I am trying to select a good wood deck finish. I have found many info
about the various types of deck finish that are currently available in
the market. One thing that I cannot find info on is the type of
annual maintenance that I need to do for the deck if I choose that
type of deck finish. According to one of the DIY article that I find
in the net, I am supposed to clean and apply a coat of finish on the
deck yearly. But I am wondering if this is only applicable for some
type of finish but not other. I don't think I can simply apply a coat
of finish over existing finish; I believe I need to at least sand the
surface first; otherwise, the finish won't stick that well, right? If
I continue putting more and more coats of finish, I am afraird that
the finish will be too thick, and may start peeling, right?

Currently I am considering between using "clear finish with UV
protection" and "semi-transparent stain". Please tell me the kind of
annual maintenance that I need to do if I choose either one of them.
I will greatly appreciate if someone can tell me the step-by-step way
to do this annual maintenance. Then I can evaluate whether this kind
of finish is really appropriate for me.

By the way, what I want from the deck finish a (1) prevent the
pressure treated wood deck from turning grey in order to maintain the
natural wood color or have a nice redwood color, (2) reduce water
absorption into the wood, (3) reduce mildew on the wood surface, (3)
annual maintenance is OK, taking too much time to do each annual
maintenance is not OK.

The current wood deck finish that I have on the deck is semi-
transparent stain. I pressure washed the deck and then applied the
stain. I didn't do any annual maintenance because I don't know if I
need to do this and I don't know how. By the end of the first year,
stain had started coming off in the center of the deck (high traffic
area). By the end of the second year, mildew started growing in where
the stain had come off. Then I using stain remover to remove the
stain, and did that over. But the same thing happened (just faster
than before). I figure that I need to do some annual maintenance to
keep the finish; this prompts me to ask around here.

Thanks in advance for any info.

Jay Chan

The only maintenance that we do is to wash the green stuff from winter/
( with 1 cup of clorox- 2 cups of water mix. then apply Thompson
waterproof.

I mop the solution with a mop to clean it.
Then in a couple days Hub applies the waterproofing by spraying it on.

Our deck wood is wolmanized wood. The waterproofing makes the wood
dark, that it looks like it is brown.

shirleyann

"Jay Chan" wrote in message


By the way, what I want from the deck finish a (1) prevent the
pressure treated wood deck from turning grey in order to maintain the
natural wood color or have a nice redwood color, (2) reduce water
absorption into the wood, (3) reduce mildew on the wood surface, (3)
annual maintenance is OK, taking too much time to do each annual
maintenance is not OK.

The current wood deck finish that I have on the deck is semi-
transparent stain.

The semi transparent stain or a solid stain are not going to work well. No
matter what quality you buy, it is going to peel after a year. Railings and
other vertical parts will be OK, but the deck itself is not going to hold
up. I've tried various products over the past 20 years. They all peel and
the wood turns gray. Live with it or replace the deck top.

If I was re-building, I'd use either Ipe, mahogany, redwood, cypress or
cedar, in that order. I'd give it a coat of Penofin oil every year as it
has good UV protection.

The other choice is a plastic type material with solid color.

On Sep 14, 6:17*am, (Shirley ann) wrote:
The only maintenance that we do is to wash the green stuff from winter/
( with 1 cup of clorox- 2 cups of water mix. then apply *Thompson
waterproof.

I mop the solution with a mop to clean it.
Then in a couple days Hub applies the waterproofing by spraying it on.

Our deck wood is wolmanized wood. *The waterproofing makes the wood
dark, that it looks like it is brown.

shirleyann

Thanks for sharing your annual maintenance plan with the use of clear
deck finish. How do you clean it? Do you clean it with bleach along
with scrubbing, or using bleach alone to do its job? When I cleaned
my deck with bleach, I always scrubbed it after waiting 5-10 minutes
for the bleach to take effect. But you said you used a mop; this
leads me to think that you only used the mop to apply the bleach
solution and didn't scrub the deck at all. May be this has to do with
the fact that you did annual maintenance that kept the mildew in
check; therefore, you didn't need to scrub. On the other hand, I
didn't deal with the mildew until years-later that allowed the mildew
to build-up; therefore, I needed to scrub and more scrub in addition
to using bleach in order to remove the mildew. Do I understand this
correctly?

