Cabots is junk, guys and girls I am not geting into deck/outside finish any more I have had it!!!!too much junk being sold.

For the last time>>> Ken has some good product to strip old bad stupid marketed total junk off a deck. www.restore-a-deck .com I use twp finish.

Thats it for me far as Folks geting had with the junk being sold. JMH

So what are your results a year later tninos ?

I used One Time on my year old deck in 2002. The water still beads up on it.
Had I sanded it like I was supposed to, it would look even better.
I have no complaints with this product at all.
We do not have the harsh winters in the foothills of NC, but we do have brutally hot and humid summers.
The One Time has held up well.

I just sanded my 1200 sf cedar deck to bare wood and after reading everything I could for the last week have determined three things: Penetrating oil is the only way to go; Stay away from any product or process that will result in a film of any kind; And TWP is a proven and known product.

I'm going with TWP (only one coat - no wet on wet or wet on dry)

Incidentally, the reason I sanded the whole deck was to, as much as possible, bring the wood to the same condition. The deck was built in stages over the last 15 years so the only way I could think to prepare a uniform surface was by sanding. The last product used was TWP (almost three years ago) and much of the deck was still very much protected.

I purchased and used this product last year (so I can't testify to longevity yet, though it looks great this year. I am pleased I bought it).
Why I bought it: My experience was that an outdoor deck (in northern vermont where the climate is hard on things) would need to be treated every 2 or 3 years at best. I had switched stains once and the two treatments clashed, so I needed to resand everything anyway.

Pros of this product: Yes it is expensive, but I needed only one gallon, compared to the 3" gallons of standard stain. I was very surprised. It cures in 2 days of sunshine (actually less, but the company says 2 days in case the amount of direct light it gets is less than optimal.

Cons: It is strongly scented with citronella, which keeps on smelling for a couple months.
It is orangy in color (but after wintering over that color was gone).

Unusual qualities: Water does not bead up on it (it has no waxes)so it doesn't act like typical deck stain. I noticed that someone else said theirs did bead up. It did rain the night I treated it (bad) but the company said that if it had a full day of sun, I was fine.

Finally: I had an extra gallon from last year, so today, I used part of it to treat the floor of a 13' gazebo I am building. (it better not rain!) E-mail me in 7 years and I'll let you know how it lasted. BTW, I discovered this on the Web from some great reviews. I found it available at a local hardware store who had just started carrying the product, so they couldn't speak to its quality either - they met someone at a trade show and were sold on it. I say don't poo poo it if you haven't tried it. I believe the person who is three years and going and it looks like new based on what I see.

Any updates from people who've used One Time Wood finish on their deck? Is there a potential that this finish would eventually peel?

We used "One Time" six years ago on our large north facing northern michigan deck. We used the clove brown and it was originally very dark brown but faded nicely over the years. Our deck has held up very well over the years and I like the way that One Time fades naturally. This year we have decided to restain and the process is very easy. We power washed the deck and are in the process of applying One Time with a roller and brush. I find this product very easy to work with and am greatly satisfied with the results. It gives a nice natural look to our deck and the low maintenace factor can't be beat! I'm not sure why there are negative posts on this product. The only downside is price, but ease of application and product endurance under extreme conditions (northern michigan winters) outweighs the price.

I AM TRYING TO DECIDE ABOUT STAINING MY DECK ON THE GULF COAST.I'VE BEEN LOOKING AT PRODUCTS FOR OVER A YEAR AND DECIDED ON SHERWIN WILLIAMS DECKSCAPE,EASY TO BUY AND I GET A MAJOR DISCOUNT.THEN I SAW THE PRODUCT "ONE TIME "THAT SOUNDS EXACTLY WHAT I NEED.WHAT SHOULD I BELIEVE ON THESE BLOGS AND WHY NO PICTURES? I HAVE SO MANY PICTURES OF MY DECK.SEEMS LIKE THAT WOULD ANSWER ANY DOUBTS.THANKS FOR INFO!

Terrible product. After 10 days in the hot sun this product is sticky still. Kneel on it and it rubs off on your skin and clothes. Walk on it and the bottom of your shoes a smeared in it. Dust on it forms a nasty goo. I brushed it on, back brushed off any pooling, and now I'm stuck with a brand new fir deck that is absolutely disgusting. I used Clove Red, if that matters to anyone. I really don't know what to do - it's kind of the vegetable oil that has been dried - still sticky, but impossible to remove. Don't make the mistake I made.

