Deck-care mysteries solved

By: Paul Bianchina: Inman News
Q: We are replacing the decking on the north side of our house, but cannot agree on the material to use. We are considering Ipe, redwood, or a composite material like Trex. What would you recommend? --Nancie J.

A: Unfortunately, there is no single "best" material that I could recommend for your new deck, and if you ask 10 people for their choice you're likely to get 10 different answers. As you've no doubt been discovering, each material has its own pros and cons, and the choice comes down to what you like the looks of, how much you want to spend, and how much maintenance you are willing to do.

The natural wood products you mention are excellent for decking, and I have to admit to a personal preference for real wood over synthetics. Ipe creates a really beautiful, rich looking deck, but it's on the expensive side and the hardness of the wood makes it a little more difficult to install. Cut ends need to be treated, and the material should be installed with concealed fasteners or stainless steel screws. Redwood is softer, easier to work with, and a little less expensive, but that all depends on the grade. Clear heart redwood is really beautiful, but again you're looking at a fairly large investment.

Any natural wood requires regular treatment (every one to three years, depending on exposure and weather conditions) if you want it to remain looking new, or you can allow it to weather naturally to a grayish tone. Even if you let the color weather out, you still need to regularly apply a sealer to prevent the wood from splitting and splintering.

Trex and all of the composite decking materials have the opposite pros and cons from natural wood. On the plus side, you have much lower maintenance with a composite, lower installed cost than with the upgraded wood products you mention, and no problems with splits, splinters, and all the rest. However, composites are not maintenance free, since they do require regular cleaning in order to keep them looking good. On the minus side, while composite-decking materials will definitely make for a very attractive deck, in my opinion they simply do not compare with the beauty of natural wood.

If you are planning to have a decking contractor do the work, ask them for some referrals of past decks they have done with different materials, and go check them out in person. If you are planning on doing the work yourself, the lumberyard may also have some referrals for you.

Q: I have a three-year-old cedar deck. It was looking drab, so I pressure-washed it and then sealed it with a product that didn't last. The deck now has a soft, gray fuzzy appearance and water no longer beads up. (A home center) sold me another cleaner, but I'm reluctant to use it. What do you recommend? --Jim M.

A: Unfortunately, it sounds like you're at the point where the deck needs to be sanded. This will remove the gray appearance and the fine fuzzy layer – which is actually wood fiber that's been torn up – and will smooth out the wood and prepare it to receive a new layer of finish.

First, make sure the deck is completely dry. Then I would suggest starting with 40 or 50 grit paper and working up to 80 to 100 grit. Don't go any finer then that, as this will actually smooth out the wood too much and lessen the ability of the finish to penetrate. You may want to use an electric random orbit sander, or rent a larger flooring sanding and then use the random orbit to finish up in those areas you can't get to effectively with the larger machine.

Remove the sawdust with a soft push broom, then follow with a leaf blower or similar blower to get the wood as clean as possible. Finally, I would recommend a penetrating stain with UV inhibitor that is formulated specifically for decks. Talk to the folks at an experienced paint store for the their recommendations (I would typically avoid the home centers for advice on something like this).

Q: I'm re-staining my deck, but I'm not clear as to whether I need to seal it also. Do I need to use a water sealer after staining? --Dennis L.

A: Typically you only need to do one or the other. Most stains that are formulated for decks also contain a water repellant, and there are also water repellants that are tinted. If you have a local paint store that you deal with, they can make recommendations for a good quality product that will meet your specific needs.

Q: Could you tell me where to buy the Wolman Deck-Brite you mentioned in a previous column? --Betty Z.

A: You can go to the Wolman website at www.wolman.com. There's a menu on the left side – click on "where to buy", enter your address, and you'll get a map and a list of local dealers.

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paul2887@direcway.com.