From your name - the "other side of the bay bridge"? Where did you buy the Marine grade pressure treated lumber? My experience - let it dry out for a few months. I would suggest posting this question on the porches & decks forum for the pros to answer.

After much research, we built with Correctdeck CX . That is the relatively new mold resistant version. We live on the peninsula south of San Francisco, CA, about five miles from the ocean so we get lots of moisture, even in the summer. and it does freeze in the winter. We have oak and eucalyptus trees near the deck that shed leaves (the euc. stains) and get lots of bird droppings, raccoon tracks, etc. We also get two large labs who visit. After about eight months, the deck looks great. During the summer we got black spots in a large area but realized it was from the oak. They washed off with plain water, as does everything else. The dogÂs nails do not scratch. You definitely can scratch this material (itÂs harder than other composites though) but it takes an effort. So just put pads on the bottom of your metal chairs. Some worry about the shiny surface of CX. As the website tells you, that shine all but disappears in a few months. It has a sleight sheen, about the level of satin paint. For the railings, we used the correct deck posts, then their dimensional lumber for the rails, and aluminum powder coated balusters. Our aim was minimum intrusion on the view, and it worked. We love the deck. Yes, in direct sun it can get hot but since the color is gray, less so then the previous dark wood deck. It feels wonderful under your feet. Everyone remarks on how great it looks. If we were money-heavy, we would have gotten Ipe and had people in once a year to re-stain and treat it. As it is, weÂre quite happy with the result.

I work in pressure washing and use a product call Ready Seal Stain and Sealer. It is semi-transparent and is petroleum-based. I use it for several reasons. 1. It's not temperature regulated so I can apply it whenever the wood is dry (meaning 48 consecutive hours of dry time). 2. It's easy to apply when the surface has been prepped properly with a good cleaning (bleach and soap) and/or stripped depending on what product is currently on wood. 3. I can apply it with a rag, a brush, a roller, a flat pad, a pump up sprayer and I don't have to keep a wet-edge. 4. It won't streak or give me lap marks. 5. It's a penetrant so it dives into the pores of the wood so within 15 minutes or so, my customer's can put furniture back on the wood. It can also rain. 6. It provides some level of UV protection with the darker colors giving longer protection. 7. It comes in different colors so most of my customers can find something they like. 8. It can be used on IPE, pine, cedar and composites. 9. When it's time to refresh the deck (every 2-3 years), then I have to give it a light cleaning (soap and bleach), let it dry and re-stain. I've used lots of other products and from my perspective (as a pressure washer), it's the easiest to work with and I like the color choices. Some products tend to give an orangey (?) tone. I like the browns and reds. As a homeowner....I love it. My decks look so rich and my neighbors have complimented me on them. I haven't really maintained mine as well as I should...my current staining is about 3 years old and although it doesn't really need it, I want to restain just to refresh it and get some new UV protection on it. My mother-in-law lives in Wisconsin...the upper part of Wisconsin. She has some acreage that the guys go hunting on...so she put a 5th wheel trailer and a "lean-to" and deck next to the trailer. We put Ready Seal on it and it's been 2 years of rough winters and it's holding it's color really well. I live in the heat of the south and again...mine is holding up well too. My biggest suggestion....just be aware of whatever product you put on....is to think about how it will need to be maintained, cleaned or stripped off in the future. Homeowners don't always consider that fact and then are sticker-shocked when they see how much product I will need to strip a deck or how many hours it will take to complete that stripping just to prepare the deck for stain. One last thing....if you are a handy homeowner and want to do-it-yourself, you can do it yourself. If you follow directions and take to someone knowledgeable...you can do it. Best of luck to you!

Sierraeast, I've been frequenting this site long enough to know there are some skilled HO'ers out there that have built some fine decks. It takes a real man to admit they were wrong, I see you are one. The next paragraph is not for you, but for others who may read this & be in the same boat as Danielle. Here's why I made that statement. Danielle did not state the elevation of the deck or any details other that it was 900 sq. ft. Just the size alone means there's going to be some considerable money being spent. I'd hate to see her spend big bucks & not be happy with the results or have safety issues. It cost less to do it right the first time, if it's not they might not be friends anymore. The golden rule for contractors is, don't do work for friends or relatives. Works the same for HO'ers, don't have friends or relatives do work on your home. Al PS. Thanks Steve & John for having my back.