This post was updated on May 1, 2024
The Worst Deck Stains in 2026?
We here at DeckStainHelp.com are proud to be the internet’s number one reference for all things wood deck restoration-related. If you have had a negative experience with deck stains, you have come to the right place to warn people. We are always looking for ways to engage with our readers, so we appreciate your input and questions by leaving a comment below.
Deck Stain Failures
Have you had a bad experience with a decking stain?
Our most popular article, “What is the Best Deck Stain” has become the #1 article for consumers on the Internet for deck stain questions and answers. We have decided to create an article based on negative consumer feedback and experiences with decking stains.
We are looking for bad experiences with a particular brand of decking stain.
Please include:
1. Brand of Deck Stain
2. Type of Deck Stain (i.e. Solid, Semi-Transparent, Transparent, Semi-Solid)
3. Location and date applied
4. How long did it take for the stain to fail and how did it fail? (Peeling, Turned Black, Mold, Etc)
5. A brief description of your overall negative experience.
Note: This is mostly for fun and to allow you to vent your frustration!
I keep seeing on the right side of my screen what look
s like a list of the worst rated deck stains, but I can’t find this list anywhere!!! Help, please. I want to find this article: “The Worst Deck Stain Ratings
1. Behr Premium Wood Stain
2. Sherwin Williams Deckscapes
3. Benjamin Moore Arbor Coat
…See All Deck Stain Reviews”
but when I click on “…See All Deck Stain Reviews”, I get sent back to the article that lists the best rated products, not the worst.
HELP!!! I NEED TO KNOW WHAT TO AVOID!
You can click on each individual review for each “worst” stain on the right-hand side. There is not an article just for the bad reviews, but a list for all the reviews.
https://www.deckstainhelp.com/category/deck-product-reviews/deck-stain-reviews/
Scrolling through all those articles will show all our reviews. Good and bad.
I’m a stain rep in Ca and for the most part trans and semi trans you’ll get a couple years and solids a few more. If you go to a more rural area like Truckee you can get the old meaning “ Better “ formulas in oil.
Go to a reputable paint store for the pros like Kelly Moore for stuff that works. Stay away from big box BS paint and stain.
I live in southern Illinois where the summers get very humid, and have a 40-year-old home with some reverse board and batten cedar siding on the east and north sides. Also, when the wind is right ( or wrong), there is dust from a nearby limestone quarry in the air. The cedar is thick and I have been told that it is in good shape except it has not been taken care of for years. I cleaned a section of it and it became a lovely brownish color. That is the color I like. Both Sikkens natural and TWP 115 Honeytone Total Wood preservative appeared yellowish, which I don’t like. I don’t mind re-doing it every two years or so. I think I need a penetrating water repellent preservative. I read here that oil based stains get sticky which would not be good with limestone dust in the air. If needed I would consider a semi transparent stain, but I have a problem with the colors available , and I don’t want a solid stain. Suggestions on how to finish it? Thanks
If you want to retain the color from graying then you have no choice but to use a penetrating semi-transparent tinted stain and those will enhance the grain based on the color you choose. It is not possible to keep the color as is. That means you would use a clear sealer without tint and that also means zero UV protection from graying. It will gray in months.
Not all oil-based stains are sticky. For example, TWP fully cures and will not be sticky.
Is Pittsburgh paint solid deck stain good
Average.
Connecticut, new pressure-treated wood deck being installed this week, south-facing and west so full sun for half the day, tall white pines create tendency to mildew in part of deck. Want a solid color if possible. Best brand to use and should it be oil or water based? Thank you!
Try the Flood Pro series solid stains.
Thank you – is maintenance over the years harder on this than a semi-transparent stain?
Yes. Solid stains can be prone to peeling and are harder to apply and maintain.
I’m also in CT too. I had my deck virtually replaced, but there are a few posts that are from the old deck. I had used a Cabot sold stain. The posts were fine, but after time there was peeling and cracking. I’m not sure what to go with now. The deck is on the back of the house and our house faces South so in the morning it gets the sun. Lots of tree shade after that. I was thinking of going with PPG or Sherwin Williams. Any thoughts on those products?
Use Flood Pro Series Solid stains. SW and PPG do not have very good solid stains.
Flood used to have the absolute best Solid Stain around, the old SWF would last for years and years compared to all the other brands. But they changed the formula a couple years ago. It used to be oil modified and also had Emulsa Bond in it for added adhesion. Now, no Emulsa Bond, you have to add it yourself to the first coat of solid stain. And it’s 100% Acrylic instead of oil modified.
I think they either changed because of voc rules or just wanted a cheaper made product. The new Flood Pro Series is Urethane fortified. Many painters believe it is actually a rebranded old Sunproof solid stain, which was also Urethane fortified. Flood/ PPG(who owns Flood) bought them out.
PPG now uses that same Urethane fortified solid stain in other brands they own. Compare them and you can see they’re all the same.
