Which Deck Stain?

[scesnick]

am getting ready to stain my deck ( again) It seems that the stains I have used in the past are full of big promises of long lasting protection but in real life they last about 2-3 yrs. Maybe my deck just gets too much traffic on it.
I have tried Woodscapes Deck stain ( twice ) and Cabot. Neither lasted very long. Anyone have any luck with another type of stain?

 

[moored4]

This is going to be interesting thread to follow. I have the same problem. I have used Olympic stain and tong oil with not much success!

 

[RobA]

I have had good luck with Flood's CWF-UV. Have heard that Sikkens deck stains are excellent (but expensive).

 

[Gizmo2]

Introducing PENOFIN Verde | Penofin Penetrating Oil Finishes and Wood Stain

All PT wood

 

[lakngulf]

This is going to be interesting thread to follow. I have the same problem. I have used Olympic stain and tong oil with not much success!

I am with you on this one. I have sealed my porch, deck, pier etc in the past but now would like to give it color with a good stain. Picture below shows some wood that needs some attention

 

[polo1665]

am getting ready to stain my deck ( again) It seems that the stains I have used in the past are full of big promises of long lasting protection but in real life they last about 2-3 yrs. Maybe my deck just gets too much traffic on it.
I have tried Woodscapes Deck stain ( twice ) and Cabot. Neither lasted very long. Anyone have any luck with another type of stain?

I used "Messmers" the first year we moved in here, been three years and it's ready to do again this year. starting to fade in the high sun areas. It was the first time the deck had been treated since it was installed. I'll probably use the same stuff again. Check out their website, they have a full line of products.Messmer's - Wood and deck stain, log home finishes, and cleaning products.

 

[JDgreen227]

am getting ready to stain my deck ( again) It seems that the stains I have used in the past are full of big promises of long lasting protection but in real life they last about 2-3 yrs. Maybe my deck just gets too much traffic on it.
I have tried Woodscapes Deck stain ( twice ) and Cabot. Neither lasted very long. Anyone have any luck with another type of stain?

Sorry to learn you are disappointed with Cabot, I have used it on both my east and south decks that get extensive sun exposure and have been very pleased with the weathering and performance with their products. So much depends on how well you prepare the surface, I do a scrub using an equal mix of liquid laundry detergent, water, and bleach, then a 2000 psi powerwash, and after the surface is dry, I do a scuff sand with a palm sander and then use a gas blower to remove any dust and debris. I usually get 5 years out of a thick coat of Cabot on both decks before I have to clean, sand, and recoat. But then, I am using a light colored solid stain on treated 5/4 decking, and I have no idea what your deck is like, what the sun exposure is, or what other factors are involved. There are so many variables.

We use our south deck extensively as the entry/exit deck. One thing I have learned to do during the winter, when I remove snow, is to use a lightweight plastic blade shovel for that task. You can scrape a LOT of stain up by using a heavy metal shovel or scraping excessively. Should have noted, the Cabot I use costs about $40 per gallon, but it covers so well I think it's well worth the cost.

 

[MtHam]

You should be asking about wood sealers, as that is what you need to do. Most incorporate a stain, but that is really an aesthetic issue. As mentioned, Penofin is an excellent product. Even with the best, 20 years is probably the life expectancy with most wood decks, assuming you reseal every 2-4 years. I have a lot of 20 year old decking I have conscientiously maintained that will soon need rebuilding, and I will seriously consider a Trek type replacement.

 

[clutchcargo]

am getting ready to stain my deck ( again) It seems that the stains I have used in the past are full of big promises of long lasting protection but in real life they last about 2-3 yrs. Maybe my deck just gets too much traffic on it.
I have tried Woodscapes Deck stain ( twice ) and Cabot. Neither lasted very long. Anyone have any luck with another type of stain?

I am another in a crowd of that stain works like crap victims.

I sanded, powerwashed and used cabot australian oil. Now all is well and it looks rich rich rich:thumbsup:

 

[Car Doc]

We have Penofin stain/sealer on the log cabin siding on our house and it looks real good except I am noticing on areas where there is a lot of water running over it it is discoloring and appears to maybe be flaking off.

