cedar deck looks like crap

sirwired

I've used both Behr and Olympic deck cleaner and they are fine... they aren't very complicated products.

I would not touch either Behr or Thompson's with a 10-ft pole for the sealing. I had a batch of Behr that lasted all of three weeks before it mildewed (there later was a class-action suit for this product), and Thompson's is so bad, not even Consumer Reports bothers to test it any more. Neither product lasts worth a darn. Clear sealers as a rule suck, but Behr and Thompson's suck more than most.

I would actually trust the CR ratings on deck sealers since their testing methods are simple and accurate... they coat some deck boards with them and let them sit in Florida sunshine for years on end. (This is unlike CR's paint reviews, which are a subjective pile of fail.)

If the Behr employee is reading this thread... that awful deck sealer is why I personally won't touch Behr products. I know the sealer has since been reformulated, but it is a disgrace that product ever left the factory.

SirWired

4ThGeneration

Thompsons and Behrs are basically mineral spirits and wax. Clean in any product line does not really protect that long. The more colorant, the more protection is the rule, but then with more colorant you hide the beauty of the wood. Always use a semi-trans to coat your wood in the oil lines. Over time the natural oils dry out of the wood and they need to be reconditioned.

Clean(ACR Products/PressureTek/Sunbrite Supply/TheSealerStore)

Strip (ACR Products/PressureTek/Sunbrite Supply/TheSealerStore)

pH Balance Oxalic or Citric Acid (ACR Products, Pressure Tek/SunBrite Supply/TheSealerStore)

Stain Armstrong-Clark Oil Based Semi-Transparent

This is the method I prefer. When you tackle the job, pre-Wet the landscape and any joining substrates with a pump sprayer to control your water output. Perform the first 3 steps and keep rinsing, rinsing, rinsing the first things i mentioned to pre-wet.

Wait 48 hours with no rain fall.

Go back and poly or paper off any joining substrates and poly plastic the landscaping after you Pre-Wet them again. Keep checking to make sure they are not going to burn up in the sun with the covering though.

I would not have any foot traffic for 24 hours on the deck. Like so many homeowners ask me "No you do not have to add a coat of clear on top of this.) If this process is followed you will get atleast 2 years before re-coating, but the re-coat will be a simple house wash and re-stain unless you go with another color.

Now with all this said, there is many other variables that would be too long to type out.

This does require work, so if it is something you will not dedicate yourself to the total make over, then pass it to a professional.

I know a lot of guys around the nation, so if you need a suggestion let me know.