How do I keep Red Cedar, well.....red ?

[dirk martin]

I've got a dock, down by the water (fresh water) that needs boards replacing.
I love the look of red cedar.
It's a low traffic dock, so even tho cedar is soft, that's ok.
This is mainly for looks.

Boards are all sanded, and ready to go down.

I'm looking for a clear finish that will preserve the beautiful red wood, and not allow it to turn that dingey grey all cedar seems to on fences.

I bought a can of this, when I saw it at Menards.
It has a UV protectant, and is clear.
When I opened it, it certainly wasn't clear...kind of a dull brown.
It went ok, kinda clear, but not as clear as shellac.

I tried it on a test piece, and the white streaks in the wood, looked washed out, and dull. Not to my liking.

What do ya'll suggest I use for a dock finish?
Reapplying each year, is fine with me.

[Gary Max]

Short answer----Cedar is going to turn gray unless you want to spend the rest of your life refinishing it every year or two.

[Biff Johnson]

I have used the Penofin brand of penetrating sealer for years on our dock and while the color has faded, it has not greyed in the least.

[dirk martin]

Interesting.
2 replies, and both in direct conflict of each other.

Biff, I'm not familiar with that brand. Is it clear, or does it color the underlying wood?

[dirk martin]

Ok. I did a little research.
Their website is pretty good.
They offer a lot of "flavors" of this stuff.
I'm leaning towards the "Ultra Premium" formula. And, I see they offer it in a "clear" color.
I'll bet this stuff is expensive....

[Biff Johnson]

I think I paid about $30 per gallon last time I used it appx. 2 years ago. For that project, I used the western red color since it was going on Port Orford cedar. It still looks good after rainy Oregon winters! I used the clear on my cedar and doug fir deck about 7 years ago. It has darkened but no greying and I regularly pressure wash. I've used it with a pump sprayer and a brush. Definitely less waste with the brush and it takes a good couple days to really penetrate before you walk on it.

[dirk martin]

Looks like it's about $50/gal these days....

[Biff Johnson]

Looks like it's about $50/gal these days....

Ouch. I haven't used many exterior finishes but I was impressed with this product. FYI our dock is about 20x30 and we coated both sides of the boards, railing and ramps and it took a gallon and a half.

[Tony Joyce]

Eastern Red Cedar will definitely change color. No finish will stop that, maybe slow it down, but not stop.

Tony

[Carl Beckett]

I put another coat on my deck recently. Its a 'mahogany'. Originally I used the Australian Timber Oil (Cabot) product, and very much liked the penetration and depth of color.

However, in most states you can no longer get 'oil' based products such as this. It became quite a maze to sort out the options (personally, I dont at all like solid 'stains' for decks - they peel and flake and are a maintenance nightmare - just imo).

I ended up with a Defy Ultra Deck finish. Its 'pretty' clear - VERY thin ('nano' particles are supposed to penetrate). $50/gallon.

Just check to see when recommendations are made on a product, whether that product is still the same formula. Although they still make the 'Australian Timber Oil' - in a new low VOC compound - it by no means is the same product as previous (same issue with 'Liquid Nails' construction adhesive)

I have no answer for you. Im pretty disappointed with how mine turned out (in part due to already having an oil based product on it makes it very difficult to switch) - but also the richness of the color just isnt possible with a water based product.

[David Helm]

You might as well just suck it up and expect graying. No coating will keep it from happening and having to recoat every year is a pain. Incidently, any Linseed oil based product will feed the algae that actually turns the wood black instead of grey. (I like to use both spellings of gra(e)y when I post). When recoating, to avoid buildup you have to resand regularly too. All this comes with 40+ years of experience with Western Red Cedar in outdoor situations.

[Mel Fulks]

I agree. Just trim off the sap wood and you have a long lasting product ,even without coatings.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Yeah - the "maintain the color" thing is a deal-breaker, in my experience, absent a product with a stain in it, that requires annual or biannual rework.

Howsomever.........I have done outdoor work with WRC. On a few "focus" items, I have used Epifanes. It has an amber tint to it, so the red kinda got lost - even the deep red WRC heartwood turned an amber/golden color. 7 coats, sanding between each coat. Not for the faint of heart - especially for those members of my I Hate Sanding More Than Anything Else Club.

3 years later, looks exactly as it did when it left the shop. It is a marine product, intended for high-end boats, so I will guess - guess - that it will handle foot traffic reasonably well. It seems to me that the stuff I put in - gates + garden entrance - may need a light sanding and one refresher coat in another few years, but that is conjecture at this point, because there is zero degradation in partial-day full sun in Atlanta.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I have used the Penofin brand of penetrating sealer for years on our dock and while the color has faded, it has not greyed in the least.

Wish I had a dock...

But I used Penofin on a big gazebo 10 years ago, and it still looks great. The untreated shingles are silver now, the rest is still red.

[Carl Beckett]

Wish I had a dock...

But I used Penofin on a big gazebo 10 years ago, and it still looks great. The untreated shingles are silver now, the rest is still red.

I dont believe these oil based products are available anymore. At least, I wasn't able to purchase it in MA