Floods:
PPG Timeless version:
Pittsburgh Paramount one:
Olympic Elite one:
They’re all the same. Me, as a pro I’ve had good success so far with Storm System Enduradeck Category 4. It’s oil modifed. Hard to find though, have to buy online. I had good success on one deck with Zar Solid Stain, which is also oil modified. I had added Emulsa Bond to the first coat of that job though. Emulsa Bond on the first coat of solid stain is a painter trick to make the coating last a lot longer. Partially why the old Flood was so amazing. Only for first coat though. And I haven’t ever used it with the Enduradeck, just because I really don’t think it needs it.
Though I agree with what you wrote about Gemini Deck Revive, that sounds like the best of the best for all Solid stains. Pricy though.
Do you mix the emusla bond into the primer or just put on first like a primmer
Emulsa Bond is an additive that can be added to solid stains or paints in certain situations. So say if using Flood solid stain you add Emulsa Bond to it following directions. But only supposed to use Emulsa Bond on the first coat as directed in instructions.
So depending on size needed to be stained, adding the full quart to a gallon and doing the first coat, of you have leftovers and want to do a second coat you won’t be able to use the remaining. So can add half Emulsa to half gallon or whatever is needed for first coat. So can have remainder for second coat.
If the second coat is even needed. If one coat covers that might be all that’s needed. A smaller film(one coat) may be better to prevent future peeling.
If using Storm System Enduradeck I wouldn’t even use Emulsa as I don’t think it’s needed. But I would use it for Floods or Zar’s. And prep work is key. Mold must be killed and cleaned with a deck cleaner, preferably sodium precabonate as recommended on this site. Pressure washing helps, but must be careful not to get close or use high pressure, if causing wood to splinter that’s too close.
I’m looking to stain my deck in the next 2 weeks. I’m looking to use a semi-transparent stain. I’ve scoured the area and unfortunately no one carries any of your recommended stains. I’d really appreciate your recommendations from the following options I have. Thank you!
– Behr Premium Semi-Transparent Weather Proofing Wood Stain
– CIL Canadian Woodcare Canadian Wood Oil
– CIL Woodcare Premium Semi-Transparent Stain Deep Base
– CIL Woodcare Distinction Semi-Transparent Stain
– Olympic Deck, Fence and Siding Stain and Sealant
– Olympic Semi-Transparent Stain and Sealer (various colours)
– Olympic Maximum Toner Stain and Sealant
– Beauti Tone Wood Shield Acrylic Deck and Siding Stain
– Superdeck Transparent Stain
Olympic semi-transparent as long as its oil based.
Thank you!!!
No oil base in humid climates as it will stay sticky. That came straight from Olypic number customer service on can. Use Flood with no oil base.
There’s no Flood in Canada, where the OP is.
Use of Pittsburg Ultra Stain on Cedar resulted in a attraction to squirrels who nibbled on several cedar siding boards! Not only mine but also a friend’s. Do you have a remedy?
No there is not a way to deter squirrels.
Not sure if it can be mixed in stains but there is a rymar product called chew stop that is concentrated pepper oil that deters animals from chewing on wood
I have just recently sand down my two 500 sqft deck. What brand of Stain do you recommend for a deck that is 20 ft high, open sun exposure @ 95f to 110f temperature, that can last for minimum 5 -10 yrs? I have seen on a Behr Premium label, that they guarantee 10 yrs on Deck, 25yrs on fence. But after reading some of your reader’s reviews i am not so sure if I should go with Behr brand at all. Thoughts?
Nothing lasts 5-10 years. 2-3 is the max you will get on a deck surface and that is why you want a penetrating stain that is easy to clean and reapply as needed. Look at one of these: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/the-5-best-deck-stain-reviews-and-ratings/
Olympic Flood CWF-UV with no oil base.
Are there any Canadian stain brands that you can recommend ?
None that we know of that are decent since the VOC laws changed there.
I have Benjamin Moore Aaborcoat on deck and tired of peeling and bubbling. Paint store said I will have same problem with Flood since my deck is low to the ground? What is your opinion? I can sand and clean but not completely remove the existing arborcoat? LVP
The only way to fix this is to fully sand it all off. Then choose a penetrating stain: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/the-5-best-deck-stain-reviews-and-ratings/
2 year old pine deck never been stained. Deck is backed up to a pool and has direct sunlight for most of the day. What brand and type of stain should I use? Semi or semi solid? Thanks
See this link: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/the-5-best-deck-stain-reviews-and-ratings/
Clean and brighten the wood for the prep.
Just stained the deck with Flood Pro Series Solid Stain. It’s 8 hours later and a thunderstorm is rolling in. Will this be a disaster?
Should be fine.
I had several new boards on the deck. It was recommended by the individual who stained it to go over with a third coat after a couple days. Attached are the results. Suggestions?
