I have a pressure-treated wood deck that I want to protect. The deck was put up last summer so it's still under a year old and no boards have turned gray yet - all are still looking nice and golden.
Home Depot has their Behr Premium Plus stains on sale this week and I was thinking that since they are on sale, and it's their top-end line (I know, Behr isn't a premium product...), that it wouldn't be too bad. It's warrantied for 4 years on decks, 6 years on fences, so it cannot be too bad, can it?
Also, I'm thinking I want to go with a transparent stain to give protection without changing the color of the deck, since I'm not sure I want to stain my entire fence to match the deck (way too much work for one year, LOL!). Do transparent stains/protectors like this work, or would a semi-transparent be required to get decent UV protection?
Lastly, I have an 8x8 shed in one corner of my lot, butted up against the fence. I really don't want to take the shed down to stain that area of fence (it's a real pain to get down, and especially back up). Since the boards facing the shed are basically in perpetual darkness, is stain necessary? Aside from the obvious moisture that the boards are exposed to in that darkness, should I be worried about them? I mean it is only 16' of fence so if later I remove the shed, the boards wouldn't cost much to replace.
Comments/suggestions appreciated - this is an AWESOME forum and I've always got great advice from people here. Thanks for that.
I've also been eyeing the Cabot ($$$) and the Sico ($) stains. The Sico looks to be really nice and got good reviews on Consumer Reports I believe. Anyone have experience with the Sico semi-transparent stain (not the protector but the stain)?
I used the Behr stain with the 4-year (I thought it was 5-year) warranty. After two years, my tenants claimed that the deck needed to be re-stained. I lived in Japan at the time so I did not inspect it myself. It is very possible that my tenants were partly to blame for it wearing out so fast (their dogs essentially lived on the deck), but I'd say there are probably better products available.
To add insult to injury, my tenants picked a $H!tty color to re-stain the deck.
So I broke down and finally had a deck installed on the house. Clear cedar. After the first year I went into Home Depot and they recommended a deck wash and Behr stain for the deck. APPLYING IT TO MY DECK WAS THE WORST THING I COULD HAVE DONE. It is now about 12 months since I washed and stained the deck. There is not one square foot of the deck that the stain is not peeling off. I would not recommend Behr deck stain to anyone regardless of the project. Its not even something I would suggest for a shed or a dog house. The job I have ahead of me now is overwhelming. Stairs, Railings, Spindals, verticle surfaces, horizontal surfaces, I am telling you that there is not one square foot that is not peeling. At this point I cannot use the deck until I restore it. I made another mistake of sitting out on the deck to have lunch. There was a good breeze that day but still a beautiful day. As I sat there eating, I found paint chips on my plate. The breeze regardless of how slight is still strong enough to get the peeling stain chips airborn, and what goes up must come down. The airborn chips found their way on to my plate, forget about what was all over my clothing. Behr deck stain is the biggest joke on the market. I almost feel like suing them but I am sure that is throwing good money after bad. It is not worth the time, money or investment in labor to buy it and use it. It might make a good paper weight or anchor but as far as a long lasting stain, less then 12 months is not what I would call long lasting.
You might get 18 mos. out of the Behr Premium, like me. Regardless of all the touts for competing products, this is a highly tough application, and whether it's Penofin, Cabot, Messemer's, etc, ...don't count on anything over 2 yrs. durability.
Horizontal wood decking is the ultimate in maintenance requirements, and nothing out there is good for years and years.
Point well taken shasta37. However I am talking less then 1 year which falls well within the stipulation that Behr makes about their long lasting product. I am in construction, have an engineering degree, and nothing I have ever built or painted from homes, remodels, or furniture lasts less then one year. The Behr product is garbage.
You might get 18 mos. out of the Behr Premium, like me. Regardless of all the touts for competing products, this is a highly tough application, and whether it's Penofin, Cabot, Messemer's, etc, ...don't count on anything over 2 yrs. durability.
Horizontal wood decking is the ultimate in maintenance requirements, and nothing out there is good for years and years.
Behr, at my HD, has 2 levels of stain. My experience is with Behr Premium.
I've had Cabot devlop more mildew than cheap cheese. I've had Penofin wear off on leading edges of stair steps; to say nothing of the VOC oder.
Not to diminsh your horrible experience, but do you think there's any possibility of excessive moisture prior to your staining? Did you check w/ a moisture meter?
(Re: which I regret not testing on my new Ipe deck and con heart redwood fencing. In such a hurry to get the green redwood painted, it has developed many moisture bubbles and pitch pocket streaks. The Ipe is fine except it shrinks like hell in the lateral dimension.
The initial app of Messemer's hardwood stain lasted about 3 months before pretty much fading away. Time for a re-coat.)
So I decided on the Sico semi-transparent stain, and as I said before, it has got a lot of great reviews.
So, now I'm looking at prepping the deck, as well as timelines.
I have the Sico crystallized cleaner granules (mix w/ water, spray on, wait, scrub, rinse off thoroughly).
