After hours of research, I finally found my way to the Forest Products Laboratory of the USDA Forest Service, with clear, unbiased, scientifically-based information about deck maintenance, sealers and stains. No product names are used. The documents that I found helpful are "Details for a Lasting Deck", "Finishes for Wood Decks", "Cleaners and Restorers for Wood Decks", and "Finishing Wood Decks". While they are not recent publications, the science doesn't change.

Hope this helps!

I read this entire post and came away with the feeling that the best solution is to do nothing and just replace the entire deck every 2 years. This is what information overload will do to you! Since there seems to be many experts here, I thought I would try my luck in getting some expertise on a somewhat related item.

In my case, I just need to stain and protect some new KD clear cedar wood that will surround an outside bathtub (not hot tub.) This amounts to only about 16 sq ft. For now, I have settled on Superdeck transparent stain (canyon brown)....partially because they sell 3 oz samples for only $2. Yes, I know that may seem absurd considering that the small amount of clear cedar I got cost me about $200. I expect the cedar to be covered most of the time, so it should not weather too badly.

My relatively simple question: Is it better to sand the wood lightly (220 grit) before application of stain? I would like to stain it as dark as possible and I have heard that using 2 coats is NOT a good idea, so I want as much staining mileage out of the stain as possible. Can I apply it, wait for it to dry, re-sand, and apply another coat?

In terms of refinishing in a year or two, can I just re-sand and reapply the stain again?

I live in the Northeast and built a 7' high T&G Pine and Pressure Treated fence back in 2003 and coated it with Sikkens Oil Based Rubbol Solid Stain with it's 6 year warranty.
Well this week we are giving it it's first new coat. The back side away from the afternoon sun is still smooth and has some sheen, as is the sections under the trees that yearly saw two Spic and Span cleanings to rid the black stains.
The sun sections faded flat and got real dry finally, and 3 pine caps rotted due to rain and snow getting into screw holes or knots failed.
Everthing now is VOC formula so the new Sikkens has a 2 year warranty I believe. I chose FLOOD SWF Solid this time and had it mixed to match the former two colors I used.
The prep was power washing using a surface cleaning attachment, then a backup scrub on some areas with Spic and Span powder. I filled all board cracks and knot shrinks with wood filler.
The stain was a pleasure to use, covered great and stuck to the old oil stain no problem. Will re-post if anything turns ugly...but I don't expect it to. I chose FLOOD for it's 5/15 warranty, it's self priming ability and it's Emulsabond formula, and if I only get half (7 1/2 yrs.) I'll be thrilled.

Not to add to an already long post, but I felt compelled to reply after seeing messages above recommending Sikkens (by dealers mostly). I live in Ontario (Canada) and have used Sikkens SRD on my east-facing cedar deck for about 7 years ago. Why? Because that is what my very reputable dealer recommended. I have spent 7 years of refinishing my deck almost yearly (cleaner, stripper, sanding) thinking it was me and have now realized it is the Sikkens. There are several problems I have encountered with the Sikkens. It darkens considerably in the course of one year. It also blackens in places due to mold. You can clean the deck to address the mold, but that doesn't address the darkening of the finish. The cleaner also has a habit of removing some of the Sikkens because it will start to fail in about 25% of the deck area. I have even had areas of graying under the finish after only one winter. After 7 years I am giving up on the Sikkens and moving on.

Does anyone know if this site is legitimate?

http://www.deckstainhelp.com/category/deck-product-reviews/deck-stain-reviews/

Their review on Sikkens is spot on and exactly what I have experienced. They have me looking at TWP. I don't mind cleaning yearly and even putting a fresh coat on the horizontal surfaces yearly, as long as I don't need to strip and sand it first. The TWP is said to lighten and thus would be more amenable to adding a new coat (unlike the Sikkens which darkens).

Thanks.

I agree with deckstainhelp.com's review of Sikkens. As a contractor we will not use it. We do use a lot of Armstrong Clark and TWP and both are very good stains. Neither darken in color.

Well consumer reports CR came out with thompsons as the best and recommended for clear deck sealer. (July 2012)
But of course - any of us doing decks know - it should be the lowest, if on the list at all. They like it because it's waterbased and wax. As previous posts correctly point out - that's ideology and hope - not science.
With all research I've done including here there is no single answer which product to use. But the household ones are uniformly poor. My current favorite is Penofin, but my mind and eyes will remain open.