I just did my small deck with One Time in Clove Brown. It has been four days and it is still curing, but that is because my deck is on the west side of my house and it gets direct sun only about 5-6 hours out of the day this time of year. I expect it to fully cure over about the next week if we have enough sunny days.

My deck looks beautiful! One Time penetrates completely into the wood and leaves no film on the surface. There is nothing on the surface to peel--EVER.

I purchased One Time over the phone after speaking with a sales rep who had a lot of knowledge about this and other products. We discussed at length the prep process, the application process, and the likelihood of a longer curing time in my situation. He told me that in 3-5 years if the color has faded and I want to freshen it up, all I have to do is wash the deck down with Dawn dish soap and water, completely rinse and allow to dry, then reapply the product. I do not expect excessive fading on my deck for a long time, for the same reason that I did expect a longer curing time--fewer hours of direct sunlight on my deck each day.

This product was super easy to apply. Clean up was easy. The dark brown was a concern at first but I can see it lightening a bit each day.

Wood stain fades outdoors--that is a given. However, it is the protection feature of One Time that is guaranteed for seven years. And reapplication does in fact go over the initial application without needing to be stripped. I never wanted to be faced with having to strip the deck, so that one feature was what sold me on One Time.

My deck looks absolutely beautiful! I have had several neighbors stop by for a look and all comments have been positive.

I have also used the 7-Year Sealer and think it is wonderful. I checked out a 6 year old application and it looks as good as new.

I definitely recommend Bond and our deck is 1,940 sf (I know, what was I thinking?). A five gallon can was more than adequate. It is because my wife did not want to cut anymore grass - though I like to bag and compost. I highly recommend you powerwash the deck before you apply. Ours was only about a month of dry weather when I did the task. We are north central West Virginia, and winter can be a lot like Chicago here.

The other thing I did was order a battery powered 4-gallon napsack style garden sprayer. Four gallons was a little heavy to carry, so I only used a couple of gallons at a time. Had the entire thing sealed in about 3.5 hours. Worth every penny - just like the 7-Year Sealer.

That is my humble opinion!

We put up composite bench seating almost all the way around, so that of course did not need sealed. Does not look as good as I envisioned, but we did not want to be pulling splinters out of the grandkids (or our) butts!

Brian

I recently put One TIME on my new fir porch floor. It went on very easily and covered well. Brush cleanup was a bit of pain. It was very slow to cure - took almost a week even with plenty of sun. It now seems a little sticky when you walk on it with rubber soled shoes - but it doesn't really feel too sticky to the touch. Everybody says that it looks great. We'll see what it's like after a New England winter.

We always use One Time for our clients on new wood decks. It is absolutely the longest-lasting, best wood protection we have found.

Regarding the curing/drying issues described in a few posts here, One Time will cure as long as it can soak into the wood. If the wood has been coated in the past with another proiduct, you must strip the old stain before applying One Time. If One Time is applied too heavily on new wood and doesn't cure, you just remove the uncured material, and what remains in the wood will cure.

I hope I am ok to put the link below to the guys we get One Time from. They are very knowledgable about all kinds of stains including the One Time and they seem very unbiased. I have been doing this for a long time, but I still go to that site when I have a question.

Here is a link that might be useful: One Time Wood Protector

I am in South-Central Louisiana where the climate is humid most of the time. I have been using Bonds One Time for a very long time on almost every project imaginable. I have put bonds on 4x4 fence posts, plywood, 2x4's, 2x6's, OSB boards, all a mixture of pressure treated and untreated woods.

I can tell you that there is absolutely no contest vs any other wood preservative I have ever tried. This stuff soaks right into the wood and actually becomes a part of the wood itself. The resins seal off the wood, preventing moisture penetration, mold growth, mildew, swelling, warping, etc.

My fence posts are actually subjected to a week of standing water of over a foot deep at certain times during the year, and the way I prepared them was to apply a coat of Bonds One Time before they went into the ground, then another coat about a month later, followed by a third coat of the bottom 2 feet of each post a month after that. It was probably overkill but I want the fence to last my lifetime. On the 3 feet that is concreted in the ground I applied a thick coat of epoxy resin normally used on fiberglass, and allowed it to cure 24 hrs before burying them.

The Bonds One Time is a superior product. Re-coating requires only a washing of the wood, allow to dry a couple of days, then simply apply the new coat(s). It is best to wait about 1 month between coats to allow the 1st coat to thoroughly cure in.

I purchase this stuff in 5 gallon buckets, and if they sold it in 55 gallon drums you can bet I would have a couple out back.