That will be the only way to get it to blend at this point.
same experience in Seattle 4x
I have a one year old deck that faces north, so gets a good amount of afternoon sun. I would like to stain it a solid gray color. I’ve been agonizing over reviews such as Behr, SW, Benjamin Moore, CE Lee, etc. I happened to see a reference to Flood stains. What is your opinion on the solid stains from this line of products?
Use Flood. Better than the others.
Would you recommend Flood over Zar?
Yes.
New Jersey
Full Sun
Pressure Treated Pine
limited mold/mildew
New (11 months/not stained) backs up to pool
Never Before Stained
Clean and brighten the wood for the prep and stain with Armstrong Clark in a semi-solid color.
If we had previously used Sikkens Teak Oil on our deck, can we use the TWP 100 series oil based sealer on it without stripping it down completely?
Thx
No. You will need to remove the current coating when switching brands.
Behr premium. Stained it last year, looked good. Snow melted and it had peeled like cheap interior paint. I have never seen a stained this, ever.
Did you use Behr Deckover? That is what I used with the same problem. I have a guy that is recommending Behr Premium.
Working a a deck. I cleaned with cheaner then simple greened ,sanded then unfortunatly had to power wash some spots. The sherwin williams solid red stain is traash and the customer has mo interest on putting sw back on and is a water base stain cirrently down. Can i stain a brown FLOOD stain over the existing?
If the Flood Solid Stains, yes.
Hi, I purchased Flood CWF-UV “Cedar” finish and used on my old fence. It doesn’t look too Cesar like but more of a nice dark walnut which is ok. I was going to use the same product on my parents fence but they want a more lighter cedar color. What are my options.
Also if I apply this on actual cedar beams, will the color come out different as opposed to the walnut finish on my non cedar fence
We are not sure on the Flood colors as what would be lighter. Maybe a “natural” tone. Yes, the cedar beams will probably be lighter in color.
I have a 1000 sf pressure treated pine deck. I used Behr DeckOver a couple years back. Peeled off in sheets and stuck well in other areas. Blotchy-horrible. I have replaced a few boards. I have been stripping what lifts and will sand. What if I find more small boards that need replacing? Should I sand them and brighten? Will that work prior to staining since cure time is very limited?What products should I use? The deck gets full sun-faces the west by I ground pool and yard. I live in Atlanta. I need a good reliable product. Should it be oil based? Paint or stain?
Use one of these brands: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/the-5-best-deck-stain-reviews-and-ratings/
Can you answer my other questions? Thank you.
You need to let the new wood weather for a few months and then clean and brighten for the prep.
Same here, and you complain to Behr, they just dismiss you and tell you you didn’t use it right.
I used the Behr Deckover as well. Looked great the 1st year, now year 2 I noticed some of my deck boards literally rotting. I basically need to replace the deck. My mother mentioned to me that after I used it on her deck starting rotting. I did some research and see there is a class action lawsuit against Behr for this.
Storm system category 4 is an aweful product. My porch floor is still sticky a month later. I had to completely sand all of it off of a deck 3 months later after apllication. It is now ruining a 120 year old house restoration. Garbage shit product. Do not buy!
Storm System Enduradeck/ Category 4 is the best on the market in my pro opinion. How sticky was it? Was the wood dry enough before application? Did you use Emulsa Bond paint additive along with it by any chance?
Do you get better or worse results when adding emulsa bond to storm system 4?
How is Pittsburgh ultra advanced solid color stain for a fence? Coverage? Durable?
Sorry but never used it before.
What about Flood Pro Series Solid color on a covered porch? I don’t care about grain showing, so would the solid stain be a good choice from Flood?
If you want a solid stain then yes, Flood is a go brand.
Hi, just found your blog – I’ve been researching stains for the past two years. We have a 33 year old cedar-sided home. Within the first 15 years, we twice applied CWF-UV Cedar Color – water cleanup. Believe it or not, it lasted a long time – did not like the prolonged smell. It did not do so well on horizontal surfaces; within a year it was peeling and the formula was not as good. Did not sink into the wood. We recently built a log home in the Adirondacks – we used Outlast Log Oil – it was expensive, but just beautiful. It’s been 3 years, still looks like new – recommend doing every 7 years. Our log home is all hand peeled logs and it penetrated. To add to that, we are in the process of restoring our cedar sided home – we will most likely use Outlast Log Oil; but are also considering WeatherSeal Ext. Has anyone used this product – comes highly recommended. Key is to make sure all prior surfaces are truly cleaned and stain free.
Sorry but have used eithe of those brands.
The outlast is a great product ,as well as Natural Wood Finishes Company out of Utah.It is the ingredients that make the difference. Tung oil,boiled linseed,citris,pine extract, mildewcide and the natural ingredients that are accepted by the EPA standards. One thing nice about these products is one does not have to sand off a cell (acrylic membrane) before you re-coat in a few years. Check out the Water Lox company also. Check out any product that is associated with marine wood coatings(boats, Yachts), anything with a finished wood coating for marine seafaring .That is your best bet.