Wow! Lots of great info...but I don't think I found what I was looking for. Hopefully someone can help me out. I tried doing a google search but really couldn't find anything.

My question deals with re-applying and what is required. I read in this thread people say they have done various things before reapplying their stain (Wash with soap, wash with chemical cleaners, strip, strip and sand, etc.). However, how do I know which one of these I need to do? Does it depend on if my stain is water based or oil based? Or does it just depend on how bad the stain is pealing/fading? And generally speaking is water based better or oil based?

I recently built a 2 tone deck. I applied the water based (acrylic) Behr semi-transparent stain (yes I know, lol, but I didn't read enough reviews) to the border and some pattern boards and then used the Thompson's clear waterproofing to the rest. I assume I'm going to have to fix it next year. So I'm wonder if I'm going to have to strip it, sand it, etc. or will I just be able to wash it and reapply?

Thanks.

Strip it without a doubt although by using Behr/Thompsoms there may not be much left to strip, lol. But yes it would need to be stripped regardless.

Thanks millworkman, but that doesn't quite answer my question :( What is the reason you say strip it for sure? Is this because it's water based? Why wouldn't I be able to just clean it and then reapply?
Thanks.

because if the old finish is not completely removed the new finish will not adhere properly

Thanks again millworkman...but I have another followup question :) I've seen in this thread that many people say they have only had to clean the deck before reapplying. What enables them to do this? Is it just because they used better quality product, or is it something else?
Thanks again, I appreciate the help!

washing does not remove the finish that is currently applied. You can use a deck wash or cleaner if you apply the exact same product over the existing finish. If you want a finish to last and look even and correct your strip the deck.

Well, it is deck-finishing season in New England, and I have studied this blog until my eyes bleed, but I have a question which hasn't been asked yet. How do I keep my PT pine weathered deck gray, without using a gray solid or semi-solid stain?

On Cape Cod houses, including mine, the prevailing color is weathered gray cedar shingles.The likely weather hazard is standing snow, which we will not be here to remove. The deck is now weathered enough that it matches the natural weathered cedar wall shingles. Unlike most contributors to this blog, I don't want to turn my deck back to its original tan or brown color, although I do want to get rid of the black mildew.

This is our first season in this house, so we don't know the deck's history. I can see that solid gray stain has been sanded off at some point in the past. Water does not bead, so it clearly is ready for some treatment. There is an unopened jug of Olympic WaterGuard Waterproofing Clear Sealant for Wood in the basement, but no evidence that it was used.

From this blog, I have concluded that deck wash, brighteners and oxalic acid will remove the dead gray wood and renew the original tan/brown highly grained appearance of PT pine, which I do not want. The comment that the dead gray wood fiber is nature's way of protecting the good wood beneath makes sense to me. I've also read here that there is a fair chance that semi-solid or solid stain will peel, and I don't want to risk that. In conclusion, I want to clean and finish the deck to protect it, but not change the existing natural gray color. Any ideas how to do this?

And people ask me why I leave my cedar deck natural, no stain, no anything? It's cheaper to replace a few deck boards every 5 to 10 years. Within 1 season they blend in like they were original.

I read here where someone actually tarps the deck every winter. My oh my.

Regarding Consumer Reports. Go down to your local library. It doesn't cost a thing..

Does anyone know for sure what these white spots on my new pressure-treated pine fence are? Mold? Mildew? Chemicals from the pressure treating leaking out? Do they need to be cleaned or pressure washed off before I have the fence stained? Thanks.

Does anyone know for sure what these white spots on my new pressure-treated pine fence are? Mold? Mildew? Chemicals from the pressure treating leaking out? Do they need to be cleaned or pressure washed off before I have the fence stained? Thanks.

Hi KalyaWildflower!

The spots are just part of the chemical treatment process. You should apply a cleaner such as ProClean used in combination with pressure cleaning. This will give you a great base as a prep prior to applying the wood protection product of your choice. If you desire a fast and easy product to use where you can still see the grain of the wood, have a look at CUTEK Extreme. The CedarTone would be ideal.

www.cutekextreme.com

All the best with your fence project!

