Refinishing Decks

[Utilitrack]

Has anyone used this (broken link removed to http://www.behr.com/dsm-ext/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=be2d830e1474e310VgnVCM100000176310acRCRD&vgnextfmt=default#vgnextoid=8a050d6b5083e310VgnVCM100000176310acRCRD;view=17;channel=PROJECT_CENTER) or the Rustoleum Restore products to refinish a deck? I have a couple of 9 year old red cedar decks that I have stained with a water based Sherwin Williams solid deckstain REPEATEDLY year in and year out - not because I have wanted to, but out of necessity due to poor wear on the horizontal surfaces, furniture moving, dogs nails, shoveling etc have made this a yearly chore, PITA!

I saw this product and wondered if anyone has used it, and if you could let me know how the application and wear has been to date. I am particularly interested on feel of the product on bare feet, slip resistance and how it holds up to furniture, dogs nails etc. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

 

[semipro]

I'm also interested in Rustoleum "Restore" product as well as a another one, "DeckOver" made by Behr and sold at HD.
In general I keep hoping to find a longer lasting deck surface that's affordable while providing good traction. Our experience with stained wood decks is that they need re-staining frequently and don't provide adequate traction.

Our deck was constructed (very well) 20 years ago and uses treated 2x6s for decking. They've held up surprisingly well, are structurally sound, and are better quality wood than I can reasonably purchase. However, the upper surface is getting rough so we're planning to "flip" the boards. The bottom side is in great shape but they are discolored where they contacted the deck joists. Ring shank nails were pulled (what a pain) and the boards are lying loose on deck. I'm planning to run the boards through my surface planer, round-over the edges with a router, and then reinstall them.

We may apply a finish to the deck boards before reinstalling and are considering "Restore" or "DeckOver". Apparently these are plastic (acrylic?) finishes containing wear/traction elements like ceramic beads. My concerns relate to long term durability and repairs. We have large dogs and our decks live rough lives. I'm also concerned that if the product fails and can't be repaired that replacement of the decking will be our only option.

Reviews of these products on the web are mixed. It appears that most problems encountered result from poor application practices. Since these products are relatively new, long-term durability seems still to be in question.

 

[Hogwildz]

The more solid a stain you use, the less penetration it gets, and shorter it lasts, and quicker it starts to chip and peel.

 

[mustash29]

No experience with the products mentioned, but.....

My local car stereo, tint shop, truck accessory dealer is now doing spray in bedliners. They also have a mobile trailer mounted rig, will come out to your house, clean & pressure wash your deck, apply a preservative / mildicide and then after it dries a few days spray the whole deck with bedliner material. It's supposed to last > 10 years with normal to heavy traffic.

I inquired about "dancing drunks" and deck furnature feet marring the finish.....the finish won't care, it's essentially ABS plastic 30 seconds after it's sprayed.

You can cover 5 sides of the wood (top, sides, cut ends) but it has to be virgin on the bottom so it can breathe.

 

[mustash29]

I have roughly 350 sqft of 2nd floor deck, it's 34' long arcoss the back of the house and a slider door going into the walk out rec room. I stack my wood under there for easy access to throw it right in the stove.

My deck boards are very close together, so I am contemplating having it sprayed super thick to make it "roof like" and mostly water proof underneath. Most I may have to do is trim a bit off the support posts to make sure it's pitched away from the house properly for drainage. I'm SO sick of digging under the wood tarps 2-3 x per day in the winter.

 

[Huntindog1]

I have used the Restore product on my deck. Its going on 3 years and still looks good. It is a durable product.

I brushed it on but would suggest you use the enclosed roller as it has a sand in it and you need to mix it good and keep the sand even in the mixture. Rolling it I think does a better job of getting an even coat of the sand in the product. Brushing will cause the sand to be pulled one way or the other but I got around that by gobbing it on and barely brushing it. You put on at least three coats I think but it gives you a very durable coating. Best coating I have ever used on a deck as all others seem to only last a short time. The multiple coats makes the textured look , look more even so dont get scared after the 1st coat , by the 3rd coat the sand looks more evenly spread out. Even with the roller put it on as heavy as you can and roll it as little as possible.

I would use it again and would recommend it.

I imagine people who reported problems tried to put it on like it was stain, they most likely put it on thin and spread it out to save on how many gallons they used.

When mine was done it looked like a redwood flat finished bed liner coating with a slight grit texture for traction.

Since the thicker you put it on the better and its a thick product anyways plus you need 3 coats, its good for restoring really bad shaped decks as it fills in all the imperfections of a really weathered old deck.

I power washed my deck to get good adhesion.

Ok I added a pic when I got home this is the deck after 3 years and I live in a wooded area we all know what that does to a deck.

 

[Utilitrack]

I have used the Restore product on my deck. Its going on 3 years and still looks good. It is a durable product.

I brushed it on but would suggest you use the enclosed roller as it has a sand in it and you need to mix it good and keep the sand even in the mixture. Rolling it I think does a better job of getting an even coat of the sand in the product. Brushing will cause the sand to be pulled one way or the other but I got around that by gobbing it on and barely brushing it. You put on at least three coats I think but it gives you a very durable coating. Best coating I have ever used on a deck as all others seem to only last a short time. The multiple coats makes the textured look , look more even so dont get scared after the 1st coat , by the 3rd coat the sand looks more evenly spread out. Even with the roller put it on as heavy as you can and roll it as little as possible.

I would use it again and would recommend it.

I imagine people who reported problems tried to put it on like it was stain, they most likely put it on thin and spread it out to save on how many gallons they used.

When mine was done it looked like a redwood flat finished bed liner coating with a slight grit texture for traction.

Since the thicker you put it on the better and its a thick product anyways plus you need 3 coats, its good for restoring really bad shaped decks as it fills in all the imperfections of a really weathered old deck.

I power washed my deck to get good adhesion.

Ok I added a pic when I got home this is the deck after 3 years and I live in a wooded area we all know what that does to a deck.

Thanks Huntingdog! What was the original coating on the deck?

 

[Huntindog1]

Over the years used several things, 2 different times used waterproofing with redwood color in it, then a couple different stains both solid redwood color. The last attempt I used Benjamin Moore primer and Benjamin Moore solid stain. I cleaned and power washed on all attempts to find something that would last. The story I got from the Benjamin Moore people is that the moisture comes up from the bottom thru the boards and causes issues.

 

[Ashful]

I think it would be an awful shame to put that stuff on cedar or redwood. If you have pressure-treated decking, then have at it, but I suspect most using these products will be cursing them ten years from now.

I had a cedar deck for many years, and just accepted the fact that horizontal surfaces needed a yearly pressure washing, and a re-coat every second year. If you stick with the same stain, that saves a ton of time in the stripping before re-coating. It was 400 sq. ft., so it didn't take but a few hours. Pressure wash Saturday morning, allow to dry, re-stain Sunday morning. Pretty simple for a once every two years kind of job.

That said... when we were ready to move to a bigger house, I made sure it did NOT have a deck!

 

[Huntindog1]

Agreed decks are a pain. Mine was a pressured treated deck, put in in 1995. Thats the same deck sames boards after 18 years. I went with nothing on the boards for a few years then had to do something thats when I had to learn by trial and error. Living in a wooded area is so much more of a pain for those who have decks. The stuff that washes out of trees is pretty cruddy. It all tries to grow on your wood deck even if its pressure treated.

If you have the money go with with plastic type deck boards , not sure what the material is called but looks pretty durable.