Acrylic deck stain?

[mrmurdoch]

Was out looking for deck/siding stain today, but noticed everything for sale was a blend of latex or acrylic and oil. Went to CT, Home Depot, Rona, and a local hardware store; only the local store had a few cans of "traditional" oil stain, but at an obviously marked-up price. By the 3rd store I started asking what was up, and was informed that oil-based stain is on its way out, and the hybrid acrylic/oil is all that's for sale, save for the latex-based stains. I then realized all the tins lacked the familiar octagonal poison warning, and many also lacked the flammable warning. All seemed to be water cleanup as well, which is really reassuring with something you use to resist water damage. Even the metal cans of waterproofing were water cleanup and apparently safe to drink.:P

tbh, I'm not up on my stain composition, and honestly have never paid attention before, assuming that if it said oil, it was oil. I checked some cans I have in my shed from a year or two ago, and they're an alkyd/oil blend and carry both the octagonal warning labels. Obviously that's not an indicator of quality, but I can't imagine that a much safer product was suddenly created without a drastic change. Stain doesn't smell remotely good and I imagine it's not great to inhale, but I don't buy it for its smell. I want to know deck, shed, and fencing is protected.

Does anyone have any light to shed on this? Is it another silly thing like the herbicide ban? Is an acrylic-based product going to be as effective as the old formulations? Or have I been using this all along and never realized it?

[hondanation09]

apparently some oil based stains are being phased out due to VOC regulations. (that is what guy at Rona said) They are not re-stocking their Cabot's Australian Timber Oil for example because they said it did not meet this VOC regulation and where replacing it with a Canadian product. I picked up one of the last cans in May of this year. Not sure what type of job a water based stain would do.

You could always purchase from US I guess?

[woodchuckcanuck]

The VOC type stains are being phased out. After much pondering and trail and error (some new formulations are not very good/user friendly) I settled with Olypic brand semi-transparent deck stains. I use white on the deck rails and posts and a coffee color for the deck. Very happy with it.

[Zamboni]

http://www.dulux.ca/en/voc-regulations.html

[mrmurdoch]

The VOC type stains are being phased out. After much pondering and trail and error (some new formulations are not very good/user friendly) I settled with Olypic brand semi-transparent deck stains. I use white on the deck rails and posts and a coffee color for the deck. Very happy with it.

I've always been happy with semi-transparent Olympic as well. I have 2 cans of it left (a color I no longer want, unfortunately), but had to buy some of the "new" formulations this year, and couldn't find any Olympic. Ended up with Premier (CT store brand); I'll see how it does and repost here, in case anyone ever comes across this thread in Google. Now the weather needs to cooperate...


I don't know why anybody cares about VOCs or what we put on our lawn or whatever else has been/will be banned when the oil sands dwarf any possible harm... I can't see buying across the border as being worth it; I'm sure the stain is usable enough, although I shall see soon.

[Sunny0208]

I think this is a serious problem, it should get more attention worldwide.

[Fraser River Rat]

Hi,

Apparently the CT managers in Victoria care enough about VOCs to not stock Rez wood stain. It was on sale 2 weeks ago for $20/can.
http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/brows....jsp?locale=en