Deck Stains: Different Types for 2024  4.8/5 (793)

This post was updated on February 22, 2024

Update on Deck Stains for 2024

See our Deck Stain Facts section with over 150 simple Q&A articles that answer all the questions that you have regarding deck staining.

Please read this article and post any questions you have in the comment area below. Our newly enhanced website now offers the ability to upload and post pictures of your exterior wood or deck.

Deck stains have not changed much in the past few years. Many brands have gone away from oil-based stains to water-based, but you are still able to use oil-based stains in all US States and Canada. We currently restore about 300-400 decks annually, and our favorites are the penetrating semi-transparent and semi-solids.

We have been getting great feedback here at www.deckstainhelp.com from all the consumers who have been looking for better stain alternatives for their deck restoration. Our most popular article, “What is the Best Deck Stain” has quickly become the number one article on the web for asking questions and getting answers on restoring your exterior wood and deck.

In this article, we are going to cover what actually is a “Deck Stain”. We will compare the many types of decking stain options available and what are the positives and negatives of each.

Deck Stains

Deck stains are used to protect and preserve your exterior wood. They offer UV protection, water repellency, mold and mildew resistance, etc. Deck coatings come in many types of opacity and bases. Many deck stain brands can be restricted in certain states, cities, and counties based on their VOC laws.

Deck staining can be a “chore” for residential homeowners and unfortunately walking into your local store may produce some of the worst options available. Not all deck stains are created equal and there is not a perfect stain type or brand that will outperform all the others.

Water-Based Wood Deck Stains

Water-Based Wood Deck Stains

Water-Based Wood Deck Stains

Water-based deck stains have come on rapidly in the last 6-8 years. The main reason for the vast amount of water-based stains on the market today is related to changes in VOC laws across the country. Many states have adopted or soon will adopt lower VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) regulations. This has prompted stain manufacturers to increase the production of water-soluble decking stains. In our opinion, water-based deck stains are “thin” paints with varying amounts of acrylic and pigment.

Pros: Water cleanup, less chance of mold or mildew growth. Environmentally friendly.

Cons: They do not penetrate as an oil-base can. Slightly harder to apply as they dry quicker. They can be prone to peeling and wearing. *Restore-A-Deck Wood Stains and Defy Wood Stains are the only exceptions that we have tested. They penetrate the best of all water-based stains, nearly as well as an oil.

Oil-based Wood Deck Stains

Oil Based DeckStain

Oil Based DeckStain

Oil-based decking stains have been around for 20-30 years and have been traditionally what all stain manufacturers produce. Oil-based stains are typically made up of natural and synthetic oils. Many contain oils: Linseed Oil, Paraffin Oil, Tung Oil, Rosewood Oil, Etc.

Pros: Excellent penetration into the wood. The better a deck stain can penetrate, the better the performance. Easier to apply. More natural-looking.

Cons: Stronger odors, longer drying, and curing time. Some oils can promote the growth of mildew. Some oil-based stains will darken in color over time.

Deck Resurface Coatings

Deck Resurface products are basically similar to extremely thick paint. They are designed to mask the wood and fill large cracks or voids. Deck Resurface products will not show any wood grain. Please note that this product is far beyond conventional wood restoration.

Pros: Excellent UV protection. Enhanced traction. Fills voids and cracks. Great idea to restore an older deck if it actually works.

Cons: So far, most of these products types fail miserably. They peel after the first Winter and cannot be removed with a deck stain stripper. Sanding, scraping, or even the replacement of the wood is needed. There are many reviews on our site and other sites with angry consumers and product failures. Class action lawsuits are being filed against Rust-oleum Deck Restore and Olympic Rescue-It. Behr Deckover has the same issues as well. Only a couple of these products seem to work. If you really want one of these coatings, consider the Gulf Synthetics Deck Revive. See this link for more info, articles, and reviews on these coatings: Deck Resurface Coatings.

