Decks, Patios, Porches and Docks - how often do i need to waterproof my deck?

hey friends

quick question here...last august i moved into a house that had a nice cedar deck, but the rain water would penetrate the wood (no beading of water) so i knew i had to seal it so last fall i put on the sealer/stain...but now i noticed after some rain last night...i again dont have the water beading off like when i put on the sealer/stain last fall.....is this a sign that i need to do it again...is it normal to do it every year?

also, would i have to pressure wash the old stain/sealer off before applying a new one or can i just do a quick rinse job and roll the new stuff over it?

thanks
bam

A lot depends on what type of coating you used. Clear sealers like thompson's waterseal often need recoating every 6 months to a year. Some of the better stains may last for 2-4 yrs.

Some sealers and stains require removal before recoatings while others do not. Check the label!

Hi there,

I helped a friend of mine build a deck in the summer. After we finished it, we pressure washed it, and then dried it with an old-fashioned mop (the type that looks like a 1950's hair-do), and then (once the mop had dried) we used that to apply the sealant to the deck.

The beauty of the mop, as opposed to using a sprayer or a roller, is that it was really easy to apply in the ridges of the deck-boards - and a new head only costs a few pennies. Had we realised this at the time, we would have bought a second head and not have needed to wait for the head to dry.

Hope this helps!
John