I used Messmers UV Plus on my new IPE deck about a year ago. I was quite happy w/ the look & how easily it applied. However, within probably 4 to 5 months I started getting black spots (mold). I thought at the time all the "high-end" sealers would have contained a mildewcide but after reviewing the brochures & data sheets there was never a mention that Messmer's did contain a mildewcide. I sent several emails to Messmer's asking that specific question but never received a response.

I will redo the deck once I get my screen porch flooring done & will most likely use TWP. I was leaning toward Cabot's but based on "pressurepros" input it appears Cabots has changed their formulation & it may not be as good as it once was.

Regardless which "high-end" sealer (TWP, Penofin, Sikkens, Cabots, Messmers, etc) you go with I believe you should set your expectations to have to clean/restain every year at least for the 1st 2 to 3 years. Thereafter, you might stretch it to 2, maybe 3 years. The above numbers are for exposed decks. Given you have a covered porch should extend it for some period of time but at this point I can't speculate on that.

I may be wrong but I'm guessing your paint guy doesn't sell Cabot's. In my opinion Cabot's & Messmer's are about on par with each other except that Cabot's has a mildewcide & Messmer's does not to my knowledge.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Mike

Almost all of the Messmer's I see turns black from mold. I remove it from a ton of decks.

This is an interesting document regarding sealers from the Forest Products Society. It does not include Messmers but does reference many others. TWP appears to rate quite well plus I was surprised to see it has a solids content of almost 61%. Some of the others had a higher content but most were well below.

http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/pdf2001/morre01a.pdf

Funny, I applied a small amount of Messmers on a sample and it looked just like the ATO, so I too thought they were probably similar.

Pressurepros- would you recommend TWP over ATO and Messmers? If so, which one? Note I live in NY hence I have to comply with low VOC formulations.

I found on a website that Messmers has a 40 % solids content. I'm not sure what the ATO has.

My porch is covered, hence the UV exposure is only limited. However, I am concerned about the mold. From what I have read ATO works for some, but not for others.

What is TWP made of?

Just finished a 800 Sq ft IPE deck and ran a few test sample coatings of CabotÂs Australian timber oil. Based on what I read here and other sites it is better than most as mold is a concern.
Using the Mahogany flame version it appears darker than what I would prefer however the clear version doesnÂt contain UV protection. Will it lighten with age or do I just take what I get? Is there a way to get the UV protection and the more natural color?
SG

Shakeyguy, did you use the 9400 series ATO (ie low VOC)?

I dont know if i have good luck or something but ive used messmers on all of my Ipe decking projects and it seems to wrok out more than fine for me looks great when im done. When talking to the good old people at advantage trim and lumber they told me that the only time you get mold with the messmers is if you apply to much and it pools up on the surface of the deck which can be wiped away with a rag. Tell me if this isent true with any other finish out there that if you apply to much you give a place for mold to grow?

Joyce, do you use a special applicator for the Messmers (ie 'microfiber') or just a natural bristle brush?

After all the input from this forum (thank you!) and talking to my paint guy, I think I'll opt for the Messmers over ATO as my Messmers can is not low-VOC like the ATO.

andersog,

what I did and it seemed to work perfect for me is a 3/8 nap paint roller and then if there where some spots that seemed to be pooling up i wiped it off with a dry rag as per Advantge Lumbers directions and my stuff looks great.

Rolling a deck produces a non penetrating over-application 9 times out of ten.

I want to apply a natural finish on cedar exterior doors, but don't want the wood to have an orange color. Any suggestions?

Baker\\\'s Gray Away Super Cedar Dark. Will give you a perfect brownish tone to even out the orange-y nature of cedar but will not dramatically change the color of the wood.

I used Messmers UV finisher on my ipe deck and noticed a few "puddling" spots that are a bit tacky to the touch. How do I get rid of the tackyness? Thanks for any help.