Going to have to seal the deck this spring. It's brown treated and will be the first time being sealed. It's was built two years ago and is 38X16. Big deck. Spent extra on quality lumber very few knots. I don't want to add color just a clear quality sealer. Someone suggested Cabot's I think it was. As always I'm sure some here have quality advice.

Flood CWF-UV

I have used Sherwin Williams "SuperDeck" product for quite sometime. It started out as "DeckScapes" when they first marketed it and changed the name a few years ago. I would only recommend the oil based for exterior use. I did try the water based on new cedar and could only get 1 year of weathering and fading before needing a new coat. Using the oil based product I can easily go 3 years before needing to refresh the look. Rain water really beads up on it the fist year and then not quite as much in the following years. I have heard good things about CWF but just never tried it. Hope this helps.

I've used the Thompson's WaterSeal Clear for many, many years. I think it's great, it really beads up. It's cheap at Walmart. I use a 2 gallon hand pump sprayer and a big brush to apply it.

That's a big deck. No sealer (especially clear) lasts very long on decks, typically from a few months to a 3-4 years for the really good ones. While Thompson Water Seal is inexpensive and will repel water for a period, it doesn't offer UV protection which is what's so hard on wood, nor do I believe a mildewcide.
The last 2 times I used the best clear sealer PPG made which they claim to last for 3 or 4 years. I think I paid around $40 per gallon (minus a $4 per gallon rebate) at HD last year. One thing to note is it's actually not completely clear, it does have a very slight pigment probably as a UV block. Just looking on PPG's site now I don't see it, it may have been replaced with this one. Manufacturers are constantly having to reformulate their products to meet EPA's changing requirements.
https://pittsburghpaintsandsta...oofing-clear-sealant

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ridewv,

quote:

Originally posted by sgalczyn:
Flood CWF-UV

Wouldn’t use anything else

I have used One Time Wood with excellent results. Not cheap but it lasts.