Fence Treatment

Eighteen years ago, I started sealing wooden decks and fences. I learned very quickly that a deck deteriorates four times faster than a fence. This is because decks are flat and they absorb all of the sun rays where as fences are vertical thus reflecting the sun and causing less damage. Since decks deteriorate so quickly, I've had the opportunity to study many sealers actually applied on decks in a short time period.

Over the first 700 decks, I have observed over 50 different sealers. Out of frustration, I called the National Forestry Service for help. In response, they mailed the results of their research. This research addressed the advantages and disadvantages of wood. It also described the sealers that best solved the problems associated with wood.

I followed this trail of information until it led me to find Ready Seal. It is an oil-based penetrating sealer designed to look for dry cell structure. This sealer attacks the weakest areas of the board by penetrating to the bottom of the crack, into the path of the nails, through the knots and then into the wood.

It is a wise choice to choose cedar for the pickets. Cedar has natural oil in the wood which slows the process of warping, cracking and splitting. Cleaning Process Deck & Patio will spray the fence with a sodium hypercloride solution which is an oxidizer and will kill mold and mildew. To remove the dirt, mold and residue from previous sealers, it is necessary to lightly power wash the fence. After the fence is washed with water, it is necessary to spray or coat the fence with an osalic wood brightener.

It should be noted that cedar is full of tannic acid. When tannic acid comes to the surface of a board, it will turn shades of gray to black. It is always necessary to neutralize the tannic acid by spraying the pickets with osalic wood brighteners. Sealing Process Allow the wood to dry 48 hours and apply Ready Seal into the wood.