Best Sealer for Trailer Deck

[TPK]

I have recently used Olympic "WaterGuard" with great success. I have used it on my new trailer with pressure treated 2x6 deck boards. I have also used it on my old trailer with pressure treated plywood deck and it worked great.

I would not recommend a solid stain as it will tend to wear off the color and the protection. If you want to change the color, use a semi-transparent stain. They are recommended for flat horizonal decks, or siding, etc., as solid stains are used for siding which, of course, is a vertical surface.

I have also used Thompson's Water Seal with success but have not been able to find it easily. I was recently told Olympic bought Thompson's which is why the can graphics are identical. Anyone out there know if it's true??

 

[TPK]

I have used Olympic "WaterGuard" on pressure treated trailer decking before with great success. I have also used it on another trailer that had pressure treated plywood and it worked great!! By the photos provided by you and the manufacturer of your trailer you definitely have a pressure treated deck.

I have used Thompson's Water Seal before, but it is getting harder to find. Someone told me that Olympic bought out Thompson's and I kind of believe that because Olympics' graphics on the can is identical to Thompson's. Can anyone confirm or deny this, please let us all know. They did have a great product.

As far as a solid stain goes, I would strongly NOT recommend using solid stain on a horizontal surface as heavy use tends to wear out the color and the intended protection. Solid stain is great on vertical surfaces such as siding and trim. Semi-transparant stain is the only stain I would use on a horizontal surface as it will add color and protection and will not lose its color under heavy use.

I agree withAstro14. "Any film forming finish will get scratched up and fail to work."

 

[TPK]

Sorry for repeating my thoughts, I thought I hit cancel by accident, guess not.

 

[Pablo]

@Pablo, it is 2x8 decking. Not sure what type of lumber. It has greyed quite a bit now, so I can't take a guess by the color.

This is good stuff but you’ll need to decide if worth it and worth the prep

https://www.realmilkpaint.com/shop/oils/outdoor-defense/

 

[BHopkins]

@Pablo, that looks like a great product. But, as you say, it is on the high side.

The trailer is slightly smaller than 8' x 16', so about 120 ft². For most products I have looked at, a quart is too little to get full coverage, so it will take a gallon.

 

[Nukeman7]

I have used Olympic "WaterGuard" on pressure treated trailer decking before with great success. I have also used it on another trailer that had pressure treated plywood and it worked great!! By the photos provided by you and the manufacturer of your trailer you definitely have a pressure treated deck.

I have used Thompson's Water Seal before, but it is getting harder to find. Someone told me that Olympic bought out Thompson's and I kind of believe that because Olympics' graphics on the can is identical to Thompson's. Can anyone confirm or deny this, please let us all know. They did have a great product.

As far as a solid stain goes, I would strongly NOT recommend using solid stain on a horizontal surface as heavy use tends to wear out the color and the intended protection. Solid stain is great on vertical surfaces such as siding and trim. Semi-transparant stain is the only stain I would use on a horizontal surface as it will add color and protection and will not lose its color under heavy use.

I agree withAstro14. "Any film forming finish will get scratched up and fail to work."

Thompson's Water Seal won't provide protection on a wooden deck for more than 1-2 years. It is a joke of a product for anything but vertical fencing slats. The BEHR solid color stain on my pressure treated wood deck has held up outdoors for 12 years and we walk on it daily. It does not wear through like paint since it is leached into the wood grain. Consumer Reports testing agrees with my durability rating for BEHR solid-color deck stains.

The Olympic and Cabot semi-transparent deck stains that I had used previously had to be refinished every ~5 years.

 

[Pablo]

I actually used that Aussie Timber oil on horizontal surfaces (cedar) and it was decent

 

[TPK]

BEHR is not a quality paint or stain.

 

[TPK]

All quality stains and paints must be refinished approx. 5-7 years

 

[Triple_Se7en]

Penofin is what I've used on my deck for last three decades. I put on a coat every 5-6 years to keep optimal color.
I've been buying it at Ace Hardware.