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Exotic Hardwood Stains

Armstrong Clark Hardwood Stain Review

Armstrong Clark Hardwood Stain

A high solids pigmented finish made from heavy and light bodied oils specially formulated for application on unpainted hardwoods. Heavy bodied oils provide water repellency. Extra pigments provide enhanced color retention on hardwoods. Light bodied oils combined with solvent penetrate into the wood. Armstrong’s Semi-Transparent Hardwood Finishes repel water, retain color longer and reduce the frequency of re-coats on maintenance intensive hardwoods.

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.

Armstrong Clark Hardwood Stain

Armstrong Clark Hardwood Stain Scores (1-10)

Appearance After Initial Stain Application: 9

– The Armstrong Clark in the Mahogany color had a very rich look on our IPE test deck. We applied one coat at the Mahogany color enhanced the natural colors of the IPE with a reddish brown color. The stain did not film on the surface but absorbed into the wood.

Preventing UV Graying at 1 Year Mark: 8

– We found the the Armstrong Clark in Mahogany outperformed all other Hardwood deck stains when it comes to color retention on Ipe. Many of the stains we tested had lost the color within 8 months while the Armstrong still had a decent amount of color. See picture below for a sample board that we tested.

Wear/Tear and Peeling: 9

– Armstrong Clark Hardwood stain did not peel on our test deck. A small amount of wearing was noticeable around the door. Armstrong penetrates very well into IPE wood.

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Defy Hardwood Stain Review 2014

Defy Stain for Hardwoods Review

Important Note: This is our 2nd Review of Defy Deck Stain for Hardwoods. Our first review of the Defy Hardwood Stain was started in 2010 and completed in 2011.

See Here for First Review: Defy Hardwood Stain Review

DEFY Deck Stain for Hardwoods is formulated with smaller resins that penetrate hardwoods, or oily softwoods better. If you’re looking for the best stain for cedar decks in a water-based product, then look no further. DEFY Deck Stain for Hardwoods is a synthetic, semi-transparent deck sealer specifically formulated for use on Teak, IPE, Mahogany, Tigerwoods, and other exotic hardwoods.

Defy Hardwood Stain should also be considered for oil-rich woods such as Cedar and Redwood, offering better penetration for these wood types.

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.

Defy Stain for Hardwood Scores (1-10)

Appearance After Initial Stain Application: 8

For the IPE wood, the customer wanted a reddish brown color to enhance the grain. Best color for this is the Light Walnut. The Defy Hardwood did an excellent job of enhancing the grain. It did not film or “cover” the wood grain showing 100% of the natural color tones.

Preventing UV Graying at 1 Year Mark: 7

For Exotic wood stains, we only test for 1 year. The Defy Hardwood Stain retained about 70% of the original color after the full year. It had faded but no graying of the IPE was visible.

Wear/Tear and Peeling: 7.5

The Defy Hardwood does a very good job of penetrating exotic woods. No filming was noticed when completed and the wearing was acceptable after the year. There was some visible wearing on the steps.

Make sure that if you use the Defy Hardwood on IPE that you apply only one coat. Too much stain and it will not absorb leading to an increased chance of wear/tear. We learned this from past experience when treating exotic hardwoods.

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Hardwood Deck Stain Tips for Ipe

Maintaining an exotic hardwood such as Ipe requires a little more patience and the proper deck stain. The vital key to consider when choosing a lasting finish is the density of the wood. This determines how deep the stain will be able to penetrate.

Messmers Hardwood Stain

Ipe decking is extremely dense and tough for a deck stain to penetrate. On newer Ipe wood a deck stain may only penetrate as little as a few millimeters. For this reason, any type of deck stain will only last about a year, so regular maintenance definitely comes into play.

Most decks stains are too low in resins and pigment solids to penetrate Ipe wood and wouldn’t last long or be very appealing. Special deck stains specifically designed for Ipe are necessary to get as much protection as possible. Ipe deck stains are designed to give a more lasting and maintainable finish. They are rich in oil alkyd resins that are more effective when dealing with limited penetration from dense wood.

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Ipe Oil Hardwood Stain Review

Ipe Oil Hardwood Stain Stain Update 2017

IPE Oil has become popular in the past years. It is an oil-based semi-transparent stain that will give a brownish tint to your IPE or other exotic hardwoods. It can be cleaned and reapplied as needed without the need for sanding.

If you have used the Ipe Oil Hardwood Stain, please post a review in our Star Ratings and or comment area. Our comment system does allow the ability to post pictures of your deck or exterior wood.

