mahogany deck rotting

Don’t pay all that money for mahogany and then hide it. The resulting damp environment below encourages rot that can take years off a mahogany deck’s life. Today, the so-called Mahogany decking on the market is either plantation grown, or often times is an entirely different species disguised and marketed as “Mahogany”. 5B. Although mahogany is naturally resistant to decay, it must occasionally be refinished to help protect and maintain the deck’s beauty. It has a full day of sun exposure so it’s in pretty bad shape. (See paragraph 5A above.). Less than about 18 inches of ventilation below a deck will prevent the mahogany’s bottom surface from drying properly and can lead to premature failure. I don’t know the species of mahogany but it was so varied, with redplanks, some planks with tiger-eye gold stipes, purple planks, dark burgundy, etc. Mahogany is known to be not only beautiful but resistant to pests and rot as well. We had a mahogany deck installed 10 years ago and never sealed it. What should I do to get the deck ready so the new stain will go on evenly? My question is how do we get the blotchy finish off the triangle—should we sand it? Treat it because it has faded to grey and you want to restore its original, rich color. Take a break, whatever. Once each section is down to bare un-faded and unstained wood, the entire floor will look the same. Be careful how you sand: a powerful belt sander used carelessly will damage your deck. They have experts, perhaps biased experts, but you can compare several responses. http://www.masterhandyman.com/topics.cfm?topic=deck, Choices for your Wood Deck — An Introduction. Sanding the remainder of the deck offers the best probability, since that would bring all parts of the deck to the same state. Jack, Mahogany wood decking is preferred by many architects and builders for its hardness, rich yellowish brown to reddish or orange brown in color, tight grain, and knot-free appearance. Initially – after only two months in direct sunlight – the new low VOC holds its color better. The rot was pulled off so flashing could be applied below and behind it. Do you have any fastner sugestions other than top screwing with stainless screws? Place the planks upside down on a few sawhorses. I wiped it clean with a clean cloth. A heavier, denser wood will do better with water than a light wood. However, mahogany poses a very real issue: you don’t always know what you’re getting. Just let it weather and do not treat it. Also wonder if you have any experience or heard about Timber Ox Green, a Bio-based formulation from the midwest using castor bean, citrus, soy and corn oil which seems to have a lot going for it and some pretty enthusiastic advocates. If you want to restore the natural reddish color in mahogany, choose Cabot’s ATO mahogany flame;  it is very popular. The increase in quality, including straightness, will be worth the small additional cost. I say “seems” because my informal testing is preliminary — After only 2 1/2 months, the new 19400 ATO looks noticeably better. Wet oil over partially dried oil will create a streak that is darker than the rest of your deck. Hi Jim, I’m learning a lot, thank you for sharing all these tips. Is there a way to let the deck turn grey but keep it safe? Like:  apply only one coat of penetrating oil. Here’s a carpenter’s trick to insuring the joists tops are even. in this way, i could screw them together offset errors in their straightness. ATO does not encourage mold growth (which appears as black spots), quite the opposite. Colors can range from gray to brown to red to orange, or a blend of all four. It sounds like using an ATO that is tinted wouldn’t meet my needs. And good luck, Emmy-award nominated screenwriter Brynne Chandler is a single mother of three who divides her time between professional research and varied cooking, fitness and home & gardening enterprises. I’ve heard some negatives about the new low VOC formulation of ATO, mostly by people who had used the old petroleum version like me. Wear shoes to protect your feet and safety goggles. I expect the second coat you added “a few days later” did not penetrate thoroughly, but stayed partially on the surface and weathered inconsistently – hence the blotchy appearance. If you are unsure, try their small sample can. When all parts of the deck appear the same, treat the entire deck. as a result, roughly 2 feet of the ends of the joists will be cantilevered beyond the end of the beam. Readily accepting stains, oils, and other finishes means that Genuine Mahogany can be preserved and accented to meet every need. As I mentioned, be careful power washing, and let your deck dry completely before treating it. An untreated cambara deck will last a long time before it fails – 10 years? Got it? In fact, their labels often warn against applying another coat too soon. (Make certain whoever power washes your deck is experienced and uses proper technique.) Regular checkup: The first is the method to check the moisture of the deck board and joists every two or three months. Good luck, Jim Finlay. Then treat it with Cabot’s Australian Timber Oil, Natural color. But if the oil or water stays on the surface for five seconds or more, then wait. I caused some serious damage to the beautiful wood. Karen, The next year we sealed it ourselves with a Cabot product(can’t