Maxwell: How to avoid the fence-and-deck nightmare – The Sudbury Star

Sanding with a 60- or 80-grit abrasive in a 6" random orbit sander is a necessary preparation step before finishing outdoor wood. Steve Maxwell

If your home has a wooden deck, a fence or both, and you intend to refinish them this season, you need to be aware of what I call the fence-and-deck nightmare. This happens when you become dissatisfied with the stain or sealer you applied, try something new, then find that it went wrong or doesnt last. Finish it again are just three short words, but they sure can do a number on your leisure time and mood. You can almost eliminate the risk of fence-and-deck finishing nightmares by following three key steps.

Step 1: Know Your Finish

Finishing outdoor wood so it looks good and lasts long is more difficult than it seems, in part because so many outdoor wood finishing products fail too soon. Sometimes even reliable outdoor wood finishes still fail prematurely if the surface prep isnt done right or if application conditions are wrong. Thats why you should never let hope get the better of you and try some new-to-you finish without testing. Just because you feel good about it or your brother-in-law used it, or its on special, is not sufficient. Aim to find a finishing regime you can trust, then stick to it. If you insist on using something untested on your deck, consider yourself forewarned.

After I explain the maintenance responsibilities that go with various fence and deck stains, many homeowners are happy to opt for something as simple and informal as possible. If that sounds good to you, Ecowood Treatment is something you should know about. Its my favourite low-key outdoor wood finish because its so efficient. Mix up the Ecowood powder with water in a pump-up weed sprayer, then spray the solution onto new, uncoated outdoor wood, once and only once. Beginning in a few minutes and continuing for months, Ecowood gives the surface an even, grey weathered appearance. Better than natural weathering that can be ratty and uneven, you can cover a lot of wood in a short time with no chance ever of peeling or finish failure.

Visit baileylineroad.com/36956 for a time-lapse view of Eco Wood Treatment darkening happening on a project of mine. (Link for an online version of the story: https://baileylineroad.com/eco-wood-treatment-video/ Anchor text: Eco Wood Treatment)

Translucent film-forming deck finishes like this Sikkens DEK look fabulous for two to four years. Stripping back to bare wood after this is usually necessary to renew finishes like this. Steve Maxwell

Step 2: Get Realistic

Even the best outdoor wood finishes involve compromises of some sort. Theyre far from perfect and you need to understand the compromises. Transparent film-forming deck finishes make your wood look as nice as furniture, but sooner or later theyll all peel, requiring complete stripping and sanding before recoating. Wood-darkening chemical treatments, by contrast, wont ever peel, but they also dont stop surface cracks from forming on your wood. If youre a deck first-timer and have no experience maintaining a deck, be sure to make up samples of your outdoor finishing repertoire so you know what they look like before you apply anything to your final project.

Step 3: Prepare for prep

There is almost no outdoor wood finish on the planet that performs optimally without at least some surface preparation. Even new wood needs to have mill glaze removed to prevent or delay finish peeling. Assuming your wood has a moisture content less than 16 per cent (gotta have this for most finishes so check it with a moisture meter on a fresh-cut board), then pressure wash followed by sanding with a 60- or 80-grit abrasive does the most to optimize the absorption of finish into the wood. And the better the absorption, the longer the finish will last, all else being equal. The problem with prep is that it takes time. You can easily spend more time preparing outdoor wood than actually applying a stain.

Fences, decks, gazebos and other outdoor wood projects are popular with us Canadians because they help make the most of our short summer season. Learning to finish these efficiently is a big part of getting down to backyard summer fun, nightmare-free.

Steve Maxwell has been finishing outdoor wood since 1980. Visit baileylineroad.com/deck-stain for some of the most detailed and complete deck finishing information online anywhere.

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Maxwell: How to avoid the fence-and-deck nightmare - The Sudbury Star