# Sherwin Williams Tredplex



## randrohe (Jan 6, 2009)

Hello all,
I have a porch floor that is covered by a ceiling.
I sanded and washed the entire porch 4 years ago and spot primed with a coat of tredplex followed by 1 topcoat as per the recommendation of the SW rep.
There is failure on 40% of the joints of the flooring. (tongue and groove, not sure of the species of wood)
The Sherwin Williams rep told me that it was likely because the underside wasn't back primed. The porch has a 6 foot crawl space with a dirt floor without any kind of ventilation.
SW rep told me this was the problem and it is now a maintenance issue.
I believe the original coating was likely oil base.
This is actually a customers porch and I don't really want to give them this kind of news, as the original coating seemed to hold up much better than the tredplex..
Should I be looking at a different product? a different approach?
By the way, I asked the SW rep about the SW floor enamel and he literally said it was garbage!!
OK, thanks for any input

Randy Rohe
Bothers' Painting


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## NAV (Sep 5, 2008)

That's SW for you, they will never say that their product failed. It's always the application, moisture, delamination, anything other than a bad spec or bad material.

anyway, depending on where you are, 4 years is about as long as you can expect on exterior wood (at lease in Cleveland, Ohio)

Ask your rep "if you prime the bottom and you get moisture intrusion from the top, where is it suppose to go?"


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## Paint Dribblz (Sep 2, 2010)

If you use an oil based product you HAVE TO coat both the top and bottom of the floor. It has to seal, even on the bottom. I would use a waterbased stain.


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## GPI (Jan 13, 2005)

Why in the World would you use armour seal tredplex on a wood floor? Did you not even look at the specs on the material? We have always used this product in an industrial environment as the coatings over concrete. 

Calling all contractors, use the specification manuals on your products, please.Thats why they have them.... Not all reps are too swift, all reps will burn you when the time comes. I would replace the decking and learn from this. Stay away from floor coatings unless youre absolutely positive youre aware of the ramifications.

Failure in the joints is caused by expansion and contraction of the wood .Which tredplex has no flex. Let it dry on a brush, itll be rock hard in 30 min. Damage is damage..Replace it.


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## randrohe (Jan 6, 2009)

ok, thanks for the input.
replacing it is not an option.
In my ignorance, I did listen to the SW rep, but he is also the store manager and I felt had the most experience, or at least more than I.
The floor is not ruined, but does have some issues.
how about Benjamin Moore products? Anything from their line that may be helpful in this case?


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## Paint Dribblz (Sep 2, 2010)

> replacing it is not an option.


You may not like answers but if you've been paid for a complete hack job that failed you need to make it right. I've heard of people screwing up and walking out unpaid...still that should not be the case for any "contractor".


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## randrohe (Jan 6, 2009)

yeah, thanks Dibblze..
I'm not out there "hacking" anything.
This was a case where I believe that I should have been informed by SW if there were any special precautions.
This house is over 100 years old and I don't believe there was much back priming done back in the day..Nor was Tredplex widely available..
thanks again


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