NuDeck by UGL: Wooden Deck Application

Sponsored by UGL

Deck Before

I have a 20 year old deck at a rental property. The treated lumber has long ago lost its luster, and now is dirty and dingy. It really shows its age. I was anxious to get to work with NuDECK by UGL to not only restore the aesthetic appeal of my deck, but also to seal the wood and prolong its service life.

I went online to the NuDeck site to study the prep and application instructions. It’s really straight forward, so I assembled my tools and got to work. Prep is everything in a quality coating project.

First I did a quick assessment of the decking, and countersunk any screws that had worked loose.

Next, I used a shovel to cut back any plants or dirt that would interfere along the sides of the structure.

Once this was complete, I swept any loose debris off the top of the deck.

My deck was discolored and gray, but it didn’t have much fungus growing on it. So I filled a pump sprayer with a common deck cleaner/brightener that is safe for plants, sprayed the entire deck, and let the solution soak in for about 15 minutes.

Using a hose, I thoroughly rinsed all the wood surfaces, and made sure to flush out any debris that was trapped between deck boards. If the deck was really dirty, I would have used a stiff broom to scrub it at this time, as well. Power washers force water into wood, and can easily abrade the surface, so I used a garden hose and spray nozzle instead. I let the deck dry for about a week.

This deck didn’t have any rotted or severely split boards. If it had, I would have replaced them at this point. Likewise, although there was some minor splitting in the decking, none of the cracks was large enough to require latex caulk to seal them before beginning the coating process.

I chose California Rustic from the tint chart on the NuDECK site.

I masked the adjacent concrete surfaces with duct tape as it provides an excellent seal. I used painter’s tape on anything else that needed protection.

NuDECK has a fine grit texture in the paint, so I used a power mixer attachment on my cordless drill to thoroughly mix the product when I opened it. I also made sure to periodically mix the pail each time I refilled my tray.

I used a nylon bristle 3” brush for cutting in along the building, the front, and the sides of the deck. For the main work I chose a ½” nap roller and used an extension pole to make it easier on my back.

First, I used the brush to apply and feather a fill coat to any noticeable cracks.

Then, after all the brushwork was complete, I employed the roller. An important technique is to roll first across the deck boards. This allows the paint to completely coat any warped or cupped lumber.

Finish rolling parallel to the grain. I made sure to keep the roller loaded with paint so that I achieved a uniform coating and filled cracks and voids.

I also made sure to completely coat the ends of all decking lumber.

My project day was partly sunny and in the mid 70’s, so I was able to recoat in about three hours. I found that the second coat really completed the uniform sealing of the wood surfaces, and went much quicker than the first coat. The 3.5 gallon pail was more than adequate on my 10 X 12 deck. NuDECK cleans up easily with water, but I chose to discard the brush and roller cover after the project was finished.

Start to finish, my deck required about 6 hours of labor. That includes all prep, and the actual application. NuDECK was just like a spa treatment for my deck. It actually looks new now!

I ‘m always enthusiastic about trying products that are user friendly, and really make a significant impact.

NuDECK by UGL did both for me.