This post was updated on June 25, 2024
I am Scott Paul, a leading exterior restoration contractor and business owner with over 30 years of experience in exterior semi-solid wood and decking stains. My reviews and help tips are based on my history as a wood restoration contractor and actual hands-on testing, all designed to present you with the top product choices. See here for more info about me.
What are Semi-Solid Deck Stains?
See my Deck Stain Facts section with over 150 simple Q&A articles that answer all your questions regarding deck staining, cleaning, and prep.
I have been using deck stains for 25+ years and reviewing them on DeckStainHelp.com since 2012. In the past 5+ years, I have used more and more semi-solid stains and colors. The major reason is that the higher the solid content, the better the UV protection from fading. One caveat: The semi-solid stains need to be fully penetrating, and unfortunately, that is not the case for many brands.
My Steps to Choosing a Semi-Solid Deck Stain
Are you trying to find the best Semi-solid wood and deck stains? Follow my easy 5 steps below to choose a proper semi-solid stain for your exterior wood or deck.
- What are Semi-Solid Deck Stains
- Read My Semi-Solid Deck Stain Reviews
- Choose a Semi-Solid Color and Stain the Brand
- Watch My Best Semi-Solid Stain Video
- Need Help with Choosing a Semi-Solid Color Deck Stain
1. What are Semi-Solid Deck Stains?
Semi-solid wood and deck stains allow the wood grain to show slightly, and reapplying is much easier if they truly soak into the wood grain. One issue is that not all semi-solid stains penetrate the wood; they film on top of the wood like paint. Stains that film on top of the wood will tend to peel and will be harder to re-coat or remove down the road. They will also be prone to peeling and wearing. We have found that the only decent Semi-Solid Wood and Deck stains are the oil-based versions, as they will penetrate the wood grain as long as you prep correctly and do not over-apply.
My Pro Tip: Please avoid Semi-Solid Water-Based Stains, which are prone to peeling and much harder to apply. This would include the Semi-Solids from Behr, Cabot, Olympic, Pittsburgh Paints, Valspar, etc.
Always Prep the Deck First: My top Semi-Solid stains are all penetrating when prepped and applied properly. Do not skip the prep steps or overapply, as this will accelerate the deck stain’s failure!
2. My Best Semi-Solid Deck Stains are
- TWP Semi-Solid Pro-Series Semi-Solid Stain
- Armstrong Clark Semi-Solid Stain
See below for more information on each brand.
TWP Semi-Solid Pro-Series – My Best Overall Wood Deck Stain Brand
TWP Semi-Solid Stain
TWPStain.com Website: TWP Semi-Solid Pro-Series
My Pros: Penetrating Semi-Solid Oil-Based. Full-curing wood and Deck Stain. 30 Custom-made semi-solid colors. Easy to apply. Excellent mildew resistance. Clean and re-coat as needed for maintenance. Based on the TWP 100 Series, which has been around for 25+ years, the low-VOC version is allowed in all US States and Canada.
My Cons: Newer to market, so might be hard to find.
Consumer Star Ratings:
My DeckStainHelp.com Rating(On a scale of 1-10): 8.5
My See Review Article Here: TWP Semi-Solid Pro-Series Review
Armstrong Semi-Solid Clark – Easiest to Apply Semi-Solid Deck Stain
ArmstrongClarkStain.com Website: Armstrong Clark Semi-Solid
My Pros: Straightforward to apply. Paraffin and Curing Oil Blend. Full Curing Stain. Allowed in all 50 States and Canada. Able to clean and re-coat as needed for maintenance.
My Cons: It can take a few days or longer to cure fully. Only 5 semi-solid colors.
Consumer Star Ratings:
My DeckStainHelp.com Rating (On a scale of 1-10): 8.5
See My Review Article Here: Armstrong Clark Semi-Solid Stain Review
3. Semi-Solid Deck Stain Photo Gallery
Do you need help choosing a semi-solid deck stain color and brand? Click on each picture to enlarge. The color and brand will be at the bottom.
