New Cedar Deck - sealant/stain advice?

Question

We bought a new house that house a 12 ft by 20 ft cedar deck. I need to stain or seal it, and I was thinking about going with a semi instead of a solid or clear. I tried Cabot Solid Color on my last deck and was unimpressed by the look and durability. I was going to try Wolman DuraStain this time, but was also considering CWF-UV from Flood. I think I will only need one gallon.

Any tips on sealant/stain choice, new cedar preparation, and application? Anybody have experience with Flood CWF-UV?

Answer 1

Have been using CWF UV on my porch .
Like it better than some others & got more than the 4 years guaranteed life expectancy.
They recommend brushing it out after application so I skipped the pump sprayer & roller application tips & after the thing was cleaned , prepped & dry, went straight to the brush.
l found it to be faster overall.
I used the cedar tinted CWF on woolmanized decking.
Could'nt afford real thing.
If it was the real thing I would have used the clear stuff only because it is a little less messy to clean & re-coat.
Took a little more than a gallon to cover an 8'x 30' porch deck.
Best regards

Answer 2

My first choice is a product called Sikkens. They have a 1 coat process called SRD or a 2 coat product called DEK. Both are semi-transparent stains. The Dek has a more furniture-quality sheen to it. Either way, pressure wash it, let it dry throughly, and then apply either 1. Sikkens also make a product called Rubbol with is a solid color stain. The 1st 2 are more wood stains. Just make sure the wood is completely dry and has plenty of time to cure.

Answer 3

Get rid of the deck! There's too much maintenance! A patio is much better than a deck. I had one before and I won't have another one again! If you have to have one, make one with Trex(maintenance-free, synthetic material).

Answer 4

use Pennafin. it seals and deepens the color as well as protects the wood

Answer 5

stain don.t seal it, it has to breath, or it will warp, and split