I am questioning the need to fully sand the entire deck w/ 80-grit, however. Since the wood is new (less than 1 year old, no greying or mildew, etc), is sanding the ENTIRE deck necessary? I was planning on using my palm sander to do the areas that have a few splinters/feathering, and for the wood branding labels, but overall this is a miniscule amount of work compared to sanding the entire deck. IS SANDING 100% NECESSARY?
Also, in terms of timelines, it was a long, snowy winter here. When can I stain this deck as to not have too much moisture in the wood? I am fairly sure the can of stain says it can be applied on damp wood, but I realize it's probably better on dry wood. Should I wait until mid-summer? Or maybe for after the next set of 3-4 warm (75*F+) days when the sun is out to dry the wood? (I know not to stain in the sun).
The coatings manufacturer has absolutely no desire whatsoever to place un-important time consuming directions on their product
It lessens the value of the product, and they absolutely lose sales due to excessive instructions
The contractors don't want to charge more, and the DIYers get scared by them
The directions would not be there unless it was absolutely important for the proper application, longevity, durability, warranty, etc...
That doesn't mean someone might not "get away with" skipping something, it just means you are on your own and your chance of dissatisfaction and/or product failure has dramatically increased
Ok, I spent the better part of today in the sun, sanding my deck with the 5" random orbit sander. I did get it all done, thank goodness. Looks great now, and feels WAY better on bare feet than before it was sanded.
I also used the cleaner and scrubbed and it looks even better now.
But I'm wondering -- is it too early in the season to stain? Do stores rent moisture meters, or is there a DIY way to check approx. moisture content?
If it's above 50* F daytime and not too much lower at night, its warm enough
3 days sun is considered enough to dry out the deck
Moisture meter is of course, the most accurate
I've not seen any for rent
I have been building things for clients for 20 years and this year I got sued over a deck. The reason, Behr semi-transparent stain! This product is the worst thing on the market and should be thrown out. It goes on uneven, it fades within a few months, it waterspots, on and on. I mean how many things can go wrong with one product. The issue is the plastic they are using in their paints and stains..... I mean wouldn't stain my pig pen with this garbage.
I trusted Behr for the last time thinking that warranty was worth it. The clients even picked Behr for that reason. Didn't go on great but we got it there. Looked great for about 3 months. Then it started fading and then spotting. Can't do anything with it execpt take it off. This should be Behr's problem but they don't back it up. Behr is a rip-off not just a poor excuse for a product line.
I have been building things for clients for 20 years and this year I got sued over a deck. The reason, Behr semi-transparent stain! This product is the worst thing on the market and should be thrown out. It goes on uneven, it fades within a few months, it waterspots, on and on. I mean how many things can go wrong with one product. The issue is the plastic they are using in their paints and stains..... I mean wouldn't stain my pig pen with this garbage.
I trusted Behr for the last time thinking that warranty was worth it. The clients even picked Behr for that reason. Didn't go on great but we got it there. Looked great for about 3 months. Then it started fading and then spotting. Can't do anything with it execpt take it off. This should be Behr's problem but they don't back it up. Behr is a rip-off not just a poor excuse for a product line.
Must quote myself here. Latex stains just won't stand up to the elements especially on horizontal surfaces and surfaces that will be walked on. My girfriend's deck just went through it's second winter with Behr Latex Deck Stain and it is probably abount 50% peeled off. I would love to just wait a couple more years when it is all peeled off :laughing: but I have to take care of this disaster this summer.
Bought 5 gallons of Behr Premium Weatherproofing Wood Finish Natural 500 this morning. Just put in 400 feet of milled 6inx6in x 6 foot Texas cedar post fence. Awesome looking ranch style fence across the front of our 4 acre property. I researched the heck out of stains and sealers for cedar fencing. I settled for a water base sealer. Looked at samples of wood that had been treated with every stain under the sun...ddn't like any of the pigmented ones. I wanted a true clear/transparent sealer so that the natural grain and color of the cedar would show through. Running late for work, I left the Behr product with my hired fencer. Came home about an hour ago to find a BROWN PAINTED FENCE!!! "That is not what I purchased!!!!!!", I thought to myself as I drove through my newly installed gate. I ran to the empty 5 gallon bucket of spent "Natural Wood Finish" only to find remnants of the stain. I didn't take the time to pop open the bucket to examine more closely what I had bought...nothing I had read online had prepared me for the look of my finished $3000 fence. Good Grief... I thought I had purchased a "natural", and clear, finish. Just something that would soak into the wood and bring out the grain and "natural" color of the milled cedar. My God! What have I done??? From the few ounces of left-over stain, it appears to be a walnut brown non-transparent latex paint...is there some mistake here? My entire fence is RUINED! There's no way to get that crap off my fence. It's like someone had mixed a brown pigment with Elmer's Glue and painted my beautiful cedar fence! There was absolutely NOTHING on that damn 5 gallon bucket that says anything brown pigment. I thought I was buying a clear, water based sealer...something that looked like, well, WATER...soaks into the wood and brings out the grain, and protects the wood FROM water...
