On the deck outside my camper, my wife wants to put an old Deacons Bench. My concern is the wooden legs, in contact with the decking sounds like a recipe for wood rot. This bench is important to her, but she insists she wants it out there. Anybody have any ideas how to protect the contact area?

Any hardware store/home center and even Walmart carry nylon 'feet' that just nail into the bottom of the legs. They will keep the bench from sitting directly on the deck.

Any hardware or home center will have feet for chair and table legs, little HDPE buttons with a nail in the center you tap up into the leg. This will create a small air space and a buffer between the two wood surfaces. If you want to be 'belt & suspenders' about it you could stand the legs in a little tray full of Thompsons Water Seal or oil of some form. The wood will wick it up and prevent water up-take in the first place. No water, no rot.

Soak the entire thing in tung oil.

It's already been painted, but I like the idea of the water seal. Maybe flip it over sand the bottom of the feet and soak. Fear of using the tap on "feet" is the moisture will still be between the wood and the foot. Water Seal sound better. Any other ideas?

Can you drill a small hole through the deck under where the feet will go? That'll drain the water.

need Ideas - protecting wood outdoors | Good Sam Community

18 Replies

TakingThe5th
Explorer
Nov 16, 2013
down home wrote:
I hd forgotten. If Creosote is still available, My Cousins put in a pipe wit a cap on one end and submerged end of wood posts for a period of time.
They adsorbed quite a bit. They aare still there afteer who knows how many years.

Years ago my Dad used Creosote on his fenceposts and that picket fence is still standing, but here Creosote is no longer available after it was found to be a carcinogen.
down_home
Explorer II
Nov 15, 2013
I hd forgotten. If Creosote is still available, My Cousins put in a pipe wit a cap on one end and submerged end of wood posts for a period of time.
They adsorbed quite a bit. They aare still there afteer who knows how many years.
folivier
Explorer
Nov 12, 2013
Best thing I've found is CPES by Rotdoctor.com
It is a clear penetrating epoxy that the wood fibers absorb thus making the wood unable to absorb water.
johnhicks
Explorer
Nov 09, 2013
Since it's been painted and there's no finish to preserve, I'd be inclined to paint the whole thing in a couple of coats of really thinned Gluvit (epoxy) then follow with a finish coat.
westend
Explorer
Nov 09, 2013
3 dog nights wrote:
OK, I'll bite...What's a spar?

Spars:

The thing about the bench legs is that the OP is worried about the water on the deck being trapped under the feet of the bench, leading to the bench feet rotting. I think his worries are misplaced because I have a lot of customers with deck furniture, some on untreated cedar. None of them have moisture issues but we don't live in a jungle up here, either. Regardless, treating with spar varnish is a good way to seal any wood that is left outside.
It's more likely that any moisture in the bench would transpire outward than it is to assume any would be "trapped" inside the legs from traveling down.
TakingThe5th
Explorer
Nov 09, 2013
westend wrote:
TakingThe5th wrote:
I'm not sure I would seal the bottom of the feet. Yes, it would protect against any moisture coming up from the bottom but it would also trap any moisture which might somehow come down from the top. Myself, I would prefer the nylon feet.
A long history of sailing vessels disagrees with your theory. Spar varnish originated in the sailing industry and was used liberally to seal different surfaces, among them, spars.

Fresh water or salt water sailing? If you're going to be eating a lot of salted popcorn around this bench ... :)
3_dog_nights
Explorer
Nov 09, 2013
OK, I'll bite...What's a spar?
westend
Explorer
Nov 09, 2013
TakingThe5th wrote:
I'm not sure I would seal the bottom of the feet. Yes, it would protect against any moisture coming up from the bottom but it would also trap any moisture which might somehow come down from the top. Myself, I would prefer the nylon feet.
A long history of sailing vessels disagrees with your theory. Spar varnish originated in the sailing industry and was used liberally to seal different surfaces, among them, spars.
TakingThe5th
Explorer
Nov 09, 2013
I'm not sure I would seal the bottom of the feet. Yes, it would protect against any moisture coming up from the bottom but it would also trap any moisture which might somehow come down from the top. Myself, I would prefer the nylon feet.
3_dog_nights
Explorer
Nov 08, 2013
Talked to two different paint stores, both reccomended the same thing. So I went with Marine Grade Spar Varnish by Rustoleum. Dipping the feet for multiple coats.
Thanks for everyones ideas!