African mahogony being used to build deck. I want to stain and seal before putting wood down on frame, ideas?

Question

I have beautiful african mahogony planks that I have cut from 4x4's 6x6's 8x8's 10x10's and 12x12's. Before I put them down on the deck foundation i want to stain and water proof etc. Does anyone know the proper way to do this and make sure it stays beautiful for a long long time.

Answer 1

With wood that classy, less is more.
Teak & mahogany are used as decking on expensive yachts, in the worst possible enviornment.
Visit a marine supply store.
They will be able to help with a product that will protect the wood as well as enhance beauty of the wood.
May not last forever , but it will be easy to refresh from time to time
Please do not use polyurethane...more wisdom, a finish like that will fry your feet if you are not wearing shoes.
Also a bear to redo when it gets scabby.
Make me feel good & cover your deck fixings w/ plugs to conceal nasty screw heads.
Sounds great.
Best regards

Answer 2

you're very fortunate to have such a fine wood. perhaps you shouldn't be using it on an uncovered deck. even pressure treated lumber doesn't look good "for a long long time" after being stained and sealed, so i think you'll be heartbroken within a decade. look at any old deck and you'll see the sad gray....

if you decide to go with it, there are lots of good products out there; just follow directions. when you lay down the planks, however, be sure that from the edge of the wood, the rings are facing down (like a frown). this will help lenghten the life of your planks by allowing the natural curving of the wood to promote water run-off. the ones that are facing upward will curl up on the edges and hold water, which will age them considerably faster than the others.

Answer 3

You are using African ribbon mahogony for a deck? That's an expensive deck. I built a coffee table in the 70's and that wood was rough sewn and it cost a bunch back then.

Back to the story. I used a stain and several coats of a poly urethane varnish, smoothing with steel wool between coats.

Still have the table. Good luck dude.

Answer 4

Find out where your local Cabot Stain retailer is. They are the best manufacturer of outdoor stains around. They make several products specifically for harder woods like you are using. Cabot Stains are made by Valspar if that is any help to you. You may be able to get it at your local hardware store, or Lowes. While a little more expensive, it is still reasonably priced.

Answer 5

Many types of lumber come from the mill with a bit of glaze on them. I would recommend sanding with a 120 grit sandpaper which will allow the sealer or stain to adhere to the wood. If it's too smooth, you won't get any penetration. If you intend to stain the wood, you would do that first, and then seal it. Hope this helps.

Answer 6

That is very fine wood. I would firstly suggest is may be finer than a decking material should be, but if you insist... be sure to use a sealer. There are many waterproofing products available at the hardware store that are easy to use. I prefer to apply them using the throwaway foam brushes. Be sure to do all of your sanding and routing before hand. Start with a clean surface. And use the product you choose according to directions on the label.

Answer 7

I wouldn't recommend using that kind of valuable wood for that purpose.,i.,e., a deck.
There are better products available and already prepared for outdoor use.
Save the wood for indoor shelving or bookcases and such and they'll be beautiful.

Answer 8

If you have enough mahogony for a deck (sell it).
You will make enough to have it installed using the proper wood, furnish it, and a gormet grill and have money left over. Thats like using diamond dust for cat litter.

Answer 9

Mahogany weathers quite well and is very ressistant to rot. Don't sweat it. No need to stain and water proof.

Answer 10

God ...I'm so jealous ! That sounds beautiful. My best advice is to go to Lowes or Home Depot and ask their advice.