios, Porches and Docks - Water seal a new deck in Oct. or wait till next summer?

I'm installing a new deck using 2x6x16 wolmanized treated deck boards which are not bone dry, but more toward the dry side than the wet side.

It is October and here in WA we are into the sunny one day, rain for two, sunny for two, rain for one cycle.

I have the frame finished and am ready to start laying the deck boards. I have some waterproof stuff (Thompson's) to put on the deck. The instructions say to not put the stuff on if it is going to rain in 24hrs, wood needs to be dry etc.

I will only be able to install sections of the deck at time, a little each day. Should I try and seal the section of boards as I put them down so they don't get rained on before sealing, or should I just get the deck done and seal the whole thing next August when we have a stretch of hot dry weather?

Will it hurt anything if I wait until next August?

Thanks
Wayne

First, if you're using treated lumber, it has to dry before you seal it. If you are building the deck, you can let the wood dry in the garage and seal it before installation - that takes care of the weather factor.

As a moderator for this site I am not supposed to 'bash' any products or companies, but I think you might be happier if you spend a little more time researching what product to use to seal your deck.

Thanks for the reply J.M.C. You are not the only one to mention that I should look into sealing products more closely. I will check it out.

I understand what you are saying about letting the lumber dry completely, then seal before install, but the best I could do is leave it stacked under a tarp as I don't have a garage big enough to store 52 pieces of 16' lumber. Much less be able to rack it in such a way as to promote some air circulation.

The deck boards are currently sitting stacked on my car trailer which is parked under our big rv canopy. They have been there since I purchased them about 3 weeks ago. I was surprised at how light and dry the lumber felt when picking through it at Home Depot. I was expecting it to be heavy and wet like the ground contact pressure treated boards that that I picked out for the frame. However, I doubt that these deck boards are completely dry. Wish there was a way to tell how dry is "dry enough".

The other issue I'm concerned about is if I don't go ahead and install the deck boards on the frame now, 9 months from now the frame will have twisted up as the structure boards expand and contract. I have already seen some very slight movement in the 2 weeks the frame has been complete and waiting for deck boards.

I really don't know what to do in this situation. If I try and put sealer on the deck boards in small sections after I lay them down it will be tricky because of the rain we seam to get every other day this time of year. Also, I assume I would be just sealing in whatever moisture is in the boards right now? On the other hand maybe the worst that would happen with this approach is I would "waste" some sealer, but maybe get "some" protection for this coming fall/winter/spring????

On the other hand if I just focus on getting all the deck boards on the frame with no sealant, what happens if they go through the fall/winter (mild)/ and spring until I get a dry spell next August when they will really be dry for sealant application?

Wayne

It sounds like the best solution is going to be to put the deck together now and wait to seal it until July or August, when the evergreen state turns brown. Between now and then you have plenty of time to research cleaning and sealing decks.

didn't read the whole thread, but Cabots has a product that goes on wet wood. Call and ask them.

spf fence and deck finish

http://www.cabotstain.com/towoca_htm/proinf_body.cfm?ID=49&cabot=1&subArea=proinf

here are their other products=very good stuff.

http://www.cabotstain.com/towoca_htm/prosel_body.cfm?type=ext&cabot=1

The water seal has a couple of faults:
1. its parafin based so it is slippery when wet
2. it only lasts 3 months

On the plus side - its very very cheap.

It also needs to be stripped before you can put anything on top of it. :thumbdn:

Like Bob F. alluded to (without really saying it), the ONLY redeeming feature about "T" is that it's cheap!!

Since the deck boards are still sitting on the trailer, seal them before you install them. That way, you get all 4 sides really good -- do the ends as you cut them to length. Use Cabots, Silkens, SuperDeck, etc. Their down side is that they are NOT cheap -- you'll pay about $25 to $30 a gallon for them. The pluses are that you'll have about 2 years (not 6 months) before you have to do it again.

You bought a wood deck. Now you'll be stuck with all the maintenance that goes along with it.

Ok, Ok, you guys have shamed me into applying the sealer before installation. It will give me something to do as it is supposed to rain for the next two days.

I will be taking back the the "T" for a refund. I don't mind paying for a quality sealer. I already have a ton of effort into this project, no sense in scrimping now. Some surfing on the I-net indicates that a synthetic type sealer might be more mold/mildew resistant? We have a bunch of mold/mildew here in the pacific northwest. In fact one of the deck boards I pulled out of the pile today already had some mildew on it.

I just hope I can find some of this quality (Cabot's, sikkens, superdeck, other) stuff locally so I can keep going on the project.

Wayne

Wayne,

I KNOW what the Pacific Northwet is all about. I lived there for almost 20 years and most of my family still does. (Western WA IS the PNW!!!!)

You won't find the products that have been recommended in a big box store (Lowe's, HD, etc.) -- don't waste your time. Go to a paint store or a local lumber yard that supplies a lot of decking contractors.