This post was updated on February 29, 2024
One Time Wood Stain Review 2024
One Time Stain Review 2016
We would love to hear from you if you have used One Time Wood Stain on your wood or deck. Please post a rating in the Consumer Star Ratings below. One Time Wood Stains consumer reviews below have shown issues with proper curing of the stain. We encourage you to read all the comment reviews.
If you have any pictures of your experience with One Time Wood Stain, you can add them in the comment area with a detailed description.
One Time® Wood Stain is a 100% solid stain that can be used on all types of unfinished exterior wood. One Time® Wood Deck Stain is a proprietary acrylate resin blend that protects by penetrating into the wood cells and cross-linking into the wood. One Time® contains no solvent or water to evaporate and cures in the full UV rays of the sun.
The manufacturer claims a 7 Year Warranty on UV Fading, Water Damage, and Natural Weathering.
One Time® Wood Stain Rating (1-10)
Appearance After Initial Stain Application: 6
– One Time Wood Stain had a decent look to the finished wood. Very rich in color. We did not appreciate the drying problems that the One Time displayed. This caused a slick/sticky appearance.
Preventing UV Graying at 2 Year Mark: 6
– One Time® faded considerably in the full sun areas. About 40% of the original color had remained. The shaded part of the deck still had the stain left but unfortunately had darkened considerably.
Wear/Tear and Peeling: 8
– One Time® Stain showed little to no peeling or wearing. This is the only claim by the manufacturer that actually lived up to its warranty.
One Time Turned Black
Cost Per Square Foot: 3
– One Time® promised coverage per square foot to be 2-3 times better-spread rate than conventional stains. We did not get those results. Coverage was closer to 200 square feet per gallon on the 7-year-old cedar deck. At $84.99 per gallon, this doubled the cost of a conventional decking stain.
Preventing Mold/Mildew/Algae: 5
– The deck had a very dark appearance in the shaded areas. On closer inspection, the One time stain had a noticeable amount of black mold. These happened to be the same areas in which we had the drying issues (see below).
Ease of Application: 6
– Applying One Time Wood Stain was fairly easy. The problem was the drying/curing of the stain. In the full sun areas, One Time® took 1-2 days to fully dry. The issue was the full shaded parts of the decking. Full curing/drying did not take place for 2-3 weeks. The manufacturer suggested that the stain was over-applied. Not sure if that was the case as the One Time® did dry in the sun.
Color Shifting (darkening) after 2 Years: 4
– One Time® Wood Stain did very poorly at the 2-year mark. The stain had turned a dark black color in the shaded areas. In the full sun areas, the One Time® Stain had faded to about 40% of what the original stain color had been.
Difficulty of Reapplication: 4
– One Time® would not be an easy product to reapply. The finish darkened in color substantially. Applying another coat would darken the appearance even more. Cleaning with a deck cleaner would not lighten the stain so a heavy-duty stain stripping would be needed.
Overall Score One Time Wood Stain at 2 Year Period: 5.25
– We were very excited to test One Time® Wood Stain and its 7-year warranty, unfortunately, One Time® did not live up to its warranty claims. One Time® failed faster than many of the other deck stains that have been reviewed. One Time® Deck Stain lost a substantial amount of color in the sunny areas and turned a dark black in the shaded areas. The 7-year warranty is limited. It states that it will “prevent” not “stop” UV fading for 7 years. A conversation with the manufacturer confirmed this point.
One Time® would have scored an “average” score if not for the warranty. The warranty claims brought our scores down. A deck stain that will last 7 years on a horizontal deck surface is not possible in our field tests.
Note: One Time® Wood Stain had been removed from the shelves in the Metro Detroit, Michigan area. When consulting with the local Ace Hardware store, the manager said it was removed due to poor sales and customer complaints with drying and not living up to its claims.
Product Information:
Where To Buy: One Time®
Cost: $89.99 per Gallon, $379.99 per 5 Gallon Pail
Stain Type: Semi-Transparent
Available Colors: Natural, Golden Honey, Red Cedar, Clover Brown, Chestnut
Coats Required: 1 Coat
Coverage Per Gallon: 250-400 sq. ft (According to Manufacturer). Actual coverage when tested was about 200 feet per gallon
Application Tools: Sprayer, Pad, Brush, Roller
Dry Time: 12-72+ Hours
Cleanup: Mineral Spirits
VOC Compliant: 250 Compliant all 50 States
Manufacturer: Bond Distributing
Test Deck Stats:
Deck Wood Type: Cedar
Deck Square Footage: 1200
UV Exposure: 50% Sun 50% Shade
How Many Years Tested: 2.5 Years
Stain Color Used: Red Cedar
*All products tested and results are from our experience. We offer no guarantee of similar results. Take into consideration that results may differ due to different wood types, exposure to UV radiation, and natural weathering.
I used it for a new cedar deck and it was beautiful the first year but looked really bad after two years. Had to refinish and that was more difficult because it had to be sanded off before another product could be used. Drying time and conditions are ridiculous. I am surprised they still market this stuff and haven’t been sued yet.
