[Sticky] Deck Staining Help

We have never used this version of Cabot nor seen it on a customers deck. Use the oil based version of Cabot Solid Deck stain if possible.

Quote from administrator on October 1, 10:45
We have never used this version of Cabot nor seen it on a customers deck. Use the oil based version of Cabot Solid Deck stain if possible.

Hello,

I'm looking for advice on staining a new/replacement deck and in particular using a clear coat in addition to the stain

1) Live in Columbia, SC
2) Mostly full shade (covered front porch - some exposure on one end)
3) Unfinished tongue and groove pine
4) Some mildew issues
5) Porch has rotted in places, gets a lot of water in places when it rains, paint peels/fails

I'm interested in any advice on the benefits of using a clear coat protection in addition to the stain that is used.

Contractor is/was planning on using a Sherwin-Williams combination of stain and clear coat but I want to use the best product(s) available for protection and longevity.

I have used Sikkens Marine Cetol stain and clear coat on a boat's teak wood with good results but this is apparently not recommended for decks, and their SRD deck product (along with most other brands) all seem to recommend one coat of the stain only - surprising to me as this does not seem like a lot of protection. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

You should not put a clear coat on top of a deck stain. This would create a film or shiny look and that always peels and blisters. There is a reason that all high end deck stain do not recommend this for exterior horizontal wood. In addition you should not stain brand new wood right away: http://www.deckstainhelp.com/staining-a-new-deck/

You want a deep penetrating oil based stain that will not film. This will give you the best performance.

Quote from administrator on December 29, 11:58
When asking questions on Deck Staining please include:

<ul>1. State you live in</ul>
<ul>2. Full Shade, Partial Shade, or Full Sun</ul>
<ul>3. Type of Wood</ul>
<ul>4. Mold or Mildew Issues</ul>
<ul>5. Main Issues with Previous Stains</ul>

I live in NC. Deck is in full sun. Wood is pressure treated pine. No mold or mildew issues. Main issues now: The Cabot semi transparent stain -water based - that we used 3 years ago did not cover the wood on the places we sanded to remove the green stamps. Didn't take long for the sanded areas to show through stain. We are now ready to re-stain. We cleaned deck with a bleach water mixture. Used small sample of semi- transparent oil based stain but it just sat on top of surface with almost no penetration and brush strokes seemed to take up more stain than put down. So then, we stripped the small portion of oil based stain and used a deck cleaner and brightener on the entire surface. Ready to try again and am now a true believer in proper preparation. Here are my questions: Feel like we have to go with a solid stain to cover the sanded spots, agree? Found one local hardware store that has 3 gallons left of Cabot Oil solid stain with a neutral base which I need for the color selected (Frontier). If we use the Cabot oil solid stain now, we will have to use Acrylic solid next time according to the hardware store owner because oil based stains are being discontinued (environmental concerns). Do you agree oil based stains may not be available in the future? And, will applying an acrylic stain over an oil based stain in three more years be a problem? I plan to apply Sunday high temperature in the mid 60's but the temperature the first night in the mid 40's. The next three days, high 70's, low's 50's. No rain. This is my last chance before cold weather really sets in. What problems will I face from mid 40's weather the night of application? Thank you so much for your help and for taking the time to answer my multiple questions. Nancily2

Oil based stains are not being discontinued completely. They will always be around as long as the manufacturers want to make them. The problem is cheaper for them to make water based solid stains so many have given up on oils. I am not sure they will or will not be available in your area down the road. The nighttime temps will not be an issues as long as it does not drop below freezing.

Quote from administrator on December 29, 11:58
When asking questions on Deck Staining please include:

<ul>1. State you live in</ul>
<ul>2. Full Shade, Partial Shade, or Full Sun</ul>
<ul>3. Type of Wood</ul>
<ul>4. Mold or Mildew Issues</ul>
<ul>5. Main Issues with Previous Stains</ul>

I have a relatively new (12 mos.), pressure treated pine deck in the mountains of NC. It receives full sun so I have no mildew problem. I stained the deck with Cabot semi-transpartent oil stain about 6 mos. ago and I am satisfied with the color. I want to treat the deck again this fall with a penetrating, clear or minimally colored stain to minimize water and snow damage. From information on your site Defy Extreme stain or TWP100 look like best candidates. Can either of these materials be applied directly over the existing stain (I do not wish to remove)? What preparation procedure would be required? Would a single coat of either be sufficient?

No you cannot apply the TWP, Defy, or any brand of penetrating stain over the Cabot without removal first.

Re. my question of 10/8 and your response of 10/9 is there any clear, preferentially alkyd oil based product I could apply directly over my slightly weathered, oil-based semi-transparent stain treated deck?

1. State you live in - Western Pennsylvania
2. Full Shade, Partial Shade, or Full Sun - Partial Shade
3. Type of Wood - Pressure Treated Pine
4. Mold or Mildew Issues - No
5. Main Issues with Previous Stains - N/A

Hi - we had a new deck installed in June and would like to waterproof it with a clear waterproofer. First, have I waited long enough for the deck to dry? I did power wash it to get the mill rub stuff off. What waterproofer do you recommend? If the product has UV protection in it, will it protect against graying? Are there any products that can be applied to wet wood? We don't have many sunny days left here in Western, PA. Should I stain the deck instead of clear waterproofing? Thanks for the help.

One more question: Anyone familiar with this product? Wood RX

Jeff,

Sorry but we have yet to get a proper test of the Wood Rx. It is probably better then anything else you will get from HD. You need to use a deck stain (not clear waterproofer) if you want Uv protection. Most products cannot be applied to wet wood. There used to be some but have not used any in many years. Might want to wait until Spring, prep, and stain then.

Quote from administrator on December 29, 11:58
When asking questions on Deck Staining please include:

<Groton,MA 01450
< Partial Shade
<Mahoghany
<No mold issues
<Messmers UV PLUS

Hi,
We have a 12 year old deck. Just replaced 5 boards.

The wood color has changed to a brown. The rails are tough to get this brown color out.

Going to clean and power wash.

Do you recommend Cabot Red Flame?

You should use a deck stripper and pressure wash off. Most of the dark stain will be removed. Brighten the wood when done and your wood well be much nicer looking. As for stain, Cabot used to make some excellent stains before VOC law changes and they changed ownership. Look at the Armstrong Clark in the mahogany color.

We're having a debate here about a cedar front porch/deck that is approximately 5 years old. It has become weathered because we haven't cared for it with any weatherproofing or stain. One condo owner put Thompson's on it and another was very upset and claimed that cedar is naturally resistant to rot and stated that it should be cleaned and linseed oil applied if you want to refresh it. I'm not sure if the application of the Thompson's was done properly, but it is slippery in places, so we need to fix it. Can someone give us advice as to who is right and what type of weatherproofing stain we need to use? Is it urgent enough to remove the Thompson's and replace it with something else? The problem is temperatures are already below 50 and the stains seem to indicate that this is a job that should be done in temperatures above.

1. Massachusetts
2. Partial shade to full sun
3. Cedar
4. No known mold or mildew issues noticed
5. No previous stains applied except for recent Thompson's stain

Thanks for any help you can provide!