After reading several related posts, I must say I am very confused. I am looking for some straight-forward recommendations on how to "treat" a new cedar deck and what product is best to use. If it is helpful, it is a deck that is 8+ ft. off the ground and I live in Nebraska (for climate purposes). Essentially looking for: 1) how soon to treat 2) do I need to sand/clean before? If so, what cleaning product is best? 3) What do I need to do to prevent water/UV damage? Seal? Stain? Both? Any/all input is greatly appreciated!

In my opinion one of the best ways to preserve a treated pine fence (especially posts that are buried) is with sump oil. Or you can use linseed oil. The people on one side of me did not want me to soak their posts in sump oil in order for it to soak into the timber. In fact they called me a nutcase for sugesting it would extend the life of them. For the record the posts are (hardwood) Australian redgum. Pailings are 13mm teated pine and the rails are 50x75mm treated pine. On the other side, where i have native bushland I did soak the base of the post in sump oil for just over 48 hours before putting them in the ground. I then sprayed the fence with sump oil. The untreated (much more wind protected) fence ended up with 4 posts snapped off at groung level they were rotten. There were pailings blown off etc etc. The fence on the other side off my home (which copped the FULL force of the wind is still nice and straight and still in good order. I still can't even wobble ANY post one bit. Both fences were put up together 17 years ago when we built. Another thing sump oil does is prevent termite attack. (If the buried part is soaked for 24-48 hrs before cementing them in). don't think that "treated" pine, or any other 'treated' timber will stop termites the chemicals leach out over time. Now the people next door want me to pay 1/2 for a new fence. I took them over showed them the other fence that was oiled and asked can you see any problem here. The grass is growing, as are all the plants there is no issues there. It's not as if i just poored oil all around the posts so the impact on the enviroment is infenticimal if at all. very little (if any) oil leaches out if they are soaked) the timber holds the oil inside it. If you don't want sump oil on your pailings then liseed oil is the next best thing. It is moisture that rots the timber(creates the enviroment for rottting) oils will repel the water keeping the as dry as posible and thus extending the life. And preventing yet more trees from being chopped down to cut into posts, rails and pailings. In fairness I said to those people next door if you buy all the materials I will help you put it up. But I am not paying 1/2 the cost for a fencing contractor to build another fence simply because you refused to take WELL KNOWN advice and called me a nut case in the process. Why should I fork out $2,864.00 (that's my half) simply because you chose not to listen to good old fashioned and well known advice. When I asked if he was prepared to pay half for the damage to my new garden bed, plants, shrubs and some other things I had stored where the fence fell on it all and brokes new shrubs etc he said "oh that's not my fault" "Can't you claim it on your insurance?" When asked why he isn't claiming his fence repairs on his insurance he said "Oh I don't have insurance". I said what happens if your house burns down how can you afford to pay the mortgage as well as the cost of living elsewhere. "Oh it won't burn down" was the answer I got. GO FIGURE.

I am certainly no expert on this but what has worked for me is to pressure wash. I then spray and have someone falling me with a brush working it in. Goes pretty fast this way and provides good coverage etc. I personally have has the best experience with the better stains (Cabots, Olympic, TWP) I would stay away from Behr based on personal experience - not sure about Thompson but would recommend you get an input from someone who has actually used it and it had help up. I do not like most of their products. Cabot and Olympic can be bought at HD/Lowes. If you need to strip the fence, let me know and I will find the name of the company who sold me the right chemicals to do the job. I went through several different brands etc before finding one that worked well, easy to apply and relatively inexpensive etc.

Lets try one more time to remove the mith, sanding ipe with 60/80 grit has no effect one way or the other far as it taking finish.I dont know how that got started but lets stop it right now. Messmers is junk finish. Remove candle wax with hot soppy water/scrubing just like the Army it solves everything. A quick sand with an orbital after its dry. Use twp 116 rustic on ipe. J