Sealing a New Deck

footballmike · Joined: 27 Jan 2008 Posts: 2 Location: Texas

How soon can you put deck sealer on a new deck? It is pressure treated wood. Thank you, Mike.

Midwestpro · Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2008 7:11 pm Post subject: Deck Staining

Mike

That is a great question. You may have heard that you should let your deck “dry out” for a year prior to cleaning and sealing it. This is a myth and the truth be told, most of the damage is done to your deck in the first 6 months or so. After 1 year the wood can be cracked and splintered from water damage and will have turned gray from the suns damaging UV rays. At this point it isn’t too late to have it cleaned and protected but the sooner the better.

What determines when a deck is ready is the moisture content in the wood. A professional deck restoration company can take moisture readings in the wood and let you know for sure when your deck is ready to be sealed. Usually within 2 or 3 months, depending on the climate and location of the deck, it will be ready for a proper cleaning and some deck sealer.