I’d stain the steps with a clear coat.
And change the lattice work it for something plainer.

you need a good top coat w/UV qualities. UV is a must in a varnish.

I'd use something like Sikkens , or any of the others below. I used that varnish on my redwood bridge.

and on this ordchid fence. I think these are redwood. (similar to the cedar, but more available on the west coast) This a natural clearcoat.

Glossy will hold up better to the elements. and no, it's not slipperty.

you can stain it first if you like, but you must use a good varnish as the topcoat.

ManoWar is another. Penofin has a stain/UV sealer in one. I've also used that.

Basically you want a Marine Varnish.

btw, it will need to be recoated every year, or every other year. if you don't, it's going to turn gray

https://www.penofin.com/wood-stains/penofin-stain-sealer

I don't think you need a stain. if you do, choose the natural cedar color. the walnut would be too dark.

I've used this one too

Thank you both for your comments. This isn’t in the coast, this is in Austin, TX. He was suggesting the grey because its more of a neutral tone, since there’s no deck or anything made of wood on the exterior of the house, but I kind of like the neutral wood tone

sorry, I went back and caught that. doesn't matter though. you have blazing hot sun. you must use a UV varnish or it will turn gray and icky looking in a year.

any of the products I mentioned will work.

every year fine sand the steps and apply a fresh coat. every other year you can do the other parts that aren't walked on.

i like the neutral tone too. but try a sample of the gray and see if you like. again, you must use the UV clear coat on top of whatever stain color you pick ( unless it's that penofin w/stain/uv sealer in one)

And, I don't like the deck stains. I've tried them. I don't think they work as well as the Marine Varnishes. In fact, I know they don't.

He is going to use Sherwin Williams super deck. I would think that comes with UV protection right?

I wouldn't use that. it doesn't last. I've tried those deck stains. they peel after a year.

is it just the stairs or is there a deck up there too?

I don't see anything listed about UV protection. (it says lasting protection from the weather, but doesn't mention actual UV blockers) This is a deck stain. almost like a paint. even the semi transparent one is a like a paint. I used one from Behr. I had to repaint the deck every single year.

https://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/products/superdeck-exterior-waterborne-solid-color-deck-stain

The painter will use whatever you tell him to use. I'd use the Marine Varnish. Or The Penofin. Penofin is a better quality product.

https://www.penofin.com/wood-stains/penofin-stain-sealer

but go ahead and get SW is you like. after a year or two when it wears, sand it all down to bare wood and apply the marine varnish.

Whatever product you use, I like the natural wood tone as it is, or slightly darker, but not gray.

This is what I’m going to suggest

We have 2200 sq ft of deck and we made the mistake of choosing a color instead of just doing Sikkens like we did in our last house ,regret it now and I guess we have to live with the fact that we redo it every 2nd year, So IMO leave it unstained and just do a good UV protected natural coating. I really do not like the lattice but IMO you need plantings in that spot anyway so make sure they cover most of the lattice and make sure the lattice is done to match the stairs. I just noticed the door to access under the stairs so IMO remove the lattice paint that whole space the same color as the house to make that door as invisible as possible then do the plantings.

What makes you think Sikkens is less work than doing a dark stain? I’m not questioning why, just curious. Thanks!

let me answer. I've used both.

Btw, your natural cedar color next to the black accents looks perfect.

This looks dead to me. the color is horrible, and the wood looks sickly. You want an oil that penetrates and enhances the wood, not covers it. (more on that below)

plant something like this at the base of the lattice. do a nice flower bed, climbing flowers, or some bamboo in pots, anything.

or, you could paint the lattice white or the black. it would last longer. next to the cedar either would look nice. if you leave it as is, you'll have to coat all of it to keep it from rotting
I like the black w/your black railing and trim. once the cedar is coated, it will brighten up a bit.

Sikkens is a marine varnish.

A dark stain is just that; a dark stain. You still have to put a top coat over it, one w/UV qualities (twice as much work)

And if you're referring to the Deck Stain. Deck Stain is NOT a marine varnish. They're two diff products.

If all you want is the natural cedar color, do a marine varnish like Sikkens. The stuff is used on wood ships.

If you want to tint the wood a darker color, then get the Penofin stain/varnish in one.

If you want to use the deck paint/stain, fine. just be prepared to sand off all the chipping parts, pressue wash it, and reapply it in a year or two.

The only reason I would choose a deck stain is if I wanted some other color like blue or green. if I wanted the natural wood tone, then I'd choose the Marine varnish, or the Penofin oil stain/varnish in one.

This is a penetrating oil finish. it's a stain, with a built in sealer w/UV blocker.

The deck stain from SW isn't a penetrating oil. In my opinion it's a top coat. it sits on top of the wood. doesn't penetrate the wood which is why it ends up chipping.

I used the Penofin on my oak door. I refinished it w/ a dye to get it black, then used the penofin penetrating oil finish in ebony. It did a very nice job.

I didn't use enough on the outside (because I just had a two little sample sizes) so I just painted the exterior black.

you'd pick the red label if you want this version.

or go w/the sikkens, or even the Epiphanes.

This is also used on ships. most likely teak decks on ships.

I used it on my pond bridge. It's thick and glossy (but not slippery) and it repels water like no ones business. My bridge is an inch from the top of the water on the pond and it's lasted 15 years w/o rotting. I redo it every two years just to give it a fresh coat

My two cents.. Sherwin Williams solid color super deck stain wears great and stands up to my Central North Carolina sun, heat, humidity and dog toe nails great. After 8 years of installation, I power washed my deck last month to restain and very, very little of the original came off.

Use a dark color or it will look dirty all the time if you go this route. For the vertical parts, you can use SW Woodscapes stain. It's cheaper than deck stain.

Just an option from my experience. I got no dog in this hunt.