Are you using pressure treated wood? If so, whatever you do, don't do anything until the wood has dried out a while. If using a clear sealer, four to six weeks will be OK with the newer treating process. If you are painting it, you may need to wait as much as a year. If you don't wait, the paint will peel as the moisture tries to get out of the wood.
Bond Distributing - One TIME WOOD is supposed to last for seven years. It's a little expensive, but much better than sealing your deck every six months with Thompson's.
Your time is worth something.