Latest Consumer Magazine Reports on Decking Stains is out again this year and we have been getting some questions as to why our ratings differ so much compared to their highest rated products. We have compiled a list of reasons why we believe our reviews and ratings are more realistic and honest examples of how a deck stain actually performs.
Contractor Restoration Network
We utilize a network of contractors who specialize in exterior wood restoration. All of these contractors are experienced in the trade of prepping and applying a stain to an exterior deck. Their combined experience utilizes exposure in 20+ states and with over 10,000 restoration projects for exterior wood.
Real World Testing vs. Accelerated Testing
Our stains are tested on actual decks with normal exposure to weather and traffic. Consumers uses an accelerated test on an individual board. This board is not exposed to normal everyday “real world” conditions.
Brands Tested: Big Box Store Brands vs All Stain Brands
We test all available brands and versions. Consumers tests mainly big box store brands such as Behr, Sherwin William, Cabots, etc. Many of the best wood stains are not available at these stores but rather in high end paint stores, lumber yards, or online.
Consumers Tests Appearance Only for Mildew, Cracking, Wearing, Color Change, Dirt
Consumers mainly tests only for appearance of the stain after a period of accelerated testing. They do not take in consideration many of the requirement that we look for such as: Ease of application, Cost per square foot, how difficult it is to reapply in the future, etc.
Free vs. paid subscription
Our reviews and ratings are free for all to read and post their own experience when working with a particular stain. Consumers is a paid subscription that requires a monthly or yearly fee to access.
Overall Ratings On The Web
Our ratings and reviews for decking finishes are consistent with real world experiences across the Internet. For example, Consumers rates Behr Stains “Best” while we gave it the worst deck stain rating of any brand tested. In our opinion this is absolutely ridiculous. A quick search online for “behr deck stain failure” will produce a substantial amount of unhappy and mad customers. In fact Consumers own “user ratings” shows that homeowners who have used Behr Stains gave it a 1 Star out of 5! We have never met an experienced contractor who would use Behr on a customers deck. We have long suspected that Consumers uses inferior and biased testing. We encourage potential deck stain buyers to do a thorough research online prior to buying. You will be happy that you did!
Used Cabot semi transparent stain on deck last July 2011and by this spring -late February…the horizontal decking had peeling in several areas, whether they were traffic areas or not. Vertical decking looks great but now we will need to strip, wash and have stain reapplied. Very disappointing!
I had the same problem with Cabot semi-transparent on cedar deck.
as a lumber dealer and deck enthusiast I can tell you dont use cabot oil toners at least on your deck. it will peel and come up like fuzz on your deck and the only option is to sand it off,,,,no fun. The older wolman fp was great but as with many products now the epa is demanding latex based products and they are having a hard time performing at this moment. I use cabot on my wood siding with fair success but not on decks
Rick Lewis, the EPA is not getting rid of oil based stains and there are still a few good ones left, just not as many as there used to be.
Agree. New cedar purchased in fall spent entire winter indoors drying. Wood was stacked above cement floor with space for air. In spring boards were coated, top, bottom, sides, ends. Two years later peeling, fading, flakes.
Would be great if you would rank order by those mail order only or those i can pick up locally. Looks like the top 5 are not locally available.
Trax, almost all of the stain we rank are available in stores.
We live in Baltimore, MD and I too have had no luck finding the top 5 rated stains available in stores. Are you able to share/suggest places to purchase in a store/versus shipping.
Gina, we have no idea what is available in MD. I would call the manufacturers. A quick search turned up many dealers for TWP in your area.
do it best stores carry or can order twp products which rate highly in the tests
While your comment on different testing method etc is valid, you comment on bias on consumers report is unfounded.
If anything you are more likely to be biased (I am not saying you are) because of ads or money paid to you by the manufacturers.
Further saying that your contractors do not use Behr means nothing – contractors use of stains is not based on any study they do but on their own biases.
Further your comments on your review is available for free on web vs paid subscription is non-sense – you can buy the consumer report issue that covers the deck stain for $4 at a news stand or look at it in the library.
I think your results are interesting but to dismiss the consumers report (except for testing methods) is also nonsense.
