# Forum Home Renovation Decking  Feast Watson vs Sikkens...

## Buggermedumplings

It's time to finish the Merbau deck and have finally narrowed my choices to the above.  Can anyone give me advise on what they would choose and why?  Cheers.

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## want2learn

> It's time to finish the Merbau deck and have finally narrowed my choices to the above. Can anyone give me advise on what they would choose and why? Cheers.

  Great question.
I've done plenty of searches on this site regarding 'sikkens' and can't find any information or photos.   
I've seen a couple of pics on a mates phone of a few merbau decks his built with sikkens and it looks awsome.  However being a lazy chippy his boss stains the decks, and after 3 years with the boss he still can't tell me anything about sikkens apart from its sikkens with a 2pac finish and they use it on ALL there decks (not very helpful i know).

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## Buggermedumplings

What do you mean by 2pac finish?  I was under the impression that you just use 3 coats of Cetol deck, or 1 of HLS and 2 of Cetol Deck. 
I know none of the coatings las forever, but figure if the Sikkens outlasts the Feast Watson 3:2, the extra cost of Sikkens pays itself off so we have an even contest. 
The biggest thing I do not want is an opaque finish, one that fills the grain or will sit on top of the timber and eventually crack or peel.

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## Dusty

Sikkens is a fine product...but....it's a skinning type coating which means it pretty much sits on top of the timber offering a layer of protection and enhancement, but due to the harsh Aussie conditions it needs to be looked after properly and regularly to keep it looking in top shape. 
So, if you miss the maintenance schedule, it quickly begins to blister,flake and peel off, in much the same way as two pac does if left out in the elements.  
Once that happens it has to be completely sanded back to the bare timber and you start again, as there is no way you can just pop a fresh coat on and expect it to look good. Also, you can't put another type of decking product over the top of it and hope that it will come out OK. It won't. 
Oils, on the other hand seem to be a bit more forgiving as far as both re-coating and switching between different oils from different manufactures when doing said re-coats. 
Along with that, the oils are far easier to apply which makes it a much less daunting task when it comes time to do a maintenance coat. This means you are far more likely to do so, rather than putting it off till later.

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## DrDread

Dusty is spot on...And from experience FW or Intergrain decking products are excellent Aussie finishes that penetrate and seem to suit our climate :2thumbsup: .

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## Claw Hama

I'm also a FW fan Sikkens always looks a sickly yellow.

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## sol381

Intergrain ultradeck. Have used sikkens and it gives a good finish but fades too quick. ultradeck held it colour and didnt wear anywhere near as fast.

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## 123

I go through a lot of Feast Watson Spa Marine, if that is what you are talking about. Does a great job and 2 coats is usually enough.

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## UteMad

Nah we are all referring to Feast Watson decking oil
Feast dont mention using it on decks ( SPAR MARINE ) and suggest it not to be used on seats either.. How do you find it holds up over time .. If the customer neglects the deck i gather its a sanding job to bring it back up.. 
I stand with Feast over Sikkens  
Its cheaper easy to apply has colours that are pleasing to the customers eye and readily available for the customer to buy to redo the deck.. We have used hundreds of litres of feast and still happy with it.. It just doesn't last as long as spa n deck but it is more transparent 
cheers utemad

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## Buggermedumplings

Thanks for the replies, think I'll go the Feast Watson and spend the change on beer  :2thumbsup:

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## Buggermedumplings

Just a follow up question, after applying the 3 coats, how long before is ok for traffic?  Cheers.

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## chuth77

Feast Watson Natural Decking Oil.. Great value, and much better than Cabots or any other cheaper varieties. I have friends who have used Sikkens and sware by it, but personally I prefer the natural look of the oil!

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