@Peter Bray too late. It's painted now. 3 out of 5 painters told me its normal and nothing to worry about, so they just painted right over it. I hope that's okay. I think it would have taken scrubbing, not just pressure washing to get that chemical off. The Sherwin Williams rep told me to scrub it with a wet rag and see if it came off. If it did, it would have been mold, but it didn't, so I didn't worry about it.

Peter Bray is a spammer, pay him no mind.

Well after all these years of posts - can anyone tell me whats the best choice for a covered porch that is open to the elements on the sides? Ive almost got all of the paint (or whatever it is) sanded down to bare wood. Its been a bear to do. Not sure if I really need to keep going. I had hoped to do something semi but now Im thinking Ill never be able to do that. There's places where it seems near impossible to get all the "whatever it is" up - especially around some of the edges or sunk boards.

So what solid product has held up the best?

Picking out a deck stain/protectant is absolute torture. I am using penofin blue label, a semi transparent stain. We put it on yellow pine decking; most of it covered. I like it because it appears to be more easily maintained. Just clean the deck and reapply.

I live right off the beach on the Florida panhandle. I expect to reapply every 12-18 months; maybe less often on the more protected surfaces.

i live on long island. have 2 very large decks. husband thinks a paint was put down and not a stain. anyway its horrible. needs to be resanded and then???? what about floods or TWP. any recent experience. tx.

Here is a vote for Sherwin Williams Cedar toned Deckscapes. I applied mine over a year ago and it looks brand new.

You could use composite decking and never have to sand, prep or stain your deck again. Yes -- a more expensive option, but it may be worth the money. Consider all the hours saved, and all the things you could be doing instead! See the wood-vs-composite report

Armstrong semi transparent and then you will only have to do the spindles every 5 years and the horizontal surfaces will just need a quick clean once a year and recoating to make it look like new again. You won't get it from most stores but The Stain Shop do a great job getting the stain out to you in 24 hours and at a great price.

Ok. Because I am late... Just now finding this.

Sounds like you had the same problems and like the look I do. After having the issues with stains that had to be stripped before updating each year, I somehow got hold of sherwon williams deckscapes. I got clear deck and TINTED it with the color I wanted! So for 15 years I loved reapplying it every other year for the horizontal areas and every 4-5 years for the verticals. I would simply cleaned it and reapply! It went on like a dream! Like an oil but would clean up like water! Could see the grains and the beauty of the wood so well.

Last treatment, my husband insisted on relieving me of this duty and hired someone to do it. I didn't realize that they switched to the semitransparent instead of the clear! Thankfully we just had to rebuild a new deck so here we are again. If I get my way the decking at least will be the clear with the tint!

i used beher on my front porch the water based and have been so dissaponted it being latex is only coats not penetrate and shows lap marks i just did 2 14 by 38 back decks with thompsons timber oil and could not be more satisfied after 1 yr they still look new and repells water just as the day i put it on hint if it drys before it penetrates it will not last

So I've read most comments and I guess the bottom line is there is not seal, stain or treatment that last a lifetime. Has anyone tried ecowood treatment???? I have a new fence put up and wanted to see if its as good as advertised. Maybe this is the way to go because many stains have to be replied ever 2 years or so. Help please!

I used Thompsons Water Seal on my redwood deck and now I am getting a black residue/dust coming off on everything. I can't even walk on it without getting black feet and socks!!

Why would this happen?

Hello there,

For those of you looking for a Deck stain with low maintenance I would suggest the Penofin Stains. Penofin is a penetrating oil stain that lives in the wood not on the wood. I have a Cedar Deck and have used this product on it for years. I never have to sand or strip I just use the Pro-Tech cleaner and than re apply.! I would not suggest any other products. When i was interested in first applying the stain I called the Penofin Customer Service help line and they walked me threw all of the steps. They explained the difference between surface stains and penetrating stains.

Not sure about Penofin up here in the wet PNW. We've used it on a fence and my sister used it on her deck. Both turned dark and grew mildew very quickly, within a season. Basically, in our climate with standing water most of the year and now with baking sun in the summer, it's nearly impossible to not have to treat and restain a wood deck every year. I've given up and given in to that. Semi-transparent is no better at lasting than clear oil finishes. What's also hard for us is that you have to wait to nearly the end of summer....Aug on....to clean and restain a deck, because the early spring/summer are just too wet and cool. So I've learned to stain for the winter to make it look good in the fall/winter LOL. Ironically, the Trek type decks are not that much less maintenance up here, and look pretty dirty and ragged after a few years.

