Ready Seal Stain Colors: Full Color Guide (2026)

Ready Seal Stain Colors: Full Color Guide (2026) 5/5 (1)

Ready Seal Stain Colors: Full Color Guide

Hi, I’m Scott Paul, a licensed exterior restoration contractor with over 30 years of experience and 10,000+ deck restorations. This guide to Ready Seal stain colors is based on my own hands-on field testing, not manufacturer claims. See my full credentials and testing stats here.

Ready Seal stain colors come in 7 shades, from light natural tones to deeper reds and browns. This guide breaks down every available color, shows real photos of each, and covers what to expect in terms of fading, since color longevity is just as important as the shade you pick.

Ready Seal Stain Colors — Quick Answer

Ready Seal comes in 7 colors: Gold, Natural Cedar, Light Brown, Medium Brown, Dark Brown, Medium Red, and Dark Red
All colors fade fast — our testing scored Ready Seal 3/10 on UV graying resistance, with most color gone within 2 years
Gold and Natural Cedar are the most popular choices for a natural wood look
For longer-lasting color, TWP, Armstrong Clark, or Restore-A-Deck hold up significantly better in our testing

Ready Seal Stain Colors
How Long Do Ready Seal Colors Last?
Ready Seal Color Photos
FAQ
More Ready Seal Resources

Ready Seal Stain Colors

Ready Seal stain colors include 7 options, all built on the same paraffin-oil base: Gold, Natural Cedar, Light Brown, Medium Brown, Dark Brown, Medium Red, and Dark Red. Gold and Natural Cedar are the most commonly chosen shades, since they enhance the wood’s natural grain rather than masking it, but the full range covers everything from light and warm to deep, rich tones.

Note that there are longer-lasting deck stain colors available among the top recommended deck stain brands, including TWP, Armstrong Clark, and Restore-A-Deck.

How Long Do Ready Seal Colors Last?

Whichever Ready Seal stain color you choose, expect the color to fade faster than most competing brands. In our 2-year field test, Ready Seal scored just 3/10 for preventing UV graying, with color loss visible within days of application and very little color remaining by the 2-year mark. This applies to all 7 colors equally, since the fading is a property of the paraffin-oil base, not the pigment.

If holding a specific color longer is a priority for your project, TWP, Armstrong Clark, and Restore-A-Deck all outperform Ready Seal for UV color retention in our testing.

Ready Seal Color Photos

Ready Seal Stain Colors FAQ

What Ready Seal stain colors are available?

Ready Seal comes in 7 colors: Gold, Natural Cedar, Light Brown, Medium Brown, Dark Brown, Medium Red, and Dark Red. All 7 share the same paraffin-oil base and application characteristics — the only difference between them is pigment. Gold and Natural Cedar are the most popular choices for a natural, warm wood tone.

Which Ready Seal color lasts the longest?

No Ready Seal color holds up particularly well in full sun. In our testing, the stain scored just 3/10 for UV graying resistance across the board, regardless of which color was applied. Darker colors like Dark Brown or Dark Red may visually mask some fading longer than lighter shades like Gold, but all 7 colors will need reapplication within 12 to 18 months to maintain their original look.

Do Ready Seal stain colors fade?

Yes, significantly. Our 2-year field test showed visible fading within days of application and most of the original color gone by the 2-year mark. This is a known tradeoff with Ready Seal’s non-drying paraffin-oil formula: it penetrates deeply and applies easily, but it doesn’t cure or seal the surface the way an oil-based stain like Armstrong Clark or TWP does, which is part of why those brands hold color longer.

How do I choose between Ready Seal stain colors?

Since all 7 colors fade at roughly the same rate, choose based on the look you want rather than durability. Gold and Natural Cedar work well if you want the wood grain to remain visible. Medium Brown and Dark Brown suit a richer, more traditional deck look. Medium Red and Dark Red are less common choices but work well on cedar and redwood decking where a warmer tone is desired.

Can I match an existing Ready Seal color when reapplying?

Yes, reapplying the same Ready Seal color is straightforward since the stain doesn’t require stripping between coats — just clean and brighten the wood before recoating. If you’re not sure which of the 7 colors was originally used, a small test patch in an inconspicuous area is the most reliable way to confirm the match before doing the full deck.