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whats the best water sealer for a deck?

3K views 3 replies 4 participants last post by  user1007 
#1 ·
looking for the best water sealer for my deck . i dont wanna get anything that is colored or with epoxy. all i want to get is something clear and that will last a while
 
#3 · (Edited by Moderator)
If you are looking for a clear (translucent) deck finish I second the use of Sikkens. Sikkens Cetol Dek Finish is translucent and leaves a satin finish, it is an alkyd formula. If you wanted to go with a solid deck finish I would suggest Cabbot solid in alkyd.
 
#4 ·
In addition to the solvent based products so far mentioned and something like them would be my choice. I grew up using and specifying Olympic Stain products, including their clear product, but since they went box store I would not trust the stuff. Cabot is good as of last time I used it.

If you are covering for discolorations, some sort of semi-transparent oil based stain would be a good choice. Semi-solid stain will hold up to a point on deck. A solid stain is going to be high maintenance.

There are of course things like Thompson's Water Seal. It is basically a suspended wax product with, I guess some UV protection tossed in. It really does nothing to treat the wood though but will make the water bead on the surface for maybe a full season? You will not be able to put anything else on until the wax has degraded. There are some really great vegetable oil based sealers out there too that are great and inexpensive but they tend to stay slippery from my experience.

No getting around that a deck is going to require maintenance every 2-3 years in spite of what manufacturer claims suggest.

Don't forget to do the prep work on a deck with the same passion you would any finishing project. Need to kill any algae and probably powerwash the thing first? Every time I do one, I drag something flat over the surface to catch any fasteners that have popped up and need to be reset or replaced.

I like laying down solvent based things with a thick roller cover or pad. If you have the patience, a nice wide brush will work too. Some of the sealers like Thompson's just require a tank sprayer.
 
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