I have cedar deck and one time is all I will use after using Sickens and cabots that both peeled up and made a big mess and lot of work finally having to sand to get it off finally found one time that soaks into the wood and has lasted 10 years on a 25 year old deck . Just now having to replace the whole floor and can’t find anyplace that sell it , so frustrating . I can order it from the company and pay a fortune in shipping chargers but I will pay that to do the new cedar boards on my deck for nothing else compares.to the look and longevity Bonds One Time
I will never buy this product again.
Highly overpriced product even if you compare it to most expensive similar product at Home Depot or Lowes were you have the quality guaranteed.
Misadvertised and misrepresented as a highest quality stain.
Was drying over a week on properly prepared cedar deck with an outside temperature 28 degree Celsius and after drying appeared to have uneven finish texture and staining shades on different .
I have had very unpleasant experience while dealing with this company customer service.
When I called customer service with complaint the best they can suggest was to buy more of their product to do the touch up’s.
Ridiculous!!!!
We applied one time 5 years ago on a brand new deck. We waited 6 months after installation to use it so he boards could “dry out”. It does NOT hold up to even one year of Alabama sun, shade, humidity, rain, freezes/snow. It looked good for maybe 6 months, but then you could tell the water no longer was heading up and the boards were cracking and turning black. (Turned black in both sunny and shady areas.)
The deck surrounds a pool, and is BIG. Lots and lots of lumber. Cost us over $20k to have it done. So we really wanted to protect it. Followed all instructions, let it cure for days & days. (It stayed sticky in shady spots for weeks.)
Now we are replacing many boards (about 30 2x6x16 boards) and will need to seal them but don’t know what we can use on them and the existing One Time sealed boards. I am going to use a few of the old boards and see what Thompson’s does to them… hoping we can just use that over whole deck.
Don’t buy it! Not worth the price or the headache.
DO NOT USE THIS PRODUCT! This product is expensive and the only reason I used it was on recommendation from a reputable local hardware store. I applied this stain on my front deck and let it “cure” for 4 days. It then rained and splattered the stain up to 2 feet high on my textured vinyl siding. I tried removing with water and several other cleaners with zero results. I then call their customer service and they told me the only thing that might remove it is Goo Gone Graffiti remover or Goof Off professional grade remover. This somewhat worked after applying multiple coats and scrubbing, but it ruined my siding in the process. I have darker blotches that are shiny from trying to remove it. I took pictures before and after and sent it to them and contacted them several times. THEY DO NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT!
Do NOT use this stain!!! I can not emphasize enough.
We invested over $700 to refinish our deck and fence. After power washing, we removed each board and planed it, then we sanded each one. We wanted to do it right. We purchased One Time, hoping it would last the 7 years it says.
I wish I could attach photos. The guarantee says they will refund if more than 10% fading. In less than a year we had 70 to 80% fading. After going back and forth with a representative for two months, I was told they would not stand behind their product. They have not given me a concrete reason why they are not standing behind their product. The owner is suppose to call me however, I have not heard from her/him.
FYI, nothing will last 7 years on a deck. Their warranty is not realistic.
We have a 500 square-foot deck that was new in 2010. We use one time stain, to Different colors, natural on the flat surfaces and around the railings and posts. It did take almost 2 weeks to dry however our deck faces north so Get a tremendous amount of sun all day. All in all we were very happy with the results. Now in 2019 we are planning to re-apply. We did power wash lightly And now we’re waiting for the rain to stop. I don’t understand all of the negative feedback and I am seeing a lot of it but this was not our experience. I will follow up after our second application.
Hi Elsa. I have put down one time natural color on a 4000 sq/ft deck. I pre-finished each board before I installed them. It turned out quite impressive. Almost 4 years later I just got a call from the owner and he wants me to refinish it. I haven’t seen the deck since. Did you have any luck refinishing the deck with one time?
Thats been my experience as well Elsa, it’s the best stain and sealer for cedar .It does take longer to dry unless it’s in full hot sun but well worth the little inconvenience. of waiting for it to completely cure
I did on mine
I see a few people mention the chemical burns. I wish I would have seen this back when I first used the product. I did an entire deck some new some old three years ago. My first problem was the dry time this is a vacation home located in Western NY I did the decks and came back 1 week later to find the deck a sticky mess with leaves stuck to it. I called the manufacture and they said I just applied it too thick like other were tole. I wiped it down as best as I could but could since we were installing a hot tub and too many logistics were already in place to postpone it. Overall I think it took 4-6 weeks to dry. I thought I had poison Ivy or poison oak because of the rash I went to Dr. and they agreed it looked like the above. While working on the house I kept getting little areas of what I thought was poison Ivy throughout that summer even though I have never had it in my life. Three years later the tops of the railings were looking faded I decided to re apply some one time stain that I had left over. I applied it without issue one week later after multiple sunny days and temps in the high 8Os it looked dry but was a little tacky in spots it was applied super thin. It rained and I ended up resting my arms on the railing and now I have the chemical burns again. I know it was this product that caused it. Do not use this stuff it is dangerous and should be removed from the market. The new deck with the stain still looks good after 3 years the old deck is peeling off in the areas that get a lot of am sun.
