Recommend a good wood sealant & application method

[thestrangebrew1]

Just built my patio cover and we don't want to paint it. I'm thinking of putting on a sealant and possibly just doing a clear coat if I can over the sealant. My wife said she saw a big jug of sealant with some sort of sprayer it comes with. I think this is it but it looks cheap.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/WoodRx-2...yer-Fan-Tip-62567/205338513?N=5yc1vZbbbrZ12l2

Anyways, pic of patio cover:

 

[Squeetard]

You can't clear coat over sealant, won't stick. I would stain that. Sealant is for wood exposed to rain, not the underside.

 

[thestrangebrew1]

You can't clear coat over sealant, won't stick. I would stain that. Sealant is for wood exposed to rain, not the underside.

Thanks for the tip. The outer edges of wood would be exposed to rain, but it would be pretty minimal. If I stained the entire structure, exposed part as well, would stain provide any protection against the elements?

 

[herm0016]

what kind of wood? i would at a minimum use something like Thompson. best is an opaque stain. I use redwood for my outdoor stuff that is exposed. let it weather for a season and then seal with a good penetrating sealer.

 

[Vdubchaos]

Staining all of that underside/wood will be a BIG job.

I would just stain exposed parts (poles/sides etc) and leave the underside alone.

 

[thestrangebrew1]

what kind of wood? i would at a minimum use something like Thompson. best is an opaque stain. I use redwood for my outdoor stuff that is exposed. let it weather for a season and then seal with a good penetrating sealer.

It's just doug fir all around and 5/8 plywood on top. Let it weather a season then put something like Thompson? Or put something on now then a good penetrating sealer after a year?

Staining all of that underside/wood will be a BIG job.

I would just stain exposed parts (poles/sides etc) and leave the underside alone.

Yea we would've painted/stained first but we had a few open weekends that coincided with friends who were willing to help so we went for it. We need to figure out what to do so we can get electricity and our fans/lights going. Don't want to have to paint around that.

 

[Mandres]

I don't think it's worth staining construction lumber. Two coats of exterior latex is your best option for both protection and aesthetics.

 

[Humpy]

I would use a light color semi transparent stain with a lot of pigment in it. Then probably a seal coat. This gives pretty good sun/weather protection without the future maintenance of sanding/scraping pealing paint. Just clean and re-apply sealant every few years as needed.

 

[FeuerFrei]

Roofing tar around the outer rim of the roof and base of posts, e.g. bottom 18". They will weather first anyway. Maybe even stick decorative tiles in the tar. :hmm:

 

[highland145]

I would use a light color semi transparent stain with a lot of pigment in it. Then probably a seal coat. This gives pretty good sun/weather protection without the future maintenance of sanding/scraping pealing paint. Just clean and re-apply sealant every few years as needed.

Used an oil solid color white stain on the picket fence, full sun. Covers in couple of coats, can't tell the difference from paint. Lasted ~10 years and then just some light pressure washing before repainting.

 

[thestrangebrew1]

So stain first, then seal? Any good brands to recommend? Can I spray stain or do I need to use a brush/roller?

 

[herm0016]

brush is better but you can spray. I really like the sherwin williams deck scapes solid stains. they have a 30 or 40% off almost every month.

 

[thestrangebrew1]

brush is better but you can spray. I really like the sherwin williams deck scapes solid stains. they have a 30 or 40% off almost every month.

Cool thanks! I'll look into it!