This post was updated on January 18, 2023
Best New Deck Stain – Updated May 2023
In 2018, our first full year of using the Restore A Deck stain, we had zero issues with performance and saved a tremendous amount of time with the ability to prep and stain on the same day. Three years later and we will continue to offer the Restore A Deck Wood Stain as one of our go-to decking stains for the 2023 restoration season.
With over 20 years’ experience owning and operating our own deck staining business, we have tried pretty much every brand of deck stain out there. We Q&A with thousands of contractors, homeowners, and project managers about their projects, what works, and what does not.
Restore A Deck Wood Stain Review
Three years ago we tested the Restore-A-Deck Wood Stain. The RAD stain completes the line of the RAD Cleaner, Strippers, and Brighteners that have been around for 15+ years. Restore-A-Deck wood stain uses the latest advancements in wood stain technology to properly seal and protect the wood in 5 beautiful semi-transparent finishes. The formula penetrates deep into the wood grain to protect your deck against UV damage and water that can promote the growth of mold and mildew. It is eco-safe and easily cleaned up during the application process with soap and water. After one year, the deck stain had no wear/tear and peeling, no mold/mildew/algae, no UV graying, and very little color darkening.
For reference, here are pictures of our project:
Our deck after Restore-A-Deck prep
Our deck after Restore-A-Deck damp wood application
Restore A Deck Stain Damp Wood Application
Our deck one year after our Restore-A-Deck project
Restore A Deck Stain Two Years
The best new deck stain on the market is the Restore-A-Deck wood stain. We base this decision not only from the ease of application and convenience, that this is also can be applied the same day as the prep. After a year enduring this brutal winter, we have evaluated our decks and their deck stains for longevity. Restore-A-Deck has held up to its promise to stay true to its original application color and quality through the last year. We will continue to monitor the progress of this newer stain and post results as needed.
See full review here: Restore-A-Deck Stain Review
Restore-A-Deck Stain Photos
Questions? Please Ask Below!
Deck Stain Help & Questions
Stain Reviews & Comparisons
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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.
trying to clean the black color (?mildew?) from my garapa deck. Took your advice and used restor-a-deck cleaner and then brightener. Maybe a bit better, but did not solve the problem. any other ideas? thanks
Post some pics.
We have a three year old cedar deck in Denver Colorado. The original stain, a semi transparent Sherwin Williams product, pealed and faded. I sanded the deck and was told to wait 2 – 3 months before restaining. What appears to be orange water marks are appearing on the deck along with some white streaks. Should I stain sooner after again sanding the streaks? What semi transparent stain would be best at 5,250′ elevation?
Thanks
Clean and then brighten the wood now and go ahead and stain. Try TWP 1500 Series Stain for this deck in CO:
https://www.deckstainhelp.com/twp-1500-wood-and-deck-stain-review-2017/
We had a wood pavilion installed roughly 4 months ago and would like to stain it. The carpenter used a combination of several materials, including pressure treated pine for the posts, fir for the timber frame trusses, a pine tongue and groove ceiling, and some cedar accents. After reviewing several of your extremely helpful articles, we are currently planning to use RAD cleaner, brightener and stain. Does that seem like an appropriate plan of action?
Yes, that would work.
I have a new pine tongue and groove ceiling that was installed 10 months ago (450 sq ftJ, that has not been stained. I would like to keep the wood as natural as possible. 1 – Do I still need UV protection, as it gets no sun, and has not seemed to gray? 2- Is RAD natural my best option with UV protection, or do you have another recommendation? 3 – Do I need to clean and brighten? 4- Do I need two coats?
Yes, you should clean and brighten the wood. A lightly tinted stain like the RAD natural would work well.
Do I need only one coat?
Yes, just one coat for new wood.
What is the best solid color deck stain to use on a redwood deck that has already been stained with a solid color deck stain. Some areas still have the solid color deck stain in good shape so we do not want to totally strip the deck. The ends of some boards are cracked from water and sun exposure. What should we use to fill the cracks before re-staining? This is for a deck in Denver Colorado that is 25 years old.
Do not use crack filler on outside decks. It does not work very well. Just leave as is. We like the Flood Solid Stains.
Hi, and thanks for extremely informative site! I am installing a T/G Western red cedar fence next month (Oct) by which time it will be raining here in the PNW. I have the 1×6″ boards which are kiln dried, milled on one side and rough sawn on the other. I realize I cannot stain the milled side until after weathering. By then it will still be wet here and will wait until next June. However, can I go ahead and treat the rough sawn side (northern exposure) now with Woodrich Timber Oil before fence installation? Then in June clean and brighten the milled side and use the Timber Oil again. Make sense?
Thanks!
No. Do it all at once in the Spring. No need to do one side now and it will be extremely difficult to not have the stain bleed over on to the other side.
What is the difference between a Deck stain and a sealer?? Which is best on Pressure treated wood.
See this for tips: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/deck-stains/
Treated pine deck, 12 months old. Atlanta suburb. Will clean and brighten with Restore-A-Deck products. Am looking for a stain that is not gold or red, and not too dark. Just a simple medium brown would be great. I like Restore-A-Deck Dark Walnut on my sample board, but thought it would be darker, so almost didn’t apply to the sample board. Any other suggestions? Armstrong Clark and TWP 100 samples I’ve tried don’t seem to have the right color tone. Thank you for any suggestions! I have learned a lot from your site.
The Dark Walnut should work if you like that color on your wood. Not many other medium brown options out there.
We cleaned and brightened our deck 3 weeks ago and then put up the wood as a fence. We thought we were going to stain right away but were unable to stain it at the time. We will be staining in the next week or two. Is it ok to apply a stain like this one (or Defy) without cleaning again? That prep work took a Really long time. Can we just dust off with a rag now for a quick cleaning? Or is any of that necessary? Should we hose it down prior to staining?
Thank you in advance!
You will need to lightly wash (rinse) the wood again and then brighten if it has been this long since you did the prep. Should not take very long.
Ok, so we only need to order the brightener and not the actual cleaner? Thank you!
Yes, that is correct.
Thanks. Can you please comment on the difference in color between the Defy Natural Pine and the Restore-A-Deck Natural? You said the RAD Natural would look a little darker than the boards wet, with a more golden tone. How would you describe the Defy Natural Pine in comparison? Wood is rough sewn redwood. Thanks!
Similar in colors but not exact. Hard to say as it always varies based on your wood type and age.
Thank you. How do you read the “Consumer Star Rating” on your site? It’s not allowing me to click on them. I’m having a tough time deciding between defy and RAD and would like to read the consumer reviews. Thanks again.
It only shows the average of all ratings.
Can you buy Restore a deck stain in Canada, if so where?
No you cannot.
Would this product be recommended for a pier that was pressure washed at too great of a pressure and seemed to destroy the color and protection of the pressure treated lumber ? If so, what pre-treatment would be needed ? Light sanding ?
You can use it on all exterior wood. Light buffing of the floor to remove any splinters.