# Deck



## jacob33 (Jun 2, 2009)

What would cause this to show up a couple days after the deck was done. I hate solid colors on decks but this one had one already.

We washed the deck sanded it and let it dry a couple days. The moisture meter read fine. It looked good for two days after the deck was done and than white spots started showing up. Its duckback super deck.

It does not wash off either with a wet rag or a dry rag. It does disappear when wet but reappears when it dries.


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## WestCoast99 (May 8, 2012)

I have no idea what that is. Maybe you can take a higher resolution picture and some of the other contractors could help identify it. It almost looks like bird poop to me but from your description I wouldn't think so.


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

That is disappears when wet makes me wonder if it's "frosting" or something similar. I would try washing it with warm water to see if that helps.


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## Painter-Aaron (Jan 17, 2013)

Is it leeching? Let the deck cure and lightly wash it with some disinfectant and it should go away if it is


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## stelzerpaintinginc. (May 9, 2012)

Gough said:


> That is disappears when wet makes me wonder if it's "frosting" or something similar. I would try washing it with warm water to see if that helps.


That's about the only thing I could come up with too, but have you ever seen frosting on a deck in direct sun? I've seen a few rare cases of eves & soffits frost. It's a weird occurrence that I don't know much about.

Here's a long-shot. See if any of the products used contained a calcium carbonate extender in them. This would include the products you applied and the pre-existing products. If so, frosting is likely the culprit.


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## ptm (Oct 20, 2011)

What is frosting? I'm not familiar.


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

ptm said:


> What is frosting? I'm not familiar.


Salt crystals, especially calcium carbonate, appearing on the paint surface. As Troy posted, this usually happens on surfaces protected from rain wash. Washing with warm water usually solves the problem

https://www.sherwin-williams.com/ho...s/problem-solver/sw-article-pro-frosting.html


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## Painter-Aaron (Jan 17, 2013)

Gough said:


> Salt crystals, especially calcium carbonate, appearing on the paint surface. As Troy posted, this usually happens on surfaces protected from rain wash. Washing with warm water usually solves the problem
> 
> https://www.sherwin-williams.com/ho...s/problem-solver/sw-article-pro-frosting.html


Is that just another term for leeching than? Sounds just like it but Iv never heard of frosting before


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

Painter-Aaron said:


> Is that just another term for leeching than? Sounds just like it but Iv never heard of frosting before


Leeching is the application of blood-sucking worms to draw out blood, so I don't think they're the same.:jester:


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## SemiproJohn (Jul 29, 2013)

Gough said:


> Leeching is the application of blood-sucking worms to draw out blood, so I don't think they're the same.:jester:


I thought leeching was the application of blood-sucking leeches. It's a no-brainer, right? Maybe I'm about to find out that a leech is a type of worm. :whistling2:


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

SemiproJohn said:


> I thought leeching was the application of blood-sucking leeches. It's a no-brainer, right? Maybe I'm about to find out that a leech is a type of worm. :whistling2:


"Leeches are segmented worms that belong to the phylum Annelida and comprise the subclass Hirudinea."


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## SemiproJohn (Jul 29, 2013)

Gough said:


> "Leeches are segmented worms that belong to the phylum Annelida and comprise the subclass Hirudinea."


Awesome, simply awesome. Your insight knows no bounds. Or at least your ability to "speed Google." Or both. :thumbsup:


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

SemiproJohn said:


> Awesome, simply awesome. Your insight knows no bounds. Or at least your ability to "speed Google." Or both. :thumbsup:


Limnology, summer 1969, ACM Wilderness Field Station, Ely, MN


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## Epoxy Pro (Oct 7, 2012)

Damn you remember stuff from 1969? Hell I can't remember an hour ago.


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

cdpainting said:


> Damn you remember stuff from 1969? Hell I can't remember an hour ago.


Well, the only reason that I'm at home right now is that I can't find my truck keys....


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## jacob33 (Jun 2, 2009)

We put a another coat on and it seems to have solved the problem. Sherwin williams thinks it was dew that caused it but I did not recall any dew in the morning and it did not manifest for a few days. Who knows I just hope it stays away for good.


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## doctors11 (May 17, 2010)

It's not this...

http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/for-contractors/surfactant-leaching


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

doctors11 said:


> It's not this...
> 
> http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/for-contractors/surfactant-leaching


Yeah, we did take a slight detour in the wake of an orthographic error.

We've had surfactant leaching on a few exteriors early in the season when the humidity is higher.


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## jacob33 (Jun 2, 2009)

I'm now fairly certain it was surfactant leaching. It would not wash off so I did not think it was surfactant leaching as that usually washes off easy. We fixed the spots and I went back the next two day to check it in the mornings and no issues. On the third day there was dew and I could see the surfactant in the dew being milky. I grabbed the hose and rinsed off the deck. This took care of the issue that day.

My assumption is rinsing it removed the surfactants in the dew but since the sun was up the water I put on did not sit long enough to cause more surfactant to leach.

I went back the next day about noon and sure enough it happened again. I mopped the deck with dawn water and it cleaned it up. I went back this morning and there was some in the dew again so I rinsed it with the hose. I just hope its solved now. There is less every time but its a pain.

Luckily the house is about a block from mine so it does not take long to check it.


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## jacob33 (Jun 2, 2009)

I read online that most of the time it will weather off after a few months with rain and use but I have a hard time telling someone don't worry it will look good in a few months.


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