# Deck stain recommendations?



## SueS

We built a deck around our pool last year and will be staining it as soon (or if!!) the weather stabilizes. We used Sikkins on our house but it is VERY expensive and we're probably looking at $600 for this project.

Do any of you have recommendations for a good stain that won't break the bank?


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## Herald

Thompson's Water Seal


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## Mushroom

Having stained decks as a part of my business for 11 years, I've used just about everything there is available. The last thing you want to use is Thompson's. It has a planned obselescance of one year to keep you buying more every year. Sikkens looks beautiful, but the deck products (3 part) is even more expensive and labor intensive than their siding product, and I have found neither to last long at all. If you allow Sikkens to go too long before re-coating, you have to strip all the old off and start again - a super pain.

You would probably do best to get something locally available so you can buy just what you need and take excess back. If anyone carries a product called Defy near you, it is one of the best. Google it or Chimneysaver, the company that makes it. Wolman's is OK, but not great, Flood's CWF is not too bad, but you gotta recoat pretty often.

Around here Lowe's carries an Olympic product called Maximum that is probably the best homeowner available stain around. It comes in like 2, 5, and 8 year guarantee types, the longer the more expensive. Stains that last longer have more pigment, so the level of life expectancy will be closer to paint or solid stain.

Maximum is an oil based, Defy is waterborne crosslinked polymer, and they both have their advantages and problems. To try and match your Sikkens on your siding the Maximum product will be closer, but will not have the gloss and depth that Sikkens does.

Hope this helps.


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## Arch2k

Brad said:


> Around here Lowe's carries an Olympic product called Maximum that is probably the best homeowner available stain around. It comes in like 2, 5, and 8 year guarantee types, the longer the more expensive. Stains that last longer have more pigment, so the level of life expectancy will be closer to paint or solid stain.


 
I recently bought 2 gallons of Olymipic to re-stain our deck. I'm glad that it gets your stamp of approval!


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## SueS

Brad said:


> Maximum is an oil based, Defy is waterborne crosslinked polymer, and they both have their advantages and problems. To try and match your Sikkens on your siding the Maximum product will be closer, but will not have the gloss and depth that Sikkens does.
> 
> Hope this helps.





Thanks, Brad! We used Sikkins "Teak" on the house - it gave the porch floors a nice shine (we used the house stain for everything) which we really don't want on the pool deck although I would like it on the upper deck which will be under roof. Hopefully the Maximum will come close to the teak shade.

I'll tell my husband about this - he's been getting green about the gills at the very thought of what the Sikkins will cost us!


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## caddy

We have a wrap around porch, Brazillian Walnut. I purchased Penofin. Good Stuff.

Penofin Penetrating Oil Finishes and Wood Stain


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## tdowns

*What about Home Depots....*

Behrs?

Thanks for the post, I'm getting ready to do my fence. Any negative to going "solid stain" verses semi? I have a side that is new red wood...the rest is old red wood, that has never been treated, so is very dark. I live in California, so heat, dry, and occasional rain(like now).

You've now opened a  with your knowledge...I hope you don't mind the question?

Thanks.


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## SueS

We have a friend who used Behr's on his deck and it began peeling within just a few weeks - very disappointing given its supposedly good reputation.

I told Husband about the Olympic Maximum - he did a google search on it and came up with $125/5 gallon can - a little over a third of the price of the Sikkins. He didn't see anything about the 3/5/8 year warrantees - we'll ask about that when we check it out at Lowes. Man, we spend a lot of time and money there!!!


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## caddy

yEP, Penofin is actually higher than that for 5 gallons...


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## Mushroom

I've heard of Penofin, but it's a west coast product for the most part, and that's one I've never used. The website I saw years ago looked pretty good.

If you want to really make the finish last, there are some technical aspects to consider. You will definitely need to power wash or laboriously scrub the deck clean. Cleaning chemicals affect the pH level of the wood surface, and should be neutralized and rinsed before stain application for complete absorption of the stain.

You can normally do that with a sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) solution in water in a pump-up sprayer, allow to sit a few minutes but not dry (mist with hose while waiting), then thoroughly rinse with water. Check any cleaners for contents. Don't use any that contain sodium hypochlorite (bleach), not good for surface wood cellular integrity - difficult to fully rinse, and accelerates decomposition. Sodium or potassium hydroxides are bases that can burn you, but will do a good job of removing old stains and giving the wood a deep tone - because it brings tannins to the surface. It will really yellow cedar and somewhat so to pine.

For never-stained wood, cleaning with an oxalic acid deck cleaner, or one made with sodium percarbonate (Oxyclean!) will do the job fine, and neutralize with baking soda rinse.

If you use an oil-based stain, you should allow the wood to dry for a few good days. If you use one of the newer waterborne polymers, you can, and even should with some, apply the stain while the deck is damp. I have never seen a waterbased acrylic hold up well on decks, so wouldn't recommend them.

Sikkens does make a medium quality one-coat deck product that is considerably less expensive than their top-of-the line deck coating. If you plan on cleaning and staining fairly often, that might be an option to match the Sikkens color on your siding.


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## Mushroom

tdowns007 said:


> Behrs?
> 
> Thanks for the post, I'm getting ready to do my fence. Any negative to going "solid stain" verses semi? I have a side that is new red wood...the rest is old red wood, that has never been treated, so is very dark. I live in California, so heat, dry, and occasional rain(like now).
> 
> You've now opened a  with your knowledge...I hope you don't mind the question?
> 
> Thanks.


Never seen any Behr product that impressed me, including stains and paints. 

Stains generally come in 3 tones; transparent (clears) where a very slight amount of pigment gives a tint, but the wood grain is clearly visible; translucents (opaques) that impart more pigment and the grain is dimly visible; and solids, which are essentially paints with a little more thorough absorption into the wood surface that don't require priming. More pigment, more protection. The choice is a matter of taste and frequency of application.

But.... you have redwood. This is an entirely different animal than we see here on the east coast. I have prepped and coated some fine redwood homes in these parts (those folks around Middleburg, VA have much money and no surplus of sense), but nobody around here would pay the transport costs involved for a fence. We used the best - Sikkens - on those projects. And do not use an alkaline cleaner on redwood, the tannin will bleed terribly. I'd recommend an acid, either oxalic, or even citric, then neutralize w/ baking soda.


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