This is way off topic, trailer help

ac_

ac_

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I am sanding down my decking on my flat bed trailer. I am planning on sealing it this weekend hopefully although it is supposed to be 105 degrees so I may be floating in the pool instead, but I was curious if anybody else has done this and what kind of sealer they used.

Right off the bad, I have decided not to use oil or diesel, mostly because it is not clean, When we go camping I unload my Jeep or whatever I am hauling and we use it as an actual deck, so I don't want it to be wet or oily. So I am decided to use some sort of sealer. What do you suggest?

IMG_20200423_112113.jpg


Camping deck:

IMG_20200117_171045.jpg
 
One thing you and I have in common is the UV/sun is brutal where we live.

I used some Thompson’s deck sealant on my kids swing set which is cedar. I’ve had it up for 6 years and it’s holding up nicely even with the lawn sprinklers hitting it as well.

I would check check out some UV/fade deck treatment local to you.
 
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I would second the Thompson's water seal or something similar. If you use it like a deck, treat it like one. Go see what your local hardware or paint store recommends.
 
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A friend of mine that has passed was an amazing woodworker. Truly artistic craftsmanship. He always claimed that Sun Frog was the best outdoor wood sealer there ever was. Never tried it myself but it can't be worse than the half a dozen things I've tried and can't recommend :)
 
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Thompson's. I've been treating it every other year since 2006. As soon as the rainy season is over, I'll reapply and good to go. Same for my old house deck.
 
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105 wtf ! God damn fuck Arizona.
This is Norcals sweet time. 50’s low 89 highs. In the summer the sun is brutal so when I bought my home in 2011 the fences were new and I coated with Thompson and my fence is holding up way better than all the rest built at the same time
 
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For a bridge I used Gemini Restore-a-Deck to clean the wood and get the pH correct for receiving stain.

Gemini 895 Restore-a-deck Cleaner & Brightener Kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008I6URTC/?tag=wranglerorg-20

After that I used a deep stain every other year for 4 years, cleaning it again before application. It got better over time and I could wait five years. You’re not concerned about color, so check into other suggestions made here or a local deck builder.
 
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Just following along because I'm planning the same thing for my trailer this spring. I picked up a light colored stain and some polyurethane for a top coat (although I'm beginning to second-guess the poly). Let us know how it goes and please post pics of the finished product.
Nice campsite by the way!;)
 
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I am seeing a common theme here. Thanks for all of the replies. I will definitely post some pics. Thanks for the interest. I am almost done with the sanding. I am using a small palm sander, and I can only do it for a few hours after work as it is so damn hot out. The UV is what I am mostly worried about, because although this Saturday is supposed to be 105 it gets as hot as 120 in the summer. It sits outside, so I am excited to get something on it as quick as possible.

I originally bought the trailer to haul my Jeep, but I have multiple quads so when I go quading I bring the big trailer so I can use it for outdoor seating. It has worked well for that. Plenty of room especially because I have a slide in camper on my truck and it can get crowded rather quickly.

@SvtLdr I too was thinking of the poly, because I really like a really nicely done wood truck bed, but in the end it is a trailer and If I made it poly I would be scared to use my trailer. Also it it gets wet it will be extra slick plus when it starts getting scored, it will start to look shabby in my opinion. I think the sealer will definitely be less maintenance.

Thanks again for everybody's responses, I will keep you updated on progress hopefully this will go quick.
 
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i know I'm a little late but Thompson's gets expensive. I've been using regular natural wood stain like minwax for years. I've had good luck with it here in AZ. You have to reapply every few years but its inexpensive. It's clear and the oils protect the wood from moisture and prevent it from drying out so fast.
 
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ac_ said:
Do you think it will protect against 350 days of pure UV? Some of the days in upwards of 120 degrees?
Click to expand...

First time using this product, so I can't know. We average low 100's from June thru September, so I guess I'll find out.
 
Update,

I finally finished the sanding. I have to work tomorrow morning then afterward I am going to dress up in my social distancing gear and head to the hardware store for goop and supplies.

But I wanted to give some advice that I figured out. Maybe I am just a noob, but here it is. I sanded the deck with 60 grit sandpaper and the results were amazing. Nice and smooth compared to what it was. I read somewhere that you should sand with 60 grit and then with 220. After sanding it with 60 I was pretty impressed, and thought I am not going to waste my time with the 220, but my OCD got the best of me so I picked a small spot to sand with 220, and it was so much better even. Now it is crazy smooth. I am pretty excited not to get a sealer on it.

I plan on staining it on Sunday so I will update more pics Sunday or Monday.

IMG_20200424_191602.jpg
 
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ac_ said:
Update,

I finally finished the sanding. I have to work tomorrow morning then afterward I am going to dress up in my social distancing gear and head to the hardware store for goop and supplies.

But I wanted to give some advice that I figured out. Maybe I am just a noob, but here it is. I sanded the deck with 60 grit sandpaper and the results were amazing. Nice and smooth compared to what it was. I read somewhere that you should sand with 60 grit and then with 220. After sanding it with 60 I was pretty impressed, and thought I am not going to waste my time with the 220, but my OCD got the best of me so I picked a small spot to sand with 220, and it was so much better even. Now it is crazy smooth. I am pretty excited not to get a sealer on it.

I plan on staining it on Sunday so I will update more pics Sunday or Monday.

View attachment 155680
Click to expand...
You went from 60 to 220? That's quite a jump in grit. I don't know that I'd worry about sanding that fine. It's a trailer. 220 is where I finish sand non-furniture woodworking projects, like cabinet, bookshelves, etc. If you want to knock the scratches down from the 60 grit, do 120-150 and call it a day.

For what it's worth, last summer my wife and I refinished our deck. She tried that Behr deck restore stuff (not what @bobthetj03 is using) a few years ago and it was awful. It trapped water and flaked off. I ended up renting a drum sander from Menards to sand the deck. I knocked it down with 30 grit I think and finished at 80. We used a tinted, transparent stain after that.
 
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