# Forum Home Renovation Decking  Deck stain drama

## jane(in oz)

Just stained our new deck with Cabots water based deck stain. Followed all the instructions. Applied two coats. Three weeks later it still feels slightly tacky and shows dusty footprints!!! :Mad:  Everything seems to leave a mark. A painter told me this particular deck stain had been recalled. I bought it from Bunnings. No sign of a recall anywhere that I can find. Not sure what to do next. Is there something to remove tackiness or am I just going to have to strip it back and start again? :Confused:  
Any advice appreciated!
Thanks 
Jane

----------


## Bloss

The tackiness usually goes after a bit of wear - the damp weather hasn't helped. I'd wait a bit, but maybe one of the pros will say otherwise.

----------


## jimj

Welcome to the forum Jane, 
I can't say if this will work or not and it will actually sound fairly bizzarre. The tackiness as Bloss said is probably somewhat related to the amount of humidity . I only use a water based product and have had 2-3 coatings that I would say were a little tacky. When I queried a friend in Cairns he told me that nearly every deck he had coated was sticky. They discovered after rain that the stickiness was reduced and after several wet days it disappeared altogether. So they now tell there customers to just hose it down over several or more days to speed up the loss of tackiness.  
I can't say definitely if this will solve the problem but it may be worth the try. I would hose it down and then squeegee off the pooling water. Try this over several days and see if you feel an improvement. It may also help with the dusty footprints. 
If it works or not I am sure others on the forum would like to know the outcome. That is how so many of us have learnt things. 
best of luck 
jimj   restore-a-deck.com.au

----------


## Blocker

Jane,
Water based stains will take 4-6 weeks to cure hard under ideal conditions,which is nothing like we've had in Sydney this summer.Also longer if applied to new hardwoods etc.As JIMJ said, washing with a soft broom and mild detergent will remove surfactants that come to the surface during this time and should improve the sticky feel.
Regards,
Blocker

----------


## Lexi01

If its AquaDeck you've used I had the same problem. 
I always used oil in the past and decided to use Aqua Deck this time.  It's not as forgiving as oil...any drips going from the applicator to the deck when you take it from the tray stay as visible spots... 
Also doesn't look anywhere near as good as oil (IMO). 
The tin says the application process is the same as traditional oil... 
Well I called Cabots to ask a few questions and got a bunch of bullet-point marketing schpiel and she pretty much blamed me for the outcome. I explained to her that I'd used the Cabots oil extensively over the past 8-10 years and had not had any dramas whatsoever - and I used the same process this time. 
She also said you can't go over the water-based oil with normal oil the next time you coat it unless you sand it off... 
Everyone please beware...

----------


## jane(in oz)

Thanks very much for your quick responses. It does actually seem to be improving. The weather has been very extreme to say the least. It was stinking hot and humid when it was done and it is new hardwood so I guess maybe it is just taking its own time! Since then we have had 40 degree plus days and last couple rainy and cooler. The deck does have a roof over it too and some parts of it never get direct sunlight so I imagine that would have an effect. It was the painter who painted the deck roof who told me about Cabots. He reckons that their products are over priced and not really suitable for Australian conditions. Anyway thanks for your help 
Jane :Smilie:

----------


## graciezac

Hi all,
We are having the same problem with a first coat of Cabot deck & exterior stain water based over treated pine. It is sticky and tacky to walk on but seems to be only when the sun is on it, it is also very patchy in some areas. We had rain before staining but left the deck to dry for a day before applying, then 10 hours after it had been applied it rained again. Next day lots of sunshine but a very sticky deck. Cabot advised us to use their deck clean and apply another coat, the hardware shop talked us into buying the flood stripper and start again and the builder says it will be fine with another coat on top. Can anyone tell me what we actually should do? 
Thanks for any assistance you can give us

----------


## glock40sw

G'day.
This is probably no help to you, But, We have tried a new Deck finish that is called TANACOAT.
It is solvent based and rolled on. 2 mintes later the deck is water proof. The water just beads on the deck surface and does not soak in. 
I'm very impressed with it.
Arch wood protection is producing it and they tell me it will soon be available at Bunnies.

