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Staining Deck/Fence

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Deal Addict
Dec 17, 2013
1510 posts
994 upvotes
CALGARY
We are building a new fence this week with Cedar panels and Pressure treated posts. Have a deck with Pressure treated wood. What stain should I be applying to them?
Deal Addict
Nov 30, 2003
2732 posts
1031 upvotes
hierophant wrote: Any notion of me being dissatisfied with Behr was assumed because I did not complain about Behr's performance - I only mentioned that I'm getting free supplies. The previous owners stained the deck - based on the date of purchase and sale of home, I am fairly confident that they didn't stain the deck in ideal weather conditions, which is likely the cause of the peeling. I do plan to go with Behr as majority of the deck is in excellent shape - only the areas that are exposed to the elements the most (railings and steps are peeling and even then it's not super bad after 3-4 years).
Regardless of your satisfaction with Behr... good stain should not peel, I can guarantee it will peel again and it's not fun removing that stuff in order to re-apply.. oil based stains will fade and allow you to reapply on top

Just trying to save you headaches, it's like taking your car to Canadian Tire.. you just don't do it ;)
Deal Fanatic
Feb 4, 2010
7156 posts
7138 upvotes
Eldorado wrote: Regardless of your satisfaction with Behr... good stain should not peel, I can guarantee it will peel again and it's not fun removing that stuff in order to re-apply.. oil based stains will fade and allow you to reapply on top

Just trying to save you headaches, it's like taking your car to Canadian Tire.. you just don't do it ;)
Gotcha. What brand would you recommend?
Deal Addict
Nov 30, 2003
2732 posts
1031 upvotes
hierophant wrote: Gotcha. What brand would you recommend?
You will probably find a number of my posts here talking about Armstrong Clark, only catch is it's only sold in the states, I've used on my deck and it's currently fading out waiting for me to have time to put a new coat on, I will only need to do a quick clean and apply, I will be sticking with this brand and recommend it to others based on my experience

Others here swear by Cutek, which from reading sounds like a solid competitor to Armstrong, oil based stain that will penetrate and then fade out

Both are more expensive than Behr, so you have that balancing act of cost vs time/trouble... you will need to strip stains like Behr completely to reapply, it will peel simply due to the type of stain it is (water based)

If your not up for spending more going the oil based stain route, then I'm sure others can recommend better water based stains than Behr.. I've read a number of good comments/reviews in my very early searches on the stains sold at paint shops like Benjamin Moore's and Dulux, but I don't have any first hand experience with them as I did with Behr
Deal Fanatic
Feb 4, 2010
7156 posts
7138 upvotes
Eldorado wrote: You will probably find a number of my posts here talking about Armstrong Clark, only catch is it's only sold in the states, I've used on my deck and it's currently fading out waiting for me to have time to put a new coat on, I will only need to do a quick clean and apply, I will be sticking with this brand and recommend it to others based on my experience

Others here swear by Cutek, which from reading sounds like a solid competitor to Armstrong, oil based stain that will penetrate and then fade out

Both are more expensive than Behr, so you have that balancing act of cost vs time/trouble... you will need to strip stains like Behr completely to reapply, it will peel simply due to the type of stain it is (water based)

If your not up for spending more going the oil based stain route, then I'm sure others can recommend better water based stains than Behr.. I've read a number of good comments/reviews in my very early searches on the stains sold at paint shops like Benjamin Moore's and Dulux, but I don't have any first hand experience with them as I did with Behr
Thank you. So just to clarify - oil-based stains won't peel, just fade? After how long does it begin to fade and does it look bad? Is it simply a matter of cleaning the deck and restaining (rather than removing existing stain)?

Behr is also giving me 1 gallon Wood Cleaner and 2 gallons of their stain Stripper...surely I can make use of those to remove the current stain, no?

Has anyone tried Defy Extreme? Has good reviews on Deck Stain Help (along with Armstrong Clark) and can be purchased on Amazon
Deal Addict
Nov 30, 2003
2732 posts
1031 upvotes
hierophant wrote: Thank you. So just to clarify - oil-based stains won't peel, just fade? After how long does it begin to fade and does it look bad? Is it simply a matter of cleaning the deck and restaining (rather than removing existing stain)?

