Wood Decks-an Introduction
Wood is made up of
microscopically small cells. The cross section of a piece of wood viewed
thru a microscope looks just like a honeycomb. No matter where a board is
cut from the tree log, it's surface is made up of cut cells, exposed to the
surface like little "catch basins."
On an actual wooden deck, even though the cells are treated with an ordinary
deck stain or wood preservative, they are still empty and subject to
accumulated air-borne dirt and debris, such as carbon dust from automotive
traffic (brake-pads, tires, and exhaust emissions), dust, dirt and tree and
plant pollen's. Particles larger than the cells will be blown or washed away;
smaller particles will fall into the cell and accumulate over time. As the
cells fill, we no longer see the color of the wood, but only the color of the
combined particles appearing to the viewer as an unattractive "grungy gray".
Since vertical surfaces fail to trap as much soil, less attention need be paid
to maintaining the natural color of the wood. But on decks, the problem is much
greater and even accentuated by the application of "semi-drying"
petroleum-based products, such as those with high paraffin oil content.
Through the application of a penetrating finish of high solid content which
changes from liquid to solid when exposed to warm air and ultra-violet light (UV),
there is little space remaining for the soil to lodge.
Preserving and restoring the natural color of the wood, then, is dependent on:
- Getting the surface clean.
- Saturating the wood with a high solid finish.
For decks, fences, and siding, etc., penetrating finishes are superior to
coatings such as varnish or polyurethane, because they do not crack, peel, or
become opaque. The application of penetrating finishes actually strengthens the
wood fibers, since the resin residual is stronger than the cellular structure
of the wood to which it is applied.
SUPER SEAL is an excellent product for wood decks.