Can you explain your testing method in more detail – is it based on your actual tests or is it based on contractors reporting to you? The second is subject to lots of errors and inconsistency.
Wrt to availability of stains locally – i went to find a local distributor of the defy stain through the distributors
web site and there was not a single local distributor in the san francisco and san jose area – a fairly big metropolitan area.
Sanjay, this site and this article is from our experiences of many years of restoring decks. To call it “nonsense” is demeaning to our profession and experience with a product or company. We never said to be 100% correct, just posting our own experiences and opinions (this is stated at the bottom of every review). We also allow all consumers to post their own experiences with a product, good or bad. We do not allow postings from manufacturers. The purpose of this site is to offer reviews of products and offer help for the general public.
1. We have no ads on the site from manufacturers.
2. Contractors do not use Behr as they know how poor of a stain it is to apply and remove. To say that means nothing is saying we are inexperienced in our own profession.
3. Since our site is web based we were comparing it to Consumers website not the magazine. Ours is free and theirs costs money for online reviews. You are correct that Consumers would be “free” if you found it in a library or sitting in a doctors reception area.
4. Our testing is from actual decks by experienced contractors. Products were applied according to manufacturer directions. All decks were prepped properly and free if any previous coatings. We have no control over the projects during the testing period. We come back and evaluate after the testing period is done. We call this re world testing as all decks will have different degrees of weathering and wear/tear. That is the problem with Consumers. Their testing is too “controlled”. Sure you can get inconsistencies with our testing but so can you with Consumers Reports.
5. As for saying that Consumer Reports is biased towards products and brands, it is just an opinion that happens to be shared by many of our readers. See here for an example on the Behr Stain Review
6. Defy Stains are available all over the country. Might be best to call them direct to see if there is a dealer in the area at 800.860.6327
We get a lot of great feedback here from our site. Mostly all positive. If you want to believe Consumers offers better and more controlled testing then feel free to use their advice on products.
We would love some feedback after a couple of years!
I'm waiting for that feed back too, I'm lovin this site. Good work gentleman! My hat is off to you. I'm learning lots and hope to post my own experiences when I see how my efforts turn out.
Happy staining all
Thanks Lain!
As a home user, I am genuinely conflicted as to who to believe and am asking your help in figuring that out.
Saying that I should not trust Consumer Reports because I have to buy the magazine (when, actually, no I don't) makes no sense to me. It seems to me that if an organization is funded by individuals and never by companies, and makes that pledge, they are more believable than someone who I have no idea who they are or who pays them. Your bringing up of this issue does not help me put my trust in you.
And I do very much want to put my trust in you.
Saying that CR only tests big name brands doesn't explain why you rank Cabot above Behr and they rank Behr above Cabot. Clearly there is more of a difference going on than in what you test.
Can you help me understand what the difference is in your testing and how that makes your results the complete opposite of CRs? I want to trust you, but need your help to do that.
Apredfield, go to Consumers and read the comments that their own consumers have left under the Behr review from last season. Last I checked there was 11 or so comments from members. 10 of which gave Behr a horrible review and is consistent with our test results. Our results our from our experience using stains as contractors. We also allow consumers to post their own results and for the most part their opinions are consistent with our results. I would read through the comments to get some feedback.
To say that Consumer Reports or deckstainhelp.com is biased is both ridiculous and true. Both bring at least biases on testing methods and comparing testing methods is both interesting and valid. However there is no reason for disparagement. CR does makes their best effort at being objective and I assume you do also. (It would be interesting to know how you fund this site.) I do follow Consumers but don't always believe they got it right. I do not believe they have bad intentions. From this consumer's point of view it's great to have multiple sources of information and reviews. Then it is up to me to make a decision and take responsibility for that decision. I do appreciate your reviews.
Thanks and I understand your point.
I am in the protracted process of striping Defy, applied last summer, from my cedar deck. In my case, the Defy looked great though October, then quickly integrated normal atmospheric residue while turning grey.