The clear finish sounds easy enough to be maintained annually. I may
remove the semi-transparent stain from my deck and try the clear
finish this time around.

Jay Chan

On Sep 14, 7:27*am, "Edwin Pawlowski" wrote:
"Jay Chan" wrote in message

By the way, what I want from the deck finish a (1) prevent the
pressure treated wood deck from turning grey in order to maintain the
natural wood color or have a nice redwood color, (2) reduce water
absorption into the wood, (3) reduce mildew on the wood surface, (3)
annual maintenance is OK, taking too much time to do each annual
maintenance is not OK.

The current wood deck finish that I have on the deck is semi-
transparent stain.

The semi transparent stain or a solid stain are not going to work well. No
matter what quality you buy, it is going to peel after a year. *Railings and
other vertical parts will be OK, but the deck itself is not going to hold
up. I've tried various products over the past 20 years. They all peel and
the wood turns gray. Live with it or replace the deck top.

If I was re-building, I'd use either Ipe, mahogany, redwood, cypress or
cedar, in that order. *I'd give it a coat of Penofin oil every year as it
has good UV protection.

The other choice is a plastic type material with solid color.

I have read your suggestion of using ipe/mahogany/redwood in your
other posts. And I agree with you. The natural beauty of those types
of wood should require less maintenance than using stain to get the
nice color. And I don't like the plastic look of those man-made
material either. I would definitely switch to use of those natural
woods next time. But I am afraid that will be many years later
because the pressure treated wood deck seems like will out-last me.
Please let us how the natural wood deck holds up when you finally
decide to build a new deck with natural wood.

Anyway I am sorry to hear that the semi-transparent stain (and the
solid stain) will not hold up after just one year. Sound like I need
to clean / sand / re-stain the wood deck every year if I use semi-
transparent stain on my deck. This option doesn't sound that good:

1. If I rent a floor sander to sand out all the semi-transparent
stain from my deck before applying a new coat of semi-transparent
stain, I will have to pay for the rental every year and I will need to
run the risk of creating a lot of toxic dusts from the pressure
treated wood.

2. If I only light sand the deck (to allow a better adhension for a
new coat of semi-transparent stain), the remaining stain will show
through the new coat of stain even though their color are the same,
and the areas that have 2 layers of stain will look different from the
areas that have been sanded through and only have one new coat of
stain; this will look odd; I know this because I did this once before.

Seem like I am better off using clear finish because the annual
maintenance for clear finish sounds like much easier than using any
kind of stain (no sanding involved). Of course, I will need to talk
with my wife to see if she like the color of the clear finish.

Jay Chan

"Jay Chan" wrote
"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote:

By the way, what I want from the deck finish a (1) prevent the
pressure treated wood deck from turning grey in order to maintain the
natural wood color or have a nice redwood color, (2) reduce water
absorption into the wood, (3) reduce mildew on the wood surface, (3)
annual maintenance is OK, taking too much time to do each annual
maintenance is not OK.

cedar, in that order. I'd give it a coat of Penofin oil every year as it
has good UV protection.

Jay, adding to what Ed said, this is the easiest way to go and will look
nice. Your problem just now is it was stained already. What you actually
wanted was a 'thompsons water seal' (oil based) product that isnt a stain so
much as an oil finish. This gets pretty much just mopped on once a year and
done with it. Like the lady said before, wash it with some bleach and let
it dry out to get at the mold you have now. My have to scrub a bit with a
stiff bristle brush in bad spots but after that, an annual job pretty much.

I built my Mom a porch extension in movable parts back in 1981. Although
we've had to replace various steps or a board or two over the years, she's
still got that porch. (it comes apart in sections, gets loaded in her
trailer when she moves, then comes out at the new place). All we've ever
done is the oil seal annually over the natural wood ( cedar in this case).

On 9ÔÂ15ÈÕ, ÉÏÎç12ʱ27·Ö, "cshenk" wrote:
"Jay Chan" wrote

"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote:
By the way, what I want from the deck finish a (1) prevent the
pressure treated wood deck from turning grey in order to maintain the
natural wood color or have a nice redwood color, (2) reduce water
absorption into the wood, (3) reduce mildew on the wood surface, (3)
annual maintenance is OK, taking too much time to do each annual
maintenance is not OK.
cedar, in that order. I'd give it a coat of Penofin oil every year as it
has good UV protection.