*When using this stuff on new pressure treated wood, stack the wood with spacers in between each board and allow the wood to dry out some (at LEAST a week, even better a month) before treating it with One Time. Otherwise it will remain sticky for a month or longer due to moisture inside the wood stopping it from curing properly. It WILL eventually cure but it will stay sticky a while, and that can be annoying if it is a deck or something you walk or sit on...

I cannot sing praises high enough for this stuff. New or old wood, it will preserve it.

Could someone post some pictures? I know I am resurrecting an older post here, but it is the right place for details. Words are wonderful, but honestly "looks great" means something different to everyone.

what I would love to see are some pictures of an ipe deck after two years of use. All I see are people who say they hate the solution (because it "cant work" and they aren't willing to test) and people who say it works but offer no proof.

Slightly off subject, but those that have used the UV Acryic sealers, would it be an appropriate product to seal exposed rafter tails and beams(end grain) that currently has a semi-transparent stain applied for about 5 yrs. I don't want to strip off the st stain because it would be nigh on impossible to do and I would be concerned about appearance results. I am seeing some splitting and weathering from water and sun penetrating the end grain, so I want to arrest it now.

I found all of the past postings on "One-Time" very helpfull and informative. My deck was installed 4 years ago and is a product called Red Mangaris. I've sanded it when put down and coated it with Rose Wood Oil, which was recomended for Brizilizn Hardwoods. After a short period of time the deck, which had a fine grained rich mahogony look when initially coated, started to turn a blackish color. The Rosewood Oil Manufacturer made a few application recomendations, which I followed last year, but the end result was the same. Needless to say I'm not happy with the end result and am looking into using "one Time". I spoke to the manufacturer of "One-Time" and they were very helpful. They advised striping the deck with their stripper product and utalizing a pigmented stain. They sent some stain samples and I'm going to try a few.
Has anyone used Rosewood oil on hardwood decking and had a similar "blackish" end result? (It is not mold)

Will the one time stripper product remove the rosewood oil from the existing hardwood deck properly? Should I strip it twice?

Marangis Redwood is similar in hardness to Ipe. Experience and results of using "One-Time" on similar hardwoods is appreciated.

ok
I took the leap and applied one time to my ipe deck. Color looks pretty good and it is still a bit sticky after 4 days. It did rain the other night and left some spots and rainbow stains. Salesman said to power wash it and it may take a few more days to cure. We shall see.

Please postt back any result of removing your rainbows.

I'm working on a 500 sqft deck right now, which I consider pretty big and very special to me. I want to protect it nicely and am looking into whatt sealer/stain to use. Its basic treated lumber, and I'd like a little more richness in color. I was thinking some general semi trans sealer yearly, but this one time sounds very interesting.

On one hand I'm afraid of it not working, but then being completely stuck with it. ( can it be stripped?)

On the other hand, I'm not sure that I can committe to a color for that long.

I have an almond/beige/creme/whatever you wanna call t, vinyl house and I'm typing a gazebo into the corner of tthe deck that was here when I bought the house. Its one of the "pvc" gazebos with the "Trex" like surface. Its got a grey floor, and a light creme color everywhere else, but I do not want to make my deck grey.

Any suggestions????