It is Heritage Wood Finishes Company, not Natural.
Not sure what you are refering too as it looks good in the picture.
I spent many weeks preparing my cedar deck(power washing and total sanding with 120 grit)in preparation for a new coat of clear Cabots 1400 deck stain.It was applied in early July using a Cabots brush. It was applied after a week of no rain and was applied in the shade. It failed in one month and does not shed water. It is now a gray color. This product is junk. Note, Cabots is a Valspar Company which is now owed by Sherwin Williams. No wonder other posts show Sherwin Williams deck products as junk. Cabot used to be a great product. I coated a second deck with Sikens and it is beautiful. My local hardware stores are slowly switching to Sikens.
I went ahead and stained my covered screen porch with PPG Timeless American Chestnut Semi-solid stain. I had previously stripped all old stain from the wood using Behr Paint Stripper. It worked great, and my porch was ready for new stain. First off, MAKE SURE YOU BOTH SHAKE AND STIR THE PPG CAN WELL. The color sinks to the bottom and must be mixed well. Then, note that it goes on dark and quickly soaks into the wood. The color on the PPG can label is NOT the color in the can. It is probably 3 shades darker. This is really dumb policy of PPG. Why try to make the stain look lighter on the label, when users will only discover it goes on much darker and will complain about it? DUMB!!
Testing out the color in advance is a MUST with this product. PPG sells small 6 oz. cans of stain through HomeDepot just for that purpose. Buy one and apply it to some pressure-treated wood sample from any source. If it is too dark, you can dilute it with water and do another test strip. I did, and it lightened the stain and it turned out fine.
To begin, be prepared in advance with a roller on a pole, and apply the stain sparingly, then roll it over and over to spread the stain out while it is only a minute old. It applied OK, and took me about 3 hours to stain an 18′ x 20′ porch. The color was darker in some places, but that is OK and looks rather natural.
The wood dried in about 48 hours, and now, about a month later, the stain looks fine. Only time will tell if it holds up and doesn’t mold or mildew.
Frank you really messed up, never ever use a water base stain of any kind on anything exterior especially a deck floor, your setting yourself up for failure. TWP is absolutely the best stain/sealer on the market I apply 500-1000 gallons of stain per year and about 75% of that is TWP.
Update. It is now March 2018 and the PPG Timeless American Chestnut Semi-solid stain I used on my screen porch 7 months ago is holding up very well. It is not really chestnut color … it is a darker brown, sort of like dark pecan, but it has not faded or peeled. The boards are fine. Note that my screen porch is covered by a roof so rain gets in but direct sunlight is limited. Nevertheless, I have no problem with the stain. Just remember to test out the color in advance by buying a small can and testing it on a wood sample. Also realize that when it goes on, it will soak into the wood fast so be prepared to roll it with your roller many times to spread it out and make it even.
I had my deck power washed and then chose PPG Timeless American Chestnut Semi-solid stain and like you said, it was way darker than expected. After the first coat, I asked my contractor to change it. My furniture is about the same color and it would have looked awful.
He said to choose a solid stain and it will cover it. I am thinking about the Autumn Sand but I am scared to death as to how it will look. He is applying it tomorrow. I think I will go get a sample and try it myself before he comes out.
By the way, they both are oil-based stains.
Finished 2nd coat of Storm Cat 4 on deck this am. Weather now indicating chance of showers later this afternoon / evening. Deck already been drying for 4 hours and only slight tack to touch. Can step on in socks and not leave print. Should we be okay if light rain actually hits or should we try to cover with tarps? Any experience 0r wisdom on the potential? Thanks
We do not use their product so it would be best to contact them directly for advice.
Thompson’s Water Seal Timber Oil, applied in San Diego Ca on deck railing that faces west. New rail built of 4X4’s 2X4’s Redwood and hog wire. Applied the Thompsons Timber oil and had to make sure to use it sparingly otherwise it gets sticky and won’t dry. Nice color, BUT….within 7 months needed to be re-applied as it turned dark and had some mold. This railing was getting about 7 hours of sun during that time of year. The second coat was applied and within 6 months I have now pulled out the belt sander and sanded it all off…lots of work very very disappointed and a waste of my time and money. Another wonderfully irritating trait is that if you use say 1/2 can and seal up…I guess the air space in the can turns the oil black. I had to buy another gallon and throw away the original oil since it turned black and tested on wood…goes on black. I will not purchase this again. I read good things about a product called SunFrog….but not really many reviews or hard user data.
Thankyou for your post! We are currently staining our fence (Thompson Waterseal Timber Oil – Walnut) the first two sections turned out beautiful, after refilling our little pail my daughter noticed it going on darker but just thought it would dry lighter… and now we have a whole section that looks black. The oil turned in the can after less than a day of use. Now our fence looks awful, have you any advice on how to remove the oil? How did you use the oil? Did you dump it all into a container at once?