Im located in the PNW and love the Penofin just a suggestion.

I am so RELIEVED I am not alone with shopping for exterior stain. Between 4 ft pickets and 7 ft privacy, I've got 350 linear feet (about 3500sf) of fence. My goals are longevity/durability, meaning I don't want to reapply in 2 years (powerwashing + staining + product is costing over $2k). I prefer it wear gray than to peel.

In case this helps anyone, here's what I've gathered from research:

1) READYSEAL - semi transparent oil; beloved by contractors! (bc it fades in 2 yrs). Now at Lowes/HD.

2) DEFY, TWP, ARMSTRONG - all 3 have good online reviews (haven't found at Lowes/HD).

3) BEHR SOLID STAIN - Oil/latex blend. Filming, not penetrating. And Behr's response on peel is benignly noncommittal.

4) THOMPSON WATERSEAL SEMI TRANSP - limited UV, bust supposedly waterproofs even after it fades.

5) OLYMPIC - has 4, 6, and 10 year products. Reviews indicate failures.

6) CABOT - has a semi solid!

I'm beginning to think COMPOSITE FENCES have improved such that they're the best value for time/money. #ItsJustAFence

I HAD A VERY BAD EXPERIENCE WITH BEHR PREMIUM SEMI-TRANSPARENT WATERPROOFING STAIN & SEALER ON MY WOOD DECK.

I have multi-tiered cedar deck thats probably about 12 years old, in the Pacific Northwest . Ive only been in the house a few years. The largest section of deck had previously been srained, but a smaller 150 sf section hadn't been, but was in need of something. So I did weeks and weeks of research until I was thoroughly confused. I read up a lot before doing anything, in hopes of avoiding mistakes.

After being stressed out at the lack of a clear answer, I thought I'd go with Behr semi-transparent stain and sealer. Why??? Yes I read all kinds of reviews, but I had noticed a neighbours fence that didn't look too bad after 2 or 3 years, and found out he had used this same product. So I thought I'd give it a go. (In hind sight, there's a big difference between vertical surfaces like fences, and horizontal surfaces like decks!)

I read up on how to best prepared. Used the Behr all in one wood cleaner (which was a pain to rinse off), a stiff scrub brush and lots of elbow grease. Rinsed and rinsed again. I didn't power wash to avoid damaging the deck. It looked really good after it was cleaned up! I let it dry for 2 weeks. (Yes, 2 weeks of no rain in the PCW!) Then I sanded it , but not too fine. Brushed off all the dust thoroughly. Then I followed the directions for the Behr stain and sealer. A helper applying it and me back brushing to even it out and not allow for puddling. Didnt apply it in the hot sun, as directed. After letting it all dry, it looked great! This was late September. Nervously, I would check it every morning for weeks, hoping it would be good and thinking that only people with bad experiences had posted poor reviews.

After a few months and several rains, things were still holding up. Winter came, and still ok. But in January, that's when I started noticing some peeling. Yes, only FOUR MONTHS after original application. Then I got the bad feeling i was now part of "the club". I've had more and more peeling. It's as if the "stain" was nothing but a very thin coating the deck and it was starting to peel away. All over.

They guarantee their "most advanced formula" for 6 years on decks? It didn't last 6 months. What a horrible joke.

All those hours and hours of research. Hours and hours of work and prep. Hours from my children and family. Hours and hours of stress.

I took every precaution. I followed every direction. I find it extremely irresponsible for a compay to sell a product like this THAT SIMPLY DOESN'T WORK as advertised. It's reprehensible. And so what if they offer 100% money back guarantee?!? The money I get back on a couple gallons doesn't pay for all the time out of my life.

This is NOT a stain. It is a film or coating only. And a weak one at that. By now I can only guess that after numerous complaints, Behr knows this but continues to sell this product. Unconscionable.

IF MY STORY CAN SAVE A FEW PEOPLE FROM WASTING THEIR TIME...at least it can feel like a small consolation for me after the time taken from my family and children in going through this frustration.