I was really torn about using this product. I have built dozens of decks and for the few customers that decided to also have their decks stained, I determined not to advice for or against any type or brand of stain, as all my experiences had been that, for the price, staining is a waste of time.
It doesnt last and there is usually added cost to a reapplication as the previous application needs to be stripped, it usually looks worse after two years than if no stain had been applied at all, it provides almost no protection from UV and/or weathering, and finally after the cost of staining, stripping and restraining over the years, you could have saved by replacing the deck and keeping the change (Note: this analysis is based on pressure treated pine decking materials).
I had my own personal deck that had been built by the original home builder that was poorly constructed and needed to be replaced and expanded. My wife insisted on staining the new deck, contrary to my advice.
I read as many reviews and opinions as I could on various stains and sealers and gleaned as much advice as I could from many of my subcontractor associates as I could, most concurred with me, most stains were a waste of money.
The thing that initially drew my attention (other than the 7 year claim), was the fact that the previous application of One-Time DID NOT needs to be "stripped", only pressure washed before reapplication. As most know stripping the old stain adds substantially to the reapplication cost and usually turns out inconsistent and sometimes erratic, not always obscured by the subsequent staining.
The biggest negative however of the One-Time was the cost.
My deck surface was just over 350 sq ft plus I had handrails with turned balusters and a 10X12 section covered by a pergola, and a few steps (all pressure treated yellow pine not previously stained or sealed). According to the coverage estimates 250 to 350 sq ft, I had calculated I would need between 3-1/2 and 4 gals of stain, so I ordered the 5 gal size and surprisingly ended up with only about a pint remaining. I suspect the turned balusters were mostly responsible for drinking the additional materials, point being, I got less than the 250 sq ft coverage advertised.
Stain on balusters, handrails and steps were applied with a 4" brush, the actual decking application was applied with a heavy nap roller, and touched up with a 4" brush. The stain was rather pungent and needs to be applied using a quality mask. The deck is on the eastern side of the house and receives well over 6 hours of direct sun in the summertime (when stain was applied). As in previous commentary, this stuff cures and penetrates slowly. The stain surface remained somewhat sticky for about a week, it also took several weeks for the odor of the stain to finally subside. As the stain cured and penetrated sap began to ooze from several of the decking boards this continued for several weeks eventually subsiding after the stain had finally cured. The sap was relatively easy to remove with a painterÂs tool after it had crystallized.
I chose the Cedar Red, because the factory informed me that the more pigment (i.e. color) the better the UV protection, and most importantly, my wife liked it. The application was a royal pain with the coverage scare, slow cure rate, and lingering odor, but the final results were fabulous, the Red Cedar color gave my whole deck a deep mahogany glow, the transparency color is very consistent throughout. Although this is only the second year (third season) since the application I am amazed how great it looks, I can perceive little to no fading at all, and it looks as good as the year it was applied. Most stains here in Georgia would be shot by now or certainly in serious need of a freshening up.
Now when any of my customers ask about deck staining and/or sealing, I do recommend the One-Time product, however as of yet, not a single one has opted to try it, the sticker shock is too much I fearÂ.
I give little credence to those that pooh-pooh a product, any product they have never used, reviews and opinions should be based on experiences (good or bad) with a given product, not baseless supposition.
I personally would/will use this product again, there are inconveniences and the price is steep, but it seems to me the best stain/sealer available I have run across to date.

Pergola

Handrail and Balusters

Decking

You have to weed through the off topic pictures at the top, but here are some pictures of 3,222 sf area (including fence/railings) of PT pine that has been coated in the Natural One-Time color.

While the upfront cost was more, the fact that it won't need done for another 6 or 7 years, as well as the time it would take to clean and reseal and buy new sealer, etc. is worth the price difference to me!

http://thesunsp.iserver.net/deck/turtle.htm

a second link:

http://thesunsp.iserver.net/deck/may-deck.htm

and a third:

http://thesunsp.iserver.net/deck/its-done.htm

I ordered the last 5 gallon drum this morning so that I can do the outside of these fence/rails as well as seal a 9 year old 10X50 deck at the office. Will have taken a total of 11 to 12 gallons for the deck behind our home.

I am considering buying CedarCide penatrating sealant.
I've read over their product description and sounds similar to One Time.
Anyone used or know of this product?

I am posting a follow up to my experience with using one time on my ipe deck. My initial experience was very disappointing. Since ipe does not absorb stains well I think I might have used too much. I ended up with rainbow stains and spotting and a sticky deck for a week. It left highly shiny areas and seems to have faded quickly in the sun just like ATO. Then I sanded down 1 board and applied the stain using a paper towel and wiping off all excess. I was very pleased with the result. It dried witin a days time and left a beautiful stain. Problem now is I am going to have to sand the whole deck and treat it using this technique. Probably with something a little better than a paper towel. I will have to see how long the stain lasts but I don't expect long. Even the one time salesman said it would only hold on IPE for about 2 years.

Any polymeric, acrylic coatings for example, such as this One Time stuff doesn't exhibit any great UV protective properties. Plus I would never use anything that is hazmat.

Opinions are like rectums, we all have one!

I am sold on One-Time and have yet to see any reason not to use it. Check with me in another 5 to 7 years and I will let you know if that changes. My application is Top-Choice PT pine. I saw an 8 year application this past weekend (I did NOT have my camera with me darn it) and I was Really Impressed. Showed very little fade and I can only hope that mine looks like it in that same time frame. He said all they have ever done to maintain is to hose and brush to get the bird droppings off.

The third image down on this page show you all five of the color shades from One-Time. I used them on the turtle pieces - this is part of their sample pack.

The head and tail is a color (Golden Honey) that they do not recommend for decks - it is made for log cabins and other horizontal applications, but I intend to cover those two pieces with clear flat Varathane.

The letters and the 'outter' ring of the turtle are Chestnut and is really rich in tone. It would give the maximum amount of UV protection, but on a deck our size with the sun hitting it from 10 am till sunset, it would just be too hot - not that we can afford deck furniture at this point anyway!

