Find the Best Wood Deck Stain: Top-Rated Products for All Needs 4.7/5 (380)

Florida new redwood pressure treated 2×6 deck with a messy canopy of crepe myrtle trees mostly shaded with some sun 20×28 deck. Being replaced from cabots Australian timber oil failure. Mold and algae can build up from tree droppings any suggestions on semi transparent stain and sealer thanks

I’ve got a 25 year old deck in Northern Michigan that I’ve used Australian Timber oil on. I agree it’s not what it used to be-didn’t penetrate as well and had peeling on wood I replaced (after waiting 1 year after to seal).

it’s been 3 years since last application and ready for reseal with something else.

Can I do RAD full strip and change to water soluble? Would it be better to keep with oil base and if so do can I skip the stripping step?

Springfield, Missouri. East side of house in sun all morning with gradual shade progressing in the afternoon. We have periods of very wet weather and periods of very dry weather. Newer deck of untreated Yellawood, installed about 18 months ago. Cleaned it in May with Wolman’s cleaner/brightener (now by Rustoleum). Mildew had grown on rails and spindles. I know I will need to prep again before I stain it. My priority is something that will protect as long as possible. Prefer water-based but not sure whether semi-transparent or solid would be better.

Used Sherwin-Williams semi-transparent water-based on former pressure-treated wood deck. Looked great initially but poor performance over 1-2 years.

I live in Ohio. had a new deck built….want to apply a top rated water sealer not stain as I want to preserve the natural wood grain….so many choices here so much reading….whats the best suggestion for my need?

I live in Ohio, deck in sun, yes to mildew. Previously used Behr deckover which chipped, one board rotten ( pine). Stripped all deckover off with diamabrush, which was a lifesaver. Advice would be greatly appreciated. Don’t ever want another mess like this again.. Thinking semi transparent

I have a wooden deck that is over 30 years old. The wood is slightly rough and is splitting some. I cannot replace it now. I used One Time Wood about 10 years ago and it held up surprisingly well. My deck is under massive maple trees and gets very little direct sunlight. I live just southeast of Cleveland Ohio. There is no mold or mildew. I will be pressure washing the deck this summer. What would be a good product for my deck? Thanks

I purchased a home in the Midwest in Southern Indiana. The previous owner put a deck paint on the treated lumbar deck boards. Since the purchase the high traffic areas have flaked and so I decided to pressure wash and repaint. Well, most of the paint came off. There are still spots that stayed adhered pretty well and of course the deck sides and posts are still painted (not pressure washed). I am curious if there is an application I can put over the bare lumbar as well as the small paint spots that are still remaining? I was thinking I could burnwith a weed burner, removing the stick on paint and giving the wood a cool looking finish then applying a sealant. Possibly using a black or dark stain/sealer over the deck as is? Even going to the extreme of stripping the top boards of the deck with a diamond tipped angle grinder head that I’ve seen advertised. I know I can repaint but would rather try and find something that would last more than a season before flaking from foot traffic. Thanks for any advice.

I have an old deck 40 years + I would like a Semi-Solid Stain I live in Salt lake city

Eugene Oregon. So lots of rain except in summer. Yes to mold and mildew.
Cedar, 5 years old.
Never stained or sealed. Just washed annually with oxiclean or pressure washed.
Deck gets more shade than sun.

Central New York, South facing covered porch, pressure treated lumber on log home. Exposed to afternoon sun, halfway toward house. After a couple years the stain, opaque, is peeling and looks awful. Would love a penetrating stain that doesn’t peel. Also, our dog makes grand entrances and it shows!

Hello Scott – I live in Connecticut and have a 30 year old pressure treated deck which appears to have been treated several times, most currently (I’ve learned) with a Cabot Semi Transparent Oil stain about a year ago. That stain appears to have failed (faded), resulting in my pressure washing the deck, followed by use of the Thompson 3 in 1 brightener. The results of that effort were good, though certain boards appear slightly darker than others (due to shade I assume) with some displaying green patches which I believe to be algae. I assume sanding to be required at this point followed by an application of stain. Would you agree with this approach and if so, which type of stain (oil or water based) and brand would you suggest? Thank you, Scott!

We live in Mpls MN. Our cedar deck is 15-20 years old and the traffic area is in partial sun and shade, rest of the deck is shade. We have had some moss grow between or on edges of parts of deck, live with lots of tree coverage. Do lighter or medium grays show more than a dark solid stain? Our home is a taupe so would like to go a little lighter gray that leans toward a greige to lighten up backyard space. Will a medium gray show dog foot prints etc. more than a darker? wanting to lighten up the space a bit since back is so shady. Thanks!

we are in Minneapolis MN. Our cedar deck is 15-20 years old. The highest traffic area is partial sun the rest of the deck is mostly in shade.We get moss growing between some boards but haven’t really noticed mold or mildew? Previous stains only lasted a year or so and were transparent I can’t remember which brand. We have 2 golden retrievers who come and go from house to yard via the deck daily.