I am horribly sick from this and I know another painter that got sick.
Im an professional painter and this stuff chemical burnt me like crazy. Nothing else has ever done this.
Terrible stuff. Bought because of 7 year claim to not have to reapply. After 1 year looked horrible. Was applied to a 1 year seasoned never stained wood deck. Benjiman Moore Arborcoat superior to One Time.
Is it possible to apply a water based solid stain over One Time, which was initially applied 10 years ago? The difficulty of applying and drying, and especially the odor prevents us from wanting to use One Time again.
If you prep with a stain stripper and pressure washing you can. Use the Restore A Deck Stripper Kit.
I used it and love it reapplied to the horizontal area after 3 years but vertical still looks good, and it’s a deck it should be washed once in a while, I wash my deck with Oxi clean works great
I have use OTW 2 times and hate it. What do I need to do to the deck to apply another stain?
Strip and pressure wash to remove. Brighten after removal.
I have used this stain twice before.it has always worked very well .I get 7 years of use before I restain.it's easy to use, follow the directions, clean properly first. my decks are in direct sun and shaded sun light .I get twice the life from this stain than my neighbors due with their stains.
Since this is a DECK stain website, my comments may not help. I used One-Time Stain about 4 years ago for my SHED and a FENCE. After a good bit of research reading the FINE PRINT on stains and seeing that they all recommended stripping and resealing every 2-3 years, I decided there HAS to be a better way. Found One-Time and gave it a try, and couldn't be happier. The color has lasted so well compared to previous stains. Granted, these are VERTICAL surfaces. I have not tried them on a horizontal surface like a wood deck and might be cautious after reading these other reviews, but would not use anything else on vertical surfaces.
Verticals typically last 2-3 times longer than horizontals. Does not matter the stain brand.
I had my deck and pergola stained with One Time two years ago. I just added a roof over my pergola which included adding additional treated wood under the roof above the pergola, replacing one 2×6 and adding ripped 2x4s to angle the roof. The roof is a rubber roof with OSB board underneath it. The instructions on the One Time container state "do not apply One Time under a roof covered area". What issues will I have if I stain the newly added wood (OSB and treated lumber). Will the wood ever cure? Will there be issues with mold or mildew? Other issues? Would it make a difference with the time I have the wood dry?
The OneTime has issues of not curing when not exposed to direct sunlight. It will stay very sticky and tacky while not drying.
I used OTW based on reviewers on a radio home improvement show. It was a mistake for sure. Do you own research on line! I used it on a new deck build and after two years I had to re-apply on my horizontal surfaces. I cleaned my deck and when I started to re apply (new jug of OTW)on my deck it had a severe pre-gelation issue. As soon as you applied it it snap cured leaving thick tacky puddles on 3 of my deck boards. I stopped using it and called OTW and they said they had a bad lot of material. I asked about my deck and they told me to sand the tacky thick material off my deck!!! Instead of sending a contractor down to repair the damage from their "Bad Lot" of material they told me to sand it off?!?! It was a total mess to deal with. I had to replace 3-16' boards at my expense which involved disassembling my rail to replace the boards. They did send me a replacement jug of material….for what?? That issue aside….the product does NOT perform as stated. I would recommend this product. I used TWP products and am satisfied with the performance.
I applied the clove color in August of 2011 and have been disappointed ever since. First the application was not easy. It doesn't dry. It took over 4 weeks to dry. When it did, I had a few different shades of clove even though it was all applied in the same day. Second, it has never seemed to bead up the water. Isn't protection from water a main reason to stain? Third, it has started peeling this year so I am stuck doing something with it. Gary Sullivan missed the mark on this one. Do not buy this product!
I love one time wood! Originally applied it to a newly installed fence in 2007. Just reapplied in 2015 as there was starting to be more grey than stain left, probably should have re applied in 2014. Easy to apply, long lasting color, also have it on 2 pergola's and a wishing well cover over my well. Nothing lasts as long as this does!!
I have a deck that is approximately 600 sq. ft. in size. I replaced all the boards with pt pine in April. The old boards had been treated with a redwood stain by the previous homeowner. I had it re-stained with Cabot Acrylic Solid Color Deck Stain. After about 2 years I had another coat of Cabot applied because the original was starting to peel in places. I also had a problem with boards rotting under the stain. Apparently water was getting into the boards but could not escape, so they rotted. I'm now looking for a better solution for the new deck boards. I was happy to read about One Time, but after reading the comments here, I'm not sure it's the best solution. My deck is about 1/2 shaded and 1/2 sunny during the day. I'm afraid the shaded part would never cure. I see you've recommended TWP1500. Would that be a better option? How often would I have to expect to reapply? And how much prep would be involved. I'm too old to be doing a lot of sanding, etc. (71 years)
I neglected to mention in my previous post that I live in east Tennessee, near Knoxville, if that helps.
You would want the 100 Series for TN. You can clean and reapply every 2-3 years for a deck. Nothing lasts longer on a horizontal surface that is exposed and that is one reason we have issues with One Time\’s claims.