My wife loved Chestnut and I really like the Clove Brown and almost wish we had gone with the Red Cedar (the turtles feet) though. Again, maybe in 7 years or so I will consider it.

All that being said, we are very happy with the Natural.

The wear you see on the deck in front of the new addition is not really wear, but saw and scroll dust that I need to brush and wash out of the wood once I am completely finished with the walkway.

Last, but not least, I have no clue where derekbertrand goes with the Hazmat thingie. I received 3 separate 5 gallon containers of it via Fedex and none of them have a Hazmat sticker on it. My deck took about 12 gallons to complete and the extra three are to go on a deck at my office.

I think there is some confusion out there on what One-Time is made of. It is even approved by Pennsylvania, which outlawed oil based stains and seals - not that I have any respect or love for PA. This is the only oil based seal available in PA to the best of my knowledge.

I am so far a fan of One Time but I just put mine on last July. Its still very early but still looks great.

big deck I just saw your post that says they don't recomment Golden Honey for decks. Thats exactly whats on my deck! I bought it from the only local supplier. He only carries natural golden honey and the clove brown. I said the others didn't sell well enough to stock em. I told him it was for 600 sqft of deck and he had no problem with it.

I actually came here searching for info on what to wash my deck with. I have a pressure washer but figured I should use a cleaner but didnt want to harm anything.

I have a few trees right by the deck and while most of the deck is spotless and beautiful the area right under the nearest tree is dark and needs cleaning.

Any suggestions on what I should use?

Also as for color choice. I got samples and personally thought the natural was too light i thought clove was too dark and I thought I'd love the red cedar but ultimately it just seemed too red. The golden honey isnt as light as you'd think. Its rich and deep but still kind of light and I love it. I'll try to post a couple pics here. Its such a pain to post pics here because you have to host them somewhere like imageshack and then link to the host.

Oh btw if anyone sees this I need to clean my deck. What the box stores have I think has bleach in it.

Can I just use Oxi clean? I keep reading on sites about using oxygen bleach but no info on where to actually get it. If its the same stuff I've got oxiclean in my laundry room. i'll just mix a couple pounds in a 5 gallon bucket and scrub her down.
thanks

woodrich-brand.com Decide if your project needs to be striped of if an oxalic wash will work. Both require you scrub her down. J.

John thanks. Nothing needs to be striped I'm just doing a little spring cleaning and getting the winter gunk off the deck from the adjacent tree.

I've been doing a bunch more reading and its looking like I can just use oxy clean right out of my laundry room.

Its a very good idea no matter what cleaner you use to finish up with an oxalic acid wash. J.

tninos , so how does your deck look 4 years later

Hey, My ONETIME SEALED DECK is doing fine, in the SUN SHINE, and while ya'll are strippin, spraying, spending,hosing, brooming,washing,sweeping,rolling,sealing, swearing I am sitting down having a beer on my ONETIME DECK in my BIG A%& Chair. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

After reading lots of reviews, I used OneTime this summer. I choosed Gold Honey for my 450 sq ft deck with handrails and spindles.It costs 3 gallons. It is true OneTime is cured by the sunlight cos in a small area without dirct sunshine, the stain was still wet after two weeks. My deck looks beautuful after the stain and I guess the OneTime should last a long time since it is very hard to be sanded it away. This stain get into the wood deeply and becomes to the part of the wood. The only two things you should be aware is:
1. It is expensive but comparing the labor and the time it will last, it is fairly cheap if it will last 7 years.
2. It will be very hard to be stripped and sanded if you want to choose other brand stain. But if you are satisfied with OneTime, it is fine because you will just need to clean the deck and use the other coat on the top of it.

I am enjoying my deck now.

pressurepros ... I hope you are still watching this thread. I sealed my deck with OneTime Wood in 2004. It is now 2011 and it is working perfectly (in direct sunlight). I admit I didn't read all your posts, but I didn't see you suggest any alternatives in your post.

The bottom line is that there is NO QUESTION that OneTime Wood does what it says. Period. There is nothing more to say.

Has anyone used READY SEAL for decks?

After extensive research I decided to spend the cash and purchase a 5 gallon bucket of ONE TIME WOOD to seal my deck a few years ago. I did not want to reseal every 2-3 years like my neighbors, and even though the salesman at the hardware store scoffed at me for paying what he thought was too much, I am glad I did, as the old saying goes, you get what you pay for. So far , after 3 years my deck still looks new and alot better than my neighbors. (he went with the cheaper sealer)
I live in VA and my deck is exposed to extreme heat and sunlight all summer long and I do really believe it will go another four or more before I have to recoat, and I will use the same product again.

