Best deck treatment

April 22, 2005 4:30 AM

What is the best coating to apply to a new pressure-treated wood deck?

I'm looking for a transparent coating that will repel water and help preserve the wood. The home inspector recommended something called Pinafin, but I can't find it.

posted by Kirth Gerson to Home & Garden (10 answers total)

Thompson's Water Seal. Or tung oil.
posted by ikkyu2 at 4:33 AM on April 22, 2005

I would stain it first (many color choices)-

then apply Thompson's - but it wears off every couple summers, so you have to re-apply.

It's important, because pressure treated woord WILL twist, check and curl without it.
posted by stevejensen at 5:48 AM on April 22, 2005

Sikkens is the brand we've used on our cottage for about two decades. We have to redo it every five years or so.
posted by bonehead at 5:53 AM on April 22, 2005

I applied Olympia brand last spring and it needs another application and never really worked well. If you really wanted to go long term there are some really good (I'm told, I don't know names) spar varnishes used on boats.
posted by jmgorman at 6:09 AM on April 22, 2005

Penofin, is what I think you may be looking for.

I have several areas of a type of mahogany decking, very robust and stable, but in a climate that is equal parts unceasing rain and intense sun, I re-seal every year with a good deck UV sealant. Doesn't take more than a couple hours with a roller and ensures a trouble-free deck for a good long time. I think almost any product will do depending if it has a decent rep.
posted by docpops at 7:47 AM on April 22, 2005

Best answer: Penofin.
posted by docpops at 7:47 AM on April 22, 2005

My research when I was getting ready to treat my deck turned up that it's really the sun, not the rain, that breaks down the wood. As such, the UV protection is the most important thing. Colored treatments do a much better job of blocking the sun than clear if you can bend on that requirement.
posted by jbradley at 8:05 AM on April 22, 2005

Response by poster: Thanks, docpops (and everyone). I used the spelling that the home inspector gave me, and tried a couple of others, but not the correct one.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 1:43 PM on April 22, 2005

This stuff looked really interesting (along with their other products). And better for the environment. But if you're not in the States, you might have difficulty getting it. I don't have any idea.
posted by ValveAnnex at 3:29 PM on April 22, 2005

Sorry - if you've built with pressure treated the lumber, then don't bother with what I just said.
posted by ValveAnnex at 3:30 PM on April 22, 2005