The rest of the house looks excellent just under this one area where the gutter wasn't working properly which I have fixed since then.

I dont know what we could have done wrong we do re-coat it every 5 years like we were told to with clear Penofin in order to not darken it but the flaking may be a problem on a deck I dont know?

Like I say I dont know what we did or didn't do wrong but thats worth considering I think.

 

[955er]

I have had good luck with Flood's CWF-UV. Have heard that Sikkens deck stains are excellent (but expensive).

ditto that on the CWF-UV. They usually have a rebate on the 5 gallon cans this time of year. I have used the cedar for years. Just don't get the clear. It goes on almost like latex paint, and then penetrates.

Either way, I do fences and decks every other year, and the top of the deck and railings every year. If your surfaces bake in the sun, and you use wood instead of composite, there is really no way around it. You have to stain every second year.

 

[inveresk]

We tried this product this year for the first time on the railing and balustrade of a cottage we've just restored. Eco Wood Treatment. Too early yet to say whether it does what it claims but other stains and sealers we've tried have had a 3 - 4 year lifespan, even less when used on a wearing surface.

On the cottage deck, we decided to opt for other than timber. After pricing various options, we laid peel and stick over ply flooring then used stone slabs on plastic spacers. Cost was a little more than cedar decking but maintenance should be a power wash once a year.

 

[Bird]

In the past, I had pretty good luck with that high priced Sikkens Cetol DEK, but they replaced it with something that I did not like. So I tried Sherwinn-Williams Deckscape and will probably continue with it. In fact, the step at one end of my patio gets all the evening sun, blowing rain, and water from the lawn sprinkler occasionally, and I put another coat on that step this afternoon. Unlike the Sikkens, the Deckscape is water based, fast and easy to apply, easy to clean up, and only cost $30 a gallon. I love it. On small jobs like that step, I use a brush. For the whole patio, I used a roller, really easy and quick.

 

[beppington]

I like Behr's "Semi-Transparent Wood Stain" from Home Depot. They claim it lasts 3 years on decks, & that seems about right. Here's what I like:

- It's water-based / water clean-up
- So far I've had no problem slapping on a new coat whenever the old one starts looking bad.
- It seems like surface prep doesn't have to be as perfect as other stains seem to require. Of course, maybe you're pickier than me. I don't need a furniture quality finish, just a nice, uniform color providing some protection from the elements for a couple years or so.
- You can roll it on, brush it on, dab it on, whatever, throw it on, & it doesn't seem to matter whether or not you go back & rub the "excess" off. So, I usually slop it on quick-n-fast with a roller & quickly run a wide paint brush over it so it's following the wood grain. And I'm done.
- Lots of colors to choose from
- Dry's pretty quick too.

Did I mention it's water-based / water clean-up?

 

[JDgreen227]

I like Behr's "Semi-Transparent Wood Stain" from Home Depot. They claim it lasts 3 years on decks, & that seems about right. Here's what I like:

- It's water-based / water clean-up
- So far I've had no problem slapping on a new coat whenever the old one starts looking bad.
- It seems like surface prep doesn't have to be as perfect as other stains seem to require. Of course, maybe you're pickier than me. I don't need a furniture quality finish, just a nice, uniform color providing some protection from the elements for a couple years or so.
- You can roll it on, brush it on, dab it on, whatever, throw it on, & it doesn't seem to matter whether or not you go back & rub the "excess" off. So, I usually slop it on quick-n-fast with a roller & quickly run a wide paint brush over it so it's following the wood grain. And I'm done.
- Lots of colors to choose from
- Dry's pretty quick too.

Did I mention it's water-based / water clean-up?

I never thought they would be able to develop water based paints and stains that would approach the durability of the oil based products we used for so long but am happy to admit I was wrong about that. The Cabot product I raved about earlier in this thread is also water based and I think that is one reason I like it so much.