Thread: Do I oil a deck before or after caulking?

Caulk before oil or the oil may prevent the caulk from sticking. You can treat the underside if you like, but it's not necessary. Oil will not prevent the wood from absorbing moisture, but it does limit it to a small degree (about 25% if tung oil). You might post some pictures to clarify what you are talking about, as I'm a bit confused. Is this a cockpit grating or sole? Polysulfide is the usual choice for deck caulk, with the two part stuff being much better then the single part.

Hi Andrew.
Definately do not oil your timber if you are using any form of modern "caulking", from a tube.
The oil or any moisture/paint will form a barrier and your "caulking" will peel out.

Have your timber as dry and clean as possible before caulking.
I love the black SIKAFLEX myself.

Once this product has cured properly, it is pretty indestructable.

Good luck with your project.

Paul.

If you're going to caulk from a tube, don't forget to prime the seam first. The primer costs more than the ex-wife, but unlike SWMBR (She who Must Be Reviled), is worth the money. The whole exercise will be worthless unless you get the seam spotlessly clean first. The sikaflex will bond to the remnants of caulking rather than timber, once the caulking moves you'll have water ingress.

Just make sure you're not the poor bugger who has to ream it all out in a few years, what a freaking nightmare!

Darce, do you mean paint primer??? Isn't there any caulking agent that will stick to timber adequately, without priming the timber first? (I was actually hoping to use something like coloured "no more gaps" to fill the gaps).

I'm not fussed if the seam leaks, as it's the floor area in the rear section of my half-cabin, which sits on the boating equivalent of joists, and the cockpit below that drains happily if needed. The main purpose of trying to fill in the gaps between the boards was to stop fish-hooks etc falling down between the boards if they were dropped, and I quite like the aesthetics of a dark line between the timber boards!

Sikaflex make a primer specifically for the job, I think it's Sika-Prime 215 or something like that, about $50 for 500ml last time I bought some. I can easily tell where I did not use it, the sika comes away nicely (which is why the boat sank) and the sections where I did the job properly just don't want to come off.

Are you using Sika below the water line or about??

As for reaming out....the best way i know how is to naila batten full length of your seam..then run a circular saw along the batten. comes up perfect.