This post was updated on April 4, 2025
2025 Latest Consumer Magazine Reports on Decking Stains
Consumer Reports Deck Stain Ratings
Please read this article and feel free to post any questions in the comment area below.
The Latest Consumer Magazine Reports on Decking Stains are out again this year, and we’ve been receiving questions about why our ratings differ significantly from their highest-rated products. To address this, we’ve compiled a list of reasons why we believe our reviews and ratings offer a more realistic and honest evaluation of how a deck stain performs in real-world conditions.
Why Our Reviews Are Different
Contractor Expertise
Our reviews and articles are based on decades of experience as contractors specializing in exterior wood restoration. We’ve mastered the trade of prepping and applying deck stains, giving us firsthand insight into their performance and durability.
Real-World Testing vs. Individual Board Testing
We test stains on actual decks exposed to weather, foot traffic, and everyday use. By contrast, Consumer Magazine tests stains on individual boards that are not subject to normal conditions, such as traffic or real-world weather exposure. This significant difference in testing environments often leads to discrepancies in performance ratings.
Wide Range of Brands Tested
Our testing includes all available brands and versions, not just those found in big box stores. Consumer Magazine tends to focus on major brands like Behr, Sherwin-Williams, and Cabot, which are commonly sold in retail outlets. Many of the highest-performing wood stains, however, are found in specialty paint stores, lumber yards, or online and are overlooked by these reports.
If you have any questions or need further clarification, feel free to ask in the comments below!
Consumer Reports Ratings for Deck Stains
Consumers Test Appearance Only for Mildew, Cracking, Wearing, Color Change, Dirt
Consumers mainly test only for the appearance of the stain after a period of accelerated testing. They do not take into consideration many of the requirements that we look for.
- Ease of application
- Cost per square foot
- Difficulty in reapplying in the future
Free vs. paid subscription
Our help articles, 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 help articles, 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” show 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 customer’s deck. We encourage potential deck stain buyers to do thorough research online prior to buying.
Who is Consumer Reports and Why Deck Stain Reviews
The Consumer Reports is the publication of the Consumer’s Union. Many consumers use the publication when making a buying decision. After all, it publishes the ratings of other consumers who have bought the same products. So it would seem a logical place to gather buying information right? Well maybe not. The Consumer Reports publication has long been accused of biased ratings.
This is especially true in the car industry. You can find countless articles of Consumer Reports being falsely suggestive in some of their ratings. Unfair testing and biased ratings seem to be common. More than a dozen large companies, from car manufacturers to electronic companies have sued Consumer Reports over the years. It almost seems like, for whatever reason, they tend to sway the results of tests and ratings.
The same can be said for wood deck stains. Most of the Consumer Reports claim Behr as the number one stain followed by Thompsons Water Seal. But ironically most any professional in the deck staining industry will tell you these stains are inferior and they do not use them. Behr has been in many lawsuits with homeowners over the premature failure of their deck stains. In fact, Consumers’ own “user ratings” show that homeowners who have used Behr Stains gave it a 1 Star out of 5!
Both of these deck stain brands are sold at the big box stores, which would suggest these are the most common brands of stain consumers buy. But this doesn’t necessarily mean these stains are the best. We have tested both of these brands and many other stains. Our results for Behr Deck Stain or Thompsons Water Seal are definitely not at the top of our list. We are happy to share those results with our readers. See our deck stain reviews for more information.
How does Boodge deck stain compare to Penofine?
Sorry but never heard of Boodge deck stain but Penofin does have issues with darekning or even turning black over time.
https://www.deckstainhelp.com/penofin-ultra-red-label-stain-review/
Boodge.com
A company in Golden Colorado
Never heard of them. For the best hardwood stains, see here:
https://www.deckstainhelp.com/hardwood-deck-stains/
I have a mahogany deck and I have already prepped it and wanted to buy armstrong clark, but no one carries it without special order. I wanted to stain the deck today, where can I buy quality stin froma a local dealer , im in NW ct
Sorry, but no idea what you can buy locally as we do not know if any quality products are sold in the local stores where you live.
We have a 10 year old pier near Madison, Wisconsin, that we have stained with Ready Seal semi stain. The color fades by the end of summer. Boards are in good shape. We are thinking of using a sold
stain. Any recommendations? Thank you.
Try the TWP Semi-Solid Pro-Series stain:
https://www.deckstainhelp.com/twp-semi-solid-pro-series-wood-and-deck-stain-review/
It will be much better than the Ready Seal.
