How should I finish a porch floor?

[BrianR]

I have one inch Mahog. porch flooring. I started to treat it with CPES, but I found that it is drying a little blotchy - what should I do to correct this? Once the CPES is done, how should I treat it? What better group of people to ask, right? Thanks in advance.

[WFK]

I don't care what anybody say's, unless your porch is covered, putting anything on it is a big mistake. These sealers or deck stains that are advertised are a joke, and they won't last a year! If you want to protect your deck and keep it looking good, #1, don't use tight knot cedar, as it will just kink at every knot and basically look like hell before you know it and #2 once a year pressure wash it to get any dirt and grime, mildew, etc off that might have accumulated over the past year. The mistake people make when pressure wasing is that they use the wrong nozzle and the poor deck looks like you just sand blasted it. As long as you have the correct nozzle, the deck will look great, period!
As for cpes, forget it,because after you put that on, then you need a UV inhibiter, you're wasting your time!!

[BrianR]

My apologies. I should have said its a NEW mahogany wood deck, which is down - the challenge now is to keep it protected. Thanks again.

[NormMessinger]

Battleship grey deck enamal. That'll keep the evil UV off your CPES.

--Norm

[Scott Rosen]

What Norm said, but it doesn't need to be gray. I'm a big believer in painting outdoor stuff. It's much less work in the long run, and your deck will last a hell of a lot longer.

[Jonathan Kabak]

I have had amazingly good results with Benjamin Moore Clear Wood Preservative. I have used it on several of the passenger schooners I have worked on i.e. heavy wear and it has been great. Help up all season without a recoat.

My two pence

Jonathan

[NormMessinger]

You (we) are correct, of course, Scott but even so, I was trying to be outrageous. It would be a shame to paint beautiful, if blotched (what ever that means in this case), mahogany.

-Norm

[Donn]

Originally posted by NormMessinger:
You (we) are correct, of course, Scott but even so, I was trying to be outrageous. It would be a shame to paint beautiful, if blotched (what ever that means in this case), mahogany.

-NormMy wheelhouse is mahogany, and, with the exception of the aft bulkhead doors (hatches?) is painted inside and out. SWMBO and I have gone around and around on the subject of taking it to bright.

[Alan D. Hyde]

Half turpentine, half linseed oil, heated as hot as you can stand it, slopped on generously and rubbed in with a clean old rag. After it's had a few hours to soak in and dry a little, wipe off the excess to prevent stickiness.

No CPES needed.

Repeat treatment as necessary.

Alan

[WFK]

half linseed oil, half turps will turn a deck black over time and the Idea of coating only one side of four, and then calling it a perservative is nuts. Whats going to protect the other three sides from allowing moisture in?

[Scott Rosen]

Norm,

I was serious. Mahogany is very susceptible to weather and water stains, which are very, very difficult to remove. Unless that porch is protected with a film-forming coating, it will quickly begin to look like crap.

Mahogany does not weather as well as teak, pine, cedar, etc.

If you think you may one day want to take the mahogany down to a bright finish, then the best thing to do is to sand and clean the wood to perfection, then seal it with a clear coating such as varnish, and then paint over the varnish. When you're ready to take it bright, the varnish sealer will have prevented the paint from seeping into the deep wood grain.

Geez. This is a porch we're talking about, not a piece of furniture.

[Stephen Hutchins]

Better not to seal at all than only seal one side. Sealing only one side will cause cupping and / or paint pealing.

[Alan D. Hyde]

I don't specifically know from experience what the 50/50 mix will do with mahogany, but it works fine with fir...

Alan

[Cedarhill Boatworks]

Why a mahogany porch floor in the first place? Unless you do plan on painting it Scott is right on the money, it's going to turn black and splotchy and look like hell in a very short time. I would prime it well with Bin or Kilz and paint it with a good quality deck enamel. Anything else is going to be a maintenance nightmare.