How to Properly Use End Seal

Here you can see exactly what happens to your hardwood decking when you don't end seal the cuts.
Here you can see exactly what happens to your hardwood decking when you don’t end seal the cuts.

In the past there have been some miscommunications with how to properly use End Seal & Ipe Oil. These are two equally important deck protectants, and when used properly, they will prolong the life of your deck.

End Sealer may sound a bit confusing. On traditional wood decks, a sealer is what encases the decking, it’s what protects it. That’s not the case with End Seal. If you happen to end seal your entire deck, you may find that it’s a bit slippery. I’m sorry you’re going through this; I believe Ipe Oil is what you’re looking for.

The end sealer is for the end grain cuts of the decking. Hardwood decking contains a significant amount of moisture, when you cut the decking and leave those ends exposed; the hardwood can dry rapidly. This can cause cracking and splitting.

To protect the end grains on your decking apply end sealer, or any approved wax based emulsion. This helps control the moisture gain and loss in decking and keeps the movement to a minimum. After you cut the decking, apply the end sealer to the fresh cuts. Make sure you don’t get any end sealer on the deck board surface, if this happens, promptly wipe it off.

When the proper steps are taken before the initial installation, you can be sure you have taken all the necessary measures in prolonging the life of your deck. Check out this video to learn more:

5 thoughts on “How to Properly Use End Seal”

  1. We put end sealer on the ends of every single joist, beam, and post of our deck. Only time will tell how many years of extra deck life this gives us.

    Lorian Bartle

  2. My builder was sloppy with the wax sealer on my ipe decking and I now have it on the board surfaces at many joints. What is the best way of removing the hardened excess so I can put a fresh stain on the deck? Thank you. Tony Cassano, Providence Forge, VA

  3. I’m working on installing my deck. If I make a crosscut at the ends of two deck boards that I will butt joint, do I need to let the sealant dry before installing the deck boards?

    Thank you for all of the helpful info and videos on your website.

  4. It could be beneficial to let the ends dry just to avoid the ends from butting to closely and wiping any of the end seal off one end of the board leaving the coating sparse on one board.

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