Deck restore on new wood bed

[whatleyr]

Sorry if this has already been a dressed but....... had anyone used any type of deck restore on a new.wood bed? I'm about to put in a new pine bed but wanted to see if any of the new products would postpone maintenance and/rot. I will be using this bed for hauling and it will stay mostly outside. Didn't want to do the suggested metal floor or plywood. I still want it to look authentic. Thanks for the suggestions.

[mongocanfly]

There are better options than pine for a bed that will last much longer.....but if pines what you want then I'd keep a good coating of sealer on it at all times...

[whatleyr]

Thanks for the help Mongo. I'm open to any suggestions. What other types can I install looking for low maintenance. I forgot to mention that this bed will be going in my unrest ored truck. More user than show. Thanks.

[cruizin01]

I wouldn't use deck restore on a wood bed, especially if its new lumber. I would decide on your lumber of choice and give it a few months to dry then do a cleaner, brightener and stain... That's at least how I would do a deck. :-)

I will say I did a deck at my previous house in deck restore. It was meh. It was more of a band-aid to help sell the house.

[JJ660]

MAR-K has several articles on different wood finishes, plus test results. http://www.mar-k.com/index.php?p=tips-and-tricks

[Railroader]

I used decking material when I did restoration. The reasons were, I liked the look, it was solid color through out material, not supposed to fade or warp (been 3 years and no fade or warp as yet) and it was different from norm.

Having said all that, decking is a composite material. One of the material used is plastic. I don't know how that would hold up with hauling all kinds of stuff in everyday use. I wouldn't recommend decking for normal truck use.

[Captainfab]

What I and a friend use on semi trailers when some or all of the wood deck is replaced is linseed oil. It does help extend the life of the wood and keeps the moisture out. Some don't like the smell though. IMO it's not bad and on an open trailer it disapates after a while.

[Clyde65]

Since your in texas, will the truck be garaged? Covered? Will the bed be covered?

Texas summers will ruin a nice bed stain in less that 3 years if left in the sun.

[whatleyr]

Right now it will be outside most of the time. Just looking for ways to seal it. Not looking for real showroom.

[66K20]

I treat the wood floor on my trailer annually with used motor oil thinned down with mineral spirits. I mix up the concoction in a cleaned oil drain pan and brush it on the trailer floor. The floor is a little slick until the wood completely absorbs the oil but the wood maintains it's color all year long. I wouldn't hesitate to go this route for the bed floor in a truck that is used regularly.

[61K10]

I used this on my pine new bed wood. This is tough wood not like a soft pine. anyway as you are using your tk this is cheap and plenty for re-coats. bought it at ACE hardware.

[hank scorpio]

Just for the record you could take the pieces to a body shop and have them shot in 2k urethane. You can seal them up good and make them pretty impervious to the elements that way. If you need product suggestions for a sealer www.tcpglobal.com 's house brand is fine. I do this day in and day out for my day job.


cabinet (or cabinet finishing) shops can also spray it but it tends to be lacquer or conversion varnish. It'll seal up great but may not be as durable as a 2k. I remember as a kid we dad did a couple wood beds for car club friends (he has a cabinet shop).

Pine is soft so no finish you put on it will keep it from dinging up.

Oil finishes are ok, good for keeping the wood from drying and splitting but not a ton of protection from the elements. Look at TruOil. It was developed for finishing gun stocks and is essentially a polymerized tung oil so it actually dries, can be recoated till your hearts content (it will build up a finish) and has decent weather protection.

Otherwise deck finishes would probably be fine (i.e. johnsons water seal or whatever) and pretty easy to do.

[damnyankee36]

The trouble with any coating, such as a polyurethane, when the wood expands and contracts, along with the sun's affects, it will always eventually crack, lift, peal, etc. The better products will last longer but the end result will always be the same.

Sealing with your choice of an oil or preservative like the others have suggested is your best bet IMO. You will have to occasionally reapply it but it's a whole lot easier than stripping and reapplying a coating. An hour spent twice a year is all it would take to reseal.

[oem4me]

Originally Posted by damnyankee36

The trouble with any coating, such as a polyurethane, when the wood expands and contracts, along with the sun's affects, it will always eventually crack, lift, peal, etc. The better products will last longer but the end result will always be the same.

Sealing with your choice of an oil or preservative like the others have suggested is your best bet IMO. You will have to occasionally reapply it but it's a whole lot easier than stripping and reapplying a coating. An hour spent twice a year is all it would take to reseal.

