Hand-painting a wooden deck after removing stain. Strip the deck first, then use Olympic Cedar Stain, apply by brush and roller and pad.

Southern Home Wood Deck and Wood Fence Cleaning and Staining

(804)585-8016

I have worked cleaning and staining wood decking for Bob Yondola since the 1990's when I used to advertise with a company called Val-Pak. Over the years, Bob and I have seen it all. In days of lore, I would seal his deck with a product called Olympic Waterguard. Olympic had everything anyone ever wanted in a deck sealant, clear. One thing it had in it was linseed oil. Linseed oil is a wonderful natural sealant that has been used for hundreds of years as a preservative on wood. For example, on wood ships, Linseed oil preserved the wood. It helped the wood boards stay protected from the elements, merely by strengthening the wood fibers.

Now we use it on wood decks. The beauty of using it on a wood deck is that those wooden fibers pull back on themselves and strengthen the wood. Bob's deck is now twenty-five years old and I am the first to be working on his years ago. We are now using Olympic Maximum Cedar semi-transparent stain. I am proud of how the wood looks years later.

Cabot brand, Australian Timber Oil, painted on a new deck by Southern Home, Richmond, VA 804-585-8016

Hello, my name is Joseph Sowell. I have been cleaning and sealing wood decks in Richmond, VA for thirty years. I know about nearly every product available to the American consumer. I have recognized some very significant traits about the product called, Cabot brand, Australian Timber Oil. Pay very close attention as I know more about this product than most anyone. I have used it extensively and can tell you a few things before you get involved with this water-sealant. 

Firstly, the product does look absolutely beautiful when it is applied correctly. Secondly, it is very hard to apply and a good amount of time will go into the final product. Even the smallest deck will require more sealant than you are anticipating. The can says something about using only one coat, but there is no way in the world that you are going to get the finish that you are supposed to get using only one coat. A 10' x 15' deck with several steps will probably require two gallons to get the desired results. New wood will swallow the sealant as if you were applying the product to parched earth. 

The project at hand was one where a customer had a kind friend apply the product to her wood deck. He had done a fine job, however, this product is apt to show roller marks and imperfections if only one coat is applied. You will use less product if the deck was sealed in the past. New wood, however, absorbs more product into the pores of the wood. If a stain was on the deck in the past, a stain-stripper must be used to remove all old stain. That task alone can cause the previous product to come out of the pores, necessitating more product. 

The product will go onto the surface best with an applicator pad. I have been taught to use this pad for this product, so I cannot tell you whether a roller can be used, but I suspect it would not produce the same, smooth results that I get when using the soft applicator pad.

This project took two vigilant days of attention and two men about 22 hours labor. Material can be applied with a brush. Overlap is one of the hardest parts of this beautiful finish. See pics below.  

22 Man Hours

Most people don't want to take on such a project, many hours are involved. Getting the seal to look perfect is not easy. That is where, Southern Home comes in. Call: 804-585-8016 if you decide to hire someone to do the work for you. Our pricing is very competitive. Quality is excellent, always.

Southern Home Wood Deck Cleaning and Sealing/Staining.(804) 585-8016, www.southernhomedeck.com

Southern Home Wood Deck and Fence

www.southernhomedeck.com

www.powerwash5000.com

(804)585-8016

New deck with Natural Honey CWF Water Sealant

Southern Home Handyman in Richmond, VA

Wood Deck Cleaning and Staining in January 2023! www.southernhomedeck.com , Ready for Spring 2023! Sherwin Williams Semi-transparent Deck Stain

Southern Home Wood Deck and Fence

Wood Deck and Wood Fence Cleaning and Staining

(804) 585-8016

www.southernhomedeck.com

Here is a more recent project. It is crazy, cold and winter weather one week, feels like Spring a few days later! A customer decided that he wanted to take advantage of the nice week of warm weather and get his deck stained so it will look nice for the nice weather and hope
that Spring is soon.

 

I am very pleased with the results. We used a Sherwin Williams product that has a semi-solid finish. It is very durable, you see less grain, but the product lasts longer. It is a nice look!

If you decide not to do the work yourself, call Southern Home Wood Deck in Richmond, Virginia or see us online at www.southernhomedeck.com and learn how we do very nice work using the proper cleaning solutions that won't hurt your wood and we finish wood using the best stains on the market- Ready Seal, Sherwin Williams, Benjamin Moore, Cabot and Olympic.