Clear deck sealer
 

This is wayyyyy off cub topic, but was looking for input. Looking for suggestions for a clear sealer for a cedar deck. It had semi transparent on it that I stripped off using a sherwin Williams stain an sealer remover. My mother in law wants a clear sealer , thought you guys may have some suggestions. Thanks!

What about Thompsons water sealer? Or do you want something like a clear varnish? If it's a deck, I'd put Thompsons on it.

I gotta agree (and you all know how agreeing with ANYONE make me crazy).

IMHO decks are a PITA, it's nearly impossible to keep the underside and the joists from rotting away.

Thompsons and a pump up sprayer, every couple of years (depending on weather conditions in your area) should give you about the most life out of the wood that you can get.

I have heard some eh stove things about thompsons peeling off after a year?

I replaced over 400 decks over the years and I noticed the ones painted or stained were the one that rotted out the most, then again most were 25+ years old. I leave mine unfinished, just my 2 cents.

I'm not sure what they might be talking about. The Thompsons water sealer I'm referring to isn't a varnish, it's a water sealer. Kind of an oily substance. It soaks into the wood. Like Y-Sam said, use a pump up sprayer to apply. I don't see how it would peel as it isn't really a dry on coating. :bigthink:

Consumer Reports did long term testing on deck coatings a few years ago. Paint/stain, clear and semi-transparent.

Some got good marks, some did absolutely nothing and were a waste of money. If I recall, Thompson Water Seal was in that category.

The last thing I used was a cedar tint on my deck. It has held up well for about three years now. But that's not what you want.

If you don't subscribe to CR's go to the library and see if they have the back issues that cover the tests. It would be in their annual review also.

I used Thompson's on my truck bed. Pressure washed it and reapplied every year. I had the truck like that for 7 yrs before the tranny gave out and I sold it. Stood up to salt/road grime etc. and the wood still looked good. Like Jonathan said, it's oily. If you over apply it gets all over your hands when you touch the wood (bummer on a truck bed when you put stuff in it).

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Bill

When I had a wood deck I used CWF (Clear Wood Finish) by Flood. I really liked it when I put it on and it did a great job. Cleans up with warm water. I still use it on the swing set/play house and my son's deck. I am pretty sure you can get it at Lowe's. I replaced the wood with TREX when we put in a pool. Still have to clean it with Olympic Deck Wash each year, but no splinters in the granddaughters' feet.

I have a two story cedar house with 4 decks, one of which is a balcony that is 14 feet wide by 30 feet long and 16 feet in the air. I have talked to several people/contractors and professional painters who said that the Thompson's will bead the water and magnify light to the wood, so I avoid using it on any of my wood.

I use CWF, too. It's thick so you might need to thin it before application if spraying. I brushed all of mine on before hanging my siding. I haven't re-applied yet and it is starting to peel after 6 years. I used the clear, which is like a thick milk that is kind of butterscotch in tone. A 5 gallon container of it is about $120 or so. I've had great results with it so far. Just my :TwoCents:.

Cub Cadet 123