Thankyou
This past Monday after thoroughly stripping my cedar deck, I applied PPG’s Timeless Semi-solid deck stain to my cedar deck. Today, Thursday, the stain is disappearing from large sections of the deck. It rained last night but had been dry for over 50 hours. This is infuriating. I’m calling their technical help tomorrow when I’m not so mad. Not much they can do remotely. They refunded me last year when their Paramount stain I used started failing when the weather go cold. But they can’t make up for the labor I put into stripping and applying the stain.
This stuff is horrible. Brand new deck, let it dry for 4 months, lightly sanded the deck and applied per instructions. One year later, it was wearing off horribly. Stripped the deck, whitened and let it dry another couple of months. Reapplied, again, following instructions to the letter. Two years later, the deck looks horrible again.
Hi David,
I believe your expectations of a deck stain may be a little off. TWP suggest for new wood to wait 4-12 months and apply 1 coat only. They then suggest another coat about a year later for new wood. After that, they suggest every 2 years for decks that are over 2 years old. It seems this is what you did and is the correct expectations.
Unfortunately, there is no deck stain on the market that is going to give you more than 2-3 years on a horizontal and most do not even last that long. The nice thing about TWP is they do not make up any “extended” and unrealistic warranties and instead tell the truth. TWP is also a very easy product to maintain every 2-3 years going forward. Just prep and recoat. No peeling or heavy sanding/prep is needed.
Sherwin Williams stain lasted less than a year, it is peeling and looks terrible. I went for the expensive stain hoping it lasted at least 3 years. This is the first time I use their products and the last time too. Never again.
Same here, will never go near the pricey Sherwin Willims stains again, didnt get a year out of it and I did exactly as instructed re prep and application. Unreal
I had the same rotten experience with Sherwin Williams.
Same here with Thompsons water sealer. Not sure how that company is in business with such a low quality product.
Looking to use ppg mahogany penetrating wood oil or satin semi-transparent stain on a 20+ year old deck. We are going to have it sanded down and redone. Anyone have any have any idea how this is? Don’t know which one to use either. We are sanding down and replacing about 10 boards
Mahogany goes on DARK. It is not the nice rich color seen on the can label. It is dark brown, so i would definitely try out a test board first. Be sure to shake and stir the cad good. The color settles to the bottom. If you want it lighter, go with the wood oil, or try a lighter color tint (maybe American chestnut).
Has any one used Flood CWF-UV stain for decks? pro’s and cons?
See this: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/flood-cwf-oil-wood-stain-review/
so if im reapplying my new,same deck color stain (CWF-UV) can I just deck wash the deck and sand areas needed. many spots got gray and peeled only after 2 years of applying it
Yes, you should be able to do that.
I used Flood on our deck 2 years ago. Did all the proper prep. including power washing. Looked great when finished. Now, not so great. Needs to be redone already.
Umm. Two years is considered good for a deck surface.
I have been using Flood CWF UV clear for approximately 20 years or longer. My deck is 30 years old, in full sun in the south. Has never had to have a board replaced. I will not use anything but CWF. It lasts 2-3 years. I’m in the process of sealing now after 4years, what I have finished looks like new wood again.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
How does Flood Pro-series solid stain compare to Sherwin Williams Woodscapes acrylic solid color stain?
Flood is better in our experience.
woodscapes is not a deck stain, just fence and siding,
superdeck is the line that Sherwin Williams carries.
Has anyone used Woodrich Timber Oil on a new yellow cedar deck? I received a sample pk from them, but found the color not to be what I was looking for.
I am in Nova Scotia, Canada. About 5 years ago I did my front porch & steps (PT wood) with FloodPro Penetrating Oil Finish semi-transparent. Although it was soap and water cleanup, it had enough solvent in it to soak into the wood and worked beautifully, holding up very well. Last year after some updates to my back deck I decided to finish it with the same product since it worked so well out front. The store sold me a product with the same name whose label looked virtually identical but upon closer examination it was a new formulation with very little (if any) solvent used – due to enviro regulations apparently. Deceptive naming and labeling.
This stuff went on and looked like paint despite being called semi-transparent. Regardless of the wood being covered – some new wood cleaned and sanded to remove the mill glaze, older boards being extensively cleaned multiple times with Home Hardware’s Activox product, which worked very well – it was obvious that there was no penetration whatsoever into the wood with this product. When finished it looked nice but sure enough over the winter much of it peeled off and it now looks a mess, confirming my belief it did not penetrate at all. I figure I need to strip it all off and try something else. This has really disillusioned me in my opinion of the Flood product. Avoid this stuff.
Pittsburgh Paints Ultra Advanced Solid Color Stain and Sealant in One is THE WORST.
