Update for 2018: PPG Timeless Deck Stain Review
The PPG Timeless Deck Stain was introduced last year into Home Depot. The product is actually the exact same thing as the Olympic Elite Wood Stain, just relabeled for Home Depots use. The review below is a repeat of our testings of the Olympic version.
PPG Timeless Wood and Deck Stain Review
PPG Timeless Advanced Stain + Sealant in One is a deck and wood stain that is ideal for bringing the rich look of interior wood to exterior wood surfaces such as decks, doors, furniture, and trim. Delivering more pronounced color while still enabling wood grain and texture to show, it provides luxurious appeal with a beautiful satin sheen finish. Formulated with both stain and sealant combined, this protective coating offers lasting defense against UV damage, mold, mildew, warping, cracking and more, helping retain your wood’s natural beauty over time.
This is for the 550 VOC versions that is an oil-based stain. They also carry a 250 VOC version,
PPG Timeless Stain + Sealant in One Stain Scores (1-10)
Appearance After Initial Stain Application: 6
– PPG Timeless Stain is an oil-based stain + sealer in one. We used the Chestnut Brown color. The appearance of the final stain finish was a brown color that did not seem to enhance the beauty of the wood as well as we had expected. However, the PPG Timeless Wood Stain did penetrate the wood fairly well and did not form a film on top.
Preventing UV Graying at 2 Year Mark: 7
–At the 2-year test mark, PPG Timeless did hold up pretty decent with an estimated 70% color retention. Some fading and graying were noticed in traffic areas.
Wear/Tear and Peeling: 6
–As mentioned the PPG Timeless Wood Stain did show signs of fading but no peeling. Most of the fading and wearing was on the horizontal surface like the tops of the handrails and deck flooring. There were almost bare areas with no stain left in the high traffic sections of the deck.
Cost Per Square Foot: 6
– It took 4 gallons total of PPG Timeless Deck Stain to coat the entire 600 square foot deck. The manufacturer claims 250-350 square feet per gallon but we experienced closer to 150-200 feet per gallon.
Preventing Mold/Mildew/Algae: 7.5
– PPG Timeless Deck Stain plus Sealer provided an average mildew resistant coating and did an okay job at preventing fungal growth.
Ease of Application: 7.5
– The PPG Timeless Stain was average to apply. We did a one-coat application using a stain pad and did not get great coverage. We did not notice any overlap marks when finished.
Color Shifting (darkening) after 2 Years: 7
– At the 2-year mark, we did notice some darkening due to mildew but the PPG Timeless Wood Stain did lighten up on 90% of the deck.
The Difficulty of Reapplication: 7
– We did have to strip the old stain off due to bare wood and graying showing in high traffic areas and lightening of the stain in other areas.
Overall Score PPG Timeless Stain + Sealant in One at 2 Year Period: 7.0
– The PPG Timeless Stain + Sealant was average score overall. The stain did hold up fairly well except in high traffic areas and some mildew was present. We were not overly happy with the coverage rates and will have to strip the stain off prior to recoating to remove the mildew.
Product Information:
Where To Buy: Home Depot
Cost: $49.99 per Gallon, $125.99 per 2.5 Gallon Pail. $250 per 5-gallon pail
Stain Type: Semi-Transparent Oil Based
Available Colors: Honey Pine, Chestnut Brown, Dark Teak, New Bark, Oxford Brown, Fall Foliage, Jatoba, Ginger Brown, Olivewood, Mahogany, Russet, Timberline, Navajo Red
Application Temperature: 45-95 F
Coats Required: 1-2 Coats
Coverage Per Gallon: 150-200 sq. ft
Application Tools: Sprayer, Pad, Brush, Roller – Back brush as needed.
Dry Time: 24 Hours
Cleanup: Mineral Spirits for 550 Version
VOC Compliant: 550 Compliant
Manufacturer: PPG
Test Deck Stats:
Deck Wood Type: Pine Deck
Deck Square Footage: 600
UV Exposure: Full sun
How Many Years Tested: 2 Years
Stain Color Used: Chestnut Brown
*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.
We’ve had excellent results on Redwood deck plank and cedar logs using Sikkens / PPG SRD and DEK product. The DEK product is nearly $100 a gallon. The SRD product is $55 agallon. Olympic Elite is $40 a gallon and not the same product, not even close.
