Cleaning & Staining Boat Dock
Boat Dock Sealer | This is one of the cedar panels of my boat dock after it was cleaned and sealed. Copyright 2026 Tim Carter
Cleaning a Boat Dock
"Hi Tim,
We live in sunny St. Petersburg, FL. Of course, that means our docks take a beating 24-7-365. My Before Photo is from the roof of our house just prior to some renovations, thus the wood and trusses in the photo. Following the renovation, I was able to focus on the dock.
I applied oxygen bleach per your instructions and was amazed at the results. Guess I shouldn't have been but it was far beyond my expectations given that the dock had not been touched in three years (that I know of, could have been longer as we just purchased). A During Photo shows the results.
I then ordered Defy's Extreme light walnut colored stain. It was shipped for free from Jacksonville - great job by Duval Paints. (No local vendor available.) I applied two coats within the twenty-minute window, and I think the results speak for themselves. I still have to do the edges and will be replacing the railing but so far so good. Oxygen bleach and Defy, your two recommendations, did the job. Looking forward to seeing how Defy stands up to the extreme conditions.
All the best."
NOTE FROM TIM CARTER - Founder of AsktheBuilder.com - posted October, 2016: I no longer would apply Defy deck sealer to any exterior wood that I own at my own home.
Tim Connolly
Tim built custom homes and did ultra-custom remodeling for 20+ years before launching his Ask the Builder media presence. He was selected as one of the Big 50 by Remodeling magazine in 1993. This award gave birth to Ask the Builder in October 1993. Tim also operates https://DrawPlumbingPlans.com. His @askthebuilder YouTube channel was the first home improvement channel on YouTube.