Last fall we finished building the decks and porches on the new house. We used Cambara decking for both the deck and the farmers porch. At the time a co-worker suggested that I use Penofin Penetrating Oil Finish to seal the hard wood. So I went to the hardware store and picked up a few cans so the guy could pre-stain the back side of all the wood. I just grabbed the first can I saw. Well it turns out I picked the “original blue label oil wood finish”. As you can see in the photo below it’s only been 10 months and the finish has faded and actually started to get some mildew build up. Well if I had taken the time to read the can I would have known that the “blue” can only has a 90% UV protection. What I really should have bought was the “hardwood finish” in the brown can. It has 99% UV protection. In the photo below you can see where I’ve re-stained the front porch steps with the 99% UV protection formula and the steps look like new. I plan on re-doing the back deck as soon as possible so the sun and water don’t damage the beautiful Cambara decking anymore.

Todd Fratzel

I'm full time builder for a large construction company in New Hampshire. I run their design-build division that specializes in custom homes, commercial design-build projects and sub-divisions. I'm also a licensed civil and structural engineer with extensive experience in civil and structural design and home construction. My hope is that I can share my experience in the home construction, home improvement and home renovation profession with other builders and home owners. I'm also the Editor-in-Chief and Founder of Tool Box Buzz. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, suggestions or you'd like to inquire about advertising on this site.

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