Now I don't know what the hell I'm going to do about this deck this year. These photos were from a month ago. It's worse now.

Honestly, after reading this whole thread, I am kind of tempted to just replace my deck boards with composite or pvc decking....

@CarrieHund, I'm with you. In progress on an addition and really annoyed with myself for cheaping out with PT pine. My plan is to let it weather and then use twp 1500.

Update....have had great success in the PNW with TWP 101. I use the cedar tone color on cedar decking. Can usually get 2 years on horizontal areas. For worn areas I'll reapply after using Oxyclean to wash the deck. I can easily blend in to existing areas, and it's holding in the super wet weather we've been having. Have not had to strip everything off. Only downside is that this product is super high in VOC's, so I wear an organic filter mask when using. I hate that part, and cannot find the water based 1500 line in WA (I think it's only in CA.)

I am hoping that this post will help others. I have a cedar barrel sauna in western Québec. I carefully followed the manufacturer directions in preparing and applyThompson advanced waterseal in clear cedar. It has lasted barely 18 months and I have mildew in the seams and peeling on the sides. Anywhere that was hidden from Sun or rain or snow has done great- but really, those are the easy areas! After the hours of preparation and now hours of remediation, I would not recommend Thompson Water seal!

Welcome.any thoughts on Cabot Timber oil or Armstrong Clark stain for a cedar barrel sauna.

I am curious, does anyone here have experience with Arborcoat from Benjamin-Moore ? usually Benjamin-Moore paints get good reviews but I was surprised not see a single mention of their product lines in this thread. Thanks for all the helpful advice though. Much appreciated.

Arborcoat was one of the ones suggested by my local paint store as they carried the BM line, not from experience with it. I chose Cabot's Timber Oil based on reviews in several places. Look at deckstainhelp.com for some good info.

Here's my finished project. I will report back to see if Cabot lasts longer than Thompson 's!

@4arnottp Looking great. What color of did you go with?

Thanks! It is clear on the cedar. There are some places where the old colour shows.

Best of luck! Keep us updated on how things look periodically over the next several months. Hope it works out!

This is our pine deck after staining Cutek one time chestnut and then clear coat on top. It is fresh, so I will update after a few months. So far, we love it, easy to apply and really beautiful.

I have to agree about the Cutek. It was super easy to apply. I used a lambswool pad and applied it along the length of the boards. I added a colourtone and the colour is rich. There is no rush to finishing the job as you don't get the traditional lines of a stain. It blends really well. The beauty of this product is that it is an oil so it nourishes the wood as well. It doesn't strip, peel or come off in any way. The water beads on the top and creates a bit of a puddle on each board so I know its working. I'm just about to tackle my fence (a year after doing my deck) and have no concerns whatsoever about this product. Oh, and you don't have to sand or strip when its time to put a new layer on. Just clean and apply.

I use TWP 100 Pecan 120 on a 14x25' deck. initially I applied 2 coats & right after the 2nd application it rained. I covered it with 2 large water proof tarps with no adverse effects. Looked better than I could have ever imagined. 3 years later I, contrary to my wife's input, & washed it with a triphosphate/bleach/hot water mixture (followed the Triphosphate box instructions) with a dark red cleaning pad 6" x 9". I cleaned 4 boards at a time going with the grain & going the 14' direction. I dipped the pads (cut one in 1/2 to cover the entire bottom of the applicator with 5 rubber bands holding the pad to the application. No rubber bands broke either & cheap ones at that. No sanding whatsoever!

It happened to be hot & sunny the entire time, but you take what you can get. After cleaning each 4 board section, I rinsed the sections off going away from the uncleaned boards. I had to give a 2nd coat to a couple heavily greened areas,

I waited only one day, even as it rained the very minute I finished the job. I waited only one day to stain. Steamy & sunny. Looks wonderful. Used an old car washing glove for the balusters, dipping in the stain & wringing it out. One can cover the entire baluster in one swipe!

After 8 months and through Chicago winter. Still love the color, the water beads well. Some, almost unnoticeable, wear of the color so we will add another coat, no problem, the application is very easy. Hopefully, after a few seasons when the stain has permeated deeper, the color will hold better.

This was Cutek Extreme that we used, not just Cutek.