new deck

[Dan B 14]

hi guys i have a new deck that a customer wants sealed do i need to to any kind of cleaning to it or can i just stain it . also what do you guys charge to seal a new deck is it the same as if it was a total restoration ? this is my first deck well see how it goes thanks for all your help

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

First you need a percarbonate cleaner like EFC-38 to clean it and to remove the mill glaze and any wax coating from the wood. Then let it dry and apply a semi-transparent such as Wood Tux.

What you charge will depend on the area you are in.

[Dan B 14]

ok That works i dont have the EFC 38 wish i did after this job i will order some but i have to do this job in like 4 days so ill use whats avalable to me . should i use a water or oil base stain ? thanks for all the info its alot of help !!!!

[Robert Ray 14]

I woold use an oil based stain

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

I agree. Use an oil, semi-transparent.

When you are in the store looking for a percarbonate cleaner, read the label and look for the following:

disodiumperoxydicarbonate

It's the chemical name for it. Most store brand items are not that great. If there is a Wolam or a Flood product, try that in this case. Still not the best out there, but should be fine for this instance.

[Joe Chadwick 14]

New Deck... PT rails and spindles with a composite type deck floor. My question is what concerns and/or protective measures should I take while I wash the rails and spindles. What effect will the cleaners and brightners have on the composite deck floor (Gray in color) if any? Any info would be apprieciated!!

Thanks Joe

[Mike Cappa 14]

it will fade the color of the floor. I doubt you can get too much for just doing spindles and hand rails. In my opinion, it is not worth the headache you will run into. Why didn't they get composite rails also?

[James 624]

Use a mild bleach solution to clean the spindles 3 parts water 1 part bleach and clean the composite with the same solution. It will not fade you have to clean it .

[James 624]

I don't use pre- carbs on new wood they darken the wood and raise the grain because there is no weathered wood to remove. You can use a brightner with some soap in it or if there is signs of mildew a mild bleach solution and rinse. I do a lot of new decks.

[Mike Cappa 14]

out of curiosity James, you say you do alot of decks, and I am not challenging that. Could you please tell me what bleach does to wood.

[James 624]

It Kills the mildew. The wood must be wet or damp. It's all Timing. If you leave it on to long (new wood) it will fir up. You start to brake down the lignin. Keep the wood wet at all time's.

[Mike Cappa 14]

you are incorrect, it doesn't matter how long you leave it on or if it is wet first. You WILL NOT be able to completely rinse the bleach off or out of the wood and WILL break down the lignin. I have done a lot of research on this and will not ever, ever use bleach on wood.

[Mike Cappa 14]

the only way to correctly remove mold or mildew from the surface of wood is by sanding it.

[Paul B. 523]

Mike,

What do you use to remove mold & mildew on a stained or painted surface?

[Paul B. 523]

Every now and then we use a 1:3 mix of bleach and water to remove mold & mildew from unfinished PTW. We leave it on without rinsing off. Doesn't seem to furr the would any more than any other cleaning agent we use.

[James 624]

Extreme , I just posted some photo's all cleaned with bleach. The only time I sand is after a strip job.

[Mike Cappa 14]

oooops, I was thinking about stripping, not just a quick cleaning. Paul, bleach doesn't furr the wood, it destroys the wood from the inside out.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

At a high enough concentration, bleach will furr the wood. (Sodium hypochlorite) It's used in paper mills to destroy the lignin which holds the wood fibers together and reduces it to pulp. By destroying the lignin you destroy what holds the wood fibers together. Therefore, the wood will furr. Caustics (sodium based products) will cause the wood to furr.

Beth & Rod

[Paul B. 523]

I worked in pulp making in Pennsylvania and Georgia. The process is complex and the bleaching is accomplished after the wood has been chopped and shredded to tiny pieces. The concentration of bleach is very strong and many other steps in the process.

Sodium Hydroxide strippers of 10-20% content can cause more damage than a 2-3% solution of Sodium Hypochlorite.

[Everett Abrams 501]

Furring is usually referred to the result on the wood from too much pressure. Fuzzing is usually referred to as a chemical reaction. The fuzzing is caused by alkalines and there effect on lignin. This encompasses the bleach, sodium hydroxides, and other alkalines. So as others have stated wood can be furred by bleach. However, to bleach or not to bleach? The debate continues...

[Mike Cappa 14]

I stand corrected