I tried washing It via "Oil Eater", followed by power washing (which has worked great in the past), with no results. Then I went to the opposite pH with oxalic acid, which in my experience works well loosening grime while brightening the wood (an acid is a H proton donor, which I consider better for the wood vs a caustic base like bleach which is a proton accepter, weakening the wood) to little effect. It appears to me that Defy integrates with cellulose better than most, and is a "sacrificial" UV inhibitor, that is, it does not deflect UV, it absorbs it, then turns grey itself. Even with a chemical stripper (Behr) followed by PW, it only comes off stubbornly. I'm now considering a Sikkens stain. Comments anyone? Thanks!
Harry, You need a deck stain stripper that contains sodium hydroxide to remove Defy or any decking stain. You then neutralize with a brightener (mild acid) after. Oxalic will not strip any deck coatings. Oil eater would work on an oil based stain but not a water based stain such as Defy. I am assuming that you used the Clear Defy? Having a tint in the Defy such as Natural Pine would have prolonged the graying for at least a couple of years.
Gentlemen you are forgetting one thing when you have trouble with a deck made of smooth cedar,,,,,a cedar deck does not like finish,it will do its best to repell any finish put on it, so even if its a great product on treated pine lumber, it may not work well on cedar,,,which we would all think would be the exact opposite,,,,however as owner of 3 large cedar decks if you can seal the under sides of the decks to keep ground moisture from penetrating the boards from the bottom side,,what happens is the moisture travels through the relatively porous cedar lumber and when it hits your expensive deck sealer it is trapped there between the sealer and the surface of the lumber and thats when the peeling,,the popping and the discoloration start
Rick, 90% of the decks we stain are cedar and we do not have the issues you are describing. The stains we mainly use are deep penetrating and also breathable as they do not 100% encapsulate the surface. Most likely why we can easily get 2-3 years on a horizontals surface.
Harry: You did not say which Sikkens stain you are interested in. I had horrible persomnal experience with Sikkens Cetol SRD Semi Transparent stain. It went on and stayed blochy and uneven, dried purple (instead of redwood color) and mildewed bad after 6 months. It was also a lot of work to prepare the wood deck as recommended by manufactuer (I followed all their requirements) before staining and a real pain to strip off afetwards.
In short I will never but another Sikkens product.
Love the site! Agree that Consumer Reports has become poor (except auto) over the years and recently cancelled. Anyway, stain question. I have a 2 month old western red cedar framed batten board fence. Fence has mostly kept its color but starting to gray in a few areas. We live in Minneapolis. We love the natural look but want to balance that with a long lasting product. We would give some natural look for less maintenance but want to avoid that orange look and define rely want to keep some grain. Friend who is painter recommended Sherwin Williams oil stain cedar toner, got some the other day on sale ($28) but now found this site and thinking of returning. I am hoping to spray with either pump or airless and brush. Your thoughts are greatly appreciated.
Will, I would return the SW stain. We have not had good results with it. I would consider the TWP 1500 Honeytone or Armstrong Clark in Amber color.
I power washed and sanded a 10 year old treated pine deck that had a solid stain and moss. Do I still need to use a deck cleaner and brightener? Exposure is about 85% sun in summer. I live upstate New York near ALbany
Steve, I would use the cleaner and brightener to open the wood pores for a stain.
I am preparing to stain a mixture of woods on and around my house and would love your advice. I have some cedar planks that I just put on my house. I had it milled 2 yrs ago and it has been drying in my shed. My shop has some old cedar planks that have been up for 20 yrs. that has had Thompson applied a couple of times. I also have a deck around my swimming pool that is pressure treated pine. In addition to all this my pump shed has cedar and pine that was treated with Jasco Copper. So I have old and new, treated and not traeted pine and cedar installed vertically and horizontally. I expect a little variance in the finish and thats ok but I want to stain all of it a medium shade to try to get some kind of continuity and I am thinking I should use the some product throughout. I have read so many reviews that I have totally confused myself. Information overload. I am so glad I stumbled upon this site. So what brand would you recommend, oil or water based?
Ken Lambert, Prep all wood so it is clean and free of previous coatings as much as possible. I would look at Armstrong Clark for this mixture of wood.
I have a porch made of mahogany/pine pressed wood from 1928. Sanded layers of paint off. Would like to use a clear stain to show off its beauty. Live in West Virginia, we have true 4 different seasons. What is best product. Porch is in sun. Would like something that does not need redone every year.
