The Best Wood for Deck
Will your new deck be an enhancement? The answer depends on the type of decking material you use. Pressure-treated pine resists rot and repels pests, but the green-tinged lumber is unsightly and the pesticides it contains may be unhealthy. To build a safer, more attractive deck, choose a prettier yet still durable lumber for the flooring, railings, and other steps. Save the pressure treated wood for the frame and supports. There are some collections such as Western Red Cedar, Redwood, Philippine Mahogany, Ipé, Mock Lumber etc.
Western Red Cedar
Western Red Cedar is reddish brown and ages to silvery gray. The soft wood splinters easily, but holds up well in rain, sun, and cold. To add beauty and durability to your cedar deck, always use a penetrating stain.
Redwood
Like cedar, redwood is a soft lumber that age to a pleasing gray. Prolonged moisture will cause the wood to be blacken. A redwood deck will resist rot, but will look more attractive if you use a sealer.
Philippine Mahogany:
Philippine mahogany is a tight-grained hardwood that resists pests and rot. Treat it with marine oil and it looks like teak. Or, let’s be your mahogany deck age to a silvery hue.
Ipe:
Ipé is an almost magical South American hardwood. Ipé top marks for bug- and rot-resistance, and the wood is so hard that, it is nearly as difficult to burn as concrete. The use of rain forest woods is controversial, however. If you choose Ipé for your deck, make sure that it has been harvested responsibly well.
Mock Lumber:
Modern alternatives for outdoor decking include plastic polymer and wood-polymer composites. Synthetic materials are virtually bug-proof and rot proof, but even the most realistic imitation will always be just that – an imitation.
How to clean a best wood deck:
Cleaning wood deck is not a tough job. For cleaning only hardwood, pine, or pressure treated decks, use just Wood Sweep excess debris (dirt and leaves) off the deck. Wet the deck surface down with clean water from the hose. Dissolve Wood & Deck Cleaner in warm water at the recommended strength. After waiting for several minutes for the product to dissolve and activate, apply with a mop or sprayer. Let the product sit on the deck surface for at least 10 minutes, making sure to keep the deck wet with more products if it begins to dry out.
Masni Rizal Mansor
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/the-best-wood-for-deck-58585.html
How can I tell if my garage floor was treated with a concrete sealer?
What is the best way to clean and maintain a wood deck?
I built a cedar wood deck last summer and coated it with waterbased (safe for kids) waterproofing. It already looks a bit tatty and old! How can I make it look new again, and what is the best way to maintain it?
I'm sure B&Q do a deck cleaner product – try looking round their garden section.
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the best way is to power wash it that's a really great way my dad does it and it works perfect and makes it look really new!
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Well, I do lotsa woodworking and no matter how many coats of water seal you put on there, it will have some discoloration due to the natural effects of the sun on the wood. Power washing it would probably be your best bet, it will help to make it look about new, almost but not quite. Just let it dry and voila. If you want to apply another coat of seal, go ahead, but hey thats if you really want to.
I recently built a new gate for my driveway using redwood. I first stained it, applied water seal, then applied 2 coats of outdoor polyeurethane. I've used this stuff before for outside wood projects that I didnt want them to turn gray, or suffer from rotting. For you, I would apply it with a paint roller at least 24 hours after you power wash your deck, then applying the second coat 24 hours later. If you want, you can mix in some fine sifted sand to the can, so you can have some traction as it can be slippery when wet. Also, this will make the wood last for at least 20 years, and look good for about 10 to 15 of them. If you want to get some, its on the same aisle they sell stains, etc… Its an outdoor use polyeurethane, can be used for boats above the water line too, is UV tested, etc…. It sells for about $20 to $30 per 1gal. can. Small investment to keep something you worked so hard for last much much longer.
But definetely do the power washing if you want some color back.
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i have 3 decks on the house, and pool, they are at least 15 years old and they look like new , about every 5 years i mix up in my garden sprayer 2/3 bleach 1/3 water, soak the deck and railings and hose off with fresh water , tough stains or dark spots use a brush, it best to use a brush to move the solution around the whole deck ,it won't hurt the grass,now the amount of bleach i buy is 8 or 10 gal lions, i just keep mixing and spraying, go bare foot and wear old shorts, if you have a concrete pad or sidewalks this is the way to clean them too!
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stain with a cedar tone made by FLOOD , i buy it in 5 gal. bucket , 80 bucks.use a roller and brush , cost too much to spray !
water penetration could stain the timber which would give it a mottled look. these stains invariably would soak in 1 to2 mm or so. getting them out nigh on impossible. clean as good as you can and coat with clear based Sadolin. expensive but good
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Hi Chris
Prevention is always better than cure
Best to treat thoroughly before & when laying it otherwise invariably the water will get into the areas of the wood that you missed & stain it
You could try staining it darker so that the dark areas don't show as much & give it regular going over with a waterproofer ( use a spray to get in the awkward places) or even use a matt varnish
if you do spray then obviously use a mask
& watch out no dogs walk on it as the sealer can damage the sweat glands on a dogs paws & make the dog ill
( past experience)
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healer
apply deck cleaner , then use a power washer.technically when building a cedar deck you should not apply a sealant for the first 2 year your supposed to let it weather first then seal it or stain it.
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owner of cedar deck who made same mistake in past
There are numerous deck cleaning or deck re-nuing products on the market that will make the deck look new once again. Go to a paint store and tell them the kind of wood you have and what you sealed it with. They can help.
Be carefull about powerwashing cedar. It is a beautiful wood but powerwashing with a hi- peformance washer could cause damage.
I powerwash my treated wood deck and still must be carefull.
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You can rent a floor sander from many equipment rental places. The only way to make it look new again is to sand it down with a floor sander, (You could use any sander, but floor sanders are large, so it doesn't take as long,) and re apply finish. You need to use a heavy duty deck finish. You could apply more deck finish every year, or repeat the sanding and finishing process. Sanding helps, because when you sand wood, it opens up the pores, so the wood accepts the finish better. It gets absorbed deeper into the wood, and lasts longer. It doesn't cost a lot to rent a sander. It's IS work, but that is how your deck will look new again.
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