I am still yanking up old deck boards piece by piece and today finally the weather has cooled off . When I picked up the deck boards from the lumber yard I asked how long should I let them " weather " before treating/staining them . The guy behind the counter said with the projected hot weather forecast he suggested getting something on it soon ( before winter ) . His thoughts were moisture gets into the wood , then freezes which starts the cracking of the wood . Our winters in GA. are pretty mild but I think his comments have merit . Unfortunately I forgot to ask him what they recommend to treat with ?
I can and will call them up to see what they suggest .
But the Pelican brain trust is wide and deep
so I will ask here , what do you guys like to use on outdoor wood decks for stain or clear preservative ? I know back in the day CWF from Flood was considered great stuff but online reviews of " today's formula " make it sound like it's no longer all that great . I am trying to get the wife to pick a stain color I would much prefer to get some color down IF we decide to go with a color vs. just a clear preservative . Many moons ago I sold Olympic brand stain and the thought process was use a semi transparent on horizontal surfaces does that still ring true ? Solid stains were considered for vertical surfaces .
I have a Home Depot near us and also have a Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore stores . So any suggestions on what to use ? If I apply clear preservative in the next month or so am I good for a few years if we then decide to stain ? Or do we have to make the decision NOW of clear vs. stain ? Rough figures are 700 s.f. needed so does 3 gallons sound about right ? Application would be cut in along house with brush then the balance rolled by hand . Are there still good quality oil based products out there or has everything gone acrylic/water based ? Fire away guys