I just applied Onetime to a cedar deck which was free from any prior stain or coatings. We stripped what little stain was present. The deck looked fantastic when done, and we rolled with 5/8" nap roller.

Customer called to complain deck is still "oily" after 2 great drying days of full sun on deck. I called Onetime, and they said that they've since changed instructions to 1/4" nap. they also said we could "hose off excess" GHas any seen this? We were careful not to roll on too thick. (or so I thought)

I must've read this thread several times since we moved into our new house last fall as I try to decide what to do to our deck / screen porch (east side of house). I'm very interested in the One Time for less frequent re-applications (it's a 2-story deck over a walk-out basement), but I worry about the fact it needs direct sunlight to be cured. Most of the part inside the screened porch will not get direct sun. Are there comparable colors in other brands that I could use on the floor on the INSIDE portion to avoid the sticky, non-curing of the One Time?

Thanks!

I sealed my new front cedar porch (6 months of weathering) with the Chestnut color, 2 weeks ago. After about a week it was still very sticky and oily in places. The Porch only gets a few hours in the morning of direct sunlight. After about 10 days, I used some mineral spirits to wipe off the access. Next day still had the same problem, so I used a brush and mineral spirits to brush access off again. Day 12 & 13 I used some soap, water, brush.

The sticky is gone, but it is still oily. Hoping it clears up sooner then later.

I am currently staining my deck and decided to invest in One Time. Its the first deck I've stained so I cant really compare but I do like how this stuff works! I'm staining treated pine after 1 1/2 years of weathering. I cleaned thoroughly with some deck prep cleaner and a stiff nylon brush and garden hose. I went with Clove Brown and like how it looks so far however it did rain about 24 hours after it was applied. It looked much darker at first and I dont know what if any effect the rain had but I definately like the not so dark look that it's currently showing.

I know that it has taken a bit more stain to cover my deck than I thought it would but I think it'll be worth it.

These pics show how it looks after about a week or so of curing with random rain showers.

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Hey! I am back to find a new deck sealer and protector ... and I Googled this thread. So, here goes:

Location is Puget Sound area of Washington State.
Moss, mildew, algae, and other growing things are constant adversaries 8 months of a year.

Decks (two) are Western Red Cedar, attached to cedar sided--and at one time, cedar roofed--house. Front deck, porch, faces south and is mostly covered by roof. Rear deck is mostly shaded most of any day by the house facade and roof.

We have 4 months of dry, hot sun. The rest of the fall, spring and winter water falls vertically (30-inches of it) to keep moss and algae green.

Wood decks must, *must*, MUST be protected!!!

House was built in 1985 and 3/4 inch cedar decking installed. When we moved in (1994) the original semi-transparent stain was pretty much gone and sections and whole boards were rotting. The decks were rebuilt in 1999, using mostly sapwood 5/4 cedar decking on porch; and 3/4 cedar trim on shaded back deck.

Finishes:
First- Semi-transparent oil (linseed). Cracked and did dandruff thing during first summer. By winter was green and black.

Sanded with orbital finish sander two years later and redone with Cabot Semi-transparent. Consumer Reports raved. Linseed oil, maybe Tung oil. Finish cracked and failed to hold off black and green armies partway through first winter.

I gave up and bought a 2200 psi power washer. For several summers plus a break I poured gallons of laundry bleach and spent a summer day power washing.

Two years ago I stripped both decks (bleach, TSP, belt sander) and searched for a deck sealer, protector. I used Penofin at $50 per gallon from my hometown hardware store. I had heard of it before (Lowe's at one time?). It has some exotic tree/seed/flower wax for the solids. Stinks, and took a week to walk on in shaded deck. Next day was fine on south deck. Stunk for months. Protected south porch got its second coat after scrub and light sanding last summer. The cedar color is an unnatural orange Cedar tint.

Penofin held up, ah, ummmm ok at covered and sunny front porch. I may finish the container on it this summer.

The back, shaded deck? Well, I am here, again. I am not sanding again, but the Penofin discoloration does not strip off well, at all.

We are working on 13 years now for this deck. It needed new, and sections of, boards replaced two years ago, so will need replacement in two or three more years.

I am thinking "One Time" can literally be 'one time' or, at $150 for two gallons, postpone the inevitable cash drain for a new deck.

Strip deck and then neutralize it. Look up Ready Seal and Armstrong Clark Sealers.

One Time Samples were ordered on Sunday. They arrived the following Thursday, and I immediately smeared out test blotches in three locations for four tints--redwood was just too red. Contrary to the norm, it had not rained in two weeks, and the deck was pristine from a fresh power wash.