One time was amazing. We tried every stain on the market. We're in northern Chicago suburbs and have a very shady yard. Applied 4 years ago & is still perfect. Note, it is very Easy to over apply…we wiped with a rag after applying, so the coat was very thin. Would recommend to anyone, my sister is just as happy!! Used on old cedar deck.
I built my deck 4 years ago. Pressure treated pine. Used One Time based on the 7 year warranty. After allowing the wood to dry to the recommended moisture percentage which didn't happen until Spring of the next year. Deck built in October. I cleaned with wohlmans deck cleaner and brigtner. Looked great again. Waited two days and applied one time. A year later I was contacting Bond the creators of OneTime. They sole me a new galling for $40 so I could fix the fading issues. 2 years later I'm stripping my deck and going with a new stain. If I have to reapply a $80 stain every two years then what is the point of spending the extra money. Might as well just by the cheaper stuff and save myself a lot of money if I'm doing every two years anyway. I've seen very good reviews on the FLOOD branded stains and have picked up some of that to try out. Only $19 a gallon. Now to see if I can get two years of use out of it before the sun fades it all away.
Used it twice, does not protect as stated. I get mold in the 2nd year. You will need to recoat every 2-3 years. They also had a defective batch that instantly cured upon application. This caused severely overthick coverage which looked TERRIBLE on a portion of my deck. One Time Wood admitted they had a bad batch and replaced my supply. However their advise to fix my boards was to sand them down!! the boards needed replaced. They should have offered to have a contractor come and replace the boards. I want to use a different product next time I need to clean and re coat.
I agree with the excessive drying time in shaded areas but did last a lot longer in those areas. I only got mold in some wet shaded areas after 4 years and faded considerably in the sun exposed areas. Over all, I was satisfied with the life of this product, but the drying time was a real pain in those shaded areas.
I have a large redwood deck with One Time stain applied about 8 years ago and reapplied to horizontal surfaces after first 3 years. I want to change and go to something like TWP product. What is best way to clean and expose wood grain for new stain and to remove One Time stain? Would sandblasting the surface and then clean with deck stain cleaner work? Any advice is appreciated. Malcolm D
Not sure sandblating will be a good option. Might tear up the wood but our experience is minimal. Try a deck stain stripper and pressure washing first. It that does not remove all then sand the rest.
I have cedar siding and I have tried all the "top of the line" products available from our local building supplier with no luck. No matter what i used every 2 years I had to go back and use harsh stain strippers because what appeard to be black mold kept reappearing. After doing some research I found OneTime. I used it 7 years ago and am very happy with the results. I am just now going back for my first recoat to brighten it up and I love the way it looks and works. 2 years ago I added about 1000 square foot of decking around the back of the house and i am getting ready to use it on the deck ad well.
I have read some of the negative comments about this product and i have not experienced any of these issues. It does take a few days to dry and you can not apply over another product without completely stripping it and I believe the instructions on the can tell you this.
Gotta admit I'm very surprised to read all the negatives about One Time. Have a 1100 sq ft deck at a lake cottage in central Ohio I purchased in 2008. At that time deck was 4-5 years old, pressure treated wood, and treated 1-2 times by previous owners with Thompson Water seal no more than once. I pressure washed the deck in 2009 (it was dark, dirty, moldy but cleaned up surprisingly well from pressure washing) and applied One Time (clove brown). Application was with a 3-year old, consumer electric paint sprayer I'd used only once previously with latex paint, therefore I was a novice and skeptical how this was going to work. Other than an occasional mishap with over-spray onto the bottom 2 rows of the house white vinyl siding, application was completed in a long afternoon. At $80 a gallon I was careful to cover deck boards but not saturate. Any pooling of the product was thinned using a hand brush. Finished deck looked great, wasn't as dark as others had claimed the clove color to be, and showed a warm reddish hue to it. After 2 days deck appeared 80% cured/dry, and after a week 98% dry. A couple small areas that see no sun appeared not quite dry. Job required 4 gallons with perhaps a pint of One time leftover……..probably 275 sq ft to the gallon.
Application is now 6-years old, power washed after 3-years but at a modest pressure level. I didn't want to remove too much of the One Time coating. Just power washed again (2015) but at a higher pressure level to thoroughly clean in advance of my planned re-application of One Time. Deck looks great! No signs of weathering to the lumber and I'm guessing color has lightened/faded 40-50% from the initial application.
In my opinion product claims are at least 95% accurate. My deck does get dark, but it's dirt/grime/mold/algae/tree sap and not darkening of the wood.
The absolute worse stain ever. Instructions were followed by my husband (contractor for 30 years) and we're on day 5 and it has not dried. We've used Thompson's & Cabot for 25 years and have not had any issues. Dangerous to skin- cat stepped on deck and had to be taken to vet for chemical burns. Another $120 on top of the ridiculous cost of this product. DON'T WASTE YOUR $$$$.
