Day in and day out your dock takes a beating, from the sun and weather to water and others you ask a lot from it. Being from the midwest we know a thing or two about pulling the dock for the winter and what it takes to maintain it. But if you’ve got a wooden dock and it’s only in part of the year you’ll need to know what the best wood preservative for docks is in order to keep it looking nice and performing well.
Wooden docks are something that all of us have a special place for in our hearts. Sure, they can be a bit finicky and require some extra lovin’ but they’re just plain nice looking. And to put it simply, anything that’s going to be in the water as much as your dock is going to require a little maintenance. A good wood preservative will help it stand up to the UV beating, nasty weather, white caps and traffic that you know it goes through. Below are our best wood stain and preservative reviews for docks.
What To Look For
When you’re considering a new wood preservative for your dock there are a few things that you can consider almost mandatory in your fight against the elements.
Fungicidal – fungicidal preservative protects against surface mold, mildew, rot and decay
Water repellent – properties resists water damage: swelling, warping, and end-checking
Easy To Apply – Water based treatments will allow for ease of application
Know that we’ve got a little better idea of what we’re looking for let’s dive in and take a closer look at the best wood preservative for docks that made our list.
Best Wood Preservative for Docks
WoodRX Wood Sealer and Stain
What we really loved about this preservative was the applicator, finally a pump spray solution for treating a large area! Just prime your dock by pressure washing first, apply WoodRX, let dry, and add another coat. You’re done! One user suggested having a roller on hand to help smooth out any puddling that might occur when you’re spraying.
Been using WoodRX on my dock for 15 years. Excellent product.
The second coat is where you’ll have a change of pace. You’ll end up using much less WoodRx on the second coat, likely 1/3 to 1/2 as much as the first coat. This is where you’re roller will come in handy. Since this product is so good at repelling moisture the second application will want to bead up. Keep working it with your brush and you’ll get a great even coat.
A couple considerations for WoodRX if you’re grabbing some. The final product gets hot on the feet after it sits in the sun and the finished product can be slick for the first month until some patina builds up. Nothing major but something to consider.
WoodRX Highlights
- Applies with pump sprayer
- Goes on in a ¼ of the time when compared to other sealers
- Last 3-5 times longer than traditional sealers
- Apply over wet or dry wood
- For use on all types of wood
- Comes with a 2 year warranty against graying
- Environmentally friendly
We are happy with how the WoodRx looks and water really beads up on it after a rain.
Before
After
TWP Total Wood Preservative, Cedar
TWP 100 series is restricted and can only be shipped to certain states. The reason for the restriction is the amount of VOC’s or volatile organic compounds found in the 100 series.
Their 100 series cannot be shipped to the following states: AZ, CA, CT, DC, DE, IL, IN, MA, MD, ME, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, VA, VT, WI. If you do live in one of these states check out their 1500 series, it has low VOC’s and can be sold in all 50.
TWP 100 series is a unique combination of ingredients in a professional strength, easy to use formula that protects and preserves all exterior woods in 5 ways.
- Water Repellent Prevents Water Absorption
- Stops U.V. Damage
- Helps Prevent Wood Rot
- Resistant to Mold and Mildew
- Easy to Apply and Maintain
TWP Highlights
- Will not peel. TWP® is a penetrating stain, not a film former
- Semi-transparent stain preserves natural wood color
- Repels water – Aids in color retention
- Excellent longevity on both vertical and horizontal surfaces
Easy to apply, durable and long lasting where the accolades that TWP got from consumers. It’s cumbersome ordering was the main reason it fell in at #2 on our dock stain review.
One Time Wood Sealer
Rounding out our list for the best wood preservative for docks is One Time Wood Sealer. One Time uses a proprietary acrylic resin blend and it provides protection from water and UV radiation. The sealer penetrates deep into the wood’s cellular structure to ensure total protection from the elements
We liked that very little stain is needed, a small amount covers more area compared to similar amount of traditional stains. Another feature we enjoyed was that there were no overlap stains encountered that you’d find on other traditional stains making this an easy application.
One Time Highlights
- Clove brown wood sealer
- Preserve your wood 1 time every 7 years instead of every 2
- One Time is an acrylate resin blend that is designed to be cured by sunlight
- It contains wood-protecting resins without solvents, water, or waxes that sit on the wood’s surface
- Low odor formula rejuvenates old docks to a fresh new finish
The reason that it came in #3 was that it’s not specifically made for docks. Having said that, One Time should make a great choice if you’re looking to add some protection and preservation to your wood dock.
Well, there you go! 3 great choices in dock surface protection. We hope these dock stain reviews will help you in your decision in picking your level of stain and seal. Our clear winner was WoodRX and it’s dock specific compounds, easy application, and superior protection.
See you out there!
Jim I am so glad I came across this post. We live in a flood zone area and the wood on our porch is taking a beating. The water doesn’t reach the deck but the flood water stands so long the mold and mildew and algae continues to be a problem all over the deck. Going to show this to my husband other things we have used doesn’t work.
Glad you found it too!