I live in Weirton, WV near Pittsburgh. New deck, 2×6 deck boards, all treated Lumber from 84 Lumber. Wood is dry, what kind of prep do you recommend before semi-transparent stain is applied? Is TWP 100 your choice for me? Thank you

Hello! I live in Colorado at about 7600 feet. I have a south-facing deck that had been stained and then painted but the paint is peeling after only a year. The wood a beautiful redwood and now it looks terrible! It was never meant to be painted but it was done without my approval. In addition, some of the boards had rotted because they were covered by some bricks. The boards have been replaced and I now want to remove the peeling paint and stain it properly. I really need some direction on what is best to use and that will be easier to maintain. HELP! Thank you in advance.

Update: I’m in the PNW, greater Seattle area. Deck gets full morning and mid-day sun and lots of rain.

I have an old deck made with pressure treated wood (with incisions) that has never been finished. The boards are in decent condition, very few cracks etc. which stain do you recommend? I’m trying to blend in with new deck made with Trex Enhanced Basics in Clamshell. Pictures so before and after pressure washing deck.

North Central PA. Our deck is pressure-treated pine. Full sun. no mold or mildew. The last stain was Olympic put on in the spring but after winter it was peeling off. Now, its all pressured washed and ready for a better product. What do you recommend? Thank You.

Oakland County, MI / Deck went from 50/50 sun/shade to 100% sun. / Cedar / No mold or mildew / Live in a wooded area with a lot of trees.

Cleaned deck built in 2019, just lightly power washed. Deck was originally sealed with Penofin Blue Label. Just lightly power washed the dirt off and the wood looks pretty good – but I’m not an expert! What is the best recommendation for sealing now to keep the deck in good shape?

Deck Full Sun 6.2022.pdf

Hi, we are in upstate NY next to the Canadian border along the St.Lawrence River/Seaway. Our deck is made of pressure treated pine. We used Deckover and followed every instruction to the letter when applying it. There is a roof over the deck but still plenty of sun along the front edge. You can tell the spots where the deck over failed are due to sun, higher traffic, and snow/rain exposure. It seems obvious that the deckover didn’t penetrate the wood at all. It peels off easily. We have no problems with mold or mildew.

1. Deck Location: NO deck, just 8×8 posts and beams on front porch; Southern Colorado at 8200 feet
2. Sun/Shade: Full sun in the afternoon, shade in the morning
3. Wood Type: Spruce
4. Mold/Mildew? No
5. How Did the Last Stain Fail? Not sure it is really failed at this point; 3 years since last stain on new wood; still looks OK; maybe faded a little
6. Which Stain Was It? SuperDeck Transparent Stain 1902 Red Cedar

SW WA State, deck gets direct sun in summer months and outer boards get lots of rain the rest of the year as deck is only partially covered. We made the mistake of sanding new Tigerwood before building, which may also explain why annual maintenance is needed. We’ve used Gemini Cleaner, Neutralizer then Messmers Hardwood UV Plus each Spring so it’s time again. Have been researching online…

1) How does TWP 1500 series compare to Messmers?
2) Restore-A-Deck kit is three times the price of Gemini (same manufacturer, I understand) Is it worth the difference?

Many thanks!

Central Oregon high desert
Lots of sun all day
I think its cedar
No issues with mold mildew 
My guess is that it is just old
Not sure but found an empty can of Penofin under one deck… you know what they say about assumptions.

I bought a home that has a couple of decks in various degrees of disrepair and lack of maintenance. I believe two of them can be saved but the other one will need new decking. I’ve been working on the first one when I came across this website. I initially tried to pressure wash the old stain off but that didn’t really work to well. I’ve finished sanding the first deck and thinking there must be an easier way. I sanded it with 80 grit and im thinking about using the restore a deck products to clean and brighten before staining. I’m not sure what kind of stain to use? Should I try the restore a deck stripper on the second deck? or just sand it too? or maybe both strip and sand? Any advice would be helpful.

attached pics of the sanded deck, the not yet sanded deck, and the empty can of finish I found.

