Updated for 2025 – Best Deck Stains
Restore-A-Deck Wood Stain: A Top Performer
One of the newer, more impressive stains on the market right now is the Restore-A-Deck Wood Stain. It’s a water-based, synthetic resin, semi-transparent stain made with high-quality resins that bond firmly to the wood. A key advantage of this stain is its same-day application—you can apply it right after prepping your deck, saving both time and effort. While it may cost more than budget options, its long-term durability makes it a worthwhile investment.
Understanding Deck Stains: Best vs. Worst Options
Deck stains generally fall into two categories:
- Water-Based Deck Sealers
- Oil-Based Deck Sealers
Each type has significant differences, and understanding them can help you choose the best stain for your deck.
Oil-Based vs. Water-Based Deck Stains
Pros and Cons of Oil-Based Stains
Traditionally, oil-based deck stains have been the go-to choice due to their excellent penetration into wood and rich appearance. However, they have several downsides:
- Mold and Algae Growth: Natural resins in oil-based stains serve as food for mold and algae, leading to unsightly black patches on your deck.
- Toxic Additives: To combat mold, manufacturers add strong mildewcides and algaecides, which can leach out over time, posing a risk to children and pets.
- Environmental Concerns: Due to their harmful effects, oil-based stains are being phased out by the EPA. The following states have already banned most oil-based stains:
- California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Washington D.C., Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virginia.
- Difficult Cleanup: These stains require mineral spirits for cleanup and take longer to dry compared to water-based alternatives.
Why Water-Based Stains Are Superior
Water-based stains have improved significantly in recent years, making them the best alternative to oil-based products. A standout option is Defy Extreme Wood Stain, which uses advanced technology to penetrate wood deeply while resisting mold and algae growth. Key benefits include:
- Synthetic Resins: Unlike oil-based stains, synthetic resins are not a food source for mold and mildew.
- Low Toxicity: No need for harsh mildewcides or algaecides, making them safer for families and the environment.
- Easy Cleanup: Simple soap and water cleanup.
- Faster Drying Time: Less downtime between application and use.
Choosing the Right Deck Stain: Clear, Semi-Transparent, or Solid Color?
Deck stains come in three primary finishes:
1. Clear Deck Stains
- Offer minimal UV protection, leading to quicker fading and graying.
- Most clear stains have an amber tint to extend lifespan.
- Typically last only a few months before reapplication is needed.
2. Solid Color Deck Stains
- Best for vertical surfaces like railings or posts.
- Not ideal for horizontal deck boards due to heavy wear.
- Tend to peel over time, requiring difficult removal and stripping before reapplication.
3. Semi-Transparent Deck Stains (Best Overall)
- Offer UV protection while allowing the wood grain to show through.
- Long-lasting, with some lasting several years before needing maintenance.
- Easy to maintain—typically requires a light cleaning and reapplication without stripping.
Final Recommendations
When selecting the best deck stain, keep these key takeaways in mind: ? Opt for water-based stains—they’re easier to clean, environmentally friendly, and longer-lasting. ? Choose synthetic resin stains—they resist mold and require fewer toxic chemicals. ? Go for semi-transparent stains—they provide the best balance of protection, durability, and aesthetic appeal.
While cheaper deck stains may seem tempting, they often contain low-quality resins and fillers that won’t last. Investing in a high-quality deck stain ensures better protection, longer durability, and a more beautiful deck over time.
204 comments
I have used a Sico Wood Finish with alkyd resin. The product itself lasts quite good. However after two years on my white cedar deck has mold growing between wood and stain. I bought the only stripper available from Rona to strip it that says it works on most stains. Its not working!!! I live in Canada can I still buy a stripper that will remove the stain with the new environmental laws. I will remove mold and sand after but need to first get the stain off. I am also using a pressure washer. I am not a newbie at doing deck. Just first time using these products. Thanks for your help
Hi, I would like your recommendation on a semi-transparent stain/sealer for a 7 mos, never stained, deck made of pressure treated pine.