Gulf Synthetics Deck Revive Photos

Solid Color Decking Stains (Opaque)

Solid deck stains look like paints. They cover the wood so you will not see the wood grain anymore. Once you apply a solid decking stain, there is little chance you will ever be able to go back to a transparent stain. Solid stains come in both oil and water-based versions.

Pros: Excellent UV protection.

Cons: Films on top of the wood and do not penetrate as well. Prone to peeling. They look like paint. Harder to apply. They cannot be removed with a deck stain stripper effectively.

Solid Color Deck Stain Photos

Semi-Solid Wood Deck Stains

A Semi-Solid Deck Stain will only show a small amount of wood grain as they contain a high amount of pigment. They are offered by a limited amount of manufacturers. Semi-solids can be both water-based and oil-based.

Pros: Very good UV protection

Cons: Only a small amount of wood grain will show. Oil-based semi-solid versions will penetrate and perform much better than water-based versions.

Semi-Solid Deck Stain Photos

Semi-Transparent Wood Deck Stains

Semi-transparent deck stains contain pigments that highlight the natural grain while sealing the surface. The semi-transparent wood and decking stains are our favorite. Both water and oil-based are available.

Pros: Average to better-than-average UV protection. Shows natural grain. Very good penetration. In most scenarios can be cleaned and re-coated easily. They can be removed with a deck stain stripper.

Cons: Most water-based versions perform poorly compared to the oils. Many states with Low VOC laws have a limited amount of quality oil-based stains available. May need to buy online if in a Low VOC area.

Semi-Transparent Deck Stain Photos

Transparent Wood Deck Stains

Transparent Deck Sealer

Transparent Deck Sealer

Transparent deck coatings look the most natural as they contain minimal pigment. The average life of a transparent decking stain is about 1 year. Mostly oil-based only are available.

Pros: Very easy to apply and reapply as needed. Natural-looking.

Cons: Below average UV protection. Typically need to be re-coated annually.

Clear Wood Deck Finishes

Clear Deck Sealer

Clear Deck Sealer

Clear Deck Finishes offer little to no UV protection and will gray quickly. Typically used as sealers or water repellents and will not last over 6-12 months before the need to be re-coated.

 

Pros: They do not change or alter the appearance of the wood. Extremely easy to apply.

Cons: The wood will gray and oxidize in months from the sun’s UV.

Non-Drying Oil vs Drying Oil-Based Stains

Drying oils are “curing” oils. This means that they actually dry on top of or just below the surface. They will help “seal” the wood as well. Non-drying oils are the opposite. They never actually dry, but rather dive deep into the wood to help condition the cells of the wood. Paraffin oil (not wax) is the most common.

Are Deck Finishes, Stains, Sealers, or Both?

This question can be confusing to homeowners. In general, all deck stains are sealers as well as they will help prevent water absorption. Deck sealers typically are not stains, as they do not have any pigment. Some though may have a very light tint.

Low VOC Stains and States

Currently, there are 18 States that restrict Decking Stains and Coatings. These states require a lower amount of Volatile Organic Compounds to be released into the air. This mainly affects oil-based coatings. By lowering the amount of “solvents” that can evaporate into the ozone, you need to increase the amount of “solids”. This can cause issues with oil-based stains, as they may have drying and curing problems. There are still a few good oil-based stains allowed in the Low VOC States, but not as readily available at your local stores. You may need to go on the Internet to find them and have them shipped. A couple of examples would be TWP 1500 Series and Armstrong Clark Wood Stains.

Current Low VOC States:

California, Colorado, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Northern VA, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana.

LOW VOC States Deck Stains

DeckStainHelp.com Suggestions

With all of these different types of products, we prefer penetrating semi-transparent products as they allow the wood grain to show. They offer better-than-average UV protection and can be easier to reapply in the future. Penetration is better for oil-based versions over water-based versions. The exceptions for quality semi-transparent penetrating water-based stains would be the Defy Extreme Stains and the Restore-A-Deck Stains.

See this: Top 7 Semi-transparent Deck Stains

*All decking stains will eventually fail that is why you want a deck stain that is easy to work with down the road.

