Deck Cleaning-staining

[Janina]

Does anyone know someone that is reasonably priced and qualified that can clean a mahogany deck and stain it. The rails are cedar. I'm located in Moultonborough and the deck has a northerly exposure.

It would be nice this year not to have to do it myself, once again!

[ApS]

I've got the same exposure, and have a safety consideration with an occasional "slipperiness" factor on 5/4 PT sun-decking.

(Sometimes, it's scary-severe!)

I've tackled that problem with strips of "anti-skid", attached with contact cement. (What's used for aircraft wings).

'Wondering if a "concrete-wash" would be cheaper and better?

Maybe in color?

[tis]

Originally Posted by Janina

Does anyone know someone that is reasonably priced and qualified that can clean a mahogany deck and stain it. The rails are cedar. I'm located in Moultonborough and the deck has a northerly exposure.

It would be nice this year not to have to do it myself, once again!

We once had a mahogany deck and it had to be done every year to keep it really looking great. Course we didn't do it every year. Mahogany makes a pretty deck but it never looked better than the day we pulled it out and now we do NOTHING to that deck!

[fatlazyless]

Cabot's Australian timber wood stain, available at Middleton Lumber in Meredith is a product specifically designed for outdoor hardwood decks and furniture which definitely includes mahogany. Mahogany LOVES this stuff! It is expensive, comes in about four colors, quarts or gallons, and is pretty easy to get some real easy and good results. It only needs one coat applied with a brush, not a roller, and it's best to apply it sparingly, and yes, it is an oil-based product as opposed to latex so's u need some paint thinner too for cleaning up and occasionally washing the brush.

Before applying this stain, u get better results if u first kill all the mildew-mold by spraying it down with a bleach & water solution using a cheapie one-gallon garden sprayer and then just let it dry out for one sunny day.

Maybe the Town of Meredith could go get a big can of Australian timber wood stain and go hit all that mahogany walking deck all along the Meredith town docks because it sure could use it and would make that 250-yard long, waterfront walking deckway look a lot nicer!

[RobertsCove0]

Be careful letting just anyone power wash your Mahogony and cedar especially. The cedar is really soft, and I have seen many docks that have been destroyed using a Power washer to aggressively. I have had Northeast Dock and Barge wash and Stain my Cedar dock and it came out good for a very reasonable price. Good luck

[Belmont Resident]

Originally Posted by tis

We once had a mahogany deck and it had to be done every year to keep it really looking great. Course we didn't do it every year. Mahogany makes a pretty deck but it never looked better than the day we pulled it out and now we do NOTHING to that deck!

I would never recommend mahogany unless it is under a roof. I've been refinishing decks for years and have yet to find a product that last more then 1 year.

[Rusty]

AZEK...need I say more?.
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.
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[tis]

I totally agree with you Rusty. I know so many people who put wood down, only to tear it up a few years later and put in Azek.

[Janina]

Thanks for all the suggestions. It was really fun reading the replies!

Other than the Aztek, been there, done that.

I love Cabot's, but it has been reformulated for the health and well being of us mere mortals. The deck results are something else. It's was pretty brainless before, now you have to really work carefully to avoid glossy in one place and dull in another. Your supposed to add a cup of "spirits" to each gallon, which improves the dry time. I'm looking for that deep patina of 6 years ago when it was put down.

[Winnisquamguy]

Originally Posted by Janina

Your supposed to add a cup of "spirits" to each gallon, which improves the dry time. .

They have a product fo latex paints called Floetrol, that helps with drying times, brush, and roller marks.They have a product called Penetrol for oil base as well.You put in half to a whole pint per gallon.Its cheap maybe 7 bucks a quart and works really good I think.Pro's like to use it in there sprayers Works better than mineral spirits.

[Belmont Resident]

Originally Posted by Janina

Thanks for all the suggestions. It was really fun reading the replies!

Other than the Aztek, been there, done that.

I love Cabot's, but it has been reformulated for the health and well being of us mere mortals. The deck results are something else. It's was pretty brainless before, now you have to really work carefully to avoid glossy in one place and dull in another. Your supposed to add a cup of "spirits" to each gallon, which improves the dry time. I'm looking for that deep patina of 6 years ago when it was put down.

Janina
All of the oil products have been reformulated and lack the qualities they once had. Adding thinners will dilute the properties and make them even less effective. A common mistake many homeowners make is applying in direct sun or even just before the sun gets on the surface, this causes what is called flash drying so the product never gets to penetrate the wood surface. The same applies to all paints and stains as well. I always try to apply just before sunset which allows all night to penetrate and dry. You also need to wipe up any puddles. Do not be afraid of walking on the surface as it is a penetrating oil and walking on it will not harm the finish, just lightly roll over your footprints as you back off of the deck.
Having refinished many decks I have found that using a deck cleaner along with bleach then thoroughly scrubbing, then pressure wash is the best way to remove the old grime.
Mahogany looks great but will never look as good as the day it was put down. It requires yearly upkeep and that is the biggest problem. The longer you let it go the worst it gets and the more labor intensive it it to refinish it. Look into a product called Rymar. Expensive yes but I've found it to weather far better then any of the other options.
IMHO Cabots is the cheapest and least protective of all the products out there. A simple test will tell you if your deck is protected. Take a cup of water and dump it on your deck, if it soaks in then it is not protected.
Apply most any oil product and by the end of the summer your deck will fail this test.
http://www.rymarindustries.com/
Good luck with your deck.

[tis]

Originally Posted by Janina

Thanks for all the suggestions. It was really fun reading the replies!

Other than the Aztek, been there, done that.

I love Cabot's, but it has been reformulated for the health and well being of us mere mortals. The deck results are something else. It's was pretty brainless before, now you have to really work carefully to avoid glossy in one place and dull in another. Your supposed to add a cup of "spirits" to each gallon, which improves the dry time. I'm looking for that deep patina of 6 years ago when it was put down.

You are truly the first person I have ever heard say they don't like Azek! I am really curious why you didn't like it?