I have a new deck that has pressure treated wood. I used Thompsons
water seal on it to try to keep the new dark look of the wood instead
of it fading. The last 2 years the water seal flaked off after the
winter snow ( I live in Ontario, Canada). Do I need to seal after
each year? or will the deck fade regardless if it's sealed or not?.
Any advice would be appreciated.

I have a new deck that has pressure treated wood. I used Thompsons
water seal on it to try to keep the new dark look of the wood instead
of it fading. The last 2 years the water seal flaked off after the
winter snow ( I live in Ontario, Canada). Do I need to seal after
each year? or will the deck fade regardless if it's sealed or not?.
Any advice would be appreciated.

Get thee to thy local paint store (a _real_ paint store, not a big
box). They'll sell you a sealer that works much better than Thompsons.

Water Seal is pretty much paraffin dissolved in solvents. Candle wax is
also paraffin, though a different type. You've more or less spread a
thin layer of wax over the wood. It has to be reapplied at least once a
year.

No matter which sealer you choose, it has to be reapplied every few
years.

--
Steve Bell
New Life Home Improvement
Arlington, TX USA

"k" wrote in message
...
I have a new deck that has pressure treated wood. I used Thompsons
water seal on it to try to keep the new dark look of the wood instead
of it fading. The last 2 years the water seal flaked off after the
winter snow ( I live in Ontario, Canada). Do I need to seal after
each year? or will the deck fade regardless if it's sealed or not?.
Any advice would be appreciated.

It was probably dark because the moisture of the treating process hadn't had
a chance to dry. I once did a gorgeous job of finishing a self-built 12' x
4' picnic table. Sanded to a nice smooth surface, beveled edges, etc.
Several coats of spar varnish, sanded between coats. It looked like a piece
of fine furniture. That was in October. By March you couldn't tell it had
been done. Moral: LET IT DRY! That summer I sanded it again and applied 2
coats of varnish. I keep it covered over winter. It's now 8 years old and
still looks great.