Best sealant to use for new lake docks

[Jmchale103]

I recently purchased new boat docks from and they came with cedar decking. Does anyone have strong convictions as to which type of sealant/stain I should treat these with and how often? Thanks, all!

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Best sealant to use for new lake docks

Yup - remove wood, replace with Trex or something similiar. Why people are still using wood on docks is a mystery

 

[coastalrichard]

Re: Best sealant to use for new lake docks

Welcome to iboats J. Cedar is not NORMALLY sealed. I know some folks are gonna come and say it should be. I've seen plenty of cedar shake and cedar plank siding projects last for 30 years.

 

[kawakx125]

Re: Best sealant to use for new lake docks

i dunno about sealant but don't walk barefoot on it!

 

[Another retired guy]

Re: Best sealant to use for new lake docks

Cedar is naturally water resistant. It doesn't need sealing BUT it will turn grey if not stained.

 

[rallyart]

Re: Best sealant to use for new lake docks

I've never seen the sealants work well. If you use something like a deck sealant they can become very slippery when wet. Stains are fine but so is raw cedar.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Best sealant to use for new lake docks

Yup - remove wood, replace with Trex or something similiar. Why people are still using wood on docks is a mystery

Totally agree! All new docks where I have my lake house aren't even allowed to have any wood on them.

 

[rparde]

Re: Best sealant to use for new lake docks

I use cedar for ext. construction all the time. The stuff is awesome. If you tear it out to replace with plastic crap you are wasting money. Hit it with a sander then use an oil sealer sold at lowes. It last forever if taken care of and doesn't look like old milk jugs. It also won't get flaming hot in the sun like composites.

 

[BoatDrinksQ5]

Re: Best sealant to use for new lake docks

After seeing so many folks around here washing/staining there deck with crap from Lowes... i did a lot of research at "landscape repair professional forums" and found a lot of people recommending products like ReadySeal (penetrating oil) - I used it on my crappy old deck (hadn't been treated in 7+yrs) and it looks great - a full year after doing it. (fades gracefully... only resides IN wood, not on top)

i recommend it to all of my friends/coworkers - after shipping from their site it is very similarly priced to others at local stores.

most likely could maybe find something similar in the stores...but make sure its is OIL, and doesn't have the words easy cleanup!

My advice....let it age a little bit to open the pores...treat it once....and then leave it alone. cedar holds up