4. Video on Semi-Solid Decking Stains
Still unsure about semi-solid wood stains? Watch my video for more info and advice.
4. Want Help? Semi-Solid Deck Questions?
Please ask below if you have questions about my article or need tips and advice on using a semi-solid-color wood deck stain. Just post a comment below, and I will provide some free advice and tips!
TWP Pro-Series Semi-Solid Stain Review
have a 2 yr old treated deck. just sanded it. want to restore or stain. have grand kids, want to keep from splintering. what is your suggestions. in 60’s so don’t want to have to do maintenance on it alot. thanks
Clean and brighten after the sanding to open up the grain. When done, use the TWP Semi-Solid stain or Armstrong Clark. Just one coat.
thank you for the reply. so you suggest just to put semi solid stain on it and not the restore product, right. thanks
Mr. Paul so you would suggest just the stain and not the restore product. the deck is 2 yrs old as i said, good shape and 4 ft off ground. screen porch part is tongue and groove. just wanting to get the most bang for the buck. how long would the restore product last before having to redo it. the stain i guess would be every 3 to 4 yrs. forgot to say i live in central Mississippi. Also does the semi solid stain in your experience help keep the wood from splintering… thanks
Only a filming stain will help with splinters. That would be a solid stain or the Gulf Synthetics Deck Revive. Dont use Rust-Oleum Deck Restore, it will peel:
https://www.deckstainhelp.com/behr-deckover-olympic-rescue-it-rust-oleum-deck-restore-do-they-work/
Deck stains and coatings typically last 2-3 years on floors, not 3-4.
What application method should I use to apply TWP deck stain to a deck that is 12 feet wide and 60 feet long?
Stain pad or floor brush. The easiest is the yellow 14″ floor brush that they sell: https://www.twpstain.com/deck-floor-staining-push-brush-detail
Is Diamond Vogel semi-solid oil stain a good choice for the wood beams over my deck? How would you rate it? I live at 7700 feet in Colorado so sun is intense
Sorry but never heard of it or has anyone ever mentioned that brand on this site in the past.
Please confirm-
Only a solid stain would blend this for a uniform look. Try the Restore A Deck Solid Stains.
Restore A Deck Solid Stains.
Is this an oil stain product? (As I just applied Sikkens/PPG oil stain in teak color.
If so, where could I purchase?
The semi- solids- TWP Pro or Armstrong Clark would not help?
I have not found ANY solid oils, except Cabot which have horrible reviews…
Please advise. Thank you!!!
Thre are not any solid stains that are oil based anymore. They are bacially discountinued. RAD Solid Stain is water based. The semi-solids would help blend somewhat but it will still be noticeable.
I bought and used Behr deck stain, simply because that’s what Home Depot sells. What better stain brand and type could be compatible, if I simply remove all loose stain (There’s not a lot) and thoroughly clean the existing stained deck, without stripping all of the stain?
You have no choice but to remove the Behr fully if you want to switch to a better penetrating semi-transparent stain.
Help! In the past I have used Sikkens oil stain & been happy with the result. Not sure if PPG I just applied is the same teak formula or not… … but since the deck now has some newly replaced boards & boards of various age— the deck looks like a patchwork quilt- hate it!
Would like a uniform look so I was hoping to find a Great oil solid stain to apply over the Sikkens/PPG…. but I seem to be looking for a unicorn… Is there such a product?
If not, would the semi- solid oil stains you recommend get a more uniformed look?
Only a solid stain would blend this for a uniform look. Try the Restore A Deck Solid Stains.
Does your review of best semi solid oil stains (TWP and Armstrong Clark) also apply to restaining cedar clapboard siding? It was previously stained about 10 years ago with a Cabot oil based semi solid stain. Is TWP available in NYS in Grey color?
No, TWP semi-solid is not allowed in NY state. Yes, our reviews would work for vertical siding. You will need to remove the Cabot if switching stain brands.