I know this is a very old thread, but I felt I should also add my experience. I cannot complain about the results of OTW. My deck was in poor shape before I power washed and applied OTW. I specifically chose it and paid more than average because it was supposed to be a lower VOC product. The deck looked fantastic when I finished. I loved the clove color and it seemed to really fill in a lot of the cracks in the older deck. It looked new. HOWEVER, I am another customer who got 2nd degree burns all over my arms and anywhere else this product happened to come in contact with over the several hours it took me to stain my HUGE deck. I, like others, had to go to the doctor and was prescribed a cream for severe burns. BE WARNED! Also, it has been four years and my deck needs redone. The vertical areas are fine but the horizontal is in need. The deck is on the west/south side but does get some late day sun. To be fair, I have done no maintenance in that time other than to sweep it. In summary, I would not be opposed to using OTW again if I did not have to worry about severe chemical burns. Nothing is worth that!
I too suffered chemical burns on face and in my eyes. Came close to going to ER. I like the product I think, but the application of it was awful. I used an airless sprayer as I had about 1300 sf to cover. I did auto body work for 20 years and sprayed every kind of chemical / solvent imaginable, but have never dealt with anything as nasty to use as this. Customers need to be warned about the dangers of the airborne “fog” from this product.
A nice looking product however it is very very dangerous to the skin it Will cause first and second degree chemical burns be very careful do not let it touch the beare skin, I didn't see a warning label telling u that it is so harmful to the skin I would think twice before I would apply this stain. ONE TIME SHOULD WARN THE INSTALLERS.
I am a professional painter and are very familiar with a lot of coatings I have never come across a coating like this.
I had to go to my doctor fore treatment .Please be careful when applying this product.
I agree. We initially didnt like the chestnut color's purplish finish but that seems to have burnt off and we like how nice the wood grain looks after applying this product now. However, I did wind up with "moderate to mildy severe" chemical burns to my forearms and had to see a Doctor for a steroid topical perscription. Since the product didnt seem to have any chemical fumes or odors, I was suprised how harsh it apparently is on skin and initially mistook the burns for sunburn though by the end of the day, it was clear it was from chemicals instead. I suspect my exposure occurred when cleaning the brush with mineral spirits and though I rinsed off well, it must not have been adequate. I have had blistering and port wine like staining on my forearms since then and it almost seems to be reactive to exposure to the sun at this point, which is how the product cures. BEWARE and if you use this stuff, BE CAREFUL.
My husband and son sustained 2nd and 3rd degree burns from this product. Be extremely cautious with this product.
Sounds like this review was based on bad preparation & therefore not following the instructions. I put this wonderful One Time stuff on my Redwood 2-car garage door 2-years ago & it has absolutely none of the problems stated in this review. Strip, Scrape, Wet Scrub, Dry, Sand & Brush Vacuum to solid clean wood (getting rid of any surface rot, feathering & removing any & all previous finishes) to then just lightly paint-on One Time. One Time goes a very long way, 1/3rd of the jug did my 130-S.F & I have another 14-years of future protection waiting on the garage shelf. ONE TIME is truly FANTASTIC, even at just my 2-year experience, the compliments from neighbors & realtors just keep coming!
We followed all directions and prepped properly. Still failed. Thanks for your review.
I applied One Time Red Cedar nearly 7 years ago to a new construction PT pine deck (after a couple months of weathering. It was obscenely priced, but my brother-in-law swore by it. It cured fairly well (not like the nightmares I've read). The ability to bead water wore off pretty quickly. I got some algae and mildew growth over the next couple of years. We pressure washed it each year and it brightened up somewhat, but certainly fading was an issue. After 3-4 years we re-applied. I found it was slightly inconsistent with some areas absorbing (and thus beading water better) than others. However, I did not get the blackening some have described. I would say my experiences have fallen squarely in the middle of others' experiences. The company's claims are ridiculous, but the product is not terrible. Coverage, fading, and protection all fell short of claims, but reapplication was pretty easy. I just pressure washed then rolled on a new coat. At this point though I'm needing to reapply and I have to decide if I want to use something else.
Can anyone tell me what I'm looking at to prep for a new product? I'm in Louisville, KY and the some of the deck gets full sun, but the stairs get partial sun (and lots of crepe myrtle blossoms/seeds from the neighbor's tree). The wood is nearly 7 years old.
Thanks for your review. You cannot apply anything on top of the Onetime so you will need to remove it first. Try a stain stripper like the Restore A Deck. Sand if you cannot get it all off. Brighten the wood when finished.
I guess my question/point is that while OneTime is ridiculously overpriced and over hyped, I haven't had horrible experiences with it and it sounds like I'm looking at a LOT of work to strip all of what is there (including ballusters and railings) to apply a new finish. Are other products superior enough to justify this level of work? I'm 7 years in on a PT Pine deck. I know there is no definitely / definitely not kind of answer, but I wondered what others would do….
We would remove it and go with another stain that does not cost a fortune and give ridiculous claims to longevity.
There is so much black mold on my sunny deck I am very dissappointed with this product. Do No Buy!
