Can we have an attractive deck or bridge without contaminating Koi

[Heron Watch]

Hi

Can we have an attractive deck or bridge without contaminating Koi
My wife Tamara and I built our Koi pond back in 2004 and we've enjoyed the hobby as have the kids in the family and around the neighborhood. Back in 04 we built a deck/bridge over the top of the center of the pond that offers some shade and hidding area for the Koi and lets us get closer with more comfort. We built it all of western cedar that didn't, in our minds, require any finish so we would not contaminate the pond etc. It's been great but the cedar grays up in no time and really doesn't look very good after the first year.

We are considering replacing the cedar and have investigated various plastic wood products. We like the cedar but feel that we'd need to stain and then seal in the cedar with something like a poly-urethane or somthing that would prevent any stain related oils from getting into the pond.

Does anyone have any insights?

Regards

Heron Watch

 

[addy1]

The weatherboss stuffs looks like it would work well

from the NET:

ive been using sealer from lowes called ( honey gold) it is made by olyimpic . just try nnot to drip it in the pond i have sealed my pergola many times with it with no problems

Try http://www.weatherboss.com/
http://www.weatherboss.com/FAQ/FAQgeneral.html#Anchor-UNDERWATER

UNDERWATER APPLICATIONS
We have installed a water wheel in our creek that flows into a rather large
pond, which is home to quite a few different animals. Will The BossT be safe
to coat the water wheel and then submerge in the water. Will the water wheel
retain its color? Which formula do you recommend?

The BossT is perfect for treating your water wheel and will provide years of
dimensional stability, performance and beauty, provided you use an adequate
quantity of product along with proper preparation and application
procedures. In addition, any The BossT which may be emitted into the water
poses no safety threat to any user of that water. The best method of
application is to pre-dip or spray numerous heavy coats of The BossT on the
wheel. Be sure the wheel is completely dry prior to use in the water. The
color retention is dependent on using adequate product along with making
sure you have maximum penetration. Over time water acts as an abrasive much
the same as it forms the rocks in a river bed. Therefore, every few years it
may be necessary to reapply additional coats. However, this would primarily
be for aesthetic as the level of protection remains essentially the same
since the resins in The BossT become permanently bonded deep within the wood
as a result of molecular compatibility. By using an adequate quantity of the
resins contained in The BossT will add dimensional stability to the water
wheel.
I found a product guaranteed to be 100% enviromentally safe and have
used it on my deck which goes out over my pond. I have about 100 trout
in the pond and after 2 coats of the stuff they are showing no adverse
signs what so ever. Here is the web adress
http://www.weatherbos.com/
I used the marine grade only because it will last longer. Good luck!
Pete