Staining a 2 yr old PT deck over a Rubber Roof - Deck Stain Questions and Answers

RE: Staining a 2 yr old PT deck over a Rubber Roof

Scott Paul ~ Restoring Wood & Decks Since 1993 — Mon, 31 Jul 2017 00:28:44 +0000

I do not think an oil based stain will harm the roof but it depends on what the stain manufacturers say.

Not really. Both oil and water can be good if using a quality stain.

Don't use a solid. They do not soak in and are prone to peeling.

RE: Staining a 2 yr old PT deck over a Rubber Roof

LBG — Sun, 30 Jul 2017 14:35:12 +0000

Thanks for the reply and great news about defy driftwood gray. I did not see this as a color choice when looking at their product.

Am I right however about not applying oil stain to a deck above a rubber roof?

Second question: Am I also compromising quality and longevity in working with a water based vs oil stain?

Third: if Defy is the best decision, does it make sense to go with a semi transparent coat of the gray, and then plan on working to a solid coat when I next treat the deck?

thanks for your thoughts and expertise!

RE: Staining a 2 yr old PT deck over a Rubber Roof

Scott Paul ~ Restoring Wood & Decks Since 1993 — Sun, 30 Jul 2017 13:43:15 +0000

Defy would be a good choice for this and it does come in a Driftwood Gray color. You could also use their Clear and allow it to gray naturally. You cannot tint the Defy products with your own colorant.

Staining a 2 yr old PT deck over a Rubber Roof

LBG — Sun, 30 Jul 2017 12:40:51 +0000

Great to find all this information! Thank You!

Staining 480' 2 yr old PT deck in high sun in Boston Ma that was built directly over a rubber roof. Have an additional 3 level PT stairway (treads & railings) and 140' deck where rubber is not an issue.

Question: Original choice was an oil stain - Penofin recommended by the guys I trust - for the saturation and durability of oil. Research on Naptha and Xylene (primary ingredients of any petroleum distillate) - show a highly detrimental rating to rubber. Yikes!

The application technique - brushing on and then wiping off any non-saturated surface collection seems pretty safe if done carefully - but it is a new rubber roof and I am happy to be careful and cautious.

Does this then lead me to choose a water based stain? In following your site Defy seems to get very high ratings - but is there another I should pursue?

A follow up question: I like the gray of the seasoned decking - and was hoping for a semi-gray transparent stain to unify the seasoned and sun-saturated decking with the still slightly PT yellow/green of the stairway. Thompson's was the only one I could find that offered a gray stain color - but I have seen a lot of bad reviews of this product , and the test was lackluster and unimpressive.)

Can I add a gray pigment to the Defy to get a transparent grey to create a uniform treatment between deck and stairway?

Or - is the answer to treat with a transparent Defy and come back in 3 years with a more pigmented stain when I am ready to shift red/brown for a colored deck?

Thanks for your great help with these questions!