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
Q