HousingZone.com

“A properly maintained cedar deck should last for 20 to 30-plus years, depending upon exposure and location,” says Peter Lang, general manager of the Western Red Cedar Lumber Association (WRCLA). For many homeowners, that’s easier said than done.

Keeping a deck looking new can seem like a monumental task for busy consumers. These homeowners are flocking in record numbers to maintenance-free decks for fear of having to invest their precious weekend hours cleaning, staining and waterproofing natural wood decks to keep them looking their best.

Not so fast! caution experts. All decks must be maintained. “What it gets down to is the relative amount of maintenance you may need to do,” says Terry Dempsey, general manager at DeckExpo, Inc. “I would tell people who sell, install and warrant the materials to be cautious terming anything as ‘zero maintenance.’

“When the composite materials hit the market six or eight years go,,” he continues, “a lot of people got the idea that they were maintenance-free and that is not the case. To prove that fact, the big coatings and sealers companies have now developed specialized cleaning and sealing products for composite deck materials. You can debate how often it needs to be done, but any outdoor structure needs some periodic maintenance.” If maintenance is a given, the key is knowing how to protect a deck from the elements, and do it as quickly and as efficiently as possible. “The reality is that a deck application, regardless of the material, is one of the most harsh applications a product can be subjected to,” WRCLA’s Lang says. “That’s because it sits horizontally and is exposed to ultra-violet rays and the freeze-and-thaw cycle.”

Factory-Applied Water Repellent

Natural wood will absorb and release moisture, which leads to the shrink-and-swell cycle. A water repellent reduces the absorption and improves the overall performance by preventing warping and splitting.

When that repellent is applied during the factory-finishing process, it pays big dividends down the road. The concept is not unlike installing pre-finished hardwood flooring in the home: Factory conditions allow for each piece of wood to be treated for optimal performance.

Richard Kleiner, director of treated markets for the Southern Forest Products Association, recommends that builders, remodelers and consumers look at water repellent as a built-in option. “When added during the pressure-treating process, the repellent penetrates the entire piece of lumber. This helps the water bead up and run off the deck, while boosting appearance and preventing – or at least slowing – the shrink-and-swell cycle.”

Some woods naturally resist water better than others, but a water repellent provides added protection. “In our view, cedar’s natural durability helps cedar shed excess moisture and thus offsets the necessity of waterproofing,” says WRCLA’s Lang. “But we do recommend the use of an oil-based preservative to assist in this shedding process.” Lang suggests that homeowners follow-up the factory-applied water repellent with a routine application of a repellant annually or every two years. “It needs to be done on regular basis, but this chore need not be overly onerous.”

Product with built-in water repellent represents only a fraction of the deck market, but there has been steady demand for treated wood, according to Huck DeVenzio, manager of marketing communications at Arch Wood Protection. “This factory-applied feature does not eliminate the need for future surface coating, but it enables a homeowner to skip the initial coating. It also reduces dimensional change and provides moisture protection from the time the wood is at the treating plant.”

On-Site Protectants

To shield wood from the sun and climatic extremes, a protective coating is certainly recommended. “Some new products, such as water-borne acrylic stains, can be used on new wood that typically has a high moisture content,” says Lang. “These carry stated performance expectations, so you might get three or four years out of an application.”

One such offering is the Thompson’s Water Seal line that offers four specialized wood cleaners: from clear and sheer-tinted wood protectors, to 117 stain colors. They are available in both oil- and water-based formulas.

This line includes Thompson’s Water Seal Advanced Wood Protectors, in natural and five tinted shades, and Thompson’s Water Seal Advanced Clear Multi-Surface Waterproofer. “The Wood Protector line delivers the highest level of water repellency available and a formula that can be applied two hours after cleaning wood,” says Janet Krakow, director of marketing for Thompson’s Water Seal brand, part of Sherwin-Williams Wood Care Group. “That’s a real advantage versus other formulas that require a 24- to 48-hour wait between cleaning and waterproofing.”

With the Advanced line, you can clean and treat in the same day, and not schedule a second visit, according to Krakow. “Thompson’s Water Seal Advanced can be applied to new pressure-treated lumber as soon as it is delivered or as soon as you finish building the deck, as opposed to the 30-day wait required by many sealing products. The Advanced line also offers low odor as well as simple, soap-and-water cleanup.”

Thompson’s Water Seal Deck & House Latex Stain line is a water-based, low-VOC formula that offers waterproofing, strength and durability. “The greatest cause of stain failure, whether an oil-based or latex formula, is the cracking, flaking and peeling caused by wood expansion and contraction through moisture absorption and evaporation,” Krakow explains.