remember the exact name) which was recommended by the lumber yard where we bought the mahogany, who also said not to seal it the first year. In two tests, about six years ago and again two years ago, I found that ATO holds its color longer. It is available on-line from MFG Sealants. Apply the deck treatment with either a brush that is not quite as wide as the boards or a lamb’s wool applicator. The manufacturers advise “3 to 5 days minimum.” You want the moisture content below 15%. In full sun, it will need treatment yearly. We have gotten the Mahogany Flame from Cabot. More? It will experience moisture and temperature variations from 10 to 90 – per cent and degrees. Have I overstated this? Technique here is important for getting an even appearance, for the effects are dramatic. We just installed a mahogany floor on a newly built screened in porch. So, here’s the plan for tomorrow – ATO 19400 mahogany flame, ‘wiped’ on with an applicator pad making sure any excess is wiped off within a minute of application. one end will be attached to a ledger secured to the house and the other end will ride over a 6 x 6 PT beam just above ground level. Regards, Jim. The outside edges are gray and match your “ready to refinish” pics. Here are some well-stained mahogany decks that we’ve built. Kevin, Mildew and rot resistance combined with its intrinsic hardness makes Genuine Mahogany the perfect choice for docks and near-water decks, along with high above ground decks and wooden patios. I have a mahogany porch under a roof. It also holds paint very well. Pads and brushes more easily control the application and also “work” the oil into the wood. Using a wire brush, lightly scrub the area where the plank laid on the joist to remove the loose, badly deteriorated wood. We have enhanced the depth of our expertise by limiting our work to decks, porches, sunrooms, and patios. Both are priced the same — about $50 a gallon. Protect the wood deck from scrapes inflicted by chair and table legs, but don’t use outdoor rugs made of natural fibers such as jute and bamboo: These absorb moisture and promote mildew. 6. I rented a huge orbital sander for the day. We’re thinking about having it re-sanded and restained again in the next couple of weeks. I do have a few suggestions, however. How bad can double-covered, overlapped stain be? Mahogany is a dramatically better wood than PT, but the cost difference is also dramatic: twice that of PT. The criminal here is the sun, specifically, its ultra violet rays. What parts of the deck you treat similarly depends on how directly the sun strikes each. The roof and walls of your enclosed porch will not affect the process of treating the floor or the product you select. Good luck. — but still junk. I have seen the result of the Mahogany Flame oil on another small deck we have. Treat one board at a time, working from one end to the other to ensure the most even coverage. Will the mostly clean areas come back to natural with the stain, or should I go over it again and get everything very bright, natural and consistent? My husband just built a beautiful deck last summer that was ‘Mesmerized’ with a one coat finish. I am serious here: Exactly. But it is not perfect. However, the key is to use the best stain for a mahogany deck, otherwise, you risk jeopardizing the wood’s appearance. I spent 3 months over the summer fretting over my inability to be able to get this done right. Bill, Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, but splinters may lodge in the hands of your guests. It has a tight grain, does not splinter easily, is free of knots, and looks great when treated. Tom: Mahogany, like other woods, swells and shrinks with moisture. True mahogany or American mahogany (Swietenia spp.) Stir the penetrating deck sealer to mix the pigments and solids which tend to settle to the bottom of the can. You must get the entire deck surface cleaned down to bare wood. It stands up well to weather and resists rot thanks to the properties of the wood. am i overthinking all of this? Save some scrap cambara boards and let them weather like your deck. I don’t see this question answered: I’m worried it will not be warm enough to treat brand new mahogany deck until next spring (it is now almost november and deck should be finished next week). To meet the new VOC rules, manufacturers have removed solvents from their oils and that also extends drying time. The same principles apply to mahogany. A deck that is high in the air, that gets lots of sun and lots of wind will dry faster than a low deck in the shade. But you mentioned you have a mix of pre-treated and untreated meranti – which suggests you may have variations in the wood itself (dense/less dense, darker/lighter). You can't go wrong with our classic Mahogany Decking. It is from Duckback Products. If you’re in the middle of a board and the phone rings, ignore the phone. The actual application technique here is simple but critical. Your deck will be famous. Thereafter, to maintain its good color, treat it yearly — or less frequently if it is shaded. Am I being redundant? Mahogany is prized for use in building outdoor decks because of its tight grain that is free of knots. The best approach for achieving a consistent color over your entire porch is to sand and then stain the entire floor. It’s about 7 years old and has received Mahogany