20 