After researching much on wood petrifying products and CretoWood, I have realized the benefits that such a product could offer. That said, I have a few questions about applying it:

1) How many gallons of product would I need for an above-ground 18'x12' cedar deck with 17 steps (see attached picture for reference )?
2) Do I need to spray both top and under-side of deck?
3) I am planning on having a professional strip my current stain so that the CretoWood product can be applied (stain currently needs refinishing). Once they are finished, I will spray on the CretoWood product while the deck is still wet and allow a week or two before they come back and re-stain. Are there any additional steps to prepare the deck for the CretoWood Product that I am missing (does a brightener need to be applied etc)? Is there anything I need to instruct the professional to do prior to my applying the CretoWood product?
4) What stain would you recommend applying after using the CretoWood product to achieve a similar look as what we currently have and allow for easy/low maintenance with long-lasting results?
5) Are there any preparation steps I am not taking into account?

Thanks for your time and expertise!

Here's the attached photo ( ) for the questions above.

I also attached a word doc ( ) in case the image does not show properly.

1. One 5 gallon pail will cover 1000 feet and is enough for your deck.
2. Topside/exposed wood first. You can spray the underside if desired
3. Apply Cretowood while the deck is still wet. It can be sprayed on with a pump type sprayer. Do not get the Cretowood on glass or aluminum trim. It can etch these surfaces. The Creto will slightly darken the wood. A brightener can be used to change the pH balance back. You should allow the Creto to penetrate for 45-60 minutes before using the brightener.
4. Any deck stain in a Cedartone color should be similar to the color on your deck.
5. Just watch the glass and aluminum!

Thanks!

1. So one 5 gallon pail should cover top & underside of deck and posts, correct?
4. This might be the wrong spot for this question, but out of all the stains you've seen, do you think the DEFY product for cedar is the easiest to apply, maintain and lasts the longest?
5. I'll cover the glass and I think my spindles are some type of metal so I don't think I have to worry there. I assume I can spray off the siding and the metal spindles when I'm done, correct?

1.Yes one pail will cover everything in your picture.

4.We do not have a particular stain that lasts longer then the others. Defy Stain for cedar is a very good brand and it will last as long as the others. Being a water base it is easy on the cleanup. Oil based stains IMO are slightly easier to apply then water bases.

5.Just rinse when you are done. You might want to test a spindle first to make sure there isn't a reaction.

4. Which product would you recommend, DEFY or TWP? You mention preferring oil-based stains over water-based like DEFY - why? The DEFY product states that it works better than oil-based stains, in that, it does not attract algae and mildew like oil products. Is this true?

Also, does the DEFY stain for hardwood need to be stripped for each maintenance coating? Does TWP?

5. I will be sure to test a spindle and see what happens.

6. After applying the Cretowood product, how long do I have to wait before applying the DEFY or TWP stain? A previous post was not entirely clear about this.

Thanks for all your assistance thus far!

4. Both Defy and TWP are great products and one is not better then the other when applied properly. Oil bases are easier to apply IMO since they do not dry as fast as a water. Both TWP and Defy can have a maintenance coat applied a couple of times. Eventually they need to be stripped since they become over applicated reducing proper penetration.

Water bases do not attract mildew while oil bases will. They combat this by adding mildewcides.

6. You can apply the stain 2-3 days later after using the Cretowood.

Thanks for answering my questions. I'll definitely become a customer when we are ready to get work done on our deck later this summer!