Get a deck by thru the winter?

[FLORIN 21]

Bid a 600 floor sq ft deck about a month ago. Customer hmmd and hawwed until now to give me the go ahead to do the deck restoration. Weather wise its too late because on dry days it dips into the 30s at night and the rest of the days are in the 40s but raining. She understands i wont be able to do the restoration till spring but she is worried that more damage to her deck will occur thru the winter. Right now she has a peeling and failing behr solid. There is spots where the wood is starting to rot which those areas i bid to replace boards. Concern is that with the exposed wood more will start to rot before summer gets here.

Anything I can do to tie the deck over till then in terms of applying something that will protect but easy to remove in the spring time and will do ok with the funky weather?

[MudDuck 20]

I'd go ahead and strip it, expose bad boards, replace them to start getting weathered, collect a little extra Christmas money. Leave it until next spring, then pre carb it, defer and stain it, collect the rest for 09 insurance or add money. Start the year ahead of the game.

It shouldn't "damage" it anymore in 5 months to leave it.(But you didn't say what kind of wood it was though). If you change out old boards will help with the "blend" of color of old and new boards. Make a better looking job in the end.

[MMI Enterprises 289]

Sent you PM Florin.

[FLORIN 21]

Sorry, let me clarify... I didnt mean to strip it right now. I understand how bad the deck will get if it gets stripped and not stained for the whole winter. What i meant was is there a product or if i should even apply a product,(spot stain) on the exposed areas just so those areas dont start to rot due to moisture and then come in the spring stripp the old failing stain AND the product that i applied on spots. The wood is cedar.

[MMI Enterprises 289]

Call Scott or Russell and ask them on their products... Thin cedar might fold over on itself in major dimensional change if left bare is my worry. But I don't do much cedar though..

ps- I'll let it be known that it is abit late now even where I am at to be trying for an AC cure out. Had some issue on my last. Fact that it was a maintenance coating made for a non diving of the oil and it seperated out on top...my bad ;(

Edited October 29, 2008 by MMI Enterprises

[RPetry 564]

Florin,

Cedar is fine, as long as it does not constantly stay wet. As long as the wood can dry out periodically, it should be OK over the winter. Otherwise, it rots, slowly but surely.

[James 625]

1)Put a fan on the deck to keep it dry for 5 months ? 2) Put up a canopy up for 5 months? 3)Replace the rotten boards now and make sure between the boards are clear for draining. So a cleaning will help. 4) Do the job now and fit it in. It takes a little longer but do-able. 5) Put up a canopy, strip the deck, put a big fan on to help the dyring , replace the boards, oil it, keep the fan on it to help drying and collect money.6) strippers don't work well in the 50's ( temps) 7) Sand the whole deck then wash it. it's only 600 sqft

[FLORIN 21]

Florin,

Cedar is fine, as long as it does not constantly stay wet. As long as the wood can dry out periodically, it should be OK over the winter. Otherwise, it rots, slowly but surely.

The thing is this is Seattle. It rains all the time. Nothing ever really dries out around here.

[RPetry 564]

The thing is this is Seattle. It rains all the time. Nothing ever really dries out around here.

Sorry Florin, I knew the Northwest is pretty wet, but not that bad!

In a pinch, I guess you could spot stain the bare wood areas with a paraffinic oil such as Ready Seal, TWP, or WoodRich to get through the winter. The problem is the cedar should be dry before spot staining. I know Ready Seal strips very easily and would assume other paraffinic stains are the same.

You may also try calling Russell Cissell of Extreme Solutions. Their stain, WoodTux, is designed to be applied to wet wood. The possible problem is curing in temperatures in the 30's - 40's F. range. But give him a call, he may be able to help.

Edited October 30, 2008 by RPetry
addition

[plainpainter 217]

Just replace the bad boards now - and come back in the spring - tell her the aging process on the new boards will be sublime come spring time for color matching and leaching of tannins and sugars. And do as Jim suggests - make sure the gaps between the boards are open - I've been known to run a circular saw set at the correct depths to open the gaps. This will allow the moisture to escape the decking - and halt any rotting that's going on. Other than that - they've let the deck go this long - what's another winter?

[charlie 14]

Cover it with tarp

[James 625]

Replace it with composite material! LOL

[FLORIN 21]

Replace it with composite material! LOL

HAHA. Actually had that request earlier in the year. They replaced the floorboards with trex with another company and I stripped the railings and restained.