5 717
4 52
3 7
2 2
1 14
0 1

The Different Types of Deck Stains Video – DeckStainHelp.com

Please Rate This. You may also post comments or ask questions below.

author avatar
Scott Paul ~ Restoring Wood & Decks Since 1993
#As an article and comment contributor to the site, Scott has been around the pressure washing industry since attending college. In 1993 he started his first company called Oakland Pressure Wash specializing in exterior pressure washing and deck staining. That company evolved into OPW L.L.C. shortly thereafter concentrating more on exterior wood and deck restoration. Scott and his Deck Cleaning Michigan company have restored over 10,000 decks in the Metro Detroit area since the early years. He has become an authority in the deck restoration industry and has contributed to numerous wood restoration forums and informative sites. All the products he suggests through this site are sold through online sites and in retail stores, allowing the consumer to choose their own means of purchase. Scott’s eCommerce sites do sell many top brands he endorses and if you appreciate any of the help he has offered then feel free to purchase from one of them.

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Kdonehoo
Kdonehoo
9 months ago

Do you have a review of Zar exterior stains?

Kdonehoo
Kdonehoo
8 months ago

about to clean and brighten 9 month pine deck in ga. I will use TWP on floor.

I can’t get the color match I need in defy or RAD solid stains for deck railings. Would you recommend using the closest color I can get in Flood, or use Behr or another name?
Should I use oil or acrylic?
I’ve got to make decision and I’ve searched so much I’m confused. Thanks is for your help.

Richard Brown
Richard Brown
10 months ago

Hi I sent a question earlier about what to do with 7yr old deck

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Richard Brown
Richard Brown
10 months ago

What is the best product to put on a 7 year old deck with no board rot . I want to keep the natural wood look stain and seal and what is recommended for cleaning before treatment

Dina
Dina
10 months ago

What product do you recommend for cleaning the oily wood?
and ,please suggest me what product I can use to protect and stain!
th you!

dina
dina
10 months ago

Hi,
I clean and us the thompson oil based sealer and after 2 weeks stil not dry and is still oily.
what can i do ? please i really need suggestion !

Eliza karlson
Eliza karlson
11 months ago

Would you recommend a semi transparent or semi solid oil based to cover the deck and it’s issues . I plan to Brighten first. We will sand off some hard to remove bits in railingsI am thinking TWP.
Thanks!

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Barbara Joan Whiting
Barbara Joan Whiting
11 months ago

My deck was stained with an oil based stain two years ago. Is there anything special I need to do if I use a semi-transparent water based stain this year?

glen
glen
1 year ago

is there an oil based stain that can be custom tinted? Thinking semi transparent or semi solid. If so brand. Want to stain PT pine posts match house color.

Bob Boice
Bob Boice
1 year ago

Do you have any feedback on a stain product made in Oregon called Exoshield. From what I understand it uses tung oil. I am curious since I don’t see it on your website.

Bob Boice
Bob Boice
1 year ago

Do you have any plans for testing their product to see how they compare with others for use up here in the Northwest.
I am looking for independent testing that it not paid for by the suppliers so I get a totally honest review. I am not making any comments toward this website, just trying to get good information so I can feel confident using their products. Stripping a large deck because of poor performing products is a ton of work and very disappointing. I have done it a couple of times due to false claims. Thanks
The company is Nova Wood Products

SoldotnaAK
SoldotnaAK
1 year ago

Hi, I’m in the middle of restoring my 1100 sq ft deck on my Alaska log home. I read several of your reviews and after selecting a stain that had all the characteristics I was looking for, I found out it is not available in Alaska and no retailers ship there. So, I chose another stain, same result. I chose a third, same result. I did not find any of your 2022 top stains available to Alaska. Can you recommend something that is? Here’s my dilemma – it’s getting late in the year, temps are dropping, it may already be too late to apply stain before winter. In addition, I need to find a stain that can be applied to a damp deck, as it seems I can’t get two dry, rain-free days in a row. Help!