Debbi, you need a semi-transparent tinted stain that will highlight the grain if you want Uv protection. I would look for some TWP 1500 Series.
Hi, two years ago we refinished our 15 year old 30ft deck sandings it down to the bare wood. We replaced every other board, and turnd over the good boards to reuse. We used Sikkens Dek to stain as my husband makes custom wood garage doors, and Sikkens is the product he recomends to his customers for staining and finishing. We had never tried their deck product line, but assumed it would be as excellent a product as their exterior wood product line. Needless to say, two years later our entire deck is embedded with black mold! I tried a bleach based deck cleaner, along with a pressure washer and it didn't budge the mold. I noticed in a previous comment you said the Restore – A – Deck would not work if the mold was embeded in the stain. I am assuming that is my situation and am wondering what to do now. I thought I had the answer and was ready to order their kit, but now it seems I am back where I started. This is sickening as we worked so hard doing the refinish to try and save money, but it seems everytime we try to save a penny it costs $$$. Please help if you can. Thanks!
If it is that imbedded in the stain then it may need to be removed by stripping and or sanding. Have you tried bleach to kill the mold? Water it down 2 parts water to 1 part bleach to see if that helps.
We hated to have to sand the entire deck yet again…but if it is the only option we'll do what we gotta do. As far as the bleach, I can't recall the brand of cleaner I tried, but I do know that it did contain bleach albeit probably not 2 to 1 dilution rate. I followed up with a good long pressure wash and the black mold is still covering it. What is odd to me is that after sanding the floor to the bare wood stage and applying two coats of Sikkens (brushing it in as per the directions) that it has no signs of beading two years later and is covered with mold!! Even the new boards replaced on the handrail tops molded. We used a far less expensive product after laying the deck new, and have never had an issue with not being able to simply pressure wash off dirt, mildew etc. This year has been an extremely damp humid year in South Carolina with warnings and complaints of mold everywhere…I wonder if that isn't the real culprit here.
Susan, mold that grows in the stain is usually the stains fault. Nothing can stop mold from growing on top of a stain though. The difference is that mold on top is easily removed with a cleaner or bleach.
Hi, we have a 3 year old cedar deck that needs to be re-stained. I believe that the original stain was Sikkens SRD Cetal Log and Siding (Natural Color). The original stain has faded and cracked terribly, especially where water drips on it. Also, it went on very blotchy. We live at 8200 ft in Colorado and the deck is pounded with either hot sun, freezing snow or rain everyday. What stain would you recommend for these conditions? Or are we stuck with Sikkens since it is already on the deck?
Foster, if you want to switch then you should remove the Sikkens with a deck stain stripper and or sanding. This would allow the new stain to perform properly. I would look at TWP stains.
Behr – Deck Over -I spent in excess of 20 hours putting on 2 coats – results were ceramic bled thru and there were still unfilled gaps in the wood. Currently I'm seeking a refund.
If anyone would like pics let me know.
Peter, I am looking at using deckover on a screened in deck that has been painted several time?
I originally used TWP on my pressure treated wood deck 5 years ago. I restained using Behr semi-transparent 2 years ago — big mistake. Can I go back and restain using TWP over the Behr semi-transparent? Must I (ughh) strip the deck first? Is a solid stain an option?
Jack, you cannot put the TWP on the Behr. You must strip if using a stain like TWP. Putting a solid stain on would mask the Behr stain but it will not fix the Behr peeling issues.
I have a lake house with 2 levels of pressure treated wood decking and a long stairway down to the lake that I need to stain. I'm not sure of the square footage but I know that it took approximately 14 gallons of stain last time with only one coat. I have pressure washed it and virtually none of the previous stain is remaining (it has been quite a few years since the last time we stained it). The wood actually looks almost new. Do I need to use a cleaner first or can I just go ahead and stain it? Also, which stains do you recommend for pressure treated lumber?
Michelle, if it is clean then you probably do not need the deck cleaner. I would look at Defy Extreme Stain or Armstrong Clark.
