Decker my Man,I could not have said it any better my very own self. Becides all the mold/mildew problems on the decking its the rail system that seems to completly fail in a few years/months. I usually go with TimberTech decking and build the rail with TT 2x4s,that is not go with the rail kits they make.Pretty good sucess with this far as the top/bottom rail spliting. The composite boys advertise a lot and fill the need for the Wallet that has had it with puting on finish/cleaning up a wood deck. Of course they cant deliver what they advertise but thats business thats progress. It might be different if composite was just starting out but after 20 years or so of pratice a Person would think they could get a little closer to their claims. John

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.

Thanks so much for the straightforward and knowledgeable advice (and for the confirmation). That's what I needed and wasn't getting anywhere else. You've saved me a ton of work and frustration down the line. Much appreciated!

You have a wonderful, huge deck in a beautiful backyard. You would need to do the benches as well as the railing and steps. If it were mine, I would clean it well then put on a protective coating. That alone will enhance the color and protect it from mildew and wear and tear. You have a lot of deck to cover and if you do a stain, it will NOT be permanent. It doesn't matter which type you purchase and use, it will need to be touched up and/or restained at least every few years and that is if it is applied perfectly. If you decide to deepen or change the color later, you can do it after you've sealed it. If you darken the color with stain and decide in a few years that you wish you hadn't, stripping it all off would be a nightmare and would damage your wood. A colorful unbrella for your table, plants in pots, and some decorative throw pillows would really finish it all off. We purchase our house with a dark stained deck on it and I HATE it. It is hot and the maintenance is a killer.