----------


## stevoh741

> G'day.
> This is probably no help to you, But, We have tried a new Deck finish that is called TANACOAT.
> It is solvent based and rolled on. 2 mintes later the deck is water proof. The water just beads on the deck surface and does not soak in. 
> I'm very impressed with it.
> Arch wood protection is producing it and they tell me it will soon be available at Bunnies.

  Not to be a downer, but I came across tanacoat about 2 years ago and the supplier told me it was so awesome all the councils were using it exclusively up here on the Sunny Coast. So I used it on a new deck and it looked great and beaded water beautifully.......for 2 months! Then it very quickly went to @@@@ and provided very little protection and looked like absolute crap. I'll try post a couple of 3 month photos if I can dig them up. Also, I build decks for a living and it was definately applied properly. 
I now only use cuteck wood preservative and haven't found anything close to the results and longevity that it gives as a finish. Some like spa&deck but I personally am no fan of acrylic coatings but each to their own...

----------


## strangerep

> Not to be a downer, but I came across tanacoat about 2 years ago and the supplier told me it was so awesome all the councils were using it exclusively up here on the Sunny Coast. So I used it on a new deck and it looked great and beaded water beautifully.......for 2 months! Then it very quickly went to @@@@ and provided very little protection and looked like absolute crap. I'll try post a couple of 3 month photos if I can dig them up. Also, I build decks for a living and it was definately applied properly. 
> I now only use cuteck wood preservative and haven't found anything close to the results and longevity that it gives as a finish.

  Now if only Bunnies (or even just a larger selection of specialist stores) would carry Cutek in Sydney.
My nearest stockist is over an hour's drive each way. 
Probably too expensive for Bunnies I guess.    

> Some like spa&deck but I personally am no fan of acrylic coatings but each to their own...

  Yeah -- I used  spa&deck on some steps but seeing how it wears in a high traffic area (flaking off with age), I think I'll stick to a penetrating oil from now on. Definitely gonna try Cutek in the near future.

----------


## stevoh741

> Now if only Bunnies (or even just a larger selection of specialist stores) would carry Cutek in Sydney.
> My nearest stockist is over an hour's drive each way.

  
Price is comparable to other finishes ($200ish/ 10l tin) and my old supplier was 4hrs drive away but he used to courier it for around $10. Lucky for me it is now sold only 10min away....

----------


## twocoater

Stick with oil based and you should let the timber "weather" for at least a few weeks.

----------


## graciezac

Anybody have any idea which advice we should follow? 
Thanks

----------


## strangerep

> We are having the same problem with a first coat of Cabot deck & exterior stain water based over treated pine. It is sticky and tacky to walk on but seems to be only when the sun is on it, it is also very patchy in some areas. [...] Anybody have any idea which advice we should follow?

  I've found that my boots still leave dust marks on both water-based and oil-based deck finishes. Personally, I'm reluctant to use water-based products on TP, since the water doesn't penetrate as readily as oil (IMHO). (Some timber species are less compatible with water-based finishes than others.) 
But since you've already done one coat, and presumably have more of the stuff on hand, perhaps the easiest strategy is to do another coat or two and see whether the patchiness improves. Even if it doesn't, wait 3-6 months to see how fast the finish degrades. Then decide whether more drastic measures are warranted.

----------


## graciezac

Thank you so much! In hindsight (wonderful thing) I wish we'd used an oil too or that I had at least found this forum first. Think we will try recoat and hope to make it through the summer and tackle it again in autumn. Such a shame after waiting so long to have our deck built that it now looks awful, hopefully moving the furniture on it will make it look less obvious.

----------


## laurag

Hi there, 
I've had the same problem with the aqua deck stain, and I was just wondering whether it is okay to put furniture down onto the deck with the stickiness?? Will it damage anything??

----------


## Fuzzie

G'day Glock40sw, I was wondering if you have any update available on how your Tanacoat held up after our last summer season.  :Rain2:  
Thanks,

----------

