I’d like to keep the new cedar deck looking like cedar, rather than paint- Seems like every clear finish I hear about degrades rapidly enough to warrant looking further- Any ideas? A recurring discussion relates to using darker paint bases for clear, exterior finishes- Evidently the paint base (sans color) held up the best of various clear finishes used in the experiments, but that was on hardwood doors on the vertical- Think the paint base might hold up on a cedar deck? Thanks for any thoughts-
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Replies
Quite a few years ago, we painted a Cedar house with "Country Wood Finish" made by Flood corp. We were really happy with the results (clear). I've used their deck grade UV block (Redwood) stain on a treated pine deck that seems to hold up pretty well here in South Alabama. H-D carries it. Years ago, their claim to fame was restoring and preserving the natural color of cedar.
Edited 8/22/2005 7:59 am ET by Ray
Ray- Thanks for your response- A neighbor who's about to re-coat his log home was talking about a product by Flood- Can you remember how the finish held up? Need redone in a year, two years or like that? Thank you-
We lived in Port Angeles, WA. The finish lasted at least 5 years - - that's when we moved.
Ray- From what I'm learning, five years sounds pretty good- I might just have a go with Flood- My neighbor also said Flood was among the less expensive spreads- What a country!
Yogi - you have to remember we lived in NW Washington, on the North side of the mountains and about 2 miles from the waterfront. Not known for hot, blistering sun. The house was unfinished cedar boards and was starting to show a bit of age. We used CWF because it was supposed to bring back the natural cedar color and preserve it. It did, their demo was an old, gray cedar shingle that had one half dipped in CWF, it looked pretty good so we bought 15 gallons and started in with brushes and rollers - - that's another point, a lot more paint gets put on the siding with a brush than a sprayer and I was pretty generous. Good luck, wish you the best. Ray
Thanks Ray-
I also wanted a clear but durable finish for my Cedar deck . I was told that one did not exist , so I ended up using Cabots brand in a light Redwood color . It has lasted pretty good , now after 2 years it needs some re-coating here and there if not entirely . I used a deck wash on the new wood before I applied the Cabots . A good trick is to use one of those Hudson chemical sprayers to get in between the deck boards with the stain .
good luck dusty
Dusty- Thanks for your thoughts- Is it necessary to sand or otherwise remove the original coat before recoating? Thanks-
I am going to use the deck wash then use a stiff bristled deck broom with the grain , then rinse off with a spray hose nozzle . If there are damaged or bad areas sand them , otherwise , I will simply re coat the entire deck with the same product.
dusty
Is it necessary to sand or otherwise remove the original coat before recoating? I would say yes.. Power wash.. DO NOT destroy the wood.. Sand the BIG SLIVVERS OF!... Two coats of a Linseed based STAIN..oil (NOT Thompsons? water seal.. Use a stain (which helps the UV thing) Cabbot, Olimpic or other)Two coats of a Linseed based oil.. WET on WET...
You might want to post this question over on Breaktime since it's more of a carpenter/contractor topic. Western cedar doesn't seem to hold up well here in Central Florida no matter what you put on it, although some claim it would last longer if an annual coat of clear UV blocker was used. That would be a bit much for me. I used treated pine about 25 years ago and just left it unfinished. Worked OK, but the end grain has started to show signs of replacement.
the stuff that they apply to ceader siding is about as durable as it gets. I forget what it is called. Beyond that even the best clear sealers on the market last about 3 years in Texas before the Sun starts killing them.
Mike
Mudman- "...even the best clear sealers on the market..." If that's how it is, that's how it is- Which are the best clear sealers? Thank you-
You should go to your local library and look at the 2005 July issue of Consumer Reports. They have been testing outdoor finishes and deck finishes for 7 or 8 years and reporting on the results each year. Prior to this year the annual recap was in their June issues.
In summary, no clear finish held up for more than a year. The more opaque, the longer the finish lasted.
Take a look at the magazine. There are a couple that are superior to the others.
Howie- Thanks, and I'll look it up- Should have that issue close to hand around here-
I assume your deck is western red cedar which has a lot of tannin in it. I found the best solution to the problem is let it cure for four to six months, clean it real well and then apply CWF (clear wood finish) which I believe is made by Mobil. You can apply it with a sprayer or a roller but you will want to back brush it to make sure the oil gets down into the nooks and crannies of the wood. Let it cure for several days then put on a second coat using the same technique. The second coat will go on pretty easily.
