is redwood supposed to fade in a few days?

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merk

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So the guys just finished building the deck and the first 1/4 or so of the deck is a very noticeable different color than the rest. The first 1/4 or so of the deck was installed about a week or so ago - the rest of it was just installed today.

When they initially installed the deck that first portion was pretty much the same color as the back half but faded to the color you see in the photo over the course of a week or two.

so - is there anything the contractor can do to get the original redwood color back? and anything he should do to prevent the rest of the deck from fading?

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the dark wood is the wood closest to the center of the tree. It's called heartwood and usually the most expensive. following with the whiter wood, and finally the greener. after that is the bark. All the wood, if left alone will fade to a gray color, unless you stain it periodically. The contractor may do it for you, but will probably charge for it. Staining is an easy DIY project
Hopefully, he didn't sneak in any other wood which would rot unless treated
Even redwood will rot in time, with the heartwood being the most long lived.
If it were my deck, I would treat it with a wood preservative and stain every year
 
I think you will find products to wash it with to bring it back to original color.
They sure have no pride in installing that decking. We never put 2 joints side by side.
 
I agree. A staggered edge is much more eye appealing. I see this all the time with plank type floor tile. It really messes with my OCD.
 
yeah these contractors pretty much suck. huge mistake in hiring them but i'm stuck with them for now.

Is there anything i can do to keep the redwood looking, well, red? :) i really like the way it looks before it fades out to that yellowish/tan color. and as for staining - i picked up a small can of behr redwood sealer/stain yesterday just to put it on a small section and see what it looked like - a bit too red for my tastes since i'd prefer to keep the wood looking the way it is when it's fresh, i didnt really want to stain the whole thing red.
 
Redwood changes in the sun faster than most. You can keep it covered or let it all sunburn the same.
 
Redwood changes in the sun faster than most. You can keep it covered or let it all sunburn the same.

so keeping it covered is really the only option to keep it from fading? other than staining it.
 
At this point, I would let it all even up. There's not much point in having different starting points. Then, if you want to stain it, you don't need to go all the way to red just cuz they call it a redwood stain. There are many shades you can find.
 
I like to oil my wood. You can also get tinted oils that make it look new. I use super deck brand on my wood mixed with linseed oil.

What I like about oils is when you have to re coat in a few years you just clean and coat, no scraping or major prep work. After a few coats it seems to last much longer than anything else.
 
I thought I read online on a redwood site that you shouldn't use linseed oil on redwood?
 
I think you will find products to wash it with to bring it back to original color.
They sure have no pride in installing that decking. We never put 2 joints side by side.[/QUOTE]

Hell, even I know that!:banana:
 
i found the bit i read online about linseed oil:
Pure oil-treatments such as boiled linseed oil, are not recommended on exterior redwood as they tend to promote mildew growth. Quality oil-based finishes, including those based upon linseed oil, contain mildewcides, and are appropriate for use on exterior redwood.
 
the GC just emailed me back and claimed the redwood doesn't need to be stained or sealed and that sealing it will leave uneven spots
 
It does do well in the elements but I would still seal it with something
 
It does do well in the elements but I would still seal it with something
well i think i am going to have to stain it. The faded blond/yellow look that half the deck has really doesn't appeal to me at all. i would have prefered to keep it all looking like 'red' redwood but i guess applying a light stain is my only practical option now.
 
They do have some cleaners to brighten it back up before you seal it but I'm sure it will still fade again.

Like I said I have always oiled mine with no issues but I also live in dry California so mold is not an issue.
 
They do have some cleaners to brighten it back up before you seal it but I'm sure it will still fade again.

Like I said I have always oiled mine with no issues but I also live in dry California so mold is not an issue.

I live in daly city which is just south of sf. It's not a rain forrest here but it does get wet here.

They left one spare board of wood so I'll let that one fade a bit and then test some stains/sealers before doing the whole deck.
 
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