2

Apologies if the question seems silly - my wife and I bought our first house last year, so this is all new to us. The house was built in 2016, and from what we were told, the seal on the deck was intended to last a few years - and was never re-done. So we're about 4 years late to do this. We're looking into just sealing it ourselves, since it'd be about 5 grand to have it done professionally (courtesy of ~60 feet of second-floor railing), so we're getting some clear coat now.

We had a couple professionals come out to evaluate it and give us quotes, and from what they said it should just need a quick wash (no power washing necessary) and it'll be good to apply the coat to. Our concern comes from my in-laws, who apparently did their own deck seal a while back, and the deck started to rot a couple years later. I'm chalking it up to their house already being fairly old, but my wife's terrified of doing the seal ourselves and whether or not the same thing will happen. Anyone able to chime in by chance? Living in the Pacific NW if it helps - it's fairly humid.

enter image description here

isherwood
  • 129,178
  • 7
  • 160
  • 386
Michael
  • 21
  • 1
  • @AdamO fortunately it's a second-floor deck, so there's nothing *but* air below. Any recommendations for a sealer by chance? Every clear seal looks the same to me. We debated a stain, but since we're doing it ourselves I've got zero faith that we can avoid lines and do it in one clean run. – Michael Jul 12 '23 at 19:27
  • @FreshCodemonger any particular reason on that one? We only need a clear sealer, no paint necessary; the c2 stuff is definitely priced at a premium. – Michael Jul 12 '23 at 19:46
  • as I've used stuff like Super Deck before and had black mold growing in it even on a soffit application from brand new wood and sealed all 4 sides before install. Thorstin has done lots of decks / fences and has experience. I tried clear and now I have black / green clear cedar mold soffits (where you'd think less moisture and gravity would aid drying) - I am in pacific northwest. There are some other highly reviewed ones sansa dec. Make sure you read reviews ! – Fresh Codemonger Jul 12 '23 at 23:35

1 Answers1

2

Sealing a deck preserves its appearance. Most decks fail when rot occurs in hidden places--joist connections, behind the ledger, the bottoms of posts, etc. Sealers don't help with that. They also don't substantially increase the rate of decay.

Before spending time and money on refurbishment, take a closer look at the framing. If you find mushy wood at the ends of joists or where decking crosses the joists, you're throwing good money after... other good money.

If you don't find rot, carry on. Note that some sealing products leave waxy substance behind that inhibits absorption and adhesion of other products, so you'll want to try to find something compatible. Look around for old cans, or take a piece of decking with you to a good paint store.

isherwood
  • 129,178
  • 7
  • 160
  • 386
  • Thanks for the thorough response! Is there not a practical reason for sealing? I was under the impression that it's to help prevent water absorption into the wood; we're doing a clear coat, so ideally it won't change the appearance at all. As for decay, no issues there right now; the deck's not too old yet, I just want to make sure we're maintaining it properly and preventing issues as best we can. – Michael Jul 12 '23 at 21:17
  • It helps prevent checking (surface cracks), but that's really an aesthetic thing, too. – isherwood Jul 13 '23 at 12:47