In which state is your deck located? Alabama
How much sun/shade does your deck get? Constant sun
What type of wood is your deck made of? Treated lumber
Do you have mold or mildew issues? Brand New deck so no
Why/how did the previous stain fail? Brand New deck so doesn’t have anything right now.
What type and brand (if known) of stain did you use last time? Nothing yet

Location chicago il
Age 7 years
Wood pressure treated
No mold or mildew
Flaking
We started with olympic elite and ran out couldn’t find any anywhere,(covid) finished with Sherwin Williams.
Please help we love the red color

I had a “two-steps-down” step made to go out a back door – I asked that the step be made of treated wood. I had no idea there were all types of treatments for wood. I’ve kept the very heavy “two-steps down” step inside my dry garage for a year (Twin Cities, MN area) and now I’d like to stain it with a tinted solid stain already purchased – Sherwin-Williams Super Deck solid waterborne. Now, I’ve read S-W deck stains aren’t very well rated. I saw in one of your answered questions for treated wood in order for it to “weather”, it must be outside – ugh! The step is built of new wood, can’t tell by just looking if it’s treated or not. I sprinkled water on a few boards today, and in about 11 minutes, the water droplets disappeared. There are several stamps on the wood steps – not all the characters are “clear”, thus the “?” marks. Stamps: – – “599 TP No. 2 KDHT?P”, “No. 2 P PINE 441”, “HT 71”, “KD19H1?”, “01229 ?EO”. Now, I’m wondering if my “two-steps-down” step is all made of the same treated wood?!? This step is going to sit on top of rocks or concrete pavers outside. QUESTION: Can I stain this step now with the S-W I bought – and if so, should I put an exterior latex primer on the knots in the wood first? Or do I have to wait and weather this step outside first – and if so, for how long? Then prime and stain it with the stain I’ve bought? I’ve batted a thousand making mistakes, so at this point, I at least want to “stain” the step the best way possible.
Thanks so much for whatever help you can give me.
Rose

Hi, I’m located in south central Wisconsin. My deck is exposed to sunlight most of the day with little to no shade. I believe the deck is made of pressure treated pine, it’s about 15 years old. It was painted by the previous owners, and we’re in the process of stripping the peeling paint off. There is slight mildew, mainly underneath the deck boards. The plan is to take off as much paint as possible (sanding, stripping, pw), clean with Restore-A-Deck cleaner and brightener before staining. What type of stain would you recommend?

Hi, applied BM Aborcoat, looked great. After 24 hours there was passing rain, maybe for 40 mins and then sun came out. Now I have what appears to water stains. The area that’s lighter is shiny and bit tacky to the touch. Definitely not like that in the morning. Any idea of this can be salvaged? Thanks!

Hi,
The deck is in western NC. 3/4th of the day in the sun.It was stained multiple times with Cabot Australian Jarrah Brown oil stain over a 15 year period. After 1-1/2 years it is weathered badly. Last application after clean , pressure wash did not absorb well ( was hot day) The wood has linear cracks.
A portion exposed rarely gets sun and those areas are getting green mildew. Areas under cover look great and have only been re-stained 1x.
The winters are cold and windy, summers are high 80’s and tons of rain ( 42’/y). Verticals are good.
I plan to clean, PW and sand the horizontals. What stain will adsorb, try to seal cracks, and repel water ( want to avoid ice expansion & wood cracking more). I was hoping NOT to do much with the covered deck portion ….Oil, water base, semi transparent, sealer????
THANKS!
Blake

Hi, I have a deck that is cedar, newly built last October 2021, I am at 9,800 feet, so UV protection is important, I know I need to whiten the deck then what stain to use with UV consideration? Some reviews of TWP were not kind in regards to fading.

Hello,
I am in MA on Cape Cod less than a between a quarter and a half mile to both the bay and ocean (as a crow flies). Summers can be hot, but fall and winter can be very damp.
The deck gets the morning and early afternoon sun for less than half the day. Some parts get much less.
The last sealer I used was Bond’s One Time (Natural), I don’t know how many years ago… maybe 8 years ago.
The deck is mahogany. Probably 20 to 30 years old, but still solid.
I don’t know what we get, but under a Birch tree it sometimes gets very slippery with green. Pressure washing with water removes it. I do this every few years. An outdoor shower area can get slippery too.
I don’t know that it ever failed as there was no layer on top of the wood. The stain was one that relied on sunlight to cure it
The prior sealer was Bond’s One Time (natural).
I was looking at Cabot Australian Timber Oil or Armstrong-Clark hardwood and IPE stain, but am open to any suggestion. Also I am wondering what semi transparent stain would look most like newer mahogany without being too dark (the house is grayed cedar shingles. One last item, I prefer quicker drying time, as I have dogs that need the back yard. Thanks in advance for your recommendation.

Can I paint over the restore10X paint?. It is starting to peel after 8 years and can’t afford to remove it . Please tell me what brand of paint I can use. I want to paint it a dark gray.

State MA
Sun Direct sun 8hrs + per day
Wood .60 Pressure treated 35 years old paint sanded off over 30 yrs ago
Mildew mold No
Previous stain Applied 2 coats last summer after using deck cleaner and pressure washing wood
looks dry, water does not bead
Brand Sherwin Williams Superdeck Clear sealer
What would you recommend?

Thanks
Paul