I live in coastal NW Florida, where we have hot (high 90s) and humid summers, and winters in the 30s. Deck receives direct sunlight throughout the day. I have read good reviews anout the TWPs (100, 1500), Armstrong-Clark, and Defy Extreme stains, but I cannot decide for which one. Also, what about a marine grade stain and sealer.
Thanks,
Alf
Alf, Defy Extreme for this.
What semi-transparent stain should I use on new pine log siding? What prep would you suggest? Should I stain all 6 sides? I live in upstate New York. Thank you for all the helpful advice.
Patrick
I would look at the Defy Extreme for this. Let the wood season after install for a couple of months. Prep with a cleaner and wood brightener. No need to stain all sides. Just the exposed side after install.
What would you recommend for cleaning and staining a large pergola? We have a pressure-treated pine deck and large pergola. Both were stained using Cabot oil-based semi-transparent black. Yes… black! The semi-transparent lets the grain show through, looks sort of “dark-brownish” and actually looks very good next to our yellowish house. I’m having the deck restained and will probably do the pergola this fall. Everything says it is important to clean and brighten a deck before re-staining. What do you do to a large, 9 foot tall pergola with lighting installed? Cleaning or stripping seems like it would be VERY hard, getting to the tops of the horizontal beams and all. Is thiss a DYI job or do I need to hire a pro?
Bob, I would hire a pro to get this project done correctly.
Anyone know where I can get twp 100 in Canada? how could I find old stock? was it even sold in Canada?
TWP 100 is not sold in Canada.
What do you recommend for something that must be solid white ?
Flood makes a nice solid stain that can be tinted white.
Hello – thanks for posting all this helpful info!
Looking for some recommendations on prepping and staining an older, pressure treated deck with an unknown stain.
The former owner left a gallon of “Behr wood-toned weatherproofing cedartone wood finish.” I’ve replaced a few boards with stored spares (presumably from the original install) and applied this finish; it doesn’t match the rest of the deck (which looks more like a rustic redwood). Also, the rest of the deck is/was fairly uniform in color with grain showing. I’m guessing this means its a semi-trans, or semi-solid; but don’t know how to distinguish.
The deck also has a few repairs with new pressure treated wood which is unstained.
Would you be able to advise on:
-tips on identifying the old stain type
-recommendations on stripper and stain (currently considering the RAD stripper and brightener, and Defy Extreme)
-I did see a post from someone in our area (Portland, OR) who complained about the Defy brand’s durability. Maybe that was due to incorrect prep. However, if an oil based is preferable for this area, do you have a recommendation on one that has synthetic solids to inhibit mold and mildew?
Thanks!!!
Chris, Behr can be difficult to remove. A good stain stripper followed by some sanding may be needed. Defy makes good stains but if you do not prep the wood or apply the stain properly then you can have issues. This goes for any brand of stain and is not related to Defy.
Going to be restraining a 4 year old pt deck . Used a Sherwin Williams decikmate on it and did not hold up at all. Only lasted about 8months.Have pressure washed and used a deck stain remover and deck is pretty clean. Do you recommend a reviver to be used before I restain and am considering TWP 100 this time. What are your recommendations.
You should use a wood brightener after the stain stripper. TWP is an excellent stain.
Hi! We have a wood playset, over 20 years old. We live in MN…lots of weather elements. 😉 We have mold/algae problems. We have just finished cleaning and sanding the playset, but we are having a hard time deciding on the best stain/seal. Do you have a recommendation for us? We had looked at the TWP100, but then found out that it was toxic to fish, so we weren’t sure about using that on something that children would be playing on??? Thank you in advance for your help. I REALLY appreciate it.
Ginger, I would look at the Defy Extreme Stain
Hi – I am building a large playset for my young children out of pressure treated southern yellow pine, with tongue and groove pine siding. I live in CT, and the set is mostly shaded in summer, with direct sunlight at the end of the day for about 4 hours before sunset. I am looking to use a semi-transparent tone to keep the wood grain, but give it some color. What product would you recommend to stain the wood, can I use it on both the PT and non-PT surfaces?