Flame ATO – the original petroleum-based version from the start and again 4 years ago. I’ve had good results with Cabot’s “Problem Solver Deck Cleaner” and “Problem Solver Wood Brightener”. I tried a test patch using a water blaster with a circular brush which I thought would would be of milder application (not direct blasting), however this resulted in affecting the grain of the wood and leaving a burred look. Mahogany is as resilient as Teak wood and does not rot or decay even left unprotected. It’s a project you can do in an afternoon. Jim, thanks for keeping this blog running. Begin 24” away; and watch carefully as you lower the nozzle. So, treat the entire length of each board. You could shim any low joists at the beam, and then you’d officially qualify as finicky. Question is, a railing has to be painted as well that goes along the porch. Number the planks on the edge with a pencil to aid reassembly in the same order on the deck. To make the diagonal look more like the main deck when looking straight down the deck, we added another coat of the stain a few days later—that seemed to do the trick–but here comes the bad part—after a year the double stained triangle still has some color and is totally blotchy—-the rest of the deck has gone silver grey and is ready for a new coat of stain or sealer. WELL it took 15 days to dry! Yeah: your deck flooring will rot away, and you’ll have to install entirely new flooring. Mahogany wood for decking is naturally a rot resistant and does not splinter if treated with good penetrating oil. On south facing decks, the sun hits horizontal surfaces directly, so you’ll need to treat the deck’s floor, stair treads, and rail tops most frequently. Send me a photo, and I will post it to the blog. Here I recommend starting with 80 grit on a random orbital power sander (belt sanders would be faster, but will too easily damage the mahogany). Indeed, these procedures apply generally to treating any wood deck, including softwoods like pressure treated pine and cedar,  but you should use a preservative formulated for that wood. The deck was built five years ago and has not been touched since. We called the man who installed the porch floor, he came out, sanded the floor and put a coat of Thompson,s Water Sealer on it. Will it last or turn black, making treatment harder the next time. Thankfully, genuine mahogany wood stands up well to anything nature can throw at it (okay, almost anything. It’s critical you sand with, not across, the grain. Admittedly, they will be conservative, but the manufacturers are the experts. The next year I went to wash the porch off of the winter grim (I am in northern Ohio) and in places the sealant was clacking off and through the summer it continued to flake off more. Wood will shrink and cracks will develop during dry seasons due to a loss of moisture and expand during hot and humid, summer-type conditions. Order mahogany at your local lumber yard and you’ll probably get a pretender. Once the test results are definitive, I’ll report them in my blog. 2×8 s are approximately 7 1/4″ high; they can easily vary 3/8″ – from variations in the saw mill’s cutting process and from variations in the moisture content. It will be fine. Mahogany wood is famous for Decking and Flooring and its natural appearance. We have a mahogany deck that was installed two summers ago. i am just starting a small mahogany deck project and found your blog. This is SUPER helpful Jim. It is one of the most resistant woods to rot and known for its superior strength, stability, and durability. Jim. Thanks so much. Now the entire deck surface is faded to gray, some parts looking almost bleached. Now the joist tops are all even at the ledger. Posted by bostondecksandporches | May 2, 2010 | Deck care, Deck maintenance, Decking, Homeowner, Ipe, mahogany, Restoring decks, Treating decks, Wood decking | 62. The shop owner laughed at me when I said I would be doing it by myself. Mahogany has the unique quality of not splintering, even when the wood has been damaged. Buy the heavy, wet pieces and avoid the light, dry sticks. Because of an ordering mix up, some of the wood came pre-finished and some not. You want to blast away the dirt, grime and stains but not blast away the wood surface. Your backyard mahogany deck is totally exposed to that evil sun. Looked into Penofin and T.W.P. Temperature is not supposed to go below 47 all week. I can’t imagine what it would look like if I tried to power wash it…even if I wear shoes! I have been told that after a winter of rain and elements this should naturally clean the deck, however, i’m not so sure and is a long time to wait. If there is a suspicion of decay, that part can be replaced immediately. Costing you $thousands$. Mahogany decking survives well, especially if treated every year or two, except under the worst conditions. the last thing i want is for my beautiful mahogany to look like it has waves in it. To view some of these projects, visit our website. I wonder what your opinion is about making that transition. — but still junk. What is a Pergola and Why would your Deck want one? Our deck restoration process begins with a free on site assessment of your deck. A neighbor said oils sometimes turn the decking black with time, mold, sun. Great information. I cordoned the area off so no one would inadvertently step onto the