The ripple effect....need a good deck protector

[addy1]

I think I mentioned this in another thread.

We winterized our 10 yr old hot tub last winter, well the tubing was stiff, the connections fragile. Two connections snapped off as honey was pulling the tubes off. One of the screw on pump connections was cracked.

So after buying parts from the spa parts store x 2 trying to get things to fit, then getting some parts from lowes we managed to get it hooked back up together. A week ago we finally fired up, too busy this summer to mess with it.
Well it ran for around 3 minutes, then the second pump fired up, the seal is leaking, then the lines we had hooked back up started leaking..................I told honey done! Toss it and lets buy a new one.

So Monday we went hot tub shopping and bought one.

They are delivering on Monday am.

The ripple..............the deck needed replacing when we moved in 2008. So now replacing the deck. The old hot tub is on the deck. We are doing the part without, then will wrap moving straps around the hot tub and drag it over onto the new part of the deck then replace the second half of the deck. They are dropping the hot tub to the ground for us.

So now that we have this nice new wood down we are thinking of trying to protect it a little.

It is wet,pressure treated, will need to dry before we do anything. I am reading now around 6 months since it is winter. But should we put some stain on the deck the new hot tub will cover up. Once it is placed no way will it be moved.

I am looking for just a protection, don't want color. What is the best out there, I have read off and on that thompson's was not the best to use. Per searching they are saying a stain used on exotic hardwood, ow it won't penetrate the pressure treated wood.

 

[MoonShadows]

Just stain alone is not going to do anything to protect wood. Sealants protect the wood, and you really should not put any sealant on pressure treated until it dries thoroughly. Since the wood directly under the hot tub will be protected from the sun and rain (and hopefully no leaks from the new tub), I don't think you need to worry about treating the wood directly under the tub...but, I'm no expert.

 

[MitchM]

Stain is useful for protecting against UV rays, sealants will crack and let water in, eventually.
If you want a truly weatherproof deck, then you need to go with a properly sloped plywood deck with a vinyl covering.
Make sure your new deck has good ventilation so moisture doesn't get trapped and allow mould to eat away the wood.

 

[addy1]

Thanks that is what I told honey, we didn't need to worry about the deck under the tub.

We don't want a stain, it was stained barn red when we bought the house, which has been peeling off since we have been here. Just want protection. I like the color of wood, even aged grayish wood.

This is our current deck, badly needed this repair........ some of the boards were mushing.

They are bringing a lifter to get it up on the deck and to remove the old one

The van is my bee stuff storage container......we also tossed the old deck chairs off, fabric rotting.
I store our mower and bee stuff and pond stuff under the deck.

Going to get a new railing, looking for one that will look nice.

Where the bench is I might put the old tub and make a lily pond, need to measure and see if it will fit

 

[MoonShadows]

Our deck railing is exactly what you have. I hate the railing! Seems it is always in the way of my view.

 

[MitchM]

I would be interested in seeing pictures of your new wood install, with pictures from the underside especially.
How long ago was the original deck structure installed?
How many gallons is the new hot tub?

 

[mrsclem]

Going to follow this thread as I am looking for the same answer. Had a new deck built 3 years ago and treated it with Thompsons last year. 3 applications and its still not sealed! We get a lot of mold build up as the deck is mostly covered with a 12x12 canopy.

 

[sissy]

Marine type sealers may work .I know my brother who live near Norfolk a block from the beach uses them on his deck .I forget the name but will ask him.We get high humidity here so used oil stain .Was expensive but even that did not last

 

[addy1]

The new tub is the same gallons as the old. We put in extra trusses below the tub and extra support beams when we put the first tub up there.
The trusses are 2x10's and are structurally sound and 16 inches apart. Under the current tub we added 3 2x10's and three more support beams.

Zero clue on when it was built. The house is a 80's house.

The deck wood has been ignored all these years, it was on our list to replace, but with the tub there it was going to be difficult and not on the high priority list. But with a new tub it became high priority.

The decking from the tub to the end of the deck will be solid boards, no joints. A 12 foot fits perfectly, the one end will be under the tub. The boards under the tub will be 10 footers with just a bit trimmed off.

 

[addy1]

We have not finished nailing, will have more than one per truss

old deck and trusses

 

[Burd]

Azek is the best I've seen, I built a bench from the stuff, 8 years later is was still like the day I built it. Wood looks a bunch of old pallets no matter what you put on it. I just used Azek 1x3 on my shed before I put siding on it,

 

[Burd]

Before and after,

 

[Burd]

Here's Azek

 

[MitchM]

If you've put in new joists and beams, that's good.
The best thing you can do for a wood deck is make sure there is space between each deck board so that airflow can equalize the wood moisture content with the surrounding air. Wood is going to expand/contract depending on the humidity level. You can't get around that.

 

[MitchM]

View attachment 106586 Here's Azek

I'm always amazed that you guys can have a railing approved with horizontal elements like those wires.
Here we are not allowed to have that due to the climbing hazard it creates. We can get around that issue by installing clear panels using something like plexiglass.

 

[Burd]

If you ever saw a Azek deck, you wouldn't go wood. Soap, water, hose off in the spring.

 

[MitchM]

I have a Trex deck myself, happy with the durability, not impressed with the Trex fastening system.

 

[Burd]

You can blind screw or top screw with powder coated screw a, they are stainless steel, I like both.

 

[sissy]

I added extra footers to mine when I rebuilt both 2 years ago .Mine in the back are only 2 feet off the ground but there was not enough footers when I built them and I knew it .I did not like the little vibration you got when walking out there .I also added cross beams to each footer 6x6 .But maybe you should have went with composite decking at least under the tub .It will stay damp under there .I am still amazed here that they allow 2x3 pickets screwed to the outside of a deck railing .Any one can kick them out or even push them out when the screws weaken from expansion and contraction of wood .Mine are all done from the inside of the deck and here they said you can use 4x4's and joist 24 inch's on center .I used 6x6's and 12 inch's on center on my front porch since there is a roof and 4x4's on the decks out back .chicken wire is to protect my chihuahuas

 

[addy1]

We thought of doing the manufactured deck, but this wood deck will outlast us. And after our recent splurging we decided paying 25-40 per board vs 10 was a bit much.

We are putting around 1/4 inch in between each board.

Sissy we used deer netting on rails to keep missy safe.