Jay, adding to what Ed said, this is the easiest way to go and will look
nice. Your problem just now is it was stained already. What you actually
wanted was a 'thompsons water seal' (oil based) product that isnt a stain so
much as an oil finish. This gets pretty much just mopped on once a year and
done with it. Like the lady said before, wash it with some bleach and let
it dry out to get at the mold you have now. My have to scrub a bit with a
stiff bristle brush in bad spots but after that, an annual job pretty much.

I built my Mom a porch extension in movable parts back in 1981. Although
we've had to replace various steps or a board or two over the years, she's
still got that porch. (it comes apart in sections, gets loaded in her
trailer when she moves, then comes out at the new place). All we've ever
done is the oil seal annually over the natural wood ( cedar in this case)..

Wholesale www.ebayhandbag.com

On Sep 14, 1:43*am, Jay Chan wrote:
I am trying to select a good wood deck finish. *I have found many info
about the various types of deck finish that are currently available in
the market. *One thing that I cannot find info on is the type of
annual maintenance that I need to do for the deck if I choose that
type of deck finish. *According to one of the DIY article that I find
in the net, I am supposed to clean and apply a coat of finish on the
deck yearly. *But I am wondering if this is only applicable for some
type of finish but not other. *I don't think I can simply apply a coat
of finish over existing finish; I believe I need to at least sand the
surface first; otherwise, the finish won't stick that well, right? *If
I continue putting more and more coats of finish, I am afraird that
the finish will be too thick, and may start peeling, right?

Currently I am considering between using "clear finish with UV
protection" and "semi-transparent stain". *Please tell me the kind of
annual maintenance that I need to do if I choose either one of them.
I will greatly appreciate if someone can tell me the step-by-step way
to do this annual maintenance. *Then I can evaluate whether this kind
of finish is really appropriate for me.

By the way, what I want from the deck finish a (1) prevent the
pressure treated wood deck from turning grey in order to maintain the
natural wood color or have a nice redwood color, (2) reduce water
absorption into the wood, (3) reduce mildew on the wood surface, (3)
annual maintenance is OK, taking too much time to do each annual
maintenance is not OK.

The current wood deck finish that I have on the deck is semi-
transparent stain. *I pressure washed the deck and then applied the
stain. *I didn't do any annual maintenance because I don't know if I
need to do this and I don't know how. By the end of the first year,
stain had started coming off in the center of the deck (high traffic
area). *By the end of the second year, mildew started growing in where
the stain had come off. *Then I using stain remover to remove the
stain, and did that over. *But the same thing happened (just faster
than before). *I figure that I need to do some annual maintenance to
keep the finish; this prompts me to ask around here.

Thanks in advance for any info.

Jay Chan

Read this:
http://www.wolman.com/wcbasics_step1.asp

Use this:
http://www.wolman.com/pdf/datasheets/P_2_43.pdf

Then this:
http://www.wolman.com/product_detail.asp?ProductID=10

I'm not pushing Wolman products, just making the point that
you need to start from scratch, use a top quality product,
follow their directions, and don't mix brands that may be
incompatable. According to the paint rep, if you do that you
should be able to go 2-3 years, pressure wash without stripping,
reapply the same product, and your "annual" maintenance will
gradually extend to 4-5 years.

Red

On Sep 14, 12:27*pm, "cshenk" wrote:
"Jay Chan" wrote

"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote:
By the way, what I want from the deck finish a (1) prevent the
pressure treated wood deck from turning grey in order to maintain the
natural wood color or have a nice redwood color, (2) reduce water
absorption into the wood, (3) reduce mildew on the wood surface, (3)
annual maintenance is OK, taking too much time to do each annual
maintenance is not OK.
cedar, in that order. I'd give it a coat of Penofin oil every year as it
has good UV protection.

Jay, adding to what Ed said, this is the easiest way to go and will look
nice. *Your problem just now is it was stained already. *What you actually
wanted was a 'thompsons water seal' (oil based) product that isnt a stain so
much as an oil finish. *This gets pretty much just mopped on once a year and
done with it. * Like the lady said before, wash it with some bleach and let
it dry out to get at the mold you have now. *My have to scrub a bit with a
stiff bristle brush in bad spots but after that, an annual job pretty much.

