Water Seal for Docks and Decks

[Rattlesnake Gal]

I did not care for Thompson's at all. Didn't even last a year. Perhaps I got a bad batch? Had pretty good luck with Olympic, but is there anything better that lasts longer? :confused:

[Eki]

I tried Thompsons for 4 years in a row and it holds up for a season ... and looks like crap the following...

I switched to Behr Premium last year ... and this year looks as good as it did when it went down.

Additionally, you only have to put it down once every 6 years ... cant comment on that since it has only been down for one so far ... but so far ... I love it!

Also a PITA to install ... since it is so thick ...

It is a little more expensive ... a five gallon bucket was over $100 ... but not bad when you ammortize it!

GL

[madrasahs]

I used Thompson's Water Seal for four years in a row -- using a sprayer. It caused water to bead up just great. What I found though, was that a gummy Thompson's residue built up on the wood that rubbed off on clothing.

These past four years I have left off treatments of any kind. While water doesn't bead up any more, the dock seems to be doing just fine. The gumminess can still be detected.

Perhaps a treatment every third season is the answer.


:confused:

[Rattlesnake Gal]

Maybe I should just leave it alone? :confused: Right now the stairs and decks are smooth and nice. Weathered though, which is fine with me. I am worried about the future with it becoming uneven and splintery. Splinters are my biggest concern.
Another question: Can you router the edge of a pressure treated dock? Years ago my husband built a swing set and easing the edges didn't work well, but that was on new wood. Sitting on the side with my legs hanging over is rough on the thighs. Would just sanding the edge a bit work or cause splinters?

[kchace]

Years ago, it seemed that all there was was Thompson's and then there was everybody else, and at the time, it *was* probably the best you could get. But over the years, I've been pretty unimpressed with it and I don't think its been improved much if at all.

I've started using OLYMPIC MAXIMUM WATERPROOFING SEALANT and found that it holds up better than *anything* I've ever seen before. It can be had in clear and tinted formulas. I've been using it on my cedar patio furniture (Out in the weather all the time) the decks, and last fall, I stained the whole house with it.

As far as availability, I've seen it at some hardware stores and Lowes. Its fairly pricey ($25-$27 per gallon) but I think its worth it. If you need a lot of it, Lowes sells it for the best price I've seen. (Around $20 per gallon in 5 gallon cans).

As far as routing the edges of the deck, you definitely can. Just make sure all the nails near the edge are driven down flush, use a good router bit and don't move the router too fast (this encourages chip-out and roughness).

Ken

[Frank]

Here's something I've wondered about - are there any regulations about staining or waterproofing a dock? Some of the stain invariably drips into the lake... but, it is impossible to have a wooden dock without doing this sort of maintenance on it from time-to-time. I just worry that the DES people are going to haul me away in handcuffs if they catch me staining my dock!!! (That's sort of a :) ).

Any thoughts on this (other than commenting on my paranoia)?

[Rattlesnake Gal]

Thanks for the routing advice kchace! I look forward to sitting on the dock without the sharp edge. :cool: You have confirmed that I am on the right track with Olympic products. Better to spend a bit more and not have to reapply so often.

[warren]

check out the sikkens product line, it is the best there is.
scott

[RLW]

You hit a home run when you mention using Sikkens as I use it on decks, stairs and our pier. The BIGGEST problem is the cost, but they say you get what you pay for. It is in the mid 30's depending where one buys it. Where I live only real good paint stores carry it. I haven't seen it in any of our discount type stores Try it you will like it.
:cheers: :coolsm:

[Orion]

- are there any regulations about staining or waterproofing a dock? Some of the stain invariably drips into the lake...
Do we really need regulations to keep us from polluting our lake? It is impossible to prevent drippage into the lake. Even the most careful brushing will result in droplets into the lake. I cant believe someone actually sprayed their dock. Pressure treated wood will last forever without any treatment. Sure there will be some cracks over time, but a little sandpaper will take cared of splinters. Nature Wood seems to weather a little better than the older pressure treated wood, but maybe there's not enough elapsed time to tell for sure.

[madrasahs]

"Do we really need regulations to keep us from polluting our lake? It is impossible to prevent drippage into the lake. Even the most careful brushing will result in droplets into the lake. I cant believe someone actually sprayed their dock. Pressure treated wood will last forever without any treatment...Nature Wood seems to weather a little better than the older pressure treated wood, but maybe there's not enough elapsed time to tell for sure.

I'm inclined to agree with Orion. Perhaps it's been all that TV advertising for protecting wood decks or sun decks that brought on my anxiety. (Which is disappearing).

My dock is pressure-treated and is over 20 years old -- "unprotected" for 17 of those years. Although it is no longer "green" in color, no plank has ever needed replacement for any reason. A splinter problem forced the "flipping over" of just a few planks over those 20 years. (Nature Wood® only appeared in the local lumberyard last year and has no equivalent track record).

In defense of the spraying techniques: If you spray at a 45° angle on a windless day, and your dock or deck has the older 2" planks, the amount lost to the water is surprisingly small -- a lot less than using a roller and less absorbing (and dripfree) than by brush. The edges catch a lot of overspray, and the total amount used is about 50% less than brushing or roller (the worst).

If you must "preserve", use one of those hand-pressurized little (2-gallon?) plastic tank yard-maintenance jobs.

Recyclers advise to dispose of the older :eek: cyanide, pressure-treated, wood products in landfills. (Osmose® is one manufacturer of those cyanide-laced planks. It has a big American-flag :confused: label on it).

[Rattlesnake Gal]

I was going to go with Olympic Maximum, but thanks to Orion and Madrasahs I have decided to just leave the decks and docks alone. They are smooth and nice right now. Weathered, but that suits me just fine. We'll deal with any splinters and problems as they occur. I can think of much better things to do with my time. Thanks for taking a biggie off my list of things to do! :)
This is exactly why I posted my question on the forum! Gave me valuable information and time to weigh all the options.
Thanks to all for your input and knowledge. It is very much appreciated! :D

[SIKSUKR]

Hands down Sikkens is THE best.Thompsons is near the bottom the list.Thompsons would only last the summer and next year looked like I never put any on.I was told about Sikkens and applied it three summers ago and it is still doing well. SS