Our house has a pressure-treated pine deck. When it was new, we applied Thompson's to one side (deck goes around the entire house). A carpenter told us not to use Thompson's, so we sanded the entire deck and applied Sherwin Williams semi-transparent deck stain two years ago. Last year it started to peel a little in the exposed areas; this year the exposed areas are terrible. I am thinking of applying a solid stain, and hoping that I can just sand the areas that are peeling– is that okay? Do I have to use a deck wash as well? Must add, we live in Vermont.
Lynn, It would be best to strip then sand off the SW as much as possible before applying a solid color stain.
WARNING: Before 2004, most decks were made of lumber pressure-treated with chromated copper arsenate (arsenic and chromium). Sanding a wood deck treated with chromated copper arsenate (CCA) releases toxic arsenic and the heavy metal chromium into the air (and into the lungs of anyone in the area) and the surrounding soil.
An additional warning: Burning old pressure treated wood does the same thing. I don't know how many times I've seen people tear down an old pressure treated deck and burn it in their fire pits or BBQ. Not a good idea.
My home on Marths Vineyard has a pressure treated deck about 12 years old. It has been treated only once with a sealer perhaps 5 years ago and pressure washed with beach and detergent last year. Our objective is to achieve that light grey teak look so natural to the New England coastal areas on siding and decks.
There is some mildew in places and a litle left over light brownish sealer in others and thought that after prep that a solid Cape Cod color Behr Solid color stain would get the surface more evenly gray. Imagine someone WANTING the light gray look of weathered wood!
But after reading the horror stories here about deck stains and Behr in particular I have no idea what is the best solution or even if there ANYTHING I can do that will give me a few years of satisfaction?
Any thoughts?
By the wayBehr has 2 solid products one at $28 and the other at $36 is the higher priced one any better?
Bob, Behr is poor for all products in our results. I would look at a deep penetrating oil based stain in a gray tone that is compliant for your area. That is limited but we personally we use the Armstrong Clark in the Driftwood Gray color for this project. Make sure to clean and brighten the wood first.
Hi there, since none of the top 5 stains are available to purchase in Ontario other than on line, could you please recommend a stain for decks, we used to use the cabet in the old days , we liked the sheen it left on the wood and the furniture, it was easy to wipe, debre didn't stick to it. We have used Flood Solid and I don't like it, it's to matt of a finish. We have a cottage 3 hours north of Toronto that faces south exposure so the sun beats on it along with 3ft of snow in the winter.
Thanks for your help.
Lena, i am sorry but I do not know what to suggest as I have no idea what is sold in your area.
My dock here in SW Florida has been only stained once and the product used was Flood Spa n Deck semi transparent stain. Now that it's time to restain it, the painters around here are only promoting solid stains, like the poorly rated Behr Deckover & Sherwin Williams Deckscapes, which I'm pretty convinced will chip & flake with time. The Flood product never flaked as it aged, which was great and is my #1 priority. My only concern about going back to another semitransparent Flood product is that EVERY SPECK of old, weathered, existing stain is going to need to be removed, otherwise there will be an unevenness to the color, even if I'm going with the same color, am I correct? Also, if so, can you recommend a solid stain that absolutely won't flake? Thanks in advance for your feedback.
Marta, no such thing as a solid stain that will not peel or flake. Anything that lies on top of the surface like that will eventually fail. Yes you would need to remove the Spa and Deck if using a semi-transparent. There is no easy solution for you. No matter what you put on top it will peel so it would be best to remove it and start over.
Hello,
Four seasons ago, I purchased an above ground pool and built a large cedar deck around it. It was finished in the fall, and didn't have a chance to stain it that year. The following spring, I sanded all the wood, and applied Sikkens SRD Cetol to the whole deck. The coating failed (peeled) on the horizontal surfaces badly that year. Especially where the pool water was often on it. Also, it was a hot spring and I applied it in direct sunlight. Don't make this mistake! The spindles (vertical surfaces) did well though. The following year, I stripped, brightened, and sanded the horizontal surfaces of the entire deck. What a pain. The retailer of the Sikkens was good enough to provide me with 3 more gallons of Sikkens for free. I reapplied the product following the specs. of the manufacturer on the horizontal surfaces. Two years later, same problem. The vertical surfaces are from four years ago and still holding up. The horizontal surfaces begin to fail within a year, and are terrible in two years. I would like to point out Sikkens worked well for vertical surfaces and is recommended.I live in Minneapolis, MN, and the deck is in full sun. I'm looking at Restore by SYNTA, since I'm interested in NOT refinishing my deck every two years. I love the look of cedar though. It seems a shame to cover it up with a solid coating. What do you recommend? You seem to like TWP a lot. It's mentioned often here. Does the manufacturer sponsor this site? Also, I would love to find a coating that can be reapplied rather than stripped & reapplied. When a surface peels, reapplication is uneven and blotchy. Is there a coating that you recommend that dries out/erodes rather than peels? Thanks for your advice.
