Paint / Protectorant Advice Needed

[Big Lou]

Landscape designer really likes the naturally distressed look of our decks and wooden walkways in pur back yard. Over the years the paint or solid stain (can't remember which was used) has partially worn down to the bare wood. The wood is pressure treated pine. If we do as the designer suggests I believe the surface should at least have some sort of protector applied. Alternative is to clean the surface and leave it be.

What should I use or do you have a different suggestion?

( BIG SNIDE GRIN )

 

[sissy]

you can use regular household bleach to bring back pressure treated wood .I did do my friends deck with that new deck stuff at home depot that puts a coat over the wood that seals cracks and stuff and is solid .It is called restore liquid armor resurfacer and it looks nice yet .I like it sorta coats the wood and looks like a composite deck and it took a 3.7 gallon bucket and the special roller and her deck was in bad shape .Had lots of cracks and splits in it .I used a good amount of clorox bleach and water in a pump sprayer with water .I used the industrial bleach i bought at sams club .Also great in weaker form for cleaning vinyl siding and concrete stains on drive ways and sidewalks .

 

[Waterbug]

It really depends on what it is you want. Possibilities are endless. From allowing it to continue to weather, cleaning, staining, oil, sanding. All very different looks. If the goal is longer life there are several choices from water resistance sealers, stain, or oil.

 

[Big Lou]

It really depends on what it is you want. Possibilities are endless. From allowing it to continue to weather, cleaning, staining, oil, sanding. All very different looks. If the goal is longer life there are several choices from water resistance sealers, stain, or oil.

I am going to clean all of the decking with a decking cleaning solution then give it a high pressure rinse.

All decking is partially covered by previously applied paint or stain while the remainder is worn down to the original bare pressure treated pine. I do not want to add stain or paint. No sanding. My objective is to maintain that worn look while adding additional weather protection over the entire surface using a clear protectorant.

Thanks everbody!

 

[sissy]

I found here that with the heat clear protectors do not hold up .I have full sun on mine and sealers and oil seemed to make them look bad .I bleached and just left it go .I won't put anymore into it than that .I never use the back decks as there is just woods behind my house ,but I use my front covered porch all the time .I used a water based sealer with a light color that turned out darker than I thought .I just sprayed the bleach on my back deck and waited an hour and pressure washed it the last time i did it .

 

[Big Lou]

I found here that with the heat clear protectors do not hold up .I have full sun on mine and sealers and oil seemed to make them look bad .I bleached and just left it go .I won't put anymore into it than that .I never use the back decks as there is just woods behind my house ,but I use my front covered porch all the time .I used a water based sealer with a light color that turned out darker than I thought .I just sprayed the bleach on my back deck and waited an hour and pressure washed it the last time i did it .

Thanks Sissy. That is good advice.

 

[Waterbug]

If you want a weathered look there are products that can do that. Depending on the chemical used to clean the wood can have an almost new like color. You can then apply an oxidizing chemical like potassium dichromate which turns the wood surface gray. Not a stain, it just speeds up the aging. And then you can seal it. Wood can age under a sealer but the more UV blocking the sealer the slower the aging.

You can also make a kind of stain with vinegar and iron (steel wool these days). I don't consider this a stain, it doesn't act like a stain anyways, more like a wash. It's done once and the wood continues to age from there.

Just ideas to consider. Not sure how aged you want it.

 

[Big Lou]

It's already aged.

 

[Waterbug]

After cleaning it can look almost brand new, including color.