Thread: Clear Deck Finish

I've just given the foredeck on my paddlewheeler a birthday and thought i'd share the experience to date.
The deck planks are 140 x 30mm Jarrah with Sikaflex 290DC in the seams. Due to poor maintenance in recent years there was quite a lot of surface cracking and general deterioration. It would be several years since any oil was applied.
I recaulked most of the seams, sanded the lot to remove the worst (but not all) of the cracking and was then on to the finish.
I like the look of a clear finish but the nature of the timber means it soaks up an enormous quantity of oil. The area of the deck is less than 4 square metres and I used 11 litres of Deks Olje last time. Considering it needs to be redone every 6 to 12 months, its a very expensive exercise.
A mate suggested an Intergrain (Dulux) product called DWD so I gave it a go last weekend. Well it's the strangest clear finish I've ever seen.
The system starts with a Oxalic acid based cleaner - nothing unusual here. Then a watery primer - a bit scary because its opaque pink in colour - but it dries clear. Then 2 topcoats. The stuff's as thick and the same colour as Mums seafood dressing, but again it dries clear. Its so thick it fills the cracks and puts a decent coating on top. All very easy to apply - like spreading mayo on a sandwich, except with a brush.
And the whole lot is water based!
Time will tell how well it lasts, but it looks good so far. It doesn't have the depth or lustre of oil but there's a lot of protection there I reckon.
For full details have a look at the Dulux website 'trishield system'
Anyone else tried this stuff?
Mark