deck. My question is about prep. Hi, our mahogany decking seems to have swelled this winter in Massachusetts. The inside, close to the house, still repells water well and is dark brown. Difficult to do with your heavy 12′ joists? Its a great wood for a deck that will stand up to children and not cause painful injuries to bar… Confessions from a serial deck abuser……. Jim, t We live in southern NH and had a meranti deck built 2 years ago. Alexandra. Semi-transparent stains display the beauty of wood, and solid stains are available in literally any color. If some stain does get past your pretection, you can wipe / sand it clean before you finish the floor – preferable to cleaning drips on a newly finished floor. We do not want a splotchy deck. Power washing often does not remove all the old, hardened preservative or paint. You need to mix all those beautiful pigments and solids throughout the can. Extremely Rot-Resistant Wood. You may treat two adjacent boards simultaneously, but use the space between the decking boards to control the wet edge. Longer if it is high enough to have good ventilation underneath. It will flake off over time. And you might even learn something. And another benefit I find valuable is Cabot’s excellent field service — on request, they have visited a particularly troublesome deck to help me determine a solution. I just power washed my 12×22 mahogany deck. The “bad Cabot talk” seems to focus either on the short-lived 9400 series (which has been replaced with 19400 series) or on the surface remaining “sticky” and taking longer to dry. Cabot and other companies make solid stains for outdoor wood in almost any color. | Suburban Boston Decks and Porches blog. Thanks again. Buy all your joists from the same lift (bundle), and avoid the top and bottom layers – they have dried out more than the inner pieces. But let’s gets back on the mahogany track. but that doesn’t necessarily sound any better! New Formulas. the deck will be 12′ x 14′. Mahogany is a great wood for outdoor decks, be it Cambara mahogany from South America or Meranti mahogany from Indonesia or the Philippines. Mahogany Decking – Total Average Cost per square foot: $8.38: $9.90: $10.55: Cost can add up quickly, especially if you’re a novice and have never attempted a Mahogany Decking installation before. You need not worry so much about the flatness of your mahogany decking. If you do, however, the edges of that area will partially dry before you can treat the immediately adjacent area, and you’ll get double coverage. Jim, We have a mahogany deck that was constructed about 6 years ago (May 2008). They can lie on the surface and eventually flake off. Paint flakes over time and will require scraping. If your deck is in New England, I’d recommend waiting until spring. Over the past 27 years we have designed and built over 1,000 projects, including over 250 mahogany decks. Let the treatment dry completely according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The other parts of the porch that do not get much weather seem to be OK. What can I do to fix this situation and get my beautiful red mahogany porch back? I thank you so very much for sharing all this excellent advice and instructions. Even though mahogany is naturally resistant to rot, it still requires a water repellent finish to ward off the harmful effects of Mother Nature. Do not use a roller; it is likely to put too much oil on the deck. blotchy, near black spots here and there. 8. The sun will bleach some color from your deck over the winter, but the stain next spring will still bring the mahogany to a rich, deep color. I’d recommend 100 grit, or perhaps 80 grit — nothing coarser. As your wood warms up, I expect you will not notice any increase in width. Clogged Decking (June 2013)  Here’s a photo of my sister-in-law’s deck. Exactly. This will be a long and tedious process. Or maybe the honey teak? A mahogany deck does seem to hold stain more evenly than other exotics. An alternative to chemical cleaners is power washing with plain water. (Nov 2014)  Several years ago, state agencies and the EPA began to require that companies reduce air pollutants in their paints and stains. Treating your mahogany deck is a labor of love. Mahogany preservatives try to keep the wood’s rich color, and they do so primarily with pigments that block out the sun’s ultra violet rays. Bonnie: Treat mahogany directly after installation. The penetrating oils are thin and go on easily. Mahogany wood for decking is naturally a rot resistant and does not splinter if treated with good penetrating oil. Decking board butts can be joined end to end. The gaps between floor boards are clogged with…junk. Thanks for the informative content and instruction. Here are some tips. My porch was gray! Use a deck cleaner and soft-bristled scrub brush to clean away any spots of mold or other stains. Despite your best efforts to get joists with the same moisture content, their heights will vary. Your deck will be uggg-ly for years. — Jim Finlay. If it rained lightly on Monday, do not treat the deck on Tuesday. The Natural has little or no pigment. More importantly, mahogany tends not to splinter easily, which is a huge advantage in areas where people may be walking barefoot or children are playing. You’re safe. For a large deck, that difference could be thosands of dollars. It is extremely dense