We refinished our sizable deck with this last year, in the process changing from visible wood grain to a white finish. It has peeled and flaked nearly off the entire surface. Hundreds of dollars in stain and weeks of work down the drain. We’ll have to redo the entire thing, this time going with a much better brand. We finished the project in late June of last year, and it started flaking in April. Very, very dissatisfied customer!
We used Pittsburgh Paint Restore on our deck 3 years ago. After 6 months it was peeling. It just flaked off when I tried to rinse the deck off. Same boat as you….$500 and weeks of work down the drain. That was nothing though….it seems it either peels like nothing or won’t come off to save your life! I have taken a pressure washer nozzle about 1/2 cm from the stuff and it won’t come off. If it worked like that on the entire deck, it would be the best deck product ever made. I have stripped it, sanded it, and some of it still won’t come off. I finally decided to just let time take it’s course with it and left most of it on covering the exposed wood with stain. It looks like crap but I just can’t deal with it anymore. If it were up to me, Pittsburgh Paint would pay for new wood for my deck that their crap product ruined. So frustrating. I have literally almost been in tears because of this stuff.
Ugh! We are in the same boat as well! $500+ down the drain and seriously did everything we needed to make sure the stain was applied correctly. 7 months later it peeled everywhere! And I as well took our pressure washer to it to ‘clean’ it up and had the same results happen. Some won’t come off! So frustrated and mad that all that hard work did not pay off…
Really, I used the solid color on my deck and it’s great. I love it great protection and has great adhesion.
There are two different solid stains from Pittsburgh though: the one he is referring to: Ultra. And the Paramount version. Did you use the Paramount version? Check the can.
Home hardware is with out a doubt the worst ever
They changed and do not offer an oil based stain. They said it was good.
Power washed the deck
Let it dry for 7 days.
Used the broom and leaf blower to clear.
3 coats 2 days apart
It started peeling after 3 months
Now a year later it looks like I never did a thing
Absolute garbage
Home Hardware has reintroduced an oil based deck stain. It’s been around for at least a year.
For the last forty years or so I have been on a quest to find a stain for my redwood decks that would last longer than a year, sometimes a year and a half. Have tried them all. Including the tragic and disastrous Behr line due to the highest rating ever given by the organization that allegedly represents the consumer. Worst of them all. Can’t add anything more to what has already been said about Behr on this site.Suffice to say: avoid it at all costs! I live over a mile high in the mountains, Lake Arrowhead Ca., and have come to the conclusion nothing is going to give any satisfactory long term results longer than a year or so; if you wish to keep them looking good. The sun’s rays are too damn intense. Along with government regulations, it doesn’t look like it is going to get better, so that’s the name of that tune. Have been using Superdeck as a result of not being able to find anything superior but it too has its drawbacks. Good luck.
Any one have experience with PPG Timeless deck stain?
I just layed first coats down on a new deck. Loving the coverage (using Mahogany semi-trans.). Rich color and seemly good penetration. Time will tell on durability 🙂
PPG is a joke, started peeling off of my deck after 1 month. There is currently a class action lawsuit pending again st them for their worthless product.
No there is not. PPG was sued for another product but not Timeless deck stain. In fact, the stain was just introduced to the market this spring.
My statement was that PPG is a joke in general. There is currently a class action lawsuit pending against them. There are way better companies out there that are not cutting corners. There are also a lot of companies that are just as horrible as PPG, and products that are made by PPG but sold under a different name. PPG was a good company until the EPA ruined it with regulations and PPG laid down and took it and just cheapened up their products instead of developing a different way of doing it. Certain states can sell stains with higher VOC ratings, which would be the way to go if you live close to one of them.
You may have a beef with PPG but I bought a sample of their new Timeless stain, and it works very well. I intend to do my deck with it. The lawsuit you quote has nothing to do with their new Timeless stain, but the wording you used suggests it does. That is just wrong! ALL of the stains sold in larger metropolitan areas by all the companies are restricted to lower volatile organic air pollutants. I happen to totally approve of better air, and the EPA has done a service here, not ruined a company. Yes, the stains are no longer oil based, but that goes for all the products available. No one has figured out how to market an oil-based stain without using volatile oils. I doubt it can be done.
If you had a service complaint with the company, that is legit, but just badmouthing their products is misleading to the rest of us, particularly since this new stain is new, and I really doubt you used it and “it peeled within a month”. It actually is quite good and soaks into the wood.
Just an FYI, there are still oil based stains allowed in all states and available as well. TWP 1500 and Armstrong Clark are two brands that “figured out” how to properly make a quality oil based stains that are VOC compliant for all areas of the USA so it has and can be done.
I used TWP 1500 on my deck in the Pacific NW two years ago because they say it is designed for the weather of the NW. After a year it looked bad. Two years later it looked terribly bad!
It is normal to have to reapply TWP after 2 or 3 years. If the wood was new the first time applied, then TWP suggests another coat 1 year after the first coat. After that every 2-3 years.
