need Ideas - protecting wood outdoors

[3_dog_nights]

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?

[TakingThe5th]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

OK, I'll bite...What's a spar?

[westend]

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]

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]

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!

[glorio]

Spread waterproof glue on the bottom of the feet and then add the
nylon nail in feet. Coat with more than 1 application. This will
prevent the feet from wicking up water.

[I_am_still_wayn]

Buy a can of Rust-Oleum spray rubber and coat the feet.

[westend]

The big-box stores also sell a protective rubber cap that you can put on the legs of the bench. I would add in a few dabs of silicone into the cap to seal the bottom of the bench leg to the cap.

[profdant139]

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