I had a similar experience with my new Ipe deck which was stained with Cabot's SPF 48 in August 2005. The instrutions were followed completely and the deck looked great until the first snowfall that December. After the snow melted the deck started to peel. I had to have the entire deck sanded the next spring. Very expensive. I left the vertical surfaces of the railings in SPF as they didn't peel and used Australian Timber Oil on the decking. I have been told by a senior person at Cabot that for the SPF to last the deck should really be sanded before cleaning and application of the product. I reapplied the SPF just to the horizontal toprail of the railing and it seems to be holding up although there are a few small spots where it peeled. I doubt that Cabot will officially admit that SPF requires sanding before application as that makes it much more labor intensive for a homeowner to apply. I considered taking them to small claims court but was advsed by an attorney that they were protected by their limited liability disclaimer. I like the ATO, as peeling is not an issue but it needs to be reapplied yearly. I also had a small T&G Ipe covered porch done in the SPF and that has held up well as it is well protected from the elements. What kind of wood did you apply the SPF to? I think what happens is that the SPF, which is a film forming finish peels during the freeze/thaw cycles unless there is perfect adhesion. That is asking a lot. I wll never again use it, or any other film forming finish on horizontal decking. Sorry I can't give you a more optimistic report. Marty

I am no expert either but my project for today is staining my deck. Did final cleaning yesterday and it is ready. I am using Cabots Decking Stain which is an oil based semi-solid. Carolinma, believe it or not it is also the semi solid in Chestnut brown, oil based. Tried it out on a scrap of wood and the color is wonderful. Back to Walleyevisions question, look on the Cabot Stain web site and check out the differences in stains that they have. Three years ago I used the clear solution on the deck I am now re-doing, the solid acrylic stain on the rail system of my front porch and the solid oil based stain on my mom's front porch floor. All have held up exceedingly well. Needless to say I am extremely happy with Cabot stains and don't think you can go wrong with them. Just follow the correct prep and application procedures. You can get little see through chips at the dealer that will let you see what the stain will almost look like on your wood. Good luck on your project. Murphy

Hi WB, If you've had dry weather, 3 or 4 days is OK, then use the sander. * You want all wood fibers to "shear off" nicely. If they're still damp, they may "tear" more...compared to a cleaner cut. * Important point: Get all the dust you can from where you sanded!! Sweeping/Shop-vac/light wipe with paint thinner. * Then, stain away! Deck Stains...hmmm...now THERE'S a "hot topic" here! * I can only speak of what we have good experience with at our store here in Fargo, ND... * Our climate here can range from -30 to 100+, with ALL kinds of humidity. It's a wonder anything holds on a deck! (our rough streets take a beating too!) ....That said.... * The "clear", "natural" colors from Penofin & Sikkens are our best sellers. * PENOFIN: Cedar, Western Red Cedar, & Transparent Redwood are by far the 3 top colors here. TWO-COAT process normally on untreated wood. 2nd coat goes pretty quickly. * SIKKENS: JEEZ we go through a lot of this stuff! SRD is appropriate for 95% of decks. ONE COAT on untreated wood. >>>> Most popular SRD colors... 077 Cedar, 078 Natural, 005 Natural Light, Mahogany, & 089 Redwood. * I've got an 11 yr.-old Redwood deck. I'm real happy with the SRD 089 Redwood I've got on it. I've had 2 yrs. off, but have to do it again this fall. * We don't get any shade on ours; but, up here, that's about all we can realistically expect. Let us know how it goes for ya! Faron

The "Beading" effect is a TOTALLY meaningless parameter to deck stain quality and wear. The ONLY reason S/T stains bead temporarily, is that the stain is still "at/near the surface" of the wood, and all solvents aren't evaporated-off yet. Just like a waxed car, the effect is only temporary! Surface water doesn't hurt a deck....AT ALL...unless it's soaking for days on end without drainage. Even then, once the wood dries-out, it's fine! THE SUN, followed by surface traffic, is the great destroyer of wood fibers. Simple as that. Faron