I would like to spray if possible.
Thanks!
Matt, I would look at the Defy Extreme Stain in the Natural Pine. It can be used on all wood. It can be sprayed but you will need to back wipe for uniformity.
Got a 25′ x 14′ deck in the back with woods all around. Deck is on second floor with steps to ground level. In 2010 contractor butchered my deck over using Cabot semi-transparent oil base oak brown in color. I had another contractor removed what he could and left as is in 2011. After one year of allowing wood to weather I am ready to apply stain. There is still color from previous stain (2011) left in wood. Do I need to strip or could I just stain over with similar or darker semi-transparent oil base. Do I have to stay with the CAbot product?
Help!!!
I would strip it off and switch to a better brand.
Defy was used on our new fir (I think) deck. It was very expensive and very technique sensitive to apply. But the product information made it sound worth it.
The application was done in July and by Feb. with very little deck traffic/use, the surface was worn off in large patches.
We reapplied carefully following the directions. This was last Aug. By this early spring the surface looked ratty and worn, also with little use.
I wish I had spent extra to use prefabricated deck “wood.”
Any suggestions for this Portland OR deck’s next refinishing?
Thanks.
De Cary, I would look at a stain that penetrates a little better. Maybe TWP or Armstrong.
We are in blazing hot Oklahoma and just completed a PT deck around our pool. How long should we wait to stain the deck and what stain would you recommend for our region – oil or water base? What brand would be best? After reading your comments above we will stay away from the big box store brands! Thank you!
Mark-
I would wait 1-2 months then clean and brighten the deck to prep. As for the stain I would look at Defy Extreme Stain for this PTP deck in full sun.
Restaining my cedar sliding. South side of the house is bad shape and the rest of the house is okay. What do you recommend for Indiana weather for vertical surfaces? Water or Oil based? Brands? The house was painted with solid stain. Two coats on all surfaces? Thanks!
We only work with semi-transparent stain. Not sure on the solid color stains.
A stain “expert” sold us oil based, solid body stain, (best choice to get a color close to our house paint). We bought Cabot, followed the can directions and contractors advice but within a year it was peeling, cracking, 4 years later it’s a disaster. With 2 huge decks around trees/bushes, we cannot strip it off. So what should the preparations be and do we use oil or water base solid body stain again or paint? Any help is appreciated. THANK YOU!
Bobbie, no matter what you do you will be subject to the Cabot causing more peeling if you do not remove it all off. This obviously puts you in a bad position. If you clean and re stain now with another solid stain, it will peel again within a couple of years.
In the “experts” defense, all stains eventually peel. New wood more so then others as the wood is not very absorbent.
how easy is the defy extreme and twp1500 to strip- looking down the road…just had a horrible experience stripping a 20 year old deck with multiple coats of Benjamin Moore alkyd stain
Ted, both are easy to remove with a stain stripper.
Hi, I am in Canada, and I have a 6 year old Press. Treated deck.
Ive tryed the water sealers but they will grey out every year. I have a pool and a lot a sun and kids,. Oil based stains are hard to find here in Canada but there are 1 or 2. The majority of companies are going with the hybrid. What would u suggest out here in canada.
Dan, You can still order many high end wood stains on the Internet and ship them to Canada. One suggestion would be the Armstrong Clark Wood Stain.
Great site, thanks!
Re. new cedar dock sections for freshwater lake:
1) What is your opinion of simply letting cedar WEATHER NATURALLY rather than staining it at all? How long would it last? Would the wood rise and cause splinters?
2) If we go with a stain, does it make sense for cedar to weather a season before application? If it grays and we don’t use brightener, would a cedar-tone color recapture the original look?
3) If we stain dock, does the underside of a dock also need staining (could mildew or algae form underneath and seep upwards)?
Marty
1. Left untreated the cedar will gray and start to splinter. It will still last 10+ years but it will not look very good.
2. You can let the wood weather for a year but you must use a wood cleaner and a wood brightener to prep prior to staining.