IEP Oil Wood Stain Review

IPE Oil Hardwood Stain Review

Ipe Oil™ Hardwood Deck Finish is designed specifically for IPE and other Brazilian Hardwoods. Ipe Oil™ Hardwood Deck Finish offers deep penetration into dense exotic woods protecting the wood from water and UV damage.

Ipe Oil™ can be used on all types of wood including ipe, tigerwood, cumaru, or and hardwood decking and wood siding, preserving the natural grain while enhancing at the same time. Ipe Oil™ Deck Finish is a 250 VOC compliant oil-based finish that can be used in all 50 states.

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.

IPE Oil Hardwood Stain Stain Scores (1-10)

Appearance After Initial Stain Application: 9

– IPE Oil comes in only a Natural Finish. This is a transparent but pigmented color that really enhance the natural grain of the wood. The finished look after drying was a beautiful rich tones of brown with a hint of red throughout our IPE wood.

Preventing UV Graying at 1 Year Mark: 7

– We only test exotic hardwoods for 1 year. IPE oil had retained most of it’s color. Only about 30% of the color has faded from the wood. The was still a decent amount of color left.

Wear/Tear and Peeling: 9

– IPE Oil penetrates very well into exotic hardwoods. There wasn’t any peeling of the stain from the wood, even in the high traffic areas.

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Hardwood Deck Stains

Hardwood Deck Stain Advice and Tips

Exotic Hardwood Deck Staining

There are many different types of wood used for decking material. While the most common is pressure treated pine, some of the most beautiful are any of the exotic hardwoods. Woods such as Ipe, Redwood, Brazilian, Mahogany, Teak, and Pau Lupe are very sought after for deck owners looking for a gorgeous yet durable deck.

Hardwood decks, like other wood decks, are subjected to the elements and need to be protected with a deck stain or sealer. Hardwoods have different characteristics from more common wood types used in decking. Like the name suggests, they are very hard or dense in nature. This means searching for the right deck stain when it comes to protection.

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Defy Hardwood Stain Review

Defy Hardwood Deck Stain

Defy Hardwood Deck Stain was developed to penetrate dense exotic woods such as IPE, Tigerwood, Camura, Teak, and Mahogany. The Defy Hardwood Stain contains synthetic resins that absorb into the wood leaving a natural semi-transparent finish. Defy Hardwood is a “green” friendly finish that blocks out water and provides long lasting protection from weather damage.

Defy Hardwood Stain should also be considered for oil-rich woods such as Cedar and Redwood, offering better penetration for these wood types.

Important Note: Testing for Exotic Hardwood Deck Stains

Defy Hardwood Deck Stain Scores (1-10)

Appearance After Initial Stain Application: 8

– We choose the Defy Hardwood in the Light Walnut color to enhance the natural brownish/red tones of the IPE decking. The IPE looked stunning when the stained was applied but dried a little lighter. Overall a very rich look to the IPE as expected.

Preventing UV Graying at 1 Year Mark: 8

– As mentioned previously we only test exotic hardwoods for 1 year. Defy Hardwood Stain was one of a few stains that lasted the full 12 months on the IPE wood. About 80% of the original color was left on the IPE.

Wear/Tear and Peeling: 8

– Being that IPE is extremely dense we expected some wearing of the Defy Hardwood Stain. Overall the Defy did well and smalls amounts of wearing were visible throughout the IPE on the flooring and steps.

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Messmers UV Plus for Hardwoods Stain Review

Messmers Hardwood Decking Stain

Messmers UV Plus for Hardwoods was developed to penetrate and protect exotic hardwoods. This stain will help preserve and protect hardwoods from UV fading and water absorption. The two colors available will restore the wood’s natural color tones.

Messmers UV Plus for Hardwoods was the first stain specifically designed for difficult to penetrate exotic woods.

Important Note: Testing for Exotic Hardwood Deck Stains

Messmers UV Plus for Hardwoods Stain Scores (1-10)

Appearance After Initial Stain Application: 9

– The Red Mahogany color was used for the IPE test deck. We choose this color since the manufacturer said it would last a little longer than the Natural tint. The stained appearance when dry was a beautiful color of reddish brown tones throughout our IPE.

Preventing UV Graying at 1 Year Mark: 7

– As mentioned previously we only test exotic hardwoods for 1 year. Messmers retained 70% of its original color after one year in the full sun areas and close to 80% in the shaded areas. Overall good results for an IPE deck.

Wear/Tear and Peeling: 9

– The Messmers Hardwood stain exhibited little to no peeling on the wood. The stain faded evenly without any wear patterns.

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Penofin Exotic Wood Stain Review

Penofin Hardwood Stain

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

Penofin Exotic Wood Stain Scores (1-10)

Appearance After Initial Stain Application: 10

– 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: 4

– 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.

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