There are oil based stains. The EPA is a train wreck and states that are not attached to a large body of water do not have the restrictions for VOC. For example Kentucky is allowed to sell stains with higher VOC content than Ohio or Michigan. I’m glad to hear your “sample” looked nice, but that doesn’t mean it will in a few months.
Michigan has the same higher VOC laws as Kentucky, but Ohio does not.
We also have to keep in mind the different EPA regulations from US to Canada.
Sherwin Williams does have an oil based semi-transparent deck stain but not full oil solid deck stains in Canada anymore.
I agree…. It seems this individual is way off base with his accounts of stain and PPG overall.
I would definitely not go by his recommendations.
Hi Frank do you remember the name is it Wood Pride. I just did my deck in it.
Oh really I just coated my deck with Wood Pride and that is a product from PPG. The Dulux store guaranteed it I kept my receipt will see what happens over winter. What’s the lawsuit about
There are no class action lawsuits on PPG Timeless. Please provide info.
Mike, did you use PPG timeless semi-solid?
Just stained our huge deck with it. Weathered, dried out deck. It is quite shiny and I’m hoping the two coats we put on is going to dry quickly. It looks pretty good so far. It was lighter color on the can so test color first. HD added Chestnut brown tint to the American Chestnut base, I think by mistake but it’s dark and rich, like dark chocolate! Hope it lasts! These reviews are scaring me!!
We have 2 brand new decks that need to be treated soon. We live in southern Missouri and our decks have a lot of shade. The deck is made of treated pine. I am so confused by the amount of advice here just need someone to tell me what brand of product to use and what to stay away from. This needs to be done very soon so quick responses would be extremely helpful.
See this about new wood: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/staining-a-new-deck/
Stay away from PPG!
You also need to stay away from Behr products….Just had to replace my deck from their GREAT Deckover product (textured) what a nightmare. Hopefully Home Depot’s PPG Timeless Stain (Semi-Solid/Jatoba) is more successful. I live at 7200′ and if I can get 4 to 5 years out of the product I will be happy.
Pressure treated wood does not require a sealer. If you bought from a quality wood supplier. Home Depot and Lowe’s do not count. Their PT is junk.
Some PT is better than others, yes. However, all PT is not as good as it was pre 2006 (I think that’s the year). You used to wait to seal a new PT deck about a year, let it dry out. Now you must seal when the PT is dry. Can be either right away (if lumber sat in the lumber yard for some time and became dry) or a couple months later when the PT has dried. The person putting the PT lumber down will be able to know how dry the lumber is at that time. For example, when nailing or screwing down deck boards, does the board spit? or can moisture be seen coming to the surface? Then you know the wood is still wet. Many times you can feel the difference in weight of the lumber. Wet is heavier.
I need to stain my deck. The last stain was Cabot semi-transparent and dark but was the wrong color choice and failed quickly. It seems like now it either needs to be totally stripped or painted with a solid color. I am going in the solid color direction to save my back and get the house on the market. From this site, I know people have recommended Flood but I can’t find Flood solid stain. I found PPG and was considering going with Jefferson Tan. Anyone have any reviews of PPG solid stain or other suggestions?
Stripping is not hard to do and is the correct way to prep this when going with a semi-trans. We are not fans of solid stains as they end up peeling and are harder to maintain. Sorry but never use PPG products or their solid stain.
Do not use POF whatever you Do! There is a class action lawsuit pending again st PPG there were so many complaints about their worthless products. I used PPG, peeled within a month.
There are no class action lawsuits on PPG Timeless. Please provide info.
It is very difficult to find a paint/stain manufacturer that isn’t in a class-action suit with these new products. They are all on a learning curve. Every one of them is trying to concoct a lower VOC product that won’t fail.
I used CIL Canada wood oil stain last year in July I bought this product from Home Depot.it looked good through out summer but now in the month of April stain has peeled off.
Contacted CIL on the phone number they provided on the gallon.
They advised me that they will send a form to fill out by email.
Still waiting for that promised email.
I will be in touch again.
Will keep the community posted about the outcome.
Did you apply this on new or weathered wood? What preparation did you perform to the wood? What was the moisture content of the wood before application?
18 month old pressure treated pine boat lift deck over saltwater. Mainly trying to protect the wood and minimize maintenance. Color not a concern. Needs to handle foot traffic and washing (birds, etc.). PLan to use oil-base. Should I use penetrating oil or clearl sealer or semi-transparent stain?
Penetrating semi-transparent.
The absolute worse deck "stain" was Home Depots (Behr) DeckOver. I applied it according to directions, prepared the surface and applied it (June) on a non humid, no rain forecasted, warm day. It looked great all summer, Then in March, I noticed it was peeling and by April the deck looked like it never ever had any treatment ever. I contacted the company and after a few calls, they agreed to reimburse me for teh cost of the stain and the cost of removing it professionally. The contractor orginally said it was take a day, but it tookl over 3.5 days with 2-3 guys working on it. It was resistant in some spots and in others it peeled inHome Depot rarely has it anymore. There was also a class action suit but I settled without joining the suit.