I built my Mom a porch extension in movable parts back in 1981. *Although
we've had to replace various steps or a board or two over the years, she's
still got that porch. *(it comes apart in sections, gets loaded in her
trailer when she moves, then comes out at the new place). *All we've ever
done is the oil seal annually over the natural wood ( cedar in this case)..

Thanks for the reply.

I am under the impression that oil will be absorted into the wood.
Will this be
a problem if I later on decide to use a water based finish? Will the
trace of oil
left on the wood causing problem with adhesion? Having said this, I
may not
have a choice because the clear finish product that I am thinking of
getting
is also oil-based product. I guess I just have to use it.

Jay Chan

On Sep 14, 12:54*pm, Red wrote:
On Sep 14, 1:43*am, Jay Chan wrote:

I am trying to select a good wood deck finish. *I have found many info
about the various types of deck finish that are currently available in
the market. *One thing that I cannot find info on is the type of
annual maintenance that I need to do for the deck if I choose that
type of deck finish. *According to one of the DIY article that I find
in the net, I am supposed to clean and apply a coat of finish on the
deck yearly. *But I am wondering if this is only applicable for some
type of finish but not other. *I don't think I can simply apply a coat
of finish over existing finish; I believe I need to at least sand the
surface first; otherwise, the finish won't stick that well, right? *If
I continue putting more and more coats of finish, I am afraird that
the finish will be too thick, and may start peeling, right?

Currently I am considering between using "clear finish with UV
protection" and "semi-transparent stain". *Please tell me the kind of
annual maintenance that I need to do if I choose either one of them.
I will greatly appreciate if someone can tell me the step-by-step way
to do this annual maintenance. *Then I can evaluate whether this kind
of finish is really appropriate for me.

By the way, what I want from the deck finish a (1) prevent the
pressure treated wood deck from turning grey in order to maintain the
natural wood color or have a nice redwood color, (2) reduce water
absorption into the wood, (3) reduce mildew on the wood surface, (3)
annual maintenance is OK, taking too much time to do each annual
maintenance is not OK.

The current wood deck finish that I have on the deck is semi-
transparent stain. *I pressure washed the deck and then applied the
stain. *I didn't do any annual maintenance because I don't know if I
need to do this and I don't know how. By the end of the first year,
stain had started coming off in the center of the deck (high traffic
area). *By the end of the second year, mildew started growing in where
the stain had come off. *Then I using stain remover to remove the
stain, and did that over. *But the same thing happened (just faster
than before). *I figure that I need to do some annual maintenance to
keep the finish; this prompts me to ask around here.

Thanks in advance for any info.

Jay Chan

Read this:http://www.wolman.com/wcbasics_step1.asp

Use this:http://www.wolman.com/pdf/datasheets/P_2_43.pdf

Then this:http://www.wolman.com/product_detail.asp?ProductID=10

I'm not pushing Wolman products, just making the point that
you need to start from scratch, use a top quality product,
follow their directions, and don't mix brands that may be
incompatable. *According to the paint rep, if you do that you
should be able to go 2-3 years, pressure wash without stripping,
reapply the same product, and your "annual" maintenance will
gradually extend to 4-5 years.

Red- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I doubt that there is a product that can do away with annual
maintenance. The semi-transparent stain that I have on my
deck is "supposed" to last 2-3 years; but it starts wearing off
in high traffic area after just one year. I pretty much accept
that I will have to do some annual maintenance as long as I
have a wood deck. Therefore, I am looking for a finish that
doesn't require a time consuming annual maintenace to keep
its nice look. For now, seem like a clear finish is a better bet,
and I will totally remove all the stain from the wood deck, and
start this over with using clear finish.

Jay Chan

Jay Chan wrote:

On Sep 14, 12:54*pm, Red wrote:
On Sep 14, 1:43*am, Jay Chan wrote:

I am trying to select a good wood deck finish. *I have found many
info about the various types of deck finish that are currently
available in the market. *One thing that I cannot find info on is
the type of annual maintenance that I need to do for the deck if
I choose that type of deck finish. *According to one of the DIY
article that I find in the net, I am supposed to clean and apply
a coat of finish on the deck yearly. *But I am wondering if this
is only applicable for some type of finish but not other. *I
don't think I can simply apply a coat of finish over existing
finish; I believe I need to at least sand the surface first;
otherwise, the finish won't stick that well, right? *If I
continue putting more and more coats of finish, I am afraird that
the finish will be too thick, and may start peeling, right?

