This post was updated on May 1, 2024
Penofin Hardwood Stain
Penofin Hardwood and IPE Stain continues to have issues with darkening or turning black on a vast majority of wood decks and exterior wood.
Penofin For Hardwood Stain is a 99% UV protection Brazilian Rosewood Oil finish. This stain was developed to protect and preserve Hardwoods such as IPE and Mahogany. Their exotic hardwood formula penetrates deep into the wood cells. This results in a natural finished look to your wood.
Penofin Penetrating Oil Finish can meet the needs of hardwood in fiber protection, penetration, stabilizing, and nourishment.
Important Note: Testing for Exotic Hardwood Deck Stains
Exotic hardwoods such as IPE are extremely dense and difficult to penetrate. These wood types when stained, will always fade faster the other woods such as Cedar, Redwood, and Pine. Testing will be changed to 1 year instead of 2 years for exotic hardwoods.
Penofin Exotic Wood Stain Scores (1-10)
Appearance After Initial Stain Application: 9
– Beautiful! Penofin has traditionally produced some of the nicest finishes and the Penofin Exotic Hardwood Stain does not disappoint. The mahogany wood has a deep richness to it when the Penofin was applied.
Preventing UV Graying at 1 Year Mark: 3
– The Penofin Exotic Wood Stain only retained 40% of its color after the year period. As mentioned previously we only test exotic hardwoods for 1 year. Penofin suggests that the stain should be reapplied every 3-6 months for exotic hardwoods. This seems a bit much but if you have the time then it would make sense to reapply twice a year.
Wear/Tear and Peeling: 9
– Penofin’s ability to penetrate deep into the wood fibers greatly minimizes any chance of peeling and wearing. This is one of Penofin’s very popular traits.
Cost Per Square Foot: 7
– Penofin Hardwood Stain retails for $49.99 per gallon. Only one gallon of Penofin was needed to coat our 350-foot deck. The cost was less than $.14 a square foot.
Preventing Mold/Mildew/Algae: 6
– At the 1-year mark, we noticed a decent amount of mold growing on top of the stain. The mold did wipe off with a wet towel. We would expect that a mild cleaning would remove the mold spores, restoring the wood.
Ease of Application: 8
– Coverage was excellent with the Penofin Exotic Wood Stain and so was the application process. We used a paint roller and applied the finish to the entire floor in less than 30 minutes. We waited about 20 minutes then back wiped the entire deck to remove any excess stain. We did need to wet the rags with water to avoid any spontaneous combustion.
Color Shifting (darkening) after 2 Years: 4
– The Penofin exhibited some darkening in color mostly due to dirt, grime, and the mold issue that we mentioned.
Difficulty of Reapplication: 8
– The Penofin Hardwood stain should be an easy product to reapply. The stain absorbs extremely well into dense hardwoods so no wearing was visible. A good cleaning with their Penofin Protech Wood Cleaner will prep the wood for another coat.
Overall Score Penofin Exotic Wood Stain at 1 Year Period: 6.875
– We were very happy with the Penofin when it came to appearance and penetration into the wood. Tops in our opinion. Unfortunately, Penofin did not hold up as well with UV fading and turns dark or even black in color. If you do not mind cleaning/stripping and recoating your exotic hardwoods 2-3 times a year then Penofin Hardwood Stain would be a good choice.
Penofin Wood Stain Photo Issues
Product Information:
Where To Buy: Select Stores or Online
Cost: $55.99 per Gallon, $309.99 per 5 Gallon Pail w/Free Delivery
Stain Type: Semi-Transparent – Oil-Based for Hardwoods
Available Colors: Natural
Application Temperature: 45-95 F
Coats Required: 1 coat
Coverage Per Gallon: 300-400 sq. ft for Exotic Hardwoods
Application Tools: Sprayer, Pad, Brush, Roller
Dry Time: 4-8 Hours
Cleanup: Mineral Spirits
VOC Compliant: 250 Compliant in all States
Manufacturer: Penofin
Test Deck Stats:
Deck Wood Type: Mahogany
Deck Square Footage: 350 Square feet
UV Exposure: Full Sun
How Many Years Tested: 1 Year
Stain Color Used: Natural
*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.
The Best IPE Hardwood Deck Stain Video – DeckStainHelp.com