I applied the One Time Wood Red Cedar 6 years ago and it's held up exceptionally well. I am extremely happy with the color, the ease of application, the quick curing and the overall durability.
I just pressure washed 6 years of crud buildup off the deck and the wood is in great shape. It's true that the One Time will fade over time, estimated by One Time at a rate of 10% a year. I would estimate much less fading in my setting which gets roughly 6 to 8 hours of direct sun a day. With clean wood now I will likely recoat in the very near future – and I will be using One Time again!
We used One Time four years ago and were thrilled with how it looked. However, after four years, the deck was getting noticeably lighter than the house (both done at the same time and with the same product). So we used the recommended cleaner and power washed away the dirt. The second time we applied the One Time, the deck turned almost black. It looks horrible. I will never use this product again unless you plan on stripping it down to bare wood like you do the first time you use. The product is used over a good quality redwood decking and cedar siding on the house. After four years, the house still looks beautiful but I am hesitant to try applying it the second time.
Thank you. The wood was dried, in the rough, re-sawn and planed smooth, 4 months ago. It has a nice smooth, but not glazed, surface. It has been stickered, outdoors, in the shade, as I don't want it to go gray on me, or lose it's outer lignum cells. Does "weathered" mean it has to be left in the sun and withstand rain? That would allow my wood to to exposed to graying, cupping and warping, as it is not installed. This why I want to put a finish on it, to prevent defects. I will pre-finish, after cutting to size, , so that I can seal all edges, and ends, as they will be difficult to get to once installed. Would I still need to use a brightener , if thee is no graying? Many thanks again, for the attention
If you do not let it weather you will run the risk of premature failure. The majority of deck stain manufacturers want new wood to weather and do not suggest it ti be pre stained.
I have 300 sq feet of vertical grain, old growth Western Red Cedar, milled 3 months ago. The boards are 1×12, and no checking or warping, so good there. I am going to use this wood for 2- six foot high , by 9 foot wide driveway entry gates, and side gates . The frames are installed and powder coated. I live in Ojai California…25 degrees max low in Winter, and 110 in summer. We have gone from 40 inches of rain in an El Nino year, to 6 inches in this current drought. I need some advice on a product to both seal, protect, and bring out the beautiful tones of this wood. I was considering One Time, but they told me the same thing about needing to let he wood weather for a year, or else it could peel and flake. Their informations supposedly comes from the Amish woodworkers , in Ohio, that supposedly use the product. What would anyone suggest as a good product for this project? No horizontal panels other than the top of the gate frames. Lots of sun.
Armstrong Clark for this in CA. Smooth wood or rough sawn? Smooth wood and you should wait 2-3 months and prep first with a deck cleaner/brightener. rough and you can stain right away.
I know this is an old post but what did you end up using and how did it hold up?
Are you familiar with Wolman DuraStain? It's a solid color deck stain. Wolman was recently bought out by Rustoleum.
I'm thinking of using this product on a 600 sq ft boat dock in Missouri and adding some silica sand to at least one of the two coats for traction. I would appreciate any comments.
Tom, the Durastain is a semi-solid stain but acts like a solid in that it lies or films on top of the surface. We are not fans of it. I highly doubt silica sand would work in it.
Hello,
I am in Toronto, Canada. I have a deck which was Oxycleaned and stained with Grey Cabot Solid stain 3 years ago. It is peeling on all the old boards. New boards and vertical surfaces have held the stain. Can you recommend a product with better wear resistance in a solid gray stain?
Look at the Flood solid color stains.
I'm building a white oak table and coffee table for outdoor. I would like to keep it natural and let it grey over time. What is the best product to use for sealing the wood, make it water repellant and easy to clean? I live near the water in Orange County CA. Thanks for your help
Enrico, try the TWP 1500 in the clear or the Defy Extreme Clear so the wood is sealed and will gray naturally over time.
Hi, have you guys ever reviewed or tested the Penofin Verde line? I live in San Francisco, where I'm building a new redwood deck. Our local paint store around the corner carries this and was wondering about it's UV protection.
thanks!
Carlisle, we do not have a review of it but have used it with poor results. It did not perform well and attracted a lot of mold.
I am planning on staining my deck of 15 years that has had a previous stain color. The stain color was a lighter Cedar Naturaltone semi-transparent. The contractor I am working with is suggesting that we go with a darker Porter PPG Acri-Shield stain. I did not see any reviews on this oil-based stain. Have you had any experience with this stain? I live in Atlanta, Georgia and my deck is pressure treated pine with mostly shade, partial sun and then full sun for part of the day. The deck does have exposure to moisture and mildew.
BrianB, never heard or used the Porter but I would be careful as it is a water based stain I believe and contains acrylic. These stains are prone to peeling.
IF YOU APPLY THE ONE TIME AND IT RAINS WILL IT STILL CURE, WHAT DOES A PERSON DO?
Susy, we would not apply One Time ever as it takes forever to cure. Sorry it is not a good answer 🙁
Yes it dries. It is uv cured. As long as it gets sunshine or even indirect sun, it will dry.
