Deck Stain Questions

Hey Guys,
I’ve been trying to figure out what to do with my deck stain/sealer this weekend. At my other house I used a clear stain/sealer product from SherwinWilliams store. Shortly after I put that on the other deck we moved and I don’t know if the new owner kept it up so I really don’t have anything to go off of. I went back to SherwinWilliams to pick up the same stuff and here’s what I found.

Treated Deck:
Salesperson said the clear will coat it and protect the wood but won’t protect from UV rays and the wood will turn grey in color. I really like the natural look of a deck and really want to use the clear again but I need some thoughts/results of what other people have done and seen with their own decks. ANy suggestions are greatly appreciated!!

I used Bear from Home Depot, get the best stuff it has a 9 year warranty. I did not prep my new deck right and after the first year the stain came off. I called the bear hot line and they told me to send in a picture and to go buy the stripper, prep and new stain and they would cover the cost. 2 weeks later I get a $245 check from bear. Can not beat that.

I would have to say that it is all in the prep work….You have to get what they call glaze from the saw blade off the wood before you can stain. If you put in the prep work I think any good stain will hold.

I used to paint homes for a living. We used Sherwin Williams products and I found their deck stain to be junk. I am a firm believer in Sickens. You can get it at Hirshfields. It is pricey but it will last through our rough weather. I first did my deck in Sherwin stain and it needed to be redone the next year. After switching to Sickens the deck looks great and has weathered nicely. They have a maintenance product that you put on every other year to keep it up.

I do not want to hijack this post, but how long after putting in a deck should you wait to treat it?

I’ll throw my 2 cents in this topic. I have quite a bit of ceder decking at my cabin. I’ve used Sikkens deck stain (SRD) since we built the decks over 10 years ago. The first coat I put on lasted a couple years before it needed to be maintained. My lower deck and entry deck don’t get much direct sunlight and have held up pretty good. Same with the verticle surfaces (spindles and railings).

My dock and upper deck have a western exposure and get lots of sun. The first few years I maintained it, I just stacked the stain on the previous stain. It started peeling in certain areas. I talked to a few experts at the stores I bought the Sikkens from and they recommended starting over. I sanded the entire deck down. It sucked. I restained. It looks great for a year, but requires maintenance every year (need to resand it) if I want to keep it looking good.

I’ve heard several people say that Sikkens is the cats meow. It does hold up well on some of my deck but not so well on others. I’ve come to the conclusion that there probably isn’t a stain that will hold up very long. Sunny, horizontal surfaces are going to me tough to find a stain that lasts more than a year. Good luck.

1274. I’ve always been told that you let it dry out for a year or so. That’s what I’ve done, I put my deck on last fall and treating it now.

I guess I need to know if my deck will turn grey if I put something on that is clear or has no color.

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I do not want to hijack this post, but how long after putting in a deck should you wait to treat it?

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We always required a deck to sit for one year before we would stain it.

I’m with BZZSAW on the Sikkens and general durability of stain on cedar. I had a cedar deck that had direct southern exposure for 10 years. Nothing I tried in 10 years lasted more than a year. Sanding decks is not a fun job.

I gave up an went composite on me new place. No staining maintenance, but have to treat for mildew yearly. Easier and faster than staining, but still not maintenance free.

Where would a guy get “Sikkens”? And do they make a non color product?

Around the cities Hirshfields carries it. Check out this link. It has information on their SRD and DEK products. I’ve used the SRD in the past. There is also a a Where to Buy link on this site.

Sikkens

I have tried most brands out there (not sikkens though) and settled on Duckback products. I re-do my deck every 3 years… year 2 it looks ok yet and by 3 it really needs it. Duckback

big G

Sikkens SRD here as well. The (semi?-)translucent Butternut color I believe… Re-do about every 2 years. No sanding has been needed so far. Good stain, has held up well against rain, snow, sun…. but not cheap. $40 per gallon.

Here is Consumer Reports ratings top choice:

Behr Deck Plus Solid Color Deck, Fence & Siding Wood Stain (200 line) $26 gallon

It blew away the competition!

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Here is Consumer Reports ratings top choice:

Behr Deck Plus Solid Color Deck, Fence & Siding Wood Stain (200 line) $26 gallon

It blew away the competition!

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Those solid color stains are as close to being paint as can be, without being paint. They are not an option if you like that golden brown natural look of cedar.