Behr is also giving me 1 gallon Wood Cleaner and 2 gallons of their stain Stripper...surely I can make use of those to remove the current stain, no?

Has anyone tried Defy Extreme? Has good reviews on Deck Stain Help (along with Armstrong Clark) and can be purchased on Amazon
I can't guarantee oil will never peel, I have read comments where some said it did.. but in those cases it's always due to improper prep/application

If done right and the stain gets absorbed into the wood the color will just slowly fade out which I guess becomes a personal taste thing for how it looks.. I would say it starts getting an aged look, slowly going back to the grey normal wood color, I much prefer it than the peeling/flaking

And yep, normally it's just give the deck a decent clean to get rid of surface dirt and reapply... if you switch brands they might recommend you to do a strip first, but in general they should all be ok to apply on top

And yes might as well use the stuff Behr gives you to strip and clean, free is free! It might be a tough job to get it completely clean, may need to sand as well, a wood brightener might be a good idea too

I tried Defy as a sample, grab some samples if you can, I only put it on some test boards and found the color a bit chalky almost like a light film, hard to properly describe... tried AC and TWP in the same sample batch run and those made the wood 'pop!' as I was expecting, but that was unfair in directly comparing oil to water based stuff, but it does sound like Defy is pretty good
Sr. Member
Nov 16, 2013
917 posts
330 upvotes
GTA
igk wrote: Hey, just wondering if you found anyone? I'm also in Mississauga and thinking of hiring someone to re-stain/re-finish my deck.
Not yet. Still looking
Member
Sep 20, 2006
252 posts
85 upvotes
hierophant wrote: Behr is also giving me 1 gallon Wood Cleaner and 2 gallons of their stain Stripper...surely I can make use of those to remove the current stain, no?
I don't know the Behr cleaner product specifically, but as mentioned by others Behr is generally not well regarded for deck products - I would just check whether their cleaner is bleach-based as some are. From my previous research I remember that this type of cleaner is damaging to the cellular structure of the wood. If that's the case it might not be worth it even for free.
Deal Fanatic
Feb 4, 2010
7156 posts
7138 upvotes
plg_cp wrote: I don't know the Behr cleaner product specifically, but as mentioned by others Behr is generally not well regarded for deck products - I would just check whether their cleaner is bleach-based as some are. From my previous research I remember that this type of cleaner is damaging to the cellular structure of the wood. If that's the case it might not be worth it even for free.
It's unfortunate that Behr's quality is so poor given that their customer service and policies are so good. I thought it was a quality brand but good to know.

Scotts is the same - products are shit but they'll give back your money without question as long as you have proof of purchase. I've decided to hold off re-staining the deck for now as most of it's in good shape...I would say 90%. It's just part of the railing and steps where rain hits hard when it rolls of the deck roof...there needs to be some type of water diverision system like a gutter . Previous owners left the left-over stain so was thinking of just touching up those spots for now.
Deal Addict
Sep 12, 2017
2483 posts
284 upvotes
grumble wrote: Armstrong Clark quotes its coverage at 150-200sqft per gallon:

https://www.armstrongclarkstain.com/arm ... structions

If we assume 200sqft for old dressed wood, then Cutek's 400 per coat (per your link) is double. Given Armstrong also recommends two coats for older decks (see comments on that page), I still think Cutek offers good value. I'd be a surprised if AC didn't cover over 200sqft though!