Currently I am considering between using "clear finish with UV
protection" and "semi-transparent stain". *Please tell me the
kind of annual maintenance that I need to do if I choose either
one of them. I will greatly appreciate if someone can tell me
the step-by-step way to do this annual maintenance. *Then I can
evaluate whether this kind of finish is really appropriate for me.

By the way, what I want from the deck finish a (1) prevent the
pressure treated wood deck from turning grey in order to maintain
the natural wood color or have a nice redwood color, (2) reduce
water absorption into the wood, (3) reduce mildew on the wood
surface, (3) annual maintenance is OK, taking too much time to do
each annual maintenance is not OK.

The current wood deck finish that I have on the deck is semi-
transparent stain. *I pressure washed the deck and then applied
the stain. *I didn't do any annual maintenance because I don't
know if I need to do this and I don't know how. By the end of the
first year, stain had started coming off in the center of the
deck (high traffic area). *By the end of the second year, mildew
started growing in where the stain had come off. *Then I using
stain remover to remove the stain, and did that over. *But the
same thing happened (just faster than before). *I figure that I
need to do some annual maintenance to keep the finish; this
prompts me to ask around here.

Read this:http://www.wolman.com/wcbasics_step1.asp

Use this:http://www.wolman.com/pdf/datasheets/P_2_43.pdf

Then this:http://www.wolman.com/product_detail.asp?ProductID=10

I'm not pushing Wolman products, just making the point that
you need to start from scratch, use a top quality product,
follow their directions, and don't mix brands that may be
incompatable. *According to the paint rep, if you do that you
should be able to go 2-3 years, pressure wash without stripping,
reapply the same product, and your "annual" maintenance will
gradually extend to 4-5 years.

I doubt that there is a product that can do away with annual
maintenance. The semi-transparent stain that I have on my
deck is "supposed" to last 2-3 years; but it starts wearing off
in high traffic area after just one year. I pretty much accept
that I will have to do some annual maintenance as long as I
have a wood deck. Therefore, I am looking for a finish that
doesn't require a time consuming annual maintenace to keep
its nice look. For now, seem like a clear finish is a better bet,
and I will totally remove all the stain from the wood deck, and
start this over with using clear finish.

I've yet to find _any_ finish that lasts indefinitely outdoors.
Ultraviolet light does them all in.

The best recommendations I've received are to use penetrating oil
finishes instead of film-forming finishes. With the oils, you just put
on a new coat every year or so. With the film finishes (e.g. varnish,
polyurethane, stain), you have to prep the surface before applying a
new coat. Therefore the oils are less maintenance.

--
Steve Bell
New Life Home Improvement
Arlington, TX

"Jay Chan" wrote
"cshenk" wrote:

much as an oil finish. This gets pretty much just mopped on once a year
and
done with it. Like the lady said before, wash it with some bleach and let

I am under the impression that oil will be absorted into the wood.
Will this be
a problem if I later on decide to use a water based finish? Will the

Yes, so you wont do that later.

not have a choice because the clear finish product that I am thinking of
getting is also oil-based product. I guess I just have to use it.

Jay, thats exactly what everyone has been telling you not to add if you want
low maintenance. Do not add a 'varnish etc' finish over the oil. Just the
oil. Simple, works, protects the wood, and some come with a little 'stain
colorant' to even out the deck looks.

For that high traffic area, consider getting an outdoor sort of runner. Be
sure it's made for outdoor or it will hold water and cause mold. Some are a
light airy weave and won't stay 'wet' longer than the deck itself. In fact,
the deck might be a little dryer under that part. Mom has a nice one I got
her ages ago. It's a light woven sort that looks a bit like tatami (except
much looser) and of a nylon weave that doesnt hold water. Took me a bit to
find it but it's out there.

