Prepare the deck

Everything All Deck does depends on this step: the coating conforms to whatever is underneath it. Clean the surface completely — no mildew, grease, oil, dust, powder or wax — with All Deck Deck Cleaner or TSP, rinse and let dry.

• Concrete: etch hard, slick surfaces (1 part muriatic acid to 3 parts water), rinse, dry. New concrete cures 30 days first. Fill hairline cracks with Patching Compound; level spalled or uneven areas with Level Quick or Fast Patch.
• Plywood: minimum ¾″ CCX exterior grade, finished side up, sloped ¼″ per foot, nailed every 3–4″ with ring-shank nails, ends blocked. Cover every joint with 28-gauge galvalume Seam Metal and feather the edges with 2–3 thin coats of Patching Compound.
• Metal: replace rusted-out metal, then prime with a rust-inhibiting primer such as Zero Rust.
• Walls and flashing: install L-flashing, seal overlaps with All Deck Caulking Compound, and build waterproof coves with 4″ fiberglass mesh and mat.

Prime & seal

Apply Bio-Control Prime & Seal over hard, slick, porous or lightweight concrete and over every plywood deck. It promotes bond and is part of both fire-rated assemblies: Class A over non-combustible substrates (concrete, cement board, gypsum board, magnesite) and Class B over plywood. Let it dry before laminating.

Laminate the fiberglass

This is the membrane itself and the most important step. Cut in coves and edges first with a 4″ polyester brush, then lay the Fiberglass Mat (2 oz. for fire-rated work) and saturate it with All Deck Laminating Resin.

• Cut in 5–6 feet on both sides of the deck, then pour about ½ gallon of resin onto the mat and roll it out from the puddle with a 9″ × ¾″ nap roller on a 5′ handle. Never dry-roll: the resin must penetrate the mat and soak into the substrate.
• Draw the puddle toward you, then float a second thick layer over the same 5 feet without pressure, working wet into wet, until the whole deck is covered.
• While wet, cut out bubbles caused by debris and roll the strands flat; chop and roll down wrinkles with a fiberglass roller.
• Once dry, shave any remaining wrinkles flush with a broad knife, patch seams and the fiberglass edges with two thin coats of Patching Compound, and sweep the deck clean.

Textured Basecoat

Mix the Textured Basecoat resin and aggregate, stipple coves, edges, posts and rail bases first, then roll, spray or trowel the field. For a uniform pattern apply two thin layers — the first north/south, the second east/west — letting each dry.

• Pour a small puddle and roll out; never dip the roller into the pail. Circle the roller over wet clumps with moderate pressure to break them up.
• Do not roll back into material that is setting up, and do not trowel onto a hot surface.
• Stencil patterns are sprayed or troweled through the stencil at this stage; Confetti and Splatter finishes go on with the Finish Resin.

Finish Resin

Skim the textured surface with a broad knife to knock off loose clumps and overspray, sweep, then cut in coves, flashing, posts and edges with a 4″ brush and roll the field with a 9″ × ¾″ nap roller on a 5′ handle. Work in 6–8 foot sections, always keeping a wet edge to avoid lap marks.

• Check that the batch numbers match on every pail of Finish Resin before you start — it is how you get one uniform color.
• Pick your shade from the 24 standard colors; dark colors run hotter and light colors show dirt.
• Applied too thick, Finish Resin buries the texture — keep the coats thin and even.

Cure, protect & maintain

The deck can be walked on as soon as it is dry to the touch, but keep furniture, planters and vehicles off until it has fully cured — about three weeks, longer in cool or overcast weather. Clean with a stiff push broom and mild detergent, and rinse with a garden hose; never power-wash or use citrus or solvent cleaners. Small cuts get a dab of Textured Basecoat and Finish Resin; bubbles are injected with Hypo Mix; larger damage is double-cut and re-laminated.