I did that to my cedar sided house and deck on the Oregon coast. The house lasted seven years and the deck about three. Late in the third year I did some cleaning and reoiling in spots where it weathered.
The secret, it turns out, is to let the wood dry out real well before applying anything.
As for paint, I would never use paint on cedar. If you want a color, stain it.
Good luck.
bj
Thanks BJ- Something I'm not clear on regarding CWF: Need the wood be the color you want to preserve when you apply the finish, or do you apply it didrectly over aged wood? Ray's comments (above) sounded as if CWF itself actually restored the cedar color- Thanks-
If it has weathered and started to turn gray, you'll need to brush it hard with a good cleaner and/or wood brightener to restore the original color. Pressure washing works real well, too, but you have to be careful because cedar is pretty soft. Once it's clean, and dry, you can put the CWF on.
One fellow I know put some pigment in his to provide a little UV protection and that is something you might want to consider. I didn't do it and I had no complaints.
Have fun.
bj
"...Once it's clean, and dry, you can put the CWF on..."
I'd gleaned somehow Flood (do they manufacture CWF) says the wood should be aged and dried a year?
Actually, I thought it was Mobil Chemical that made CWF but it has been a while and I have slept twice since then. I did track down their product manager who told me about letting the cedar age a "season". As mentioned earlier, we had natural cedar siding on the house and cedar deck, both brand new (a major remodel job) and I talked with every painter in the county and got different answers from each. The paint sales people each had their own axe to grind and a fellow who worked for me who knew quite a lot about paint told me about the CWF. It was then that I called the company to find out exactly what they recommended.
This is a pretty mean climate for siding and decks with lots of wind and dry weather in the summer and lots of wind and rain in the winter. We installed the wood in February and March and put the CWF on just before the rains came in October. It was four years before I redid the deck and seven for the house. The redo was a pressure wash with a cleaner, and spray, back brush with the CWF. The second go around made it five year without a hitch, then we sold the property. The people that bought it use Thompsons water seal and it only lasted one season for the same amount of work!
bj
Northern Idaho has semi-testy weather habits, too- It sounds like the CWF treated you as right as any and better than most I've read or heard about- I guess Home Depot carries it- Think I'll try it- I sure appreciate your and everybody else's input- Thanks again-
I'm in a similar situation with my deck. Difference being, I've sanded it all down to bare wood (paint on there before) and it's pine. I would like to darken it up but not so much as to hide all the grain. I also want the thing to LAST. I haven't studied the article in full detail but in the new FWW magazine an article discusses Marine-grade finishes for outdoor furniture. Any reason for or against doing something similar to a deck besides it being slippery from rain, etc.??
Thanks,
Matt
MDH-
"...article discusses Marine-grade finishes for outdoor furniture. Any reason for or against doing something similar to a deck besides it being slippery from rain, etc.??"
I just read two Consumer Reports assessments of outdoor clear finishes, one from 2001 and one from July this year- No change from one to the next, clear is the least successful of all outdoor finishes, the main variable being price- I don't believe the articles specified any marine products, and I don't know whether their exclusion means anything- Isn't marine stuff supposed to be softer, more flexible, and guaranteed to need redoing next year? I've never used any-
I guess I'm thinking that if it's going to have to be redone regularly anyway, why use the expensive stuff? Two fellows in this thread have been pretty satisfied with CWF from Flood, so I've been trying to find a dealer locally- Like to see what they say- Actually, CR said Olympic WaterGuard is "...the only good choice for wood worth showing off..." of the brands tested (they tested a bunch), and it sells for 12 bucks a gallon-
Yogi,
Yeah, I guess I wasn't trying to make any recommendations for you in regard to the marine finishes in the FWW magazine but was going to post a question about the possibilities of using it on a deck the other day before seeing your post but after reading the article in the magazine. Sorry about using your post as a means for me to jump in with similar questions. Found it might be a good opportunity to get advice from the people responding to you. Either way, could you let me know what you find out and which way your leaning? Thanks!
-Matt
Matt- Help yourself to the thread- I feel like I'm leaning toward Flood's CWF, but I'll let you know whatever other info I might run across-
Yogi
On a reccomendation from a professional painter 10 years ago, I used a product called Sikkens. It's oil based, and has a beautiful cedar color, and allows the wood grain to show through. I've been using it every other year, with great results. As a matter of fact, this weekend it's getting another coat. I just powerwash, let it dry, and reapply with a lambs wool applicator on a pole.
Jeff
Sikkens- Okay, I'll see if I can find a site for them- Thanks very much-
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