[Bucky Badger]

Well, we moved into a house last year and the decking looks pretty bad.
It's cedar with no gaps in between the boards. The deck looks like it hasn't been taken care of fo a number of years. The bottom of the boards still have stain on the from when it was put down.

What do you guys think of cedar deck over composite? I am pretty rough on my deck dragging chairs across and shoveling it quite often in the winter for the dogs. We entertain quite often with a lot of children coming over.

If I go back with cedar should I seal the bottom of the boards like the previous owner did?

 

[jasonckcmo]

If it was my deck I would just coat it with Thompsons or something similar. I like the natural look of cedar and not the new composite stuff. Just go through and SCREW NOT NAIL any boards that have come loose. As far as the bottom goes, I have never treated the bottom before, but if its not too much trouble, it couldn't hurt it. Nice looking deck btw. ps(get rid of the gas grill and get a charcoal Weber. Also I would power wash it good and let it dry for a few days before applying anything.

 

[Bucky Badger]

I'm leaning towards replacing all the boards since they look pretty bad.

 

[Gary in WA]

If you go composite, read the instructions as most are 12" on center on the diagonal. Possibly steps, too. Need minimum air space under it, also.

Be safe, GBAR

 

[drtbk4ever]

Is any of the deck boards rotten? It looks like they still have some years in them yet, so don't give up so easily.

I would give a couple of boards a light sanding. I think you may be surprised by the impact that may have on those boards. A lot cheaper than replacing.

I can't tell by the photos, but it looks like there is a little spacing between the boards, it just needs a cleaning.

 

[Bucky Badger]

Is any of the deck boards rotten? It looks like they still have some years in them yet, so don't give up so easily.

I would give a couple of boards a light sanding. I think you may be surprised by the impact that may have on those boards. A lot cheaper than replacing.

I can't tell by the photos, but it looks like there is a little spacing between the boards, it just needs a cleaning.

A lot of them are cracked pretty bad. Looks like crap

 

[jasonckcmo]

Does it look any better to you after a rain? A lot of lumber will look better after it has been rained on, Cedar for one. If the cracks are bothering you that much, then replace the floor. I'm sure you have priced Cedar and composite, neither is inexpensive. I have not seen enough old composite to compare it to old Cedar, but I can tell you that if you take care of Cedar(unlike the previous owners from the picture), that is keeping some kind of water proofer on it, then you'll have years and years worth of a nice looking deck. You could sand, like mentioned above, a small area, and water proof it to see what kind of results you'll get. It will probably look nice, but it sounds like you are mostly worried about the dry cracks. Its your choice.

 

[Scuba_Dave]

I had a deck that looked much worse
I sanded it in bad spots
Then I gave it 2 coats of solid stain
Most of the boards looked pretty good after that
Looks like there are spaces, just filled up with junkl

 

[Bucky Badger]

So I decided to rip off the old cedar and put new down since it is only .89 a foot right now. Any recommendations for a great weather proofer that YOU have had good luck with? Or ones you would stay away from. I have tried Sikkens in the past but for price vs performance seemed like it wasn't worth it. I like to keep the natural cedar look. Thanks Fred