The BEST stain is STORM, which I used to redo the deck after it was sanded to bare wood. I HIGHLY recommend STORM stains — it is easy to apply and shows NO wear after 2+ years !!
If you have time, please post some pictures and a description of the failure on our new Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/DeckStainHelp/
What Storm product did you use? Looking for review of their catagory 3 product, dual dispersion or linseed oil finish. Thanks!
Has anyone used Zar deck and siding solid color stain on cedar siding?
I am a firm believer in ZAR Deck & Siding Products. ZAR makes good quality product and there Solid product can be used for decks and siding. If you are going use a light color think about the possiblity of tannin bleeding. You might need to prime first with a tannin blocking primer first. Dark color should not be an issue. Remember with any coating cleaning the surface and making sure it is fully dry is 99% important. Moisture in wood causes the most product issues.
I used Zao solid stain on a deck and it has held up for 2 years of Chicago winter so far. It’s been good. I added Emulsa Bond for the first coat on deck only, it’s a painter trick for decks and make them last. So that I’m sure has helped it.
Behr Semi-transparent was given Consumer Reports top rating so I decided to switch to it after having good success with Cabot Semi-transparent right after the cedar deck was rebuilt. I expected to have to re-do the finish every two years or so, since I wanted to keep as much of the wood grain showing as possible.
Bottom line: the Behr didn't even last through one winter and left a terrible mess, peeling, uneven color wear etc. Now I am finally able to get to refinishing near the end of our Minnesota summer, and power-washing and cleaning have barely touched the unevenness so I will have to sand it down completely before going back to Cabot, hopefully still with Semi-Transparent if I can get the finish even enough.
The problem is the season, with our nights dropping into the 50s often and rain about every other day–at least part of the reason for the late start since it never seems to be able to dry out. My question: can I leave the wood unprotected over the winter without too much harm? I actually like the greyish look of aged cedar so that isn't as much of a concern to me as whether I will be causing too much deterioration to the wood by leaving it without any finish.
Help please!
Just put in a new cedar deck and have been wracking my brain trying to figure out what product to use to protect it. After reading this forum and others, reading reviews etc, I've come to the conclusion that it may be better to simply allow it to age gracefully. Sounds like most people go through the cost and effort of staining only to have peeling or some other problem within 6-12 months anyway.
A good quality stain will prolong the life, look of the wood, and will last 2-3 years.
My contractor want to use Sherwin Williams Superdeck on my new cedar deck. Its all over the charts what is the best deck stain to use. Any thoughts from someone who has used Superdeck would be appreciated.
Do NOTE use Sherwin Williams. Worse stuff out there. Wish I knew what was best but i'my searching after a SW nightmare.
I see a lot of blaming and finger pointing on all deck lines on this forum, although people are not always best educated on if their wood is thirsty or has had a previous coating or sealer on it that will resist new coatings. Often people try to coat pressure treated wood after they purchase it and they don’t realize that the wood is very moist and causes the coating to bubble , and then blame the product. Bubbling is moisture pushing through the coating and is very rarely a product failure.
If the wood is not absorbent then a penetrating stain will sit on the surface and not penetrate the wood grain. I recommend doing a water bead test on all surfaces to test for absorbency before applying a coating. When the deck is clean and dry, take a small cup of water and pour it on the deck to ensure it absorbs and doesn’t pool or bead on the deck. if it absorbs you are ready to apply a stain. Also if you shovel your deck, you are digging at whatever coating you applied and these products are not bulletproof.
My experience with SW Superdeck was horrible. Two weeks of hand scrubbing my old deck, allowing it to dry thoroughly, and I ended up with a nasty case of tennis elbow and a deck that looks awful after one winter.
Let it age naturally
We have a dock on the water and were told by most of the lake people to let the deck naturalize; it’s PT and will last a real long time – we had previously put Sikkens Deck Stain on it, peeled off within a year – we just pressure wash it and let nature take its course
I am in eastern PA, here we are in September and I decided to strip and clean my deck. The intention was to seal/stain it before winter, would I be better off leaving it unprotected over the winter and sealing/staining in the spring?
It is an old deck, how old, not sure I've lived there 13 years and thought it was on it's last leg then. I've been sealing it over the years, usually with transparent of some sort, never stick to the same brand. I used cabot timber oil last time about 4 years ago. I am torn between trying a solid or cabot semi solid or a semi-trans. Any thoughts on what I can put on now and it will still look good in the spring? I am finding maintenance to be very hard on the back, any thoughts on what to do where I won't have to strip the stain, can just reapply over top?
Best to stain now. Use a penetrating semi-transparent that is oil based. This will make reapplications easier. Try TWP 1500 Series or Armstrong Clark.
i’m in the same situation as Karen in easter PA and wondering what you ended up using and how it has worked out so far?