Know Your Finishes

Each type of deck finish has different benefits and different needs. “The basic rule of thumb,” Krakow advises, “is the more wood grain you want to see, the more often you must re-coat your deck.”

The market continues trending toward waterproofers that add both color and protection. “A significant numbers of deck owners still favor clear, wood-only waterproofers,” says Krakow, “but a growing number like the sheer-tinted wood ‘toners’ to add color without hiding the wood grain. More consumers are considering semi-transparent and solid stains as well.”

Here are the basic characteristics of the four different types of waterproofers:

• Clear finishes show the wood’s own tones and grains and – as noted above – require the most frequent re-coating.
• Tinted finishes add sheer color without hiding the natural wood grain. They also last longer than clear finishes.
• Semi-transparent stains add more color, yet allow some of the wood’s natural wood grain to show through. These provide longer protection than clear and tinted finishes.
• Solid stains add color that covers the wood grain. These finishes can often hide minor imperfections in wood and they last the longest of all deck finishes.

Comments Krakow: “If a home owner thinks she may want to change the look of her deck in the future, clears and toners offer more flexibility than stains, since the former are easier to remove.”

Cleaning

Regardless of the material, all decks require regular cleanings to remove dirt, grime, mold and mildew spores that form on their surfaces. A variety of deck cleaners are available:

• Deck washes remove dirt, mildew, algae and fungus stains. Thompson’s WaterSeal recommends using these when there is little or no trace of a residual finish.
• Heavy-duty deck cleaners remove residual clear and tinted waterproofers (both oil and water-based), plus semi-transparent stains as well as dirt and grime.
• Deck strippers go a step further to remove oil and water-based solid stains as well as long lasting, hard-to-remove, semi-transparent stains and waterproofers.
• Deck brighteners restore the color of redwood, cedar, mahogany and other high extractive wood species prone to the discoloration (tannin bleed/stains) caused by cleaners and weathering. In addition to removing weathered, clear, oil-based waterproofers and tannin discoloration, these cleaners also remove mill glaze on all new wood and rust stains. If indicated, deck brighteners also should be used to neutralize wood after other cleaners have been used.

“Deck strippers are a growing segment of the deck cleaner category,” says Krakow. “The newly introduced Thompson’s Water Seal Maximum Strength Deck Stripper, our strongest deck cleaner to date, is formulated to remove oil and water-based solid stains, as well as long-lasting, hard-to-remove, semi-transparent stains and waterproofers. It also takes off dirt, mildew, algae and fungus stains. “After removing years’ worth of ugly contaminants, this product restores the wood’s natural color and beauty, leaving the wood in optimal shape for a new waterproofer or stain.”

Two Big Don’t’s

Sorting through all the products available may be the toughest part of maintaining a deck. The easiest aspect is knowing what not to do. Experts are adamant that to keep a deck looking its best, the following pair of guidelines should be strictly followed.

• Never paint a cedar deck with a film-forming coating, such as a traditional paint or varnish type product, cautions WRCLA’s Lang. “Cedar requires a penetrating, oil-based stain for optimal performance. Too many people are upset when their film-forming substances blister and peel off.”
• Avoid using pressure washers, unless you are a professional. If used incorrectly, these washers can easily damage the top of wood and any factory-applied surface coatings. As a result, the woods do not perform as they should. “We recommend using a bristle brush in the cleaning process with deck cleaners that are offered by the major coatings manufacturers,” says Lang, who suggests an oxygen-based bleach like Oxy-clean. “Just make sure to rinse the deck off especially well afterwards.”

By taking a few precautions to protect a natural wood deck from water and cleaning it regularly – just as you would any deck – a natural wood deck can add character and elegance to a home for years.

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Janet Krakow, director of marketing, Thompson’s Water Seal brand (Sherwin-Williams Wood Care Group).

This deck is being treated with Thompson’s Water Seal Tinted Wood Protector in Coastal Gray with a solid stain in blue.

The same deck, as shown above, sports an entirely different look when treated with Thompson’s Water Seal Clear Wood Protector.

The same deck gets an extreme makeover – this time using two shades of Thompson’s Water Seal Deck and House Stain in Cream Buff and Earth Brown.

This deck before it was cleaned and treated and after it was cleaned with Thompson’s Water Seal Heavy Duty Deck Wash and treated with Thompson’s Water Seal Advanced in Shear Rustic Red.

To keep a natural wood deck looking its best, experts recommend applying a water repellent annually or every two years. Here, a homeowner applies Thompson’s Water Seal Clear Wood Protector.