Applied one time spareingly due to the cost of a gallon. It has been one week and it is still wet. Can you run a roller through it now or wipe at it with a rag. any way to help it a long.
PB, not sure if you can speed up the drying. It must cure on it\’s own.
I have a house on a lake in far northern NY. The siding is a combination of cedar and cedar shakes. It was a new build, completed in May of 2011. What was originally applied to the siding was Sherwin Williams Deckscapes Exterior Stain Clear Sealer. Unfortunately, it has no UV protection, and any surfaces that get much exposure to the sun have become completely bleached out.
I'm looking into having it completely re-done. I know very little about this and have been given conflicting information by painters I've talked to, such as:
– power wash it first/ don't power wash it
– use a stripper on what's there/no need to use a stripper
– use an oil-based stain/use an acrylic stain
– use a product called Nature One/don't use Nature One
I would LOVE some recommendations from people who really know what they're talking about. That's why I was glad to find this board. Thanks in advance for your help and input.
Phil, do this:
-use a stripper on all, lightly pressure wash and brighten when done
-use an oil on the cedar
-try TWP 1500 or Armstrong Clark
I put this product, natural color, on my new cedar deck two years ago in July 2011. Now the start of the third summer, it looks terrible. The stain has peeled off most of the surfaces, both horizontal and vertical, especially the surfaces in the sun. I first sent the company an email – no answer. Then I filled out their online form – no answer. I sent them a letter with multiple pictures asking for replacement product to redo the deck – no answer. I finally called them and talked to a lady. She had my letter and pictures. She said the product wasn't at fault but that I should have waited a year to apply the product. She blamed it on mill glaze. There was no way I could wait a year since it was a rainy spring and mold was already appearing on the wood. I had a professional carpenter come out and look at my deck and he said it wasn't mill glaze but a poor product. The manufacturer would not honor their 7 year warranty. They would only send me replacement product for a slight price reduction. I chose not to buy more of their product and will tell others not too also. It is very expensive, didn't hold up even two years, and the manufacturer didn't honor their warranty. Don't buy this product – try something else.
Ann, high quality stains still need to be reapplied every 2 years maybe 3. The issue is the OneTime makes up a ridiculous warranty and then charges 2-3 times more then other stains.
We used OneTime. It went a long way! Even if it lasts half the time stated it has already been cost effective. Another great property, is it won't peel, like many other products. No need to strip before reapplying.
I used One Time natural on the pine, tongue and groove siding I was replacing at my older home. I only replaced the wood that needed it, and the whole house is due for new paint. I thought it would be beneficial to seal it, before prime and paint. An extra layer of protection couldn't hurt right. I rolled on some Kilz latex, to get it ready for the Sherwin-Williams Super paint, and the primer still is tacky, and has not dried, after several days time. Help.
I applied One Time clove brown on an east facing, new cedar deck with a roller and brush. It took a little more than 2 weeks for it to ‘cure’ – and it was a sunny, dry period of time. During that 2 weeks, it was sticky but eventually came around – keeping the kids off of it was interesting. After a year, the high traffic areas were already showing wear. Now it’s been 2 years and the entire flat surface of the deck is showing that the stain is in failure mode. Vertical portions of the railing are fine but the rest of the deck is looking pretty sad. No need to reapply this stuff and see if it fixes it. Then I’ll just be 2 years further down the road and I’d expect the same results.
I’m going with the recommendation of this site to strip with the RAD Stain Stripper. Brighten with the RAD Brightener. Stain with TWP. We’ll see how that turns out.
Crsutycreature, TWP lasts about 2 maybe 3 years as well on horizontals. Difference that we have seen is that TWP does not darken like the OneTime. TWP does not claim a ridiculous warranty. TWP is fairly priced.
I used One Time on two new decks, one in direct sun and one covered. The direct sun faded out the first year and needed to be redone by the second year. I cleaned, reapplied and had the same results as the first time, far from being a one time stain or even lasting the seven years as advertised. On my covered porch, I did receive good results and it did last the seven years. But I will not be re-appling one time. I started using Ready-Seal and have had better luck. Not only is the product less than half the price, delivered from Texas to Michigan vs buying One Time locally, they do not claim some outlandish life expectancy. I am on my third year and totally satisfied with the results.
The benefit of One Time is that when it is time to re-stain, you don't strip. You just clean and re-stain.
We put this on our deck 3 years ago and are extremely pleased. The cedar railings look nearly as good as the day we applied the stain. Of course, the horizontal decking has faded somewhat and we will probably re-stain next year. It is in direct Southern exposure sunlight all day from 9 until sundown, so nothing is going to last forever. The point is, we have done anything but hose it down occasionally and it looks great.
this is not a good product, difficult to use drying is a bear and warranty is bullshit.
I applied one-time natural in 2006. How should I clean and prep to reapply this year? The deck still looks great but show some signs of fading. All the wood is in great shape and of course with One-time I see no blistering or pealing.
i am looking to reprotect the wood and get that uniform look again.
The long term savings in time and money are well worth the initial expense!