Please explain why switching brands requires the removal of the prior stain if both were semi-solid oil based and assuming the colors are about the same? I’ve got rough cedar house siding where Cabot semi-solid oil based stain was used and I’d like to switch to a better brand. Removing the prior stain from the house siding sounds like a lot of effort and expense.
Different brands are not compatible. You should aways strip if switching brands otherwise you run the risk of failure.
https://www.deckstainhelp.com/remove-deck-stain-when-reapplying/
Been looking for a semi solid black oil based stain to finish only the vertical parts of our deck, as the floor is already composite. Can anyone recommend one that would be worth using?
Sorry but we do not know of any black semi-solid colors. Closest would be a dark brown. Espresso by Armstrong Clark.
1/22/22
We live in Houston, Texas–about 2 ½ years ago we used TWP 101 Cedartone Natural on our treated pine deck that is partly shaded and partly in full sun. The shaded area still looks great, but the sun exposed areas look dry and weathered–clearly it is now time to redo. A few of the boards have rotted through, and we have had them replaced with new treated pine.
Questions:
1. Would there be an advantage to using your new product–Semi Solid Stain rather than the Series 100 since wood takes a beating in the Houston heat and sun? Would it be more durable?
2. If so–hopefully–we wouldn’t have to strip, just power wash, clean/brighten–is that correct????
3. The new wood repaired areas were added early in November 2021, and we will probably wait until at least March before beginning this project to give the new wood time to weather. Is there anything else we should do in order that these replaced areas blend in color-wise with the older decking?
4. What would we do about the shaded area that still looks good? This area runs continuous with the area that is exposed to sun?
5. Also with this new product–is it recommended to do the wet on wet application or will it even necessary to do a second coat since we originally used your product?
6. If we decide to go with the Semi Solid Stain what color most closely matches Cedartone Natural?
1. You will have better UV protection with the semi-solid.
2. Strip and brighten for prep.
3. Just clean and brighen the new wood.
4. Strip and brighten all wood.
5. Most likely just need one coat with the semi-solid colors.
6. Nothing matches the 101. Best to get some samples from them to test.
Two more questions:
As stated above we live in Houston, TX–would using the semi-solid be
better than the Pro for our situation?
2. If we go with the Semi-solid–what are the maintenance requierments?
Do we still have to strip and brighten for future coats or is cleaning
and brightening sufficient?
1. It is a label change for what we have been told.
Semi-solid colors will give longer UV protection.
2. Clean and recoat as needed.
Hello, Does your Semi-solid Pro-Series come in White?
The stain brands above do not come in white semi-solid colors.
Is there a good semi solid deck stain that will adequately stain ipe?
Being a hardwood I’m concerned it will film on top as you mention and become a problem?
We would not suggest a semi-solid for IPE.
Hello, We want to stain a 300ft, 8ft high ( with lattice and stringers on top ) cedar/redwood privacy fence, and were thinking about going with the semi-solid stain because we don’t want to have to renew the stain every couple of years. I just spoke with an associate at Armstrong who said the semi-solid stain is good up to only 2 years. I thought that the solid pigment in the stain would keep the fence looking good for longer than that. I know a lot depends on variables in location and climate, but do you have an opinion on the longevity of semi-solid stains for fencing? We were hoping to not have to redo the stain for at least 5 years. Or can you recommend another stain that may last longer. Thanks.
On a fence, you will get twice as long as a deck. 3-5 years is normal. Nothing will guarantee five years though.
Out deck is 20 yrs old. Once we sanded it down to the wood and used a semi solid deck stain from Cabot. It last 2 yrs, but by year three it needed more work. We replace boards that are in bad shape every other year. The next time we stained it we used a solid color acrylic deck stain by Cabot. It lasted 2 yrs before needing more stain. We are not interested in totally sanding it down again. What is the best solid deck stain and prep. We will probably be replacing the entire deck within the next 2-3 yrs.
Use the Restore A Deck Solid stain. Prep by pressure washing off any loose stain: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/restore-a-deck-solid-color-stain-review/