Ken
Ken
1 year ago

Fence, treated Pine – used to use Olympic Maximum before they changed formulas. Excellent protection and would dry with a slight sheen and type of protective surface – bonded/soaked in – doesn’t peel. 4 coats at 3 yrs apart and each coat added to the previous coat providing good protection, and color has stayed mostly good for 11 years since last coat. Some areas are showing need for another coat. #1 Is there any current product that seals the same way? And #2 anything that I can put on top of what is there now?

Last edited 1 year ago by Ken
Mark
Mark
1 year ago

I need to re-stain my deck and I’m unable to get the PARA TimberCare hybrid translucent stain I previously used. I’d like to know what an alternative stain that can be used over my previously stained deck. Photos show the current sanded and un-sanded areas for reference. In previous years I rough sanded the surface and applied the same stain over top which held up very well. Hoping to do the same.

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Holly Conner
Holly Conner
1 year ago

I live in Seattle, WA and have a large 10 year old cedar deck that was originally stained with Penofin Red Label. My deck floor is not cedar and not part of this project.
I restrained the cedar walls and rails 3 yrs ago, made mistakes along the way, but loved the way it tunes out. However, I neglected it and the beauty didn’t last. This summer, I have hired help and I’m wondering if I should use a different product.
The wood had been cleaned and stipped of all product (using Penofin products to clean and brighten). Photos attached.
Which product would you recommend that will be easy to maintain and hold up in Seattle weather? Thank you!

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Ahmed
Ahmed
1 year ago

I have an old deck that I don’t think was ever protected. Age is between 5-10 years. Was here when I bought the house.

I would like to use semi-solid stain. Is that a good idea? Should I power wash it and clean it? I live in Canada and weather is cold most of year but quite sunny July-August.

Best options to buy? I have access to Home Depot, Ben Moore and Sherwin.

Thank you!

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Deborah
Deborah
1 year ago

Thank you so much for this website. I appreciate all the information. We are staining our screened in deck with ReadySeal. That was what they used previously. They recommend two coats. Looks pretty good after one coat, are 2 coats necessary? Are 2 coats recommended so you don’t have to restain as often? Thanks in advance for your reply. Sorry if this was asked before, I didn’t see a way to search the questions.

Deborah
Deborah
1 year ago

Thanks, FYI, we are used Restore-A-Deck stripper and brightener and are getting ready to stain our other deck with the recommended TWP. It looks amazing so far. Thank again for all your advice. We had tried the Behr stripper previously, a total waste of time and $$.

Merle Mulder
Merle Mulder
1 year ago

Changing from Olympic stain and sealant to Val spar in canyon brown. Is it the sam?

Miller
Miller
1 year ago

I was glad to see your website. I originally wanted to put on behr semi
-transparent but then read information here. I returned 2gallons, only left 1 gallon for unimportant surfaces. I did the staining last week, and in a small section I tried both to compare. You’re absolutely right! Defy is so much easier to apply and penetrate, while behr stain feels as thick as paint. Behr stain behaves more like a surfactant instead of penetrant. I’ll keep using defy stain for my deck and use the behr only for my fences and vertical surfaces. One question though, for WA where there’s lots of rain and some cold winter times, how often should I re-apply? And do I need to strip old defy stain or I just apply a new layer?