On reading this review, Cutek did beat the AC stain in comparative testing, though the AC was still one of their most highly rated stains (along with Sun Frog and Olympic Elite).

https://www.deckmagazine.com/_view-obje ... efa5830000

Seems like you can't go wrong with either option.
Can this Cutek or Armstrong sealer/stain be used on a PT fence. Got it installed about 3 months ago. So still looking new. Wonder if temps. are good to apply a seal or stain on it, or if I should wait after winter, when the dry weather comes back.
Deal Addict
Mar 22, 2017
3106 posts
4579 upvotes
West GTA
reggyDeal wrote: Can this Cutek or Armstrong sealer/stain be used on a PT fence. Got it installed about 3 months ago. So still looking new. Wonder if temps. are good to apply a seal or stain on it, or if I should wait after winter, when the dry weather comes back.
Yeah they can be used on a fence. It's not a problem to wait until after winter - it'll have had plenty of time to season then. You can apply them now though and it'll look great.
Jr. Member
User avatar
Sep 25, 2007
144 posts
66 upvotes
Used a Behr solid white stain on my rails and it finally started peeling after 15 years. I just replaced the cedar rails with PT and will stain them white again. The cedar was starting to show signs of wear so I decided to replace them with PTL.

I will use Behr again because it has worked well for me. My deck gets sun almost all day long and my posts still look fine. I did have a section on my stairs that started peeling last year so maybe I will inspect the wood and re-stain it if it does not need replacement.
Jr. Member
Apr 13, 2016
166 posts
30 upvotes
Is Cutek an oil based stain?
New deck this year and wondering if I can leave it until spring.?
Pressure treated but if it goes grey over the winter, then it would need a big sanding, right?
But it seems a waste to put a 150.00 gallon of stain on right before the winter?
Deal Addict
Mar 22, 2017
3106 posts
4579 upvotes
West GTA
MichaelR901173 wrote: Is Cutek an oil based stain?
New deck this year and wondering if I can leave it until spring.?
Pressure treated but if it goes grey over the winter, then it would need a big sanding, right?
But it seems a waste to put a 150.00 gallon of stain on right before the winter?
Cutek is oil-based, fully synthetic.

You can wait over the winter, clean the deck with a deck cleaner in the spring, then apply it then. Deck stains prefer that the wood is fairly dry before application - fresh PT wood is still wet from the PT process, so it's advisable to wait a couple of months after installation.

Frankly, I'd want the deck stained going into winter though - winters are hard on decks (freeze-thaw cycles, etc) and the stain protects it. Cutek can be topped up really easily if it starts to look worn (no need to sand or strip the deck). If the wood's really new then forget it, but if this was a spring install and you think you'll get a few rain-free days in the row, it's worth considering.
Deal Addict
Sep 12, 2017
2483 posts
284 upvotes
Do you need to pressure wash a PT fence before sealing it? The fence was installed 5 months ago.

Would a light sanding be enough, or should it be pressure washed? If pressure washing is 1 day of sun enough to try the fence?
Member
Jun 2, 2012
329 posts
319 upvotes
NORTH YORK
Do you have any recommendations for pressure washing a 2 year old cedar deck? Or is it not worth the risk?

We stained ours using cil great Canadian oil (not cheap!) and it is peeling on the flat surfaces. Applied more (we had several gallons left over) last year when it started peeling. We want to restain and we’re hoping we can just pressure wash the flakiness off? Would that work? We have a couple nice weekends coming up and the cutek sounds like the right product to apply after cleaning.


Thanks in advance for any suggestions/ recommendations
Deal Addict
Mar 22, 2017
3106 posts
4579 upvotes
West GTA
gemenichic wrote: Do you have any recommendations for pressure washing a 2 year old cedar deck? Or is it not worth the risk?

We stained ours using cil great Canadian oil (not cheap!) and it is peeling on the flat surfaces. Applied more (we had several gallons left over) last year when it started peeling. We want to restain and we’re hoping we can just pressure wash the flakiness off? Would that work? We have a couple nice weekends coming up and the cutek sounds like the right product to apply after cleaning.


Thanks in advance for any suggestions/ recommendations
If you're restaining with a different stain, it's typical that you'll have to remove the existing stain completely. This is doubly true if your stain has formed a film. If you don't, the new stain won't absorb properly, may look mottled. and won't hold up as well. I believe there's a product Cutke sells called proclean that you're supposed to use to remove other stains before applying it.

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