The sealer reminded me of those samples that grease monkey and all the oil change shops have to encourage a customer to drain more than the crankcase. The One Time Sealer smelled a lot like UFO transmission fluid.

I waved my cabbob sticks of oil over thirsty cedar and laid out what seemed a typical coat of fluid.

An hour later, the full sun site was showing signs of an exodus of sealer into the surrounding wood desert. The two sites under the northern eaves slept.

On the second day Desert Sun had expanded to double its original size. A fingerprint yielded sticky UFO transmission oil smell. It looked like rain-soaked deck.

The shaded sites slept.

On the third evening, Desert Sun held its wet sheen but color tints had blended together, and all were sticky.

Shady sites slept, the only change having been a leveling of application streaks into a uniform color of each tint sample.

Day four awoke to the patter of light rain. Desert Sun site' color had blended into the dark sheen of rain soaked old cedar deck. A creek of oil slick irridescences flowed from the camouflaged samples.

Shaded Sites were oblivious to the rain; and their intended purpose.

It is Day Five. Decks can not wait this long (and longer) to be walked on. The shaded samples will be wiped up with rags. And, I am back to the hunt.

BTW, none of the organic, wax based sealers will last longer than a few months. These are linseed, tung, rosewood, parafin, and other conglomerations of natural and synthetic oils. The waxes are food for algae, and mold. An owner is stuck with finding an elastic surface seal, or poison. Our environmental needs don't permit the second option.

Hi, CaptRandy!
You must be with TheSealerStore.com. Or, DeckStainHelp.com.

It is amazing that your highest rated (if the above assumptions apply) Stains, Sealers, Deckings, etc., are unknown brands, like OneTime.

I could turn my deck into a sample board for deck finishes; and other frustrations!

I am a landscape architect. I have dealt with 'flakes' and 'mirrors' for 30 years. And, decks for just as long.

There is really no magic bullet for preserving wood decks--perhaps stone--but we keep trying because it gets costlier every month to replace a wood deck.

BTW, for cedar siding: acrylic latex, two coats color over a first primer coat--that's three coats. Back brush the final coat. I have 13 years on the paint job. But we do have 18" to 24" roof eaves. Modern design with no overhangs does not consider longevity--or "green".

I bought a couple 5 gallon buckets of the bonds one time, here are my experiences with it:

In 2006 I applied Bonds One Time to my treated 8 foot long 4x4's (treated pine i think its called from lowes) and they have shown no signs of weather wear or loss of the stuff they were treated with.

To apply i simply let the wood dry for a few weeks in the sun and applied the one time liberally with a paintbrush. I went over each one twice to make sure it was coated thoroughly. I allowed the One time to dry for several days, turning the wood daily to make the sun hit the different sides. I then coated the bottom 3 1/2 feet of each 4x4 with fiberglass resin that takes a full day to cure. After the resin was cured i used my tractor to dig the 3' deep fencepost holes and filled the hole with 100 lbs concrete along with the 4x4.

More recently, in 2009 i built a freestanding roof over my mobile home, used 4x4x18' treated pine for the 'legs' of the roof, buried those 3' deep with cement. They were treated in the same manner as the fenceposts, Bonds One Time on the whole thing, then when that dried fiberglass resin on the bottom 3 1/2 feet. One of those 4x4s ended up warping (it bent several feet over) and had to be replaced, i did not have time to treat that 4x4 the same way as the others, since the contractors couldn't stop working for 2 days while i prepared the new 4x4. That 4x4 is looking weathered, whereas the ones treated with the Bonds One Time look like new wood.

Boarded up some windows on an old RV I use for storage with some kind of particle board stuff, treated it with Bonds, let it dry, installed them. Years later the particle board stuff i cut the pieces from that was just sitting out in the weather is turned to dust, whereas the boards i treated with the Bonds look the same as the day i installed them.

I treated a set of steps with the bonds and they look great.

I highly recommend Bonds One Time for any outdoor wood. I would like to say, make sure your wood is dry, not treated with any other product (exception is the treated wood you get from lowes, just let it dry in the sun for a few weeks before applying the Bonds for best results). For best results, apply in the hottest dryest weather you can do it in, since the hotter it is the better it absorbs into the wood. i find that it takes at least couple or more days to properly cure this stuff, but once it is cured you are good to go.