The above is good advise. Wood is like a sponge, always absorbing/losing moisture, and growing/shrinking as it does. You can try and fight it, but much like resisting gravity, you will eventually lose.
So rather than fight, the smart plan is to chose a wood that is naturally tough and resistant to rot, and then more or less let it do it's thing. No harm in giving a it little help with UV and pest protection, but if using a sealer, make sure it's able to move with the wood. Think of it slowing the process, not eliminating it.
For these reasons, the "creo-coat" suggested above has my vote so far for a user truck. Also, Southern Yellow Pine, which is what the factory chose to install in our trucks is very good choice. It is extremely tough (unlike White Pine), is full of resins which bugs hate, and is not crazy expensive.
I've seen plenty 50+ year old trucks with original wood which is still in good shape. The trick is allowing the wood to dry after it gets wet. If it stays wet long enough, fungus and mold can invade and spell ruin.

[highwinger]

Originally Posted by JJ660

MAR-K has several articles on different wood finishes, plus test results. http://www.mar-k.com/index.php?p=tips-and-tricks

^^^ Now that's great test data and should be a sticky somewhere IMO. Look for the final test in 2007 which shows a comparison to several products and using pine & oak.

[jayoldschool]

If it's going to sit outside, go with synthetic. Works great, looks good, zero maintenance. Mine sits out there 365. Summer sun, rain, Canadian winter. No cover. Looks like the day I installed it years ago. It works, too, no issues.

This is TREX facia board.

[whatleyr]

That's a great idea. I contacted many composite companies asking if their product would work for a truck bed. Everyone said it was too flimsy. I would like to know everything you can Share about this. Great idea.

[jayoldschool]

Works fine, not flimsy. Think about how often the boards are supported underneath. Same as a deck. Then, they are all tied together with the strips. Stronger than a deck. I have had zero issues. That full dress small block didn't hurt it.

[andyh1956]

[QUOTE=jayoldschool;8297162]If it's going to sit outside, go with synthetic. Works great, looks good, zero maintenance. Mine sits out there 365. Summer sun, rain, Canadian winter. No cover. Looks like the day I installed it years ago. It works, too, no issues.

This is TREX facia board.

jay I see you had to rip a center piece for the bed. Also you worked the edges to make room for the strips. I had asked Trex about sawing into their deck boards & they said that was a don't do it.
When you sawed into your fascia boards did you get into a foam center?
How did you handle any prep of the sawn areas?
The Trex site is pretty vague about construction & how to handle of their products
Thanks

[jayoldschool]

My boards are made to the exact factory dimensions on the GMCPaul's website. I used FACIA board, not deck material. I chose this because the thickness was the exact same as factory bed wood. I bought 10' lengths since 8' is too short for a long box. Cut to lenghth, rip to width, one pass on edge with a dado, then one more pass for the deeper channel. Took about two hours to make the set, and I'd never done bed wood.

Just go to the store, and grab a couple samples. Find something that is the right thickness, is wide enough, long enough, and start to make your plan.

[oem4me]

From a purist viewpoint, the fake wood thing bugs me ... a lot. From a utilitarian perspective though, I hardly see a down side to using a composite. What could possibly be better than a strong product that will never need paint and will never rot?
Is it heavy? Expensive? Does it expand/contract excessively with extreme summer heat or winter cold? Lastly, does it even a little bit look like wood?
You've got me thinking now. I wonder if it comes in colors ... like black?

[andyh1956]

thanks Jay, I can tell a lot more about the bed now! I've got a table saw, an old DeWalt Radial Arm Saw & some DaDos for it.
I went by Lowes little while ago & 10' #2 pine I think was $8 & looked horrible! Too many knots! The "Select" pine was nice, but $30.58 a board! Holy Board Foot Batman!
For that kinda money I'll do synthetic any day!

I saw a company that makes aluminum extrusion bed panels for our trucks out at Pate last year. No strips or bolts show, but get ready to un ass from your pocket book!

If I remember right after reading the entire MAR K test the best long term preservative for pine was paint by a large margin.
Having said that I treated the wood floor in my car hauling trl with asphalt sealer. Soaked right in on rough cut pine boards from across the road from my house. Looking good after 25 or so yrs out in the weather. I spect the Creo seal would do similar.
On my lawn mower trl it was already oil stained when I got it so I do the used engine oil mixed with old mineral spirits from the parts washer trick on it. Remember to Recycle!

[jayoldschool]

The fake wood thing would bug me too... on a very original truck (or a restored truck). On a truck like mine, with over 50 years of patina (and one that is outside and works), it's the right choice. There are boards that have grain. I chose the grey because I wanted it to look like weathered wood. Black strips would have looked better than the unpolished stainless, but would have rusted. Around the same weight as wood, probably a little heavier. No noticeable shrinking or expanding, but I did it the way the factory did with the strip slots and offset holes.

It's not the choice for most, but it has been the perfect choice for me.

[hambone61]

Smoky Road Rod Shop has the solution.$$$$$. Saw these guys at Moultrie swap meet, impressive but.........

[andyh1956]

Yeah that's what I saw at Pate. Seems silly to invest more in your bed floor than what the truck's worth!
Although if $ no object that Rat Fink bed is way cool!