How To Protect Wood Decks From Sun And Rain

[stevehaigh]

hi

i'm building a big deck area using maai deng (red wood). it svery exposed to sun and rain. in the past i've used TOA T4000 exterior grade urathane but it only last 2 months in the sun before i have to sand down and refinish.

anybody have better look keeping exterior wood decking looking nice and protected from the elements. i'm looking for brand names of products and techniques that you have persional experience with, not advice like "put a roof over it".

thanks, steve

[chownah]

Have you considered teak oil? Sorry its not a brand name and that I have no experience with it. OOOps!!

[sleepyjohn]

Have you considered teak oil? Sorry its not a brand name and that I have no experience with it. OOOps!!

Teak oil will do very little.

You have a choice.

Bare wood.

Varnish.

Water based emulsion.

High quality wood needs no finish.....have you ever looked at a teak deck on a boat? It is a whitish grey. That is all it needs to be. Your redwood will also discolour if untreated and it may or may not have the quality to withstand the rain/sun combo.

Varnishes can look wonderful but need maintenance. You already learnt that. There are varnishes with UV filters added and these definitely help but not forever. I cannot give you brand names sorry. If you add extra coats when the last coat's dry but only just you can save a lot of key sanding work. If you add varnish to previously poor varnish it will not be good after a while. Strip by scraping NOT sanding and keep your scraper sharp. Always thin a first coat slightly.

Emulsion "varnishes" do not have the wonderful finish of traditional varnish but are very easy to apply and have their place. I have not seen any in hardware stores but they may exist.

Edited August 22, 2007 by sleepyjohn

[technocracy]

Well I have a similar problem I used maai kaen hin (I am not 100% sure what variety of hardwood this is!) and I coated it with Bergers Decking stain and it was complete and utter crap. It goes on easy but it scratched under the first sign of feet walking on it and in the space of less than a couple of months it's basically washed away. Total utter shit!

Once the rain stops I will be sanding it down and recoating with TOA 2K T8800 Polyurethane so the only thing I can say is I'll let you know how it goes!

The put a roof over it gets very boring doesn't it! I want be able walk outside onto beautiful wood not a tiled death trap or concrete!

[cmsally]

Cuprinol seems to be a bit better than many others I have tried, but I am not using it on areas that get direct rain only sun and wet when it rains hard.

[sibeymai]

I have a suggestion that based on experience in other uses it should work but as yet I have not tried on timber decking. I have a similar problem with a timber deck and am seriously considering giving this a try.

Try to find a two pack polyurethane epoxy in a clear finish. Basically it is a similar material to the gel coat used with fibreglass and should be a lot tougher than normal urethane finishes. It will be tricky to apply with a brush because it's viscosity decreases as the mixture sets. I suggest applying by spray doing small areas at a time to ensure the mixture does not set...the spray gun will be useless if it sets inside. Thorough cleaning with acetone is needed between each mix. It will be very tricky to work with in a hot climate as the ambient temperature will accelerate the setting of the mix. Can only suggest you experiment to get a cool mix (less catalyst giving longer working time before the mix sets) and be very accurate with your mixing quantities....down to the exact millilitre with the catalyst and watch the temperature at the time of use carefully.

The material is sometimes referred to as "flow-coat". It does have the benefit of being able to be tinted, so if clear is not possible you can tint to a wood colour or any other colour. The surface will be slippery when wet. If you want some non-skid area lightly sprinkle fine sand over the area painted before it dries.

Excellent results can be achieved by people with experience with the material. Could be worth looking for professionals, possibly from boat building who work with plastics and resins. Will cost a bit but a professional finish should last at least 5, maybe 10 years.

[shochu]

Use marine products (for boats) as they are made for more extreme weather conditions and exposure to the elements. They also tend to be more expensive, but will require less maintenance than your everyday products for typical home applications. It also helps to use specially (factory) treated woods which again are more expensive.

[jackr]

hi

i'm building a big deck area using maai deng (red wood). it svery exposed to sun and rain. in the past i've used TOA T4000 exterior grade urathane but it only last 2 months in the sun before i have to sand down and refinish.

anybody have better look keeping exterior wood decking looking nice and protected from the elements. i'm looking for brand names of products and techniques that you have persional experience with, not advice like "put a roof over it".

thanks, steve

Also considering building some decking. One thing that has crossed my mind though is the farang working thing. Although it'd be on my (her/our) property and therefore not paid work, still makes me feel slightly anxious in case the wrong guy walks passed at the wrong time sort of thing. Anyone else have the same concerns?

[sleepyjohn]

I have a suggestion that based on experience in other uses it should work but as yet I have not tried on timber decking. I have a similar problem with a timber deck and am seriously considering giving this a try.