3. You do not need to do the underside.
i have a pressure treated deck with multiple types of stains & water sealers applied to it.over the years
want to strip it and restain.what do i have to do?
what is the best product for press. treated wood?
thanks
NEW YORK
Bill, removing multiple layers of old coatings and stains can be very difficult. You may need to apply a deck stripper numerous times to get all of the old coatings off the wood. I would look at a powdered deck stain stripper as they are more cost effective. Restore-A-Deck Stripper and HD80 are a couple.
There is not a best deck coating. I would look at Armstrong Clark Stain, Defy Extreme Stain, and TWP 1500 Series for New York.
I recently purchased a home with a 1000 square foot cedar deck. The previous owners stain with Cabot oil base solid stain. I used a stripper and power washer on the deck only to discover that most of the wood is cracked and splintering. I decided on replacing with PT wood. Is this a good choice or not??? How long will I have to what to stain? The deck is exposed to direct sunlight for a majority of the day. What stain would hold up best? Also part of the deck is built around a inground pool. Location is in the north east. any information will be helpful.
thanks
PTP is a popular choice for exterior decking. Typically you will need to wait 1-2 months after installing the wood prior to applying a stain. For brand new decking we suggest stains that are able to penetrate into the wood well. TimberOil Brand is a popular choice.
I would like to know why you can’t use Olymic Premium acrylic latex stain on hortizonal surfaces. It says only on fences, siding, furniture and only vertical surfaces. I want to use it on the flooring of my deck. It is a semi transparent stain.
sue
I am not familiar with the Olympic Acrylic Latex. If they do not suggest it for floor decking then I would not use it. It will probably peel.
Good evening,
What would you suggest we use on our merbau deck. We have a Labrador dog and 2 young children so the deck gets pretty dirty and is hard to clean. Needing something to make it look nice again and something thats easy to clean. Thanks!
I would clean and prep your exotic hardwood deck. Deck cleaning such as Restore-A-Deck will help with this.
As for a stain, there are may types and brands that are of higher end. See here for a good list of stains for exotic woods:
Exotic Hardwood Stain
Some of the more popular are:
IPE Oil
Messmers Hardwood
Penofin Exotic Hardwood Stain
Defy Hardwood Stain
thanks!
Are you talking about Cabot Timber oil?
No the cabot timber oil is completely different product and not the same.
Thanks for your answers! The house is 23 years old and needs a bit of repair where knots have let go so I am thinking semi-solid would be best to hide what ever it is going to be repaired. I like the look of semi-transparent but I am worried that the damaged areas would show through?
Hello, I just moved to a house with wood siding (pine or cedar but not sure which LOL) that needs to be finished. We live in Northern Ontario where temperatures fluctuate wildly throughout the year from -40 in the winter to 90 in the summer. The front faces South and the wood looks dried out and faded whereas the back of the house facing North (waterfront side) has gone almost black. We plan to clean the siding with a cleaning product and pressure washer then apply a semi-solid stain to hide repair work to the siding/left over discoloration. We were thinking stain not paint because we would like to see that it is wood still. Any thoughts on oil versus latex for this project? Recommended products that we can get in Ontario? Thank you!
For a semi-solid stain I would look at the Armstrong Clark Stain. It is an excellent penetrating stain that is easy to apply as well. You can buy online here:
http://www.opwdecks.com/armstrong-clark-stain.htm
Matt, I am looking for a stain to apply to a brand new boat dock. It has pressure treated lumber and has aged about 9 months. The actual dock is 6′ x 110′ which is exposed to sunlight all day. Other areas are covered. Do I need a clear, semi-transparent, or solid? I would like for it to be as maintenance free in the future with minimal re-applications. Name brands I am familiar with and can get locally are Sherwin Williams Deckmate, Home depot Behr, and Lowe’s Flood. From feedback I have received….Flood semi-transparent is the best considering price and longevity. Any advice and info you provide will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
For new wood I would use a semi-transparent penetrating wood stain. all of the stains you can get locally are poor in quality, Flood though is better then the other two. Best would be to buy online. The Timber Oil Brand is excellent for brand new wood application.