Bob Hall
Bob Hall
1 year ago

Hi someone tell me Olympic maximum semi transparent neutral base deck stain I got it at Lowe’s now they don’t even sell Olympic they’ve changed this once or twice on me from what I originally started and said that they use this which was originally a semi-transparent too so I don’t know if they changed something or not but that’s what it originally had but it seemed like acting like it was a little different but I don’t know I don’t understand it this is turned into a job this stuff never worked it last 2 years an peel it would peel in a spot so I’d have to do the whole deck again now it looks like a solid the stuff don’t work and I don’t even want stain no more . Turned into a job. Was originally supposed to last five six years it never lasted but 2 years ever every two years I’m tired of doing it I want to know if there’s a paint an oil-based paint that I can paint over it this stain does not work it’s not worth the price it’s junk and turned into some kind of crazy science fiction science to try and figure out how to find something to work talking to any of these paint people you can’t believe anything from Sherwin-Williams to Lowe’s to Menards any of them what really works and it’s too expensive being robbed my opinion is they took the pigment the lead the oil out of all these products and charge more money and nothing works it’s whitewash is all it is expensive whitewash junk. These company’s are liars. If anyone is thinking about a deck Concrete it be better cheaper no maintenance you will be happier believe me unless you want spent all your time dealing stripping wasting money on lies an maintenance . Sorry this is long am mad now I find this about VCO or VOC restrictions on stains in different areas states another problem so more white wash this stain I remember use be 4 bucks a gallon what a robbery hoax they got going an was better than now what’s lies an more lies about stains . Does anyone remember when you could feel the oil in the paint when you put it on not anymore so now they flat lie an made a full time job try figure out there lies there no end to this . How many questions here about stain its bull crap a cheap white wash that they want you to believe works and create more & more lies cover up there’s lies people . This crazy for last few years been trying figure out why can’t find how fix this product last longer it won’t sanding give me a break sand cheap stain redo what he’ll you build a deck for if all you do is redo it. IAM convince this is all big hoax they’re not making products that work anymore and… Read more »

Joe
Joe
1 year ago

What is the best clear coat deck sealer

Tricia H
Tricia H
1 year ago

Before I found your website, I saw a youtube video that said to clean the deck with solution of 2 c.Oxiclean, 1/4 c. dish soap and 2 gal.water. It had good reviews so I did it. Our deck was installed in Aug 2020 and hasn’t had stain or sealer applied yet so it still looks good. Can I assume this cleaning is sufficient and I can now apply the stain?

Tricia H
Tricia H
1 year ago

We replaced our deck in Aug 2020 and haven’t stained it yet. We live in MI so snow is a factor to consider. Plus our deck gets intense sun in the summer so we will probably go with either clear or very minimal tint. Can you direct me to a product that will last more than one year?

James B
James B
1 year ago

What are your thoughts on Flood brand wood finish? Have used it for years but wondering if I should switch to Behr or something else.

James B
James B
1 year ago

Would I need to strip the deck if I switched products? I’m also needing to replace part of the fence around the deck so I will have some un-stained wood as well.

Nick
Nick
1 year ago

Hi,

Two years ago moved into a house built in 1983 with a large deck. The previous owners used some sort of stain that looks like paint and has been peeling up for over a year. I want to re-stain with a better product that hopefully will last longer. Is the proper method to power wash, then sand, then apply stain? I’m assuming Restore-A-Deck Wood Stains and Defy Wood Stains are the most recommended stains? I would like my stain to last a while and be envirnementally friendly if possible.

Nick
Nick
1 year ago

Thanks for the response. Is there a reason why you recommend solid stain over semitransparent stain? Also, for the prep work, should I use a deck stain remover before I pressure wash? Thanks again!

Michael David Myers
Michael David Myers
2 years ago

I applied two coats of Olympic Rescue It on my deck in 2019.
I followed all Olympic suggested preparations. Within the first few months after using the product, I noticed blistering and peeling. I painted over the Olympic with a light color exterior paint, hoping the blistering would stop. The blistering continued; the following year I repainted the deck with a dark exterior paint in order to remove as much of the Olympic Rescue It. This method worked, yet hours and hours of scraping took place the entire summer to remove the Olympic Rescue It, When the deck wood was dry, I applied Thompson’s WaterSeal TOTAL, then applied two coats of paint: one coat of Sherwin Williams Everlast and one coat of Valspar Duramax Flex-Shield 365. This has worked well; the only areas blistering are the areas the original Olympic Rescue It remained. I have many photos of the deck and actual samples of the blistered Olympic Rescue It.

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Debbie Carson
Debbie Carson
2 years ago

I sanded and cleaned my deck last year. Used a brightener also. Then the weather turned cold. Can I stain it now without re cleaning it

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