Varnishing an oak swim platform - need advice please

[moonrakercat]

Made a new swim platform from some oak last year - coated it with multiple coates of interlux schooner gold - problem is that the varnish soaks into the open grain in some spots- and I mean really soaks in - and the water has caused some minor black spotting - I'm thinking of putting a real thick coat of the varnish on this year to see if I can protect it better - but should I apply a sealer such as thompsons water seal to the varnished platform (so it soaks in the open grain areas) first before I apply another coat of varnish ? Or maybe apply a water seal after the coat of varnish ?? Or do something else ??? The new platform has seen about 2 months of fresh water boating - I leave the boat in the water at a slip in lake erie.

I'm not a wood guy - so I realize maybe I should have done some sort of grain sealing before I did the varnish - but it's done - so I'm hoping someone with some knowledge can chime in to give me some advice - I don't want to sand the entire platform down - 99% of it looks fantastic - just some spots that the grain is very open I'm getting some blackened areas.

I've uploaded a few pics.

Any advice is appreciated.

 

[alldodge]

It looks nice but I'm worried about the red oak. Red oak looks good but is not something to put outside. Red is about as bad as untreated pine. White oak on the other hand can be used where moisture is

I would think using spar varnish, that's what we used in the USCG. Would need to be roughed up

I learned this my self a few years ago. Cut down a Red oak and had it cut up into 2x8 for building an outside stair case. Let it dry a few years then was ready to start and mentioned it to a wood guy. Well the wood is still in my barn, one of these days I might do something with it

 

[flashback]

No expert but I have varnished a lot of trim on my sailboat back when I was a masochist and you need several more coats with a light sanding in-between each. What you've done looks good, it just needs more.. like alldodge said, red oak will keep you busy.

 

[JASinIL2006]

Red oak is like a sponge. I'd coat the heck out of that sucker with varnish, and be ready to reapply regularly.

 

[Stinnett21]

I'm guessing the more you coat it the slicker it gets right? No more dimples to hold your footing.

 

[Grub54891]

Built wheelbarrow handles out of red oak, 5 coats of varnish. 2 years she broke at the bolt holes. totally rotted from the inside out.

 

[RMClark]

I'm not a boat expert; I peruse the forums to learn more about it.

However, I am a "wood" guy.

The others who have indicated that red oak wasn't the best choice for this application are very correct. Since you already have it installed, you're going to need regular sanding and applications of more varnish. As you have already seen, there will be little you can do to totally eliminate discoloration.

I don't think Thomson's will do much for you. Thompson's web site says that their product needs to penetrate the wood. The varnish that is already applied will prevent good penetration.

I think the only thing that will prolong the life of that deck is removal of the boat from the water between outings. That's not likely in your situation.

You can fight the battle with sanding and varnish reapplication as long as you want. But if it was me, I would decide how much work that deck is worth and work to that point. You may just need to prepare for a replacement much sooner than you originally intended. It stinks, but that's the nature of red oak.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Use the red oak as a pattern to make a teak swim step

 

[alldodge]

one of these days I'll do something with the wood

 

[moonrakercat]

Thanks for all the feedback guys - I appreciate it. I think alldoge hit it on the head - I should have done research & made it from white oak - but it was last year- beginning of season - was going to put the boat in the water when I climbed up the ladder & heard & felt the platform crack - it was rotted- the original platform from 1979 - I'd repaired & reinforced it many times - and my kids & I use it for swimming all the time - so I had no choice but to run to homedepot & put something together - I was in a bit of a bind.

I just put another really thick coat on the top - no thinner whatsoever -and hopefully it will help me prolong the life - the wood wasn't too expensive - just the time involved to do it half decently right. It wasn't too slippery last year - hopefully it will be ok this year. It's only a few spots where the grain is course that it seems to soak in. I think if I used some sort of grain filler I would have been ok. But as I said - I'm not a wood guy.

I'd do teak - but that is $$$ and now with wood prices probably twice as much. The boat is usually only in the water from july - thanksgiving october - so hopefully I get 5-10 years from it. The platform does look better than I thought it would turn out though.

Wish me luck.

 

[Mark ofs]

If it gets to slippery, you could mix-in some of the grit sand (even saw it at home depot) to your final coat. Cedar, though soft also is a good outdoor wood and is usually much less expensive than teak.

 

[Grub54891]

If it gets to slippery, you could mix-in some of the grit sand (even saw it at home depot) to your final coat. Cedar, though soft also is a good outdoor wood and is usually much less expensive than teak.

We did that to our swimming raft years ago. sprinkled a bit of beach sand on the dive board while the paint was wet. Had to put another thin coat of paint on as it was to rough, but it worked!

 

[flashback]

Nothin lasts forever,, glad it worked out.

 

[moonrakercat]

Nothin lasts forever,,

So very true Flashback......

I put another coat on it - thick with no thinner - looks a deeper yellow now - and you can tell it's real thick - I'll see how it pans out this year...