and hard which keeps the insects and water at bay, preventing rot. (2) Should we put polyurethane over the stain… especially on the inside? Thank you so much. Finish your deck with a protective penetrating decking oil or oil based stain. As you treat, have a rag handy and wipe up any excess oil that does not soak into the mahogany within 5 or 10 seconds. Wood filler makes a significant part of woodworking. Karl, Due to mahogany’s popularity, the name gets used a lot and in ways that are confusing. The gaps between floor boards are clogged with…junk. Most of the penetrating oils are available in shades of brown. Hi, we have a new mahogany deck. I have two suggestions. I will admit the sander must have been over 175 pounds, tipping a young man to help carry it to the backyard was the only other assistance I received. I also recommend you install the mahogany 1×4 with screws rather than nails; use high quality stainless steel (316 grade) trim head screws. Mahogany is naturally resistant to rot, but you must occasionally renew the finish on your mahogany deck to protect the wood and help maintain its beauty. Eric, You are over-thinking. Ask for ATO series 19400 from your local Cabot retailer. So that it becomes more durable compare to the many other hardwoods. 5A. If you can, buy #1 PT joists, rather than #2. There’s no need or advantage to doubling the joists. I have not tried DeckBrite, but Wolman is a well-established company that specializes in wood deck products. i haven’t ordered my framing lumber yet but my concern centers on the evenness and flatness from joist to joist. I hope so, because double covered lap marks are HORRIBLE. If you suspect that treating your mahogany deck will produce surprising, even dramatic results, you are right. Diagnosing problems like yours is difficult at best, especially over the internet. You know, like: “He caught a bad case of Massaranduba on an African safari and nearly died.”   Actually, it’s not a disease, it’s a South American hardwood that’s even harder than Ipe. That’s failure spelled “R-O-T”. My client was not happy that the wood on the diagonal always looked different than the main part of the deck—even tho we treated all the mahogany exactly the same with a Sikins oil stain. 2. http://www.cabotstain.com/products/product/Problem-Solver-Wood-Cleaner.html?productTypeName=Exterior%20Surface%20Prep, http://www.cabotstain.com/colors-and-finishes/families/Clears-and-Translucents-Colors.html, Wood vs Low Maintenance Decking | Suburban Boston Decks and Porches blog, How Good is Cabot’s New Water-Based ATO Stain? You could call Cabot for detailed guidance: 800-877-8246. As summer turned to early fall, I patiently waited for a window of opportunity, no rain and low humidity. What a great story — with inspiring results! © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. I just loved your tips on treating. Tell me how it goes. I am unsure what you mean by “safe”. Yes, the new ATO (19400) does take longer to dry and will remain sticky if too much is applied. Test it:  if a drop of clear oil (or water) soaks into the wood within a few seconds, then the oil treatment will also soak in. You may have to sand the mahogany as well. Thanks very much for taking time. To learn how we treat our clients, check our ratings on Angie’s List or read about us in an article in Remodeling magazine. Thus I recommend wiping your mahogany rails soon after staining them to remove any excess. We briefly tested the Camo system and found that it too frequently split the sides of our 1×4 mahogany. I like TWP for treating cedar and pressure treated wood, but is is not specifically formulated for hardwood (like mahogany). The oil treatment will not properly soak in, and your deck is not ready. If you are looking to improve your wooden structures, whether you are a woodworking enthusiast or a carpenter, having the best wood fillers for decks is the right step towards removing imperfections and improving the look on your furniture. For longevity – holding color the longest – Cabot’s Australian Timber Oil, “ATO”, mahogany flame color, is the best. When it feels dry on the outside, it’s probably still wet on the inside. Use a lamb’s wool applicator pad or a good brush (2 ½” or 3” wide for 1×4 mahogany and 4” wide for 5/4 x 6 mahogany). Mark, can tongue and groove mahogany be used under a roof (screen porch) over PT framing or must it be installed with a gap as in a deck application? I have used both these cleaners on mahogany with good results. ♦  An excellent technical bulletin from Cabot about power washing (aka pressure washing); ♦  A thorough discussion of clear deck treatments; ♦  An informative explanation of fading and flashing problems. Bend it over (90º) to form a straight hook. One note about color. Lindsay, Mahogany is beautiful when finished natural, which is why many doors are built with it. How often you need to treat your deck is a function of how much direct sun it gets. You do not want the penetrating oil to trap moisture inside the decking. We had a mahogany wrap around porch floor installed on our home which was built in 1850. Be sure to set the screws or nails below the deck surface, otherwise they can damage your sander. They can seriously damage the wood (i.e., make it fuzzy, which is very difficult to fix).

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