Construction Contractors Community

Barry M · Joined: 05 Sep 2007 Posts: 99 Location: Indiana

What is the difference between sealing, staining, and waterproofing? Not much, as a matter of fact in the wood restoration industry these terms all refer to the same thing. Sealers, stains, and waterproof agents all serve the same purpose; to protect wood decks and fences.

There are many good wood sealers on the market today but it can get confusing on which product to use. Most reputable wood care professionals will use a good semi transparent oil based wood sealer. Most stay away from water based and silicone enhanced sealers.

Pressure treated lumber, cedar, hardwoods, and exotic woods all need protected from the elements. Wood stains are meant to protect against water and sun damage. The chemical in pressure treated lumber is meant to deter bugs but does nothing to protect against the rain and UV rays.

The most important factor in cleaning decks and wood maintenance is preparing the wood properly to accept the new sealer. The number one reason a wood sealer fails is because the wood was not cleaned properly. There are many reputable contractors that restore wood decks so be sure to ask plenty of questions to be sure you get the service you expect.

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Pressure Washing Company Providing House Washing, Concrete Cleaning, the Cleaning of Wood Decks and Other Power Washing Services

Chris · Joined: 24 Sep 2007 Posts: 3

Great info Barry, Thanks.

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Superior Power Washing
Chris Chappell
Wood Fence and Deck Cleaning in Corpus Christi Texas

Barry M · Joined: 05 Sep 2007 Posts: 99 Location: Indiana

I believe the main factor in people being disappointed in their DIY results or the results from hiring a fly by night deck cleaning contractor is still the deck sealer failing prematurely. This is normally due to improper wood preparation. I think this is actually getting worse with so many new deck sealing products coming out on the market, people are trying everything and are being sold on false advertising of 8 to 10 years of coverage. Any wood restoration contractor out there will tell you that no product will last that long. Homeowners are missing the concept that the wood needs to be prepped correctly or no stain will last long. It isn't about the wood stain, as there are a lot of good products out there, it's about the prep work. This is where people are missing the boat and then blaming the deck sealing products.

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House Washing Company Providing Deck Cleaning, Concrete Cleaning, Roof Cleaning and Other Power Washing Services

Power washing · Joined: 01 Dec 2010 Posts: 6 Location: USA

Yep, the $99 guy is leaving a trail of mess. They have bad reviews in my area but customers are still hiring them.