Your opinion of the Behr’s Deckover.
Horrible product with a lawsuit as well against them: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/behr-deckover-review-2015/
Read the comments from customers.
I have a new deck. Replaced deck boards with 2×6. Pine treated and klin dried. Deck is in NC and gets full sun. Old boards cracked and started breaking after 10 years.
Deck is about 2’ from ground.
What do you recommend. I prefer oil based products. Just seem to last longer. I am not worried about appearances just making the wood last. Should I paint the under side. I have used Sikkens products in past and TWP on other projects. I have also used SW porch and floor.
Thoughts on if I need to clean wood or sand and your recommendation for stain or paint.
See this about KDAT: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/staining-a-new-kdat-deck/
Try the TWP or Armstrong Clark after wait and prep. No need to stain undersides.
Hi,found “flood” finally at Dunn and Edwards. Can’t wait to apply it I’ll post before and after pictures. Thanks, the advice really helped
Hi,what is the best tintable water base or semi solid stain that I can pick up at Lowe’s or home Depot? I live in California mountains. Snowy winter. Deck is partially shaded. I’ve already done all prep but don’t have time to order product online. Thanks
Lowes or HD do not sell anything decent. Try to find Flood Pro Series stain.
I used Sherwin Williams Superdeck semi-transparent stain and it began peeling within 6 months. It looks awful and they will not fix the problem. They claim it is due to wood delamination (water has infiltrated the wood causing it to expand more than the paint can expand).
Living in NE Ohio I’ve used Olympic Maximum Semi-transparent Caramel on my deck for over 20 years. Admittedly I’ve neglected the deck for a couple of years. I’d like to change to a solid stain. I’ve considered big box SW since my son in law can get a deal on the stain. It’s an exposed deck receiving direct sunlight intermittently throughout the day as there are also trees covering portions of it. I’ve done exhaustive research and have info overload until I ran across your site. I’m looking for an unbiased recommendation before the deck season starts and the rain finally stops. Thank you
After looking at your deck, I will recommend Sherwin Williams Super Deck “Deck&Dock” .
I can see the peeling starts right on the cracks, that is created by moisture sitting there for months. The deck and dock stain is a “Thick” stain that you have to apply it with a 1/2 inch roller and make sure it “fills in” the cracks. so there will not be more cracks creating peeling. I apply only one heavy coat and it last 4 years. the main key here is to sand the floor (60 grid) before staining. check our site customrenovationsus.com
We would like any comments, positive or negative, about Superdeck Deck & Dock Elastomeric Coating for decks. This is touted to “flex” with weather changes. We have tried several different brands but they all peel within a year.
It will most likely peel in a cold weather state but little feedback on this site with the product.
Do not use it.
I have used it over 50 times and it is the best product for “old wood”. it fills in the cracks and prevent rotten wood. whe it is dry the stain is like a rubber coat that moves with the wood if it gets cold or hot.
Looking to restore a PT wood deck at a lake property in Michigan. Was previously painted by last owners and peeled off in the first two years after we arrived. Deck is in PT sun/shade damp area with high traffic pattern to main entrance of the cottage. Have removed most of the previous treatment/paint/stain with power washer. Still a few small areas which could not be removed, even with belt sander. Looking for suggestions on what to use as pre-treat/cleaner/stripper and then what product to use for a solid to semi-solid stain application. Looks like every product under the sun has been mentioned here, with no clear winner. Please advise. Thank you in advance for your help!
If you cannot get all the old solid stain completely off, you will need to use a solid stain again. Try the Restore-A-Deck Solid Stain: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/restore-a-deck-solid-color-stain-review/
Thank you! Is there a stripper or cleaner you recommend?
Stripper.
Thank you. I will take a few pics this week to share what the current condition is of our deck. Is there a particular brand of stripper we should use or is the Restore A Deck cleaner And brighter sufficient?
Thank you. Could you please recommend a particular brand of stripper or should we use the RestoreADeck cleaner & brighter? I will post pics of the decks current condition next week.
Strippers will not get it all off but it will remove what is loose and dirty. The RAD products will work well.
Thank you!
Another question–you highly recommend TWP versus Behr and Super Deck appears to be getting a lot of bad reviews. I am talking about a vertical surface-new red cedar fence. TWP doesn’t have the variety of colors I want. Do you have another recommendation?
Outside of these brands, no: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/the-5-best-deck-stain-reviews-and-ratings/
Have you tested CIL stains ? Thanks
A couple of times but have not made a review. A few consumer comments as well. So far not enough data but our experience has been average.