Any suggestions? I feel so STUPID and so RIPPED OFF. Too bad I just now found this website...
Mark in the Texas Hill Country (with a butt ugly brown fence)
Bought 5 gallons of Behr Premium Weatherproofing Wood Finish Natural 500 this morning. Just put in 400 feet of milled 6inx6in x 6 foot Texas cedar post fence. Awesome looking ranch style fence across the front of our 4 acre property. I researched the heck out of stains and sealers for cedar fencing. I settled for a water base sealer. Looked at samples of wood that had been treated with every stain under the sun...ddn't like any of the pigmented ones. I wanted a true clear/transparent sealer so that the natural grain and color of the cedar would show through. Running late for work, I left the Behr product with my hired fencer. Came home about an hour ago to find a BROWN PAINTED FENCE!!! "That is not what I purchased!!!!!!", I thought to myself as I drove through my newly installed gate. I ran to the empty 5 gallon bucket of spent "Natural Wood Finish" only to find remnants of the stain. I didn't take the time to pop open the bucket to examine more closely what I had bought...nothing I had read online had prepared me for the look of my finished $3000 fence. Good Grief... I thought I had purchased a "natural", and clear, finish. Just something that would soak into the wood and bring out the grain and "natural" color of the milled cedar. My God! What have I done??? From the few ounces of left-over stain, it appears to be a walnut brown non-transparent latex paint...is there some mistake here? My entire fence is RUINED! There's no way to get that crap off my fence. It's like someone had mixed a brown pigment with Elmer's Glue and painted my beautiful cedar fence! There was absolutely NOTHING on that damn 5 gallon bucket that says anything brown pigment. I thought I was buying a clear, water based sealer...something that looked like, well, WATER...soaks into the wood and brings out the grain, and protects the wood FROM water...
Any suggestions? I feel so STUPID and so RIPPED OFF. Too bad I just now found this website...
Mark in the Texas Hill Country (with a butt ugly brown fence)
All I know is that I used Behr Premium Semi-Transparent stain on my cedar deck and cedar fence and never had a problem with it. Restained after four years. I also used a watersealer on top. Sorry everyone seems to have bad experiences with it. I never knew it was so bad.
Behr Exterior paints and stains are meant to be used in the shade only! Exposure to direct sunlight and ultraviolet rays voids the warranty. You must plant trees before you use Behr outdoors. :jester:
Built a new deck last year (2009) - got some opinions from locals and Behr Premium Semi-Transparent Wood Stain was highly recommended. Stained the deck in July and by Fall one board was peeling - no big deal. Now it's March 2010 and the snow has melted so I inspected the deck. 60-75% of the boards are now peeling and it looks like crap! Going to contact Behr and at least try to get the stain money back. Do not buy this product!
Last year I refinanced my mortgage to be able to finally add the deck I couldn't afford when I first built 5 years ago. I hired a terrific professional who did a spectacular job building just what I asked for with attention to detail beyond what would have ever occurred to me. The result was a beautiful solid cedar deck with two stairways, railings to match my front porch and a lovely arbor at the farthest point. In the process of trying to find a deck stain color that would compliment the house, I discovered an article about oil base stain and the toxic potential it has when exposed to the elements. The article strongly recommended using water base stain. In his usual meticulous way, my contractor searched and researched what was available in this area and found a water base deck stain with a longer warrantee than any of the oil base stains which also had a very extensive color selection. Being unfamiliar with water base stains, he read everything he could get his hands on and made sure all the exact conditions were right before he applied the stain. Application day was step one of the disaster. Despite his many years of experience and tremendous skills, there was no way to get the stain to apply without running, dripping and puddling. Any attempt to correct these conditions just made matters worse. Late in the day, a slight wind caused the spray to drift high up on the wall of the house, beyond the area that was masked. My perfectionist contractor was devastated. I decided I would live with it and hope that time would lessen the imperfections. I'll repaint the back of the house.
The 4 year warrantee didn't last 4 months and the stain began to chip and disappear off the surface of the deck before I ever had a chance to use it. A decorative area in the center that I had applied with a brush faired even worse than the sprayed area. I hauled out the empty container and got the phone number of the manufacturer which turned out to be Behr. They will replace the stain and provide stripper, conditioner, and some rollers for me to do the job, I just need to purchase them and send in the receipts for a refund. Of course, the actual products are just a fraction of the cost of this disaster. There is no way I can afford to pay someone to do all of this work. On top of that, I have NO confidence in Behr products and I'm terrified to repeat this very expensive mistake by using what they provide!
I have behr on my house, garage an deck. The deck will go 2 years before it looks completely worthless. The garage and house are on year 3 and are ready for replacement.
What is a good quality stain for cedar siding and deck stain? Ill be stripping it all off this summer and redoing with something better for sure.
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