How to make old pt look good

[Trevor C.N 15]

Would love to get your thoughts on staining old PT - it's the bane of my summers! 

 

The biggest challenge I have is making old pt look good, and here in the North (Canada) I stain a lot of pt wood. This is the problem: The older the deck is, the darker the final finish is.

 

This photo is  great example - I washed, brightened, even buffed this deck - and i'm not happy with end result. The deck looks inconsistent, and dark and dirty. On this particular deck I used AC amber, but I get a similar result with AC cedar semi transparent. 

 

The only solution I have right now is to use a semi-solid, but most customers really desire a cedar semi-transparent finish.

 

Trevor 

Edited June 2, 2015 by Trevor C.N

[YVPW 20]

Use a stain that doesn't have predominantly transoxide pigments. They're too transparent on old weathered wood no matter how you prep it(unless it's sanded even, which is almost impossible with old wood). I suggest Baker's Gray Away stain. I think your problem will be solved

[Trevor C.N 15]

Thanks Jason,

 

That really makes a lot of sense, i'll look into that stain! Does anyone else have thoughts or stain recommendations?  

 

Trevor

Edited June 5, 2015 by Trevor C.N

[RPetry 564]

Trevor,

 

Did the wood have an old stain on it before servicing?  If so, it has to be stripped.  Easy or hard, dependent on the old stain.  Applying an acid brightener without doing a sodium percarbonate cleaning or sodium hydroxide stripping is, IMO, a waste of chemical and time.

 

Privacy fence and fascia look good.  Older, weathered wood will stain darker, but does not need to be "blotchy" as show in your pic.  I can see the stain is wet in the pic, but doubt if it will appear much better after curing.  I'm just guessing, but I think it was not prepped correctly.

[Trevor C.N 15]

Hey Rick,

 

Appreciate your comment. I did all the preparation steps including percarb. There was no previous stain on this deck (otherwise I would have stripped it.) I also mixed stain very thoroughly.

 

I think Jason is on to something. Can anyone recommend a good stain that doesn't have predominantly transoxide pigments? I get my stain at the sealer store.

 

Trevor    

[RPetry 564]

Hi Trevor,

 

Scott Paul (Sealer Store) is a terrific guy, and may be able to help you.  To be honest, I'm not knowledgeable of the difference between trans-oxide and iron oxide pigments.  A good reference on iron oxide pigments can be found here:  http://www.pcimag.com/articles/86750-using-transparent-iron-oxide-pigments-in-wood-finish-applications

 

We have been using Ready Seal stains for the past 13 years with much success.  Ready Seal uses iron oxide pigments.  I'm not sure if it is shipped into Canada.  Armstrong-Clark stains, which the Sealer Store carries, is also a very good product that is formulated with iron oxide pigments.

[Trevor C.N 15]

Hey Rick,

 

Thanks for the link. I'll call up Scott and get some Ready Seal and Defy stain samples and try them on old pt. 

 

Thanks for your input!

Trevor 

[RPetry 564]

Trevor,

 

Scott is a business, good business, but honestly, tested Defy yrs. ago on my own ipe' deck.  Not good.  Scott Paul does not carry Ready Seal.  He does distribute Armstrong-Clark stains.  Call Pierce Fitchett, sales manager of Ready Seal at (757) 880-6737 or Jake Clark, the owner of Armstrong-Clark stains on the west coast at the contact # on the website. 

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

On old Pt lumber we have found that Armstrong's Cedar Semi-Transparent is the one that gives the better result.

Amber is designed with a finer pigment and doesn't allow for any masking of the aged wood.

 

Another idea is this (don't tell anyone I said this) but add some bleach to your stripping mix.

Then neutralize.

 

If there are traffic patterns, obstructions from UV like furniture and grills, the effects may be deterred by a sanding of the floors and caps to

remove the old layer of wood. You will have to counter sink nails (use an empty pneumatic nail gun to do this.....MUCH faster and less killing of your hands)

 

Last option is the hardest. Pull each deck board up and run it through a planer.

Some people flip deck boards too but I am not a fan. Many experienced deck builders have crowned the boards to ensure the cupping is downwards

and not up.

Planing the boards allows you to remove the hump and keep the crown down as it should be.

 

Rod

[Trevor C.N 15]

Thanks for suggestions guys. 

 

I've got a lot to go on here. 

 

Rod... I won't tell Beth about the bleach suggestion  :)

 

Rick, I'll check out Ready Seal and see if their product is approved for Canada.

[steven 37]

I think you should have used a hydroxide and not a percarbonate