Deck Stains?

[SweetErika]

We're restaining our wood deck, and while I've done some research on different brands of stain, I'd like to hear more experiences and recommendations. If I could recall which stain we used last time, I'd go with that again because it held up pretty well (the deck gets a lot of sun, rain, wind, snow and tree debris), but I have no clue what it was!

I definitely want a semi-transparent, high pigment, oil-based stain, according to my research and experience. The reviews on Behr from a variety of sources are overwhelmingly negative, so I won't use that brand, but given our potentially short window of good weather, I need a brand that's available locally, not some obscure stain that I can only get online.

Do you have any ideas for me based on your own deck staining experiences?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Saxon Stonedyke]

................

 

[JudyJ]

The guy that built our deck recommended Cuprinol.

http://www.cuprinol.co.uk/products/decking_oil_and_protector.jsp


BTW - Thanks for the advice on the Hitachi Magic Wand Speed controller. We are happy campers.

 

[Balsam123]

As I spent years painting houses and decks, make sure to also take the underside of the deck into account. Staining and sealing the top surface it obvious, but if the rest of the wood is exposed, it's just a matter of time before paint-based stain will peel. Cuprinol I used as well as Cabots and many other name brands. It's really all about the prep, power washing, mold treatment, sanding to get a good solid surface and cleaning before any stain or primer or paint is key.

Cheers

 

[pplwatching]

The secret to any staining project is preparation, preparation, and more preparation. The time that you spend preparing the surface will pay dividends. An older deck has a lot of older stain & sealer, grime, and dirt on it. All of these will prevent the wood from absorbing the new stain. "Oxygen - bleach" wood cleaners (also known as sodium percarbonate) are a great choice for removing the old crud and they're generally friendly to your skin and nearby plants. Using a brightener will make the wood more ameniable to absorbing the stain, and generally make your old wood look new again.

Depending on where you live, you might want to consider using a synthetic stain which is more mold resistant. Water based stains tend to resist bleaching from the sun and overall look better longer, but they are known to absorb into the grain more and accentuate it. Oil based stains will have a more even look to them, but will fade sooner and require a little more maintenance.

If you have a really good woodworker's supply in your area, you can use a dye instead of a stain. You will generally mix the dye with a compatible media (water, oil, or alchohol based). The big difference is that stains will have particle sizes that can lead to blotchyness. Dyes can penetrate easier. The media is generally something you can pick up at the hardware store.

When you're picking your stain double check that the stain is for exerior use. Some of them have "interior use only" buried in the directions, but not in big print on the can.

It would probably be a little easier if you took a trip by your local hardware store and jotted down what they have first. That way you can do a little research and product reviews on the web, rather than searching around to find a particular brand.

Good luck. It's a lot of work, but worth it.

 

[OnceFuturePoly]

Nix on Behr too, though it's been over 15 years since I touched the stuff.

I also have never had good luck with PPG (Pitsburgh Paint). This year I started with PPG, did the steps, and then took the other 3 gallons back. You have 15 minutes to re-coat, then you can't touch it again for a couple of years. Plus, it did not go on well for me, and coverage seemed uneven no matter how hard I tried.

I used Wolman F&P for the deck flooring, which I wanted to keep natural. It has a neutral version which can be tinted if you don't like the standard colors.

I used Wolman DuraStain Semi-Transparent Natural Cedar for the railings, privacy screens, everything else. After a couple of days, I put a second coat on the lattice with no problem.

I have used the solid DuraStain on previous projects. It's been on 7 years out front, and I probably won't do anything for another couple of years.

 

[Paul_Chance]

Thompsons

Thompsons Semi-Transparent Oil Based Water Seal

My parents are in Eureka, CA, so weather-wise they are very close to you all. I just re-did all the decking and skirting around their house this summer using the Thompson 1G, which they've used for years. You should be able to get it at Home Depot or another type of store.

(Though, personally, I have never had a problem with Behr.)

 

[123Josh]

No matter what u decide make sure you do it naked!

 

[SweetErika]

Thank you for the advice, everyone!

After reading it, and doing some more research, I did some additional sanding, scrubbed the deck with a heavy solution of OxiClean, then rinsed it well. Why OxiClean? Well, I had a Costco-sized box, and read it works well for deck cleaning and prep at a much lower cost than commercially prepared wood cleaners/brighteners. I figured it wouldn't hurt at the very least, and it appeared to do a good job of cleaning off any remaining stuff and opening the pores of the wood more in preparation for staining.

Meanwhile, I called Armstrong-Clark, and after talking to their guy about our deck and wish list, I ordered 3 gallons of their semi-solid stain last Friday. It shipped Monday and got here Wednesday. They offered to send me free samples of any products I was considering, but the weather is closing in here, so I just bought it and hoped for the best!

So, we stained yesterday, and I'm SUPER happy with the A-C stain. The prepped wood was super dry and didn't look good at all, yet the semi-solid covered well in one heavier coat in most places. We did a second, much lighter coat on the horizontal surfaces and those that get baked and battered by the weather. We did use a brush in some places, but I've discovered a 7" paint pad tool makes for far neater, quicker, easier work in most places.

In the process of looking for our paint supplies, I saw we had used Behr last time after all. It held up pretty well, BUT I recall doing at least 2-3 good coats on everything (it looked terrible after 1 coat), and it was a bitch to strip this time in most places!

In contrast, the Armstrong-Clark soaked right into the thirsty wood and looked great after one coat, as promised. It didn't pool or change colors or leave lap marks like the Behr did. The semi-solid provides great coverage, yet it's not like paint; more like a very heavily-tinted oil. Also, the A-C has a very low VOC content for an oil-based stain. It still gave us headaches after working with it for a few hours, but it was vastly better than any other oil stain I've ever used.

Now we'll have to see how the wood and stain itself holds up over time, but given the A-C has worked exactly as promised thus far, I'm encouraged. And the best part is we can just wash the deck with soap, let it dry and recoat it when it does need to be re-stained! We've only used 1 gallon of the 3 I bought, but the A-C guy assured me unopened cans would store just fine for many years.

Anyway, I hope that helps anyone who needs an exterior stain down the road! I did tons of research and read reviews on just about every stain. I don't doubt there are many other good products available (although from what I've read, the best ones usually have to be ordered/shipped); we might try others if the A-C doesn't hold up, but at this point, I'm an A-C convert!

 

[handful999]

glad it all worked out for you erika. there's only one other thing i may add (in case anyone else is looking to stain a deck), and that's if you're in the position to afford to stain a deck, it's always good to buy sample pots and try them all out on identical timber.

i love staining furniture and am in the process of doing it right now