Did you check for ventilation under your deck before sealing it? Sometimes airflow makes all the difference.
That’s actually something I learned the hard way. Last summer, I sealed the deck without thinking about airflow underneath—figured a good coat would keep out the rain. Ended up with musty smells and some weird warping a few months later. Turns out, moisture just sat there since there was nowhere for it to go. Had to pull up a few boards and add vents after the fact. Live and learn, I guess. Sometimes those “quick fixes” just make more work down the line.
I get where you’re coming from, but I’m not totally convinced that adding vents is always the answer. In my case, I actually had too much airflow under the deck and it dried things out so much that the boards started to split. I guess it really depends on your climate and how much moisture you’re dealing with. Sometimes sealing without thinking about the bigger picture just traps problems, but too much ventilation can cause its own set of headaches. There’s definitely a balance to strike.
