Its the time of year again, stripping and staining the decks.
Im here in minnesota…. wondering who’s got the best deck stains out there.
Transparrents are ok?
Im going solid stain this time around i think.
Big deck, partly shady sun mix. Lots of black walnut stains.
moisture not a problem. big area, breezy.
Replies
Sikkens is pretty good, and is, in general, the type of thing you want -- semi-transparent with enough solids to keep the UV from destroying both the stain and the wood.
But any of them have to be renewed every 2-3 years.
Ditto on the Sikkens. Some of those, like Behr and Flood can be a PITA to get coating without lines at the wet edges.
As DanH said, regular renewal is a given.
When you recoat using Sikkens, do you have to sand off the old coat or can you just go right over the old finish?
With Sikkens there's a special replenisher coat that contains no solids, just the oils/resins.
I've had good luck with the solvent-based (non-latex) Cabot stains.
Ill second the Cabot as well, its kind of an East Coast thing, but its a good product.
-zen
Yeah, I was trying to remember that name. In other forums Cabot has gotten as good of ratings as Sikkens, and it's not as expensive (or wasn't, as of a few years ago).
Both Sikkens and Cabot are high quality products. The main concern should be the carrier. It shouldn't be paraffin, as with Thompson's, as it will repel water initially, but not last a year. An oil base, like linseed, is better. Even my Sikkens covered lawn furniture needs recoating now after two years. My Olympia covered cedar fence can also go two years between applications. This is in Wisconsin, where the stuff has snow and water on it during the winter, which should end any month now.