Update on this post: A PPG rep just called me back and said, “We don’t think the stain penetrated the wood and that was your problem”. I explained that I prepped the deck extremely well and it soaked up 5 gallons of the stuff. She offered to refund my purchase price. I asked her to talk to her manager, price out about ten 16 foot Redwood planks that need replacing because of this products failure, and have her manager call me back tomorrow. I’ll update again as I hear back. I really don’t think the way they market this product is fair or even legal. I think it’s more than just advertising puffery. I believe it goes way beyond that when they claim on the label it’s their best elite product with a lifetime warranty. It failed miserably after less than a year. Judging from the threads below and numerous others I’ve found it seems obvious that I’m not the only one having this issue. We used Olympic Elite Advanced Semi-Transparent Stain and Sealer on a very nice redwood deck in Oct. 2017. PPG shows a “Lifetime Results Guarantee” right on the can. The price was much higher than any stain we’ve used before. It required nearly 4 times as much stain. It wore off in less than a year (less expensive stains lasted 3 times longer), and in less than 2 years our redwood deck went from a really nice deck to several boards rotting. We are waiting to hear PPG’s response. Even if they do refund our money, it doesn’t account for the damage done by what I consider deceptive advertising claims and an incredibly inferior product. I’m convinced our deck would be in much better shape if we wouldn’t have used anything at all versus this product. How can PPG get away with this? They are advertising a lifetime warranty and guaranteeing this is their best “Elite” product when they surely must know their cheaper 3 and 4 year products last far longer than this one, cost far less, and actually protect wood instead of ruining it. The deck was scrubbed and prepared very well with Olympic deck cleaner. It was lightly and evenly power washed, allowed to sit for 2 days, then stained while all instructions on the Olympic products were followed. The deck was in exceptional shape before application. The product didn’t even last a year and water was soaking right in. At less than two years, several boards are rotting and splitting and need replacing. Redwood decks are tough and rated for 30 years. Ours isn’t even half that old. Several of our exposed boards went from perfect to poor in less than two years after using this product. The stain went on like water and required over 4 times more stain than we ever used before. It seemed to soak past the top layer of the wood, then wore off the surface within a few months. So because of this product, I think… Read more »
I used Oxford Brown PPG Timeless for my deck. Color was perfect, sheer enough for wood grain to be seen yet great color coverage. We have harsh weather in Minnesota and glad to say it still looks great. I recommend.
In 2 years I put 4 coats of stain on a new deck, alot rain and some snow washed it off. Would not recommend this product its suppose to have a 10 year warranty
I used this product on my new cedar deck boards two seasons ago here in Michigan. When it was initially applied, the cedar looked amazing, just what I imagined a new cedar deck should look like, and it did make water bead up and not penetrate the wood. However, this product began to darken very quickly and now my deck just looks dirty all the time. You would never know it’s a relatively new cedar deck. I will not use this product again. From what I read on this site it looks like it will need to be stripped off and begin again. I look at dozens of decks in my neighborhood each day while walking my dog…most look ok, a few look fantastic(I plan to ask what their contractors used) and some just plain awful. I want those cedar boards to look great, what stain will give me those professional results??
The contractors use TWP 100 series in Michigan.
How is this PPG stain different than the Olympic Elite Woodland Oil Stain? I live in Miami and trying to decide what to put on a brand new, pressure treated pine fence (see photo). I would like a warm cedar color (see photo). What color and type do you think I should choose: Olympic Transparent Woodland Oil, Olympic Semi-Transparent, PPG Transparent or Semi? are stains with Acrylic to be avoided?
We wouldn’t use either stain as there are many better products out there: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/the-5-best-deck-stain-reviews-and-ratings/
Nothing wrong with acrylics as long as it a higher end stain.
You also cannot stain this new fence now. Too soon. See this for tips: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/staining-a-new-deck/
What is the difference between PPG Timeless and PPG Proluxe oil stains? I am told by several paint contractors and stores that Proluxe is the old Sikkens Cetol and that it is the gold standard for exotic hardwood, such as IPE which we will be using as a cap for a metal rail. On tests with scrap pieces I like the reddish hue and richness of the raw IPE when it is wet, and the Timeless finish more approximates that look than the Proluxe. But I wonder about it’s quality. How are the two PPG products different?
Proluxe is the old Sikkens. Completely different formulas between the two.
What does PPG stand for
Pittsburgh Paint Group?
Actually, it stands for Pittsburgh Plate Glass.
I was a painting contractor for 30 years and did many decks. This is one of the worst products I have ever used. It flowed on easily, but it was impossible to avoid lap marks, even doing one deck board at a time from end to end in 70 degrees in the shade. This new deck I built last summer looks terrible. I have never had this problem before with any other procduct. It is a nice color, but it is not even anywhere. I did clean the deck several weeks ago, and it is on new wood. I am going to try to sand the lap marks lightly to even them out, but next summer I will have to remove it all and use a different product. I cannot recommend this.
You say you had to strip the stain due to fading in high traffic areas. We have the same problem. What do you recommend we use to do this?
Use the Restore A Deck Stripper/Brightener Kits.
We used this product last year. It looked great. Afterbone year , it looked as though a herd of elephants had walked on our deck. The color was worn off in high traffic areas. I would NEVER use this again!