Deck Job #2838

The first time I saw this deck, it had huge curls of white latex paint blistering up all over the horizontal surfaces. Cedar definitely does not like any sort of 'film-forming' finish on it -- especially one as heavy as an acrylic latex exterior paint. So, I waited until I wasn't busy that season before even putting my quote in. I just wish that I had taken a picture of it before I pressure-washed off all the loose stuff before stripping it.

Way back then, the product I used for latex stripping was Bio-Wash Stripex L. It was a jelly-like substance that defied spraying -- but it worked fairly well. As with so many of these latex strip jobs... two things: the wood is darkened by the stripper and there was a lot of residual finish hanging onto the dense knots. So, I stripped it again. Application can be accomplished with a roller and pan. It turns brownish and softens to the point of being ready to remove with a combination of low-pressure rinsing and stiff bristle brush scrubbing.

A spray application of oxalic acid really brightens the cedar as well as neutralizes the stripper. The diluted oxalic is easy to work with and lightens the darkened cedar within minutes. Keep it wet and flood it well while rinsing - and rinse the house well, too.

It looked pretty nice once it had dried for a few days and it was time to apply a new finish. The whole reason the white paint had been applied to begin with, I'm going to assume, was because it actually really did look great. Very cottage-shic with the white spindles and the lake view beyond. Whoever did it just didn't know, apparently, that cedar doesn't like being suffocated under any film-forming finish.

So, to achieve a designer look, we experimented with a handful of different finishes including Penofin, CWF and Olympic and finally arrived at one of the Cabot colors: Cape Cod Gray. It was transparent enough - when thinned by half (with Cabot's Clear Solution) to achieve the desired level of transparency. The fringe benefit was that the Cape Cod Gray hid nearly all of the residual white paint that was still barely visible around a few of the knots.

The result, if I do say myself, is absolutely beautiful. I've done a handful more since then in the same color with the same great results. Cabot is a premium material - known for its high solids content. All that extra pigment is useful against UV rays - as well as providing a nice mix-ability to achieve the right color and transparency level. It wears well and comes off easily enough when it's time to do the job again. For the best results, I'd recommend having it done every year -- but then, I might have a vested interest in that opinion. :)

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