Try to find a two pack polyurethane epoxy in a clear finish. Basically it is a similar material to the gel coat used with fibreglass and should be a lot tougher than normal urethane finishes. It will be tricky to apply with a brush because it's viscosity decreases as the mixture sets. I suggest applying by spray doing small areas at a time to ensure the mixture does not set...the spray gun will be useless if it sets inside. Thorough cleaning with acetone is needed between each mix. It will be very tricky to work with in a hot climate as the ambient temperature will accelerate the setting of the mix. Can only suggest you experiment to get a cool mix (less catalyst giving longer working time before the mix sets) and be very accurate with your mixing quantities....down to the exact millilitre with the catalyst and watch the temperature at the time of use carefully.

The material is sometimes referred to as "flow-coat". It does have the benefit of being able to be tinted, so if clear is not possible you can tint to a wood colour or any other colour. The surface will be slippery when wet. If you want some non-skid area lightly sprinkle fine sand over the area painted before it dries.

Excellent results can be achieved by people with experience with the material. Could be worth looking for professionals, possibly from boat building who work with plastics and resins. Will cost a bit but a professional finish should last at least 5, maybe 10 years.

The trouble with 2part epoxy is it's SO strong.

This is a wonderful advantage with epoxy paint. It is so hard it is nearly impossible to sand. Paint however has pigmment that protects it from UV which I believe will degrade epoxy albeit slowly. Now it may be slowly, but when it needs to be stripped my guess is you're gonna have a nightmare job trying. I used to live on and upkeep a wooden boat in a wooden boat yard. I ahev used epoxy extensively in renovation and boy is it hard. I never ever saw anyone use epoxy varnish. IF you try it I would be interested in your experience over time. I may have xomething to learn.

[jackr]

hi

i'm building a big deck area using maai deng (red wood). it svery exposed to sun and rain. in the past i've used TOA T4000 exterior grade urathane but it only last 2 months in the sun before i have to sand down and refinish.

anybody have better look keeping exterior wood decking looking nice and protected from the elements. i'm looking for brand names of products and techniques that you have persional experience with, not advice like "put a roof over it".

thanks, steve

Also considering building some decking. One thing that has crossed my mind though is the farang working thing. Although it'd be on my (her/our) property and therefore not paid work, still makes me feel slightly anxious in case the wrong guy walks passed at the wrong time sort of thing. Anyone else have the same concerns?

Any takers?...

[grego75]

hi

Hi all,

My company is specialise in outdoor wood refinishing and protection, we import high quality coatings from USA.We are working with resorts and private owners here in Phuket.

The product we use let the wood grain shows, keep the feeling of the wood when walking on it unlike urethane or polyurethane or solid paint that just cover the wood giving a plastic feeling.

and there is no need to sand down for future maintenance which makes it very easy for anyone to recoat.

Please feel free to contact me if i can be of further help

Cheers

Greg

[Texpat]

Sanding and refinishing a deck every two months?

Urgggh!

Is the wood that important? Thailand is not a human friendly environment when it comes to building materials.

Steel rusts overnight, wood rots in the sun and humidity, and plastics become brittle very quickly.

That's why there's so much nasty, ugly concrete. Good luck with the wooden deck. You're a braver man than I.

Edited July 22, 2009 by Texpat

[malcolminthemiddle]

How about a pre-finished proprietary decking such as this one?

[grego75]

There is now products available in Phuket that last for at least a year before maintenance is needed

and doesn't require any sanding down for recoating.

[powderpuff]

Mai Dang is awesome wood. I might risk just leaving it naked.

[Rooo]

Have a look at Sarodin paint ( Spelling ? ) brochure.They have various types of paint .I use on my deck, no probs.

[Rimmer]

Have a look at Sarodin paint ( Spelling ? ) brochure.They have various types of paint .I use on my deck, no probs.

Do you mean Sadolin? If so very very good stuff probably the best there is, paint it on and forget it for three or four years. Architect friend of mine says it is good for 7 years. Nothing else even come close IM not so HO

BTW This thread is 2 years old!!

[billd766]

I have a wooden verandah which has been up since 2004 and while it is under the roof it is also exposed to the elements at each end.

The original varnish has gone from the ends but the middle is OK.

There are also cracks between the planks and I remember back in the old world I could buy something like plastic wood or a filler to close the gaps.

Does anyone know if something like that is available here in Thailand?

[bankruatsteve]

Just to ask... why would you want varnish or etc. other than just stain with water-resistance on outdoor deck? Anyway, that's (I forget brand) what I used in the states and it would look good for 2-3 years before the not-too-big project of doing it again.

Just to edit: I think the stain had linseed oil in it? or something like that.

Edited April 10, 2010 by bankruatsteve