John, no manufacturers sponsor this site. TWP would last about 2 years as well but all stains will have issues where the pool (bleach) water splashes on it. Verticals will last 2-3 times longer then horizontals as well. You will nee to clean and reapply every 18-24 months on this pool deck so best to choose a stains than can be easily cleaned and reapplied like TWP or Armstrong Clark. Stay away from the Synta in our opinion.
We purchased a home in Hockney Hils Ontario. It has about 1900 feet of decking which faces the South and gets the east morning sun ,then the full south sun right up to about 3:30 p.m.. We also have snow in winter and rain in spring and fall.
The original wood was cedar then boards that have been replaced were spruce. The deck is probably around 20years old and has had every kind of stain and porch paint put on it. It has peeled of course and now we have lots of places were the. Spruce is showing grey while other pieces are still light in colour.
We are paying a great deal of money to have it totally sanded off and need advice on which way to go. My partner wants a semi-transparent stain on it, others have said no go solid because the wood won't match….HELP….and do we need to put anything on it after it has been sanded regarding cleaning the deck. We already spent $1200.00 last year to have it reprinted a nd it's totally peeling away even when you put the leaf blower on it. We are desperate.
Thanks.
I await your response.
Janet.
Janet, make sure to not sand with more then 60 grit paper. After the sanding you will need to clean and brighten the wood to remove sand dust and open the pores. I would look at the Armstrong Clark stain in a semi-solid color for this deck.
OK. I am reading all this stuff but am half way through replacing a huge deck with CRW cedar. It is half way done and I live in Windsor Ontario. About as south as you can go in Canada. We are South of Michagan. Pretty much have Chicago Weather.
I have had a Cedar deck at the previous house I lived at and had a peeling issue with the Behr stain from A big box store I used in the past. I do not want to make the same mistake. It is really Hot here in the summer but can get pretty cold in the winter. NO peeling wanted !!!. Should I wait to stain , or should I do it new ? From what I am reading so far, I should use a deep penetrating stain , semi transparent for the UV factor. Oil base or latex, Parafin ? I don't mind doing upkeep yearly but do not want any peeling. Help with my beautiful deck please !!! Not really any mold issues here !! Please help. Maybe Cedar was a bad idea ???
Mike, make sure that all of the old stain is removed by stripping and or sanding. Brighten when done. Try a deep penetrating oil based stain such as Armstrong Clark.
Any recommendations for a stain for a commercial pressure treated deck that is next to volleyball courts in Buffalo, NY? I'd prefer to not have a solid color stain. I'd do a clear but i've read it doesn't hold up as well.
Andrew, I would look at the Armstrong Clark in a semi-solid color for this deck.
Hello – I have a deck that is in need of either restaining or paintingof some sort. I have been looking into a product called Deck Restore, however this past weekend while at HomeDepot I was told about Deckover by Behr. Does anyone have any info about either of these products how they wear, maintance etc? Thanks
Jenn, stay away from both. We do not like the Deck Restore and Behr has yet to ever make a quality deck stain.
Do you know anything about behr premium deckover? Am re doing a pressure treated wood pool deck. Thanks
Has anyone compared the deck restoration products RESTORE(Synta) to Deckover(Behr)? I would like to get a comparison of the products. I used RESTORE on concrete and so far so good but want to do deck and RESTORE requires 2 different produts for floor and rails, vs Deckover same product for all. DO is $10 more/gallon.
Any comments, reviews, remarks?