Final note: I have seen many "professionals" dogging this product on the internet, and my theory on this is that it is their job to build stuff and apply sealant/paint/etc to their finished product, then to come back in a couple years and charge you to strip and reapply it, thus, a product that works as well as Bonds One Time and lasts as long as it does, cuts into their pocketbook big time by not allowing them to charge you every 2 years to strip and reapply sealant/paint/whatever. My personal experience has shown that this stuff works, and how!

crap used it on my deck HUGE deck and 4 yrs later it looks like a deck that has been neglected for 10 yrs. spent alot of $$$$$ on 6-8 gallons of the stuff. forgetaboutit!

great thread...boy was I struggling with how much to pay and what sort of prep for my deck. Everyone who came to quote had differing opinions, latex, oil, sand, don't sand, pressure wash, don't pressure wash, strip, don't strip, clean, brightener..

Why spend $500 more for more prep if as most are saying, you will get 2 years out of it.

I think many here, including myself would just like to know what kind of prep is really needed if the homeowner would like to maintain a deck after a few years of an oil based stain being used.

It makes no sense cost wise or time wise to have to strip all the way down every 2 years. It's something not a lot will do, especially after hearing and seeing that no matter what you do, you will most likely only get 2 years.

So if the same color or close to it is going to be used for maintaining, is a good cleaning all that is really needed to maintain an oil based stained deck?

Also, is TWP the real deal or just a case where a few sites that top the search engines are leading you to?... and is deckstainhelp just a disguised TWP dealer?

edit..My deck is Phillipine Mahogany, stained 5 years ago with Australian Timber oil(old formula). Stain is gone on flooring, but decent color still on posts and spindles. Is a power washing and staining with TWP adequate? Any suggestions on what TWP color is closest to Australian Timber Oil Mahogany Flame?

I have used One Time 6 or 7 years ago on our cedar deck after having used Cabots/Thompson the years before. With Cabot I had to re-stain every year or other year. Sanded the deck and applied One Time. Held up a lot better than Cabot or Thompson even though I think 7 years is a stretch. I re-stained after 3 or 4 years and just applied a thin layer over the old one after power washing the deck. I used a roller and wiped all excess off. Was sticky for a while but then cured. We live in New England with snowy, cold winters and hot, muggy summers. One Time was recommended to me by the sales associate in our specialty paint shop. Deck still looks great.

Hope this helps.

Time for a new Update. Though I was seeing now degradation other then tint fade on Golden Honey used almost 7 years ago - it is difficult to remember how long it actually was applied as the deck took me two years to complete and 12 gallons to finish - but last September (2014) I decided it was time to reseal. I had quite a few large areas of mildew and for some reason it seems that large birds use my deck for target practice, so after considerable research I decided on DeckBrite to powerwash, then Red Cedar to reseal, as the darker the color the more pigment it contains - ie, the Red Cedar should retain color longer than did the the Golden Honey. There was absolutely No degradation to the wood in any location. The only real labor the cleaning required was a hand-brush over the bird dropping locations. Applied with a sprayer - brushed out the heavy areas of application and was done with 11 gallons this go around.

RE: the photos - which I did not place in the order they are shown. The TurtleWalk photo is a scroll saw project I did with on a 4x8' section of PT plywood off the right front section of the deck that leads to the turtle garden that is also right front of the picture. The various shades are from a color sample set that OneTime sent me and the green is a custom color that was mixed by Lowes of Olympic Deck, Fence & Siding Stain (which after one year is already showing wear [unhappily]. You can see the original Golden Honey After the DeckBrite application and before laying down the Red Cedar, which surrounds the turtle.

The Red Cedar in 5 Gallon tube. Took 2 plus 1 gallon in gallon container.


The DeckBrite, which required 2 large containers to clean the deck and all the side rails and was ordered from amazon.comThis is the deck, taken from the roof of our house before my wife began covering it with furniture. Note that in the front right section it is not compete yet and there is a panel section of railing that has not been sealed yet - so it is still under construction - and on the patio is the 4x8 TurtleWalk project in progress.



Finally, an adapted version of this bench-planter project is in progress as I write this. I am constructing two of them to go on the mid-way section on the left side of the upper level. One is almost as pictured and the other is adapted with only one planter to accommodate a power source attached to the railing. When completed they will be sealed with Red Cedar and I am comfortable with the fact that they will not need resealed for another 6 or 7 years!

One a hillside on our property there is a section that will not grow anything that we want to grow, so I built several log cabin type planters and each awaits being sealed with Red Cedar as I allow the PT Landscape Timbers to dry out.

Final project, that is not on the HoneyDo List, for the summer is a beehive, which I will also seal with OneTime - though I have not decided if it will be Golden Honey or Red Cedar!

L