Honestly I would use a solid color stain or a Dek-over product ( Behr and Rustoleum makes one ) that is like a bedliner material. Solid color is so easily touched up, and its the best for UV resistance.

The wolmanization process used to treat wood makes the grain so tight, a treated deck really needs 6 months to weather, all the while warping and twisting along the way. After you replace the 10% of lumber that tends to walk they will take a stain pretty decent but you will have to deal with wear/traffic patterns, uneven weathering, off color boards etc. Solid color eliminates this.


IMO we would stain a deck two maybe three times before the homeowner got tired of fighting it and went with a solid color. Doing a Strip/Sand/Restain is an expensive proposition. The best a deck is ever gonna look is the day after its stained...after that its in a constant state of deterioration.



Fences are one thing, and a good stain can def. prolong the life of a fence, same thing with an arbor or pergola, but if you can get away with it elevation wise, I always avoid wooden improvments, much preferring concrete, flagstone or pavers. If I was forced to build a deck, I would go with a composite like Trex or Evergrain. In two years time you will re-coup whatever upfront extra cost the composite was and you will be much happier.

Do not stain! Staining the wood releases radioactive isotopes into the pigment allowing your fence to be "seen" by the Alpha-c transponder on the planet Jizzmo, sending your coordinates to George Soros and the Rothschilds. They will then have your address in the suburbs and will send bulldozers to destroy your home. But hey, if you're willing to take the chance, go for it.

I’m in the stain camp. Baker’s Grey Away in Plano...great stuff and sprays through a pump up sprayer.

I stained mine

Thanks I may give them a try, like it especially that I can use a pump sprayer. I don't know if you can with the others. I look into it

any transparent or semi-transparent stain you can apply with a pump sprayer.


the solids and semi-solids i would roll on or use an airless paint sprayer

Be sure to use oil base

Always

This ^^ I've got 440' I've fixing to spray.

You just think he is kidding

Hmm, I was thinking if I could only brush. Im interested in brushing or rolling on, have plenty of free hands.

The oil base last longer and hold better color longer? Did mine 3 years ago, starting to show fade from water and sun, I used Flood for mine. But it was not an oil based if I remember correctly.

Thompsons is junk. Spend a little more on Olympic Maximun

I use Timber Oil. Lasts so much longer than a stain. Very easy to apply and you get a nice even coat and don't have to worry about lap marks.

We are having about 450’ of cedar privacy fence installed now. The Olympic brand seems scarce at the big box stores. Where is a good place to buy? Also, how many sq ft per gallon on new wood?