On Sep 15, 3:40*pm, "SteveBell"
wrote:
Jay Chan wrote:
On Sep 14, 12:54*pm, Red wrote:
On Sep 14, 1:43*am, Jay Chan wrote:

I am trying to select a good wood deck finish. *I have found many
info about the various types of deck finish that are currently
available in the market. *One thing that I cannot find info on is
the type of annual maintenance that I need to do for the deck if
I choose that type of deck finish. *According to one of the DIY
article that I find in the net, I am supposed to clean and apply
a coat of finish on the deck yearly. *But I am wondering if this
is only applicable for some type of finish but not other. *I
don't think I can simply apply a coat of finish over existing
finish; I believe I need to at least sand the surface first;
otherwise, the finish won't stick that well, right? *If I
continue putting more and more coats of finish, I am afraird that
the finish will be too thick, and may start peeling, right?

Currently I am considering between using "clear finish with UV
protection" and "semi-transparent stain". *Please tell me the
kind of annual maintenance that I need to do if I choose either
one of them. *I will greatly appreciate if someone can tell me
the step-by-step way to do this annual maintenance. *Then I can
evaluate whether this kind of finish is really appropriate for me.

By the way, what I want from the deck finish a (1) prevent the
pressure treated wood deck from turning grey in order to maintain
the natural wood color or have a nice redwood color, (2) reduce
water absorption into the wood, (3) reduce mildew on the wood
surface, (3) annual maintenance is OK, taking too much time to do
each annual maintenance is not OK.

The current wood deck finish that I have on the deck is semi-
transparent stain. *I pressure washed the deck and then applied
the stain. *I didn't do any annual maintenance because I don't
know if I need to do this and I don't know how. By the end of the
first year, stain had started coming off in the center of the
deck (high traffic area). *By the end of the second year, mildew
started growing in where the stain had come off. *Then I using
stain remover to remove the stain, and did that over. *But the
same thing happened (just faster than before). *I figure that I
need to do some annual maintenance to keep the finish; this
prompts me to ask around here.

Read this:http://www.wolman.com/wcbasics_step1.asp

Use this:http://www.wolman.com/pdf/datasheets/P_2_43.pdf

Then this:http://www.wolman.com/product_detail.asp?ProductID=10

I'm not pushing Wolman products, just making the point that
you need to start from scratch, use a top quality product,
follow their directions, and don't mix brands that may be
incompatable. *According to the paint rep, if you do that you
should be able to go 2-3 years, pressure wash without stripping,
reapply the same product, and your "annual" maintenance will
gradually extend to 4-5 years.

I doubt that there is a product that can do away with annual
maintenance. *The semi-transparent stain that I have on my
deck is "supposed" to last 2-3 years; but it starts wearing off
in high traffic area after just one year. *I pretty much accept
that I will have to do some annual maintenance as long as I
have a wood deck. *Therefore, I am looking for a finish that
doesn't require a time consuming annual maintenace to keep
its nice look. *For now, seem like a clear finish is a better bet,
and I will totally remove all the stain from the wood deck, and
start this over with using clear finish.

I've yet to find _any_ finish that lasts indefinitely outdoors.
Ultraviolet light does them all in.

The best recommendations I've received are to use penetrating oil
finishes instead of film-forming finishes. With the oils, you just put
on a new coat every year or so. With the film finishes (e.g. varnish,
polyurethane, stain), you have to prep the surface before applying a
new coat. Therefore the oils are less maintenance.

--
Steve Bell
New Life Home Improvement
Arlington, TX- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

You are right. The oil will penetrate into the wood. More
importantly, the annual maintenance is as simply as washing with soap
and water, waiting for the wood deck to dry, and then applying the
same oil finish over the wood deck (that is according to Penofin Oil
Finish web site).

I can also apply solid stain over existing solid stain finish (this is
based on what the customer support of Flood Deck Finish said). But I
will have to sand to feather the edge where the stain has peeled off.
This is in addition to wash and dry the surface first before sanding.
Seem like a lot of work.

Based on my past experience with semi-transparent stain, I probably
only need to light sand the surface, and apply the semi-transparent
stain over the existing surface. The problem is that I will
definitely get a dual-tone effect on the surface because the old
finish will show through. This doesn't look nice at all. If I must
use semi-transparent stain, I will definitely remove all the existing
semi-transparent stain and then apply new finish from bare wood.

The clear finish may or may not need to be totally removed before re-
applying a new coat for annual maintenance. I am getting conflicting
info about this. The customer support from Flood said that I need to
either waiting for nature to wash out all the clear finish before re-
applying a new coat, or manually removing all the clear finish before
re-applying a new coat. On the other hand, the salesman in HomeDepot
told me that I can simply clean the surface and then apply a new coat
over the old finish of the same type. This is confusing.