Which is the best water-based semitransparent stain available at brick-and-mortar stores?
Try Defy Extreme.
Thank you for taking the time to help me find answers for my deck project. You have been very helpful
You are welcome.
I am restaining some cedar siding. How does TWP 100 compare with Ready Seal Semitransparent stain as far as longevity, looks and ease of application?. Both are oil based and have good reviews.
Thank you.
You can read the reviews here:
TWP 100: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/twp-100-series-wood-and-deck-stain-review-2016/
Ready Seal: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/ready-seal-wood-and-deck-stain-review-2017/
We do not care for Ready Seal and it is about 50/50 if you read the consumer comments below the review for RS.
My contractor wants to use boodge on our new redwood deck. What do you think? And how long might I expect this product to last?
Sorry, but we have never used it or even heard of it until now.
I’m building a shed with plywood and I’d like to use deck stain. Based on your reviews, I’m leaning towards the Defy Extreme. Any reason not to use this on plywood? How would you prep plywood for deck stain. I would think that using the cleaners, brighteners and then power washing would cause the plywood to swell, warp and possibly de-laminate. I know this is a deck site, but I’m hoping for advice before I spend money and time and screw up new plywood.
It will work well for plywood. If the wood is rough, you do not need to prep.
My new contractor power washed deck and fence but much of the old semi-transparent oil based Cabot stain remains. It was originally applied in 2011 by an inexperienced contractor who over applied 2 thick coats and have been unable to removed via power washing several times since then. It does not peel but adheres firmly. The new contractor said he will now sand it lightly to allow new Olympic semi-transaparent to stick to the old surface, although he knows the old stain will remain. Isn’t this a problem since some areas currently still show stain while others do not? Won’t the areas that still hold stain appear darker after new stain is applied?
Yes, it will be an issue with appearance and adhesion.
What if he uses a solid Olympic stain which would cover both the areas which are still showing prior stain and the areas which are no longer coated with stain?
You will be fine with a solid stain.
Ok Thank you. Should the solid stain be oil based since the existing stain was oil based? Or will water based work?
Water-based should work.
Promise las question, Should the new solid stain be oil based since the old existing semi-transparent was oil based?
Looking to stain a pressure treated fence that has been built for about 9 months. Live in central North Carolina. I owould like to use a semi transparent stain because I like to see some wood grain. What would be your product recommendation? I would like a product that would last a few years.
Try TWP 100 Series or Defy Extreme.
My home is sided with redwood lapped material. Has never been painted. Has always been treated with a transparent oil based sealer. Every 4 years I have it completely pressure washed, cleaned and brightened prior to application of new sealer. The house is 32 years old and is very well maintained. The first years when it was new I had used CWF which back then seemed to be a good product until formula was changed. I then switched to Penofin and again once formula changed I then switched to Superdeck. Again I prep the house very well. It takes about 5 days to do it right.
I’m about to do it again this year prior to winter setting in. After reading several reviews about superdeck im second guessing myself. Read a lot on Armstrong Clark product. What is your opinion. Again I usually use a transparent stain as I like the way the natural grain of the redwood shows through. Thanks
Look at the AC or the TWP stains. Both are much better than the Super Deck. Make sure to prep well to remove all of the SD first.
..Thank you. I always strip, pressure wash and then brighten prior to next application. The redwood is almost completely select grade with a bit of sap wood here and there. I realize that a semi transparent stain might last a bit longer but I’m concerned it might darken it up too much as I prefer that the natural grain shows thru that’s why I always have used a transparent stain in past.
What is your experience and if it was your place would you use AC or TWP? If TWP which product, 100 or 1500?
Thanks again.
Either brand would work equally well and a semi-transparent shows the same amount of grain as a transparent but has better UV protection. The TWP Series to use depends on your state’s VOC laws.
Wow what a review. Obviously you haven’t talked to any good painters lately.
First of all this is stain we’re talking about here, watered down color that offers a water sealant protective coat. Anyone can make that happen. It’s about experience and application, if you ask a real professional painter… I don’t know anyone like that but I digress…
I have just completed 3 decks/stair cases with a Behr semi solid that had been tinted to our liking and it looks amazing. It’s on my friends house and we had no shortage of money to work with. Normally I would have used sherwin Williams where I can also get Cabot products if I wanted but again, we’re talking about stain here.