I applied One Time to my deck (pressure treated wood) three years ago. So far, I am satisfied with the ballustars and rails, but somewhat disappointed in the performance on the horizontal surface. It has faded and worn down and algae is present every spring. It is on the north side of the house, so some of that may not be avoidable. There is no peeling, though. I must admit that I was influenced by a radio personality that hosts a DIY talk show.
I live in South Texas where our summer weather is brutal. I built a deck using cedar and bought Sikkens stain/sealer which was highly recommended from the lumberyard. It didn't last a year down here. After 3 years of looking at bleached out cedar I figured I had better save it while I could. I went through the trouble of getting on knees and sanding the whole thing using a belt sander and orbital hand sander using 60 grit. I was ecstatic that it brought it back to life and that it wasnt to late. I bought One Time Stain and applied it using a small roller with a friend coming in behind me with a dry paint brush to make sure puddles or excess stain was not left. AFTER I applied I started reading reviews about One Time and thought "Oh Shoot, what have I done". The stain recommends 72 hours dry time and I have done exactly what the stain has recommended. I used Clove Brown on my cedar and I have to say It is beautiful. Im not quite sure how everybody else is applying this stain but If you put a little elbow grease into it and do what manufacturers recommends I think you will have better results. I dont think applying this stain would be a good idea using a sprayer unless you back brushed to get off excess puddling, but that would entail walking all over it. Honestly I could not be happier with One Time stain and I will post comments every so often to describe how the stain is looking/working down here in this extremely hot area. The deck is in full sun all day with weeks of over 100 degree days during summer. If One Time can work down here it can work anywhere. I have learned that there is no stain that once applied will last (with color) for years. I guess thats the price/ work you pay to have that beautiful wood look.
I used ONETIME in 2008. Lasted about 4.5 years. Now bad. I am in NY (lower hudson valley) and need to power wash and redo the tongue and groove cedar siding.
would you reco another brand ?
Jeff, Vertical siding always lasts 2-3 times longer then a horizontal deck surface. Not as prone either to turning black. We would look at the TWP 1500 if you want to switch to a better and less expensive brand.
I used the One Time Wood product in 2006 on my new deck here in central Minnesota and have had no problems with it. I will be cleaning and reapplying One Time this summer as I have had none of the problems described in this review.
Peter, thanks for your review.
I also live in Central Minnesota. I am very happy with the One Time stain. I am ready to reapply it to my deck. What did you use to clean yours with?
Found this review interesting as I have had deck stained for 3 years with OneTime and liked the results – wonder what the difference was?
Russell, not sure but feel free to post your experience. Our experience and other contractor experiences have not been favorable. Might be the climate.
I am really needing help to know what product to use on my Garapa Hardwood deck. My contractor used a product by Rymar for exoctic hardwoods and it started to fail in just 6 months. Does anyone know anything about the Behr weatherproofing stain that is supposed to last for 10 years. I really need the right advice this time, we have so much on this deck and all manufacturers promise a lot, but who actually delivers?
Sally, exotic hardwoods require a coat of stain annually or sooner. This is the wood\’s fault, not the stain. Behr will not work on this and will not last more then the Rymar. Do not believe any warranties that \”lie\” like Behr or One Time! You will need to re coat this deck every year. Best to choose a stain that penetrates into the wood and can be easily reapplied with a light cleaning. I would look at Armstrong Clark in the Amber or Mahogany colors.
Thank you so much for your feedback. I will look into the Armstrong Clark product. Also are you familiar with the Defy product line for hardwoods? They are a synthetic resin and supposed to penetrate well on hardwoods. My painting contractor thinks it is important to sand the old Rymar stain off, than use a cleaner before adding a new stain. I was just planning to use a liquid stain remover and brightener before the application of a new product. The sanding will increase the cost of the project considerably, but if you agree this is a good decision, I will proceed with your advice. Since I now understand, that a coat of stain will have to be applied every year, I want a product that will not have to be sanded every year, but rather just re-applyed. Thanks for all of your help. Sally Nisley
Sally, I would strip and brighten then sand lightly if needed when done. Both Armstrong Clark and Defy are penetrating stains that can be cleaned lightly and re coated annually without the need for stripping. AC would probably be the easier of the two for this. Make sure to not over apply either. Typically only 1 coat on exotic hardwoods.
What stain stripper would you recommend for a redwood deck finished with One Time Wood?
Vanessa, I would try the Restore-A-Deck Stain Stripper.
MDR, it strips rather easily for us. No issues at all.
I am a property manager in western Colorado. Many of my properties are at 11,000 feet. I come originally from the east coast where I thought that the environment was antagonistic to exterior finishes. My learnings there were basically without meaning when I came to Colorado. Some products are better than others but the primary message it to perform maintenance annually for all horizontal surfaces and wood based roofing. Vertical walls might stretch to two or even 3 years. I even have to wipe metal and plastic frames with penofin to keep the chalking away. I would love to host manufacturers here to test their products in our weather and altitude.
The higher the UV index, the quicker the stain will fail. Let us know a brand that you are interested in testing and we can get a gallon to you to try. I would prefer that you tested one of the higher ranked stains.