I think I will take the path of the least resistence, and I will try
Penofin Oil Finish. The reason is that their web site explicitly says
that we can re-apply a new coat over the old coat. This should make
the job of annual maintenace on the wood deck a lot easier than other
finish.

Now the question is whether I should try the Penofin Oil with tone or
no tone at all. Having some tone on the finish may look nicer. But I
am afraid that I will end up getting a dual-tone effect next year when
I re-apply the same oil finish over surface that have the finish
partially worn off. I think I will try the oil with tone this year
and next year. If I end up getting a dual-tone effect, I will just
have to pressure wash the whole deck to remove the finish and start
over with oil finish that doesn't have any tone. This is the plan.

Jay Chan

"Jay Chan" wrote in message
You are right. The oil will penetrate into the wood. More
importantly, the annual maintenance is as simply as washing with soap
and water, waiting for the wood deck to dry, and then applying the
same oil finish over the wood deck (that is according to Penofin Oil
Finish web site).

I can also apply solid stain over existing solid stain finish (this is
based on what the customer support of Flood Deck Finish said). But I
will have to sand to feather the edge where the stain has peeled off.
This is in addition to wash and dry the surface first before sanding.
Seem like a lot of work.


***************************************

Use the Penofin. Great stuff. Avoid the solid stain. You won't get a full
season and it will start to peel on the horizontal surfaces.

"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message
...

"Jay Chan" wrote in message


By the way, what I want from the deck finish a (1) prevent the
pressure treated wood deck from turning grey in order to maintain the
natural wood color or have a nice redwood color, (2) reduce water
absorption into the wood, (3) reduce mildew on the wood surface, (3)
annual maintenance is OK, taking too much time to do each annual
maintenance is not OK.

The current wood deck finish that I have on the deck is semi-
transparent stain.

The semi transparent stain or a solid stain are not going to work well. No
matter what quality you buy, it is going to peel after a year. Railings
and other vertical parts will be OK, but the deck itself is not going to
hold up. I've tried various products over the past 20 years. They all peel
and the wood turns gray. Live with it or replace the deck top.

all wood left to the elements will eventually turn grey. The pigment in a
stain gives U.V. protection
The darker the stain the more protection it has. TWP (total wood
protection) is what I have been using the last 5 or so years. Properly
applied It wont leave a hard finish that peels away and unlike others
that have to be stripped off before recoating you can stain right over the
old finish. of course you should spray a bleach and water mix and then
wash /pressure wash the dirt and mold off before re staining. TWP semi
transparent wont peel but heavy traffic will wear away the pigment and
like Ed says it should be refinished every year.
of course a busy guy like me acassionaly skips a year here and there.

If I was re-building, I'd use either Ipe, mahogany, redwood, cypress or
cedar, in that order. I'd give it a coat of Penofin oil every year as it
has good UV protection.

The other choice is a plastic type material with solid color.
I think I would use some kind of Trex material If I was rebuilding. I
still prefer the look of real wood. but after 11 years I am constantly
replacing a few 5/4 cedar deck boards. After years and years of working on
other peoples houses, I am starting to think low maintenance is the
preferred way to go

"cshenk" wrote in message
...
"Jay Chan" wrote
"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote:

By the way, what I want from the deck finish a (1) prevent the
pressure treated wood deck from turning grey in order to maintain the
natural wood color or have a nice redwood color, (2) reduce water
absorption into the wood, (3) reduce mildew on the wood surface, (3)
annual maintenance is OK, taking too much time to do each annual
maintenance is not OK.

cedar, in that order. I'd give it a coat of Penofin oil every year as it
has good UV protection.

Jay, adding to what Ed said, this is the easiest way to go and will look
nice. Your problem just now is it was stained already. What you actually
wanted was a 'thompsons water seal' (oil based) product that isnt a stain
so much as an oil finish.

Holey Smokes Thompsons is now a oil base?
It used to be a Horse **** ,Parrafin based product I would never buy this
brand ever.
I will give them credit though there advertising made it a household name




This gets pretty much just mopped on once a year and
done with it. Like the lady said before, wash it with some bleach and
let it dry out to get at the mold you have now. My have to scrub a bit
with a stiff bristle brush in bad spots but after that, an annual job
pretty much.