Put down Restore on wood deck Aug. 2011. A very little chipping two years ago. a lot more now. Is this the same product sold by original co. or by Rustoleum. There is a web site syntadeckrestore.com on can.
Synta sold to Rustoleum about 4-5 years ago.
How does Pittsburgh clear deck sealer rate compared to Cabot clear and Olympic clear
All poor brands in our opinion.
11 year old deck, never been coated but kept clean. 3/4 under cover with some graying and some mildew. located in western NC, 2000 ft elevation. we want to coat it and use the best product out there. my research sez to use an oil based semi-stain after we clean it good. What do you recommend?
Restore A Deck prep kits for the cleaning and TWP 100 Series or Armstrong Clark wood stains.
Has anyone used TWP on bambo privacy fencing. I live in South Florida which is very humid. I want to put up an economical privacy fence (to improve a chain link fence), but don’t want to find it mildewed immediately.
For bamboo, you would want the TWP 300 Series.
I live in Michigan. I have a 750 sq.ft. pressure treated deck. About six years ago I applied Restore Deck coating and was the worst decision ever made. Peeled off after two years, reapplied restore to the bare spots and same problem the following year. Used the best stripper I could find to get back to bare wood with no results. Finally sanded the entire deck with belt sander to get about 90 per cent up. Whats the BEST S stain or paint to put down now. My next step is tear out and replace with composit deck.
Rustoleum Deck Restore (not same as Restore-A-Deck Wood Stain) is a horrible product and has been through a class action lawsuit. If you removed all, then you can use a penetrating stain like these: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/the-5-best-deck-stain-reviews-and-ratings/
Why do you have to lay the fabric on plywood surfaces and it is not on wood planks or concrete? i can see the seems being done …. but the entire deck
I have no idea what you are asking?
Many of your responses to people who are looking to change stain manufacturers state that you first need to use a stripper to remove the old stain and then follow up with a brightener. I have used Mesmers transparent stain for many years, but would like to use TWP 1500 just because it gets high ratings. It has been about 5 years since I last stained the house and the old stain is dry (of course). Since it’s house siding with a lot of vertical surface, with high areas, there is a tremendous amount of work involved in stripping, brightening and then staining. Why do I need all this prep? What will happen if I don’t prep and just apply the TWP over the Mesmers? BTW, thanks for all you do, you must be a busy guy replying to all of us neophyte amateurs who ask silly questions.
Prepping correctly is the number one reason a stain will perform and last. Doing it incorrectly may result in adhesion issues and premature failure.
Stripping is not as hard you may think. Just apply the stripper and pressure wash off. Apply brightener and rinse.
Unless you run into the situation that I did. Previous homeowners had applied multiple layers of Behr stain, acrylic based and impossible to remove except by sanding. Believe me, I tried, using top rated stain removers and being coached by company product experts!
I would of used smart strip. It’s 100 environmentally safe and will remove up to 15 coats. I would apply late on the evening and cover it with plastic to guarantee it to stay wet. When you come back next days it’s the old coating will wash right off. Lots of times sealer and stain remover only work on semitransparent stains but not not on solid color stain
I’ve used Smart strip when removing paint. It’s suitable for relatively small areas – a door being the outside of size I’d consider- but it’s not a product you’d want to apply to a 200+sf deck and wash it off into your flower beds or onto your lawn. Not to mention it would cost you hundreds of dollars for enough product to do it!
Not true this product is use in huge renovations. And since it can be spray with an airless labor time is reduce by a ton.. it won’t harm anything around the yard. It’s recomended to over water all the vegetation around the day before. Yeah it’s goimg to cost you money. Nobody said doing a deck the proper way it’s cheap
Sanding was time and labor intensive option but deck turned out beautiful and I feel better for not having dumped a huge quantity of a chemical agent into the ground, especially with kids and animals normally playing in that area. There’s safe and there’s safe.
It’s always a balance of risk. Don’t forget that dust from sanding is also hazardous when breathed into the lungs.
The solution is a good mask changed as often as needed.
We are looking to add to our deck and then try to restore some existing wood. I have read some reviews on SuperDeck and Dock… what is the best pain that I can get?
Use this product: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/gulf-synthetics-deck-revive-review-2015/
It is a solid color paint and deck resurface coating that actually works very well.
What is the best wood sealer
Look at one of these: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/the-5-best-deck-stain-reviews-and-ratings/
I don’t usually participate in these discussions, but I have to say something after the disappointment and discusted feeling this product has given me. I’m experiencing the exact same thing that everyone is complaining about. It looks the same if not worse than the pictures that were posted below.
