Every one who has used cabots is engaged stripping it off. J.

I have this product on my 15 year old back deck. Part of it is covered. The wood is pressure treated pine. I have to recoat the uncovered every 2-3 years. All I've done is pressure wash it really well, let it dry for 48 hours and then restain. That has worked well until this year and when I did it this year it didn't seem to absorb as well and so I got a bit of a peeling look , like it was just sitting on top and not soaking in. I think it had built up to the point where it wouldn't absorb the stain. I should have used one of the stripping/cleaning products to make the wood more porous. It isn't real bad, but I know that next time I will have to use some stripping product. Underneath the roof it holds up really well. I've only done it twice in 15 years.

Do not use a pressure washer. Find a finish you like. Try it on a small test area after a light sanding. J.

Pressurepro, Thx for the info!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Is the CabotÂs solid stain the one I keep reading about on the board that's having all the issues? The new product that was introduced in 2005? Most people reference it as a Deck Stain product. I see there are three different Cabot solid stain choices. OVT (oil & acrylic) and Pro VT. What are the differences? Which one do you recommend? Which has the best history? I pretty sure I'm going solid. The only question left, in addition to the ones above is why not paint the pergola with regular exterior latex like Benjamin Moore. Does Cabot's stain/latex have unique characteristics that make it superior to regular exterior house paint? As you can see I donÂt know squat about paint and stains. When I started this investigation I figured all stains where just that...oil based stains. I had no idea some where latex. I've been advised not to "paint" the pergola because it's a nightmare. Hopefully CabotÂs solid "stain" provides some benefit over regular exterior house paint. Please help convince me. I'm very nervous about the choice. The only thing I'm certain of is she wants a solid white much like you see on the East Coast. Think Cape Cod or Wilmington. We built this beautiful pergola; unfortunately it's out of cedar and not Douglas fir. The good news is it will not be walked on, itÂs vertical. Any on thoughts or suggestions? Thanks for ALL the help and advice!!!!! Big Tex