The once a year application is a good idea. Heck it even makes thompsons
last longer


I built my Mom a porch extension in movable parts back in 1981. Although
we've had to replace various steps or a board or two over the years, she's
still got that porch. (it comes apart in sections, gets loaded in her
trailer when she moves, then comes out at the new place). All we've ever
done is the oil seal annually over the natural wood ( cedar in this case).

"Red" wrote in message
...
On Sep 14, 1:43 am, Jay Chan wrote:
I am trying to select a good wood deck finish. I have found many info
about the various types of deck finish that are currently available in
the market. One thing that I cannot find info on is the type of
annual maintenance that I need to do for the deck if I choose that
type of deck finish. According to one of the DIY article that I find
in the net, I am supposed to clean and apply a coat of finish on the
deck yearly. But I am wondering if this is only applicable for some
type of finish but not other. I don't think I can simply apply a coat
of finish over existing finish; I believe I need to at least sand the
surface first; otherwise, the finish won't stick that well, right? If
I continue putting more and more coats of finish, I am afraird that
the finish will be too thick, and may start peeling, right?

Currently I am considering between using "clear finish with UV
protection" and "semi-transparent stain". Please tell me the kind of
annual maintenance that I need to do if I choose either one of them.
I will greatly appreciate if someone can tell me the step-by-step way
to do this annual maintenance. Then I can evaluate whether this kind
of finish is really appropriate for me.

By the way, what I want from the deck finish a (1) prevent the
pressure treated wood deck from turning grey in order to maintain the
natural wood color or have a nice redwood color, (2) reduce water
absorption into the wood, (3) reduce mildew on the wood surface, (3)
annual maintenance is OK, taking too much time to do each annual
maintenance is not OK.

The current wood deck finish that I have on the deck is semi-
transparent stain. I pressure washed the deck and then applied the
stain. I didn't do any annual maintenance because I don't know if I
need to do this and I don't know how. By the end of the first year,
stain had started coming off in the center of the deck (high traffic
area). By the end of the second year, mildew started growing in where
the stain had come off. Then I using stain remover to remove the
stain, and did that over. But the same thing happened (just faster
than before). I figure that I need to do some annual maintenance to
keep the finish; this prompts me to ask around here.

Thanks in advance for any info.

Jay Chan

Read this:
http://www.wolman.com/wcbasics_step1.asp

Use this:
http://www.wolman.com/pdf/datasheets/P_2_43.pdf

Then this:
http://www.wolman.com/product_detail.asp?ProductID=10

I'm not pushing Wolman products, just making the point that
you need to start from scratch, use a top quality product,
follow their directions, and don't mix brands that may be
incompatable. According to the paint rep, if you do that you
should be able to go 2-3 years, pressure wash without stripping,
reapply the same product, and your "annual" maintenance will
gradually extend to 4-5 years.

Red


when I was lazy I used to go 2-3 years between maintenence.
LOL that really caught up to me.
4-5 years for maintenence. I find that hard to believe

On Sep 16, 10:08*pm, "Edwin Pawlowski" wrote:
"Jay Chan" wrote in message

You are right. *The oil will penetrate into the wood. *More
importantly, the annual maintenance is as simply as washing with soap
and water, waiting for the wood deck to dry, and then applying the
same oil finish over the wood deck (that is according to Penofin Oil
Finish web site).

I can also apply solid stain over existing solid stain finish (this is
based on what the customer support of Flood Deck Finish said). *But I
will have to sand to feather the edge where the stain has peeled off.
This is in addition to wash and dry the surface first before sanding.
Seem like a lot of work.

***************************************

Use the Penofin. Great stuff. *Avoid the solid stain. *You won't get a full
season and it will start to peel on the horizontal surfaces.

Yes, I will use Penofin Oil Finish. I have already got a can from
their local dealer. The local dealer showed me how to apply the oil
without wasting too much because the oil can be very runny.
Originally I planned to use a roller to apply the oil; but he said
this would waste too much oil. Seem like I need to use a pad (for
large area) and a brush (for edges and narrow surface).

I will see how this goes next week after I am done with my driveway
this weekend (too many projects, too little time). Luckily, I am
expecting two dry weeks; therefore, I should have a lot of time
available.

Thanks for suggesting that product.

Jay Chan