I spent countless hours and thousands of dollars on beautiful cedar. I did an amazing job and thought the deck looked great. It’s now been almost two years and the deck now looks dirty and blackened. It looks like black mold in growing in the stain itself.
I am embarrassed to show it to anyone who knows how much time and money I spent on it!
As the others have said, the stain did not spread evenly, it felt tacky and slippery for weeks and just seemed to trap dirt and get darker as time went on. The deck was sanded and prepped properly. It’s in the open and after reading the responses from the “pros”, I don’t care what their explanations are, there is no reason for it to look the way it does after less than two years!
I am now faced with having to strip, sand and start over! Not sure what I will do with the full and expensive can of Duckback I have remaining, but you can bet that it will never be used!
This year I have replaced the front steps and used a different stain on the cedar. Already I can see and feel a difference. The Olympic stain I used spread more evenly, feels dry after 2 days and is not slippery like the Duckback.
Most stores in Canada no longer carry this product because of the new enviromental laws – 2 yrs too late for me but thank god! If it’s still available in the US – Do Not Buy It!
Contractor is planning to refinish our logsiding with Boodge Weatherguard. Does anyone have experience with this oil based stain?
Sorry, but we do not.
I’ve got a 10 month old cedar deck. Never been stained. I plan on cleaning using a brightening & cleaning product before I stain. My deck faces south-west. I live in MN. I’m leaning towards twp 101 but Armstrong Clark is on my radar as well… which of these two stains will perform best? Is there a better oil based semi-trans option? I want the best of the best.
They are both quality stains without one being better than the other.
I just had steps, hand railings and posts installed which are tight knot cedar about 3 weeks ago. We want to use the best product available to keep the original color of the wood. We live in Union, WA surrounded by saltwater and evergreen trees. Some of the areas do not get very much sun. What is recommended and how to apply. The railings are stainless steel and decking Timber Tech. Thank you.
See this about new wood: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/staining-a-new-deck/
how do you rate Thompson Waterseal
See this: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/thompsons-waterseal-finish-review/
It does not rank well for us or other consumers.
What Brand Solid Stain should we use for a New Deck?? I think I made a mistake…
I am about to stain a 1 year old deck on our new home for the first time. I went to Sherwin Williams today. I was told that the Deck and Dock Coating would be a great choice if I wanted to spend a little extra money. The benefit being I would not have to touch the deck floor for 6-10 years and not have to touch the railings for 10-15 years. Seamed like a lofty goal but sounded good to me.
After reading the online reviews on this product, I feel like I just wasted $400 on this product. It would appear that I should just throw it out! Pealing, flaking off, washing off, and just poor quality is all I see. I have not yet applied this to my deck. Does anyone know what is the BEST of the BEST to use? We are painting the railings and spindles true white, and the floor boards, deck face and stairs, a medium brown color to match our brick on the home. The deck has been on the home for a year and we just power washed the with purple power deck and house wash, then high pressure washed it with water. Prep looks good. Now what??? I thought to switch to CABOT Stain but someone tell me what will last the longest and did I really make a mistake with this Deck and Dock product? Deck is in perfect shape and does not need a restore. I just figured why wait. Protect it now with a great finish like Deck and Dock. Now I am scared to death to have to be refinishing the deck 6 months from now due to a crappy product.
What do I do. What is the BEST Stain or Paint for my railings and deck boards. Thanks for Reading !!
Michael…. Concerned Home Owner.
First off, nothing lasts more than 2-3 years on a horizontal surface. Anyone saying otherwise is lying about the longevity.
We like the Flood solid color stains.
Thanks for taking time to reply. Helpful
I am a professional painter and we used super deck on 3 huge decks, it was failing after 5 months. It’s garbage. I now use Sansin deck stain it’s really expensive but it looks good on a deck I did 2 years ago. Most stains only last 2-3 years, possible a little more depending on how much weather (sun, rain and snow) they get. If you got what Sherwin Williams calls an off the shelf color (of super deck) you can take it back.
Duckback Superdeck paint has ruined my decks & the decks of family members that have used it. Sherwin Williams will not stand behind the product even though it is warrantied if you follow all their requirements. The decks bubbled, peeled, & ended up rotted. After only 3-4 years!!! I am now looking at replacing 2 decks!! If the deck is under roof, you are okay. If its not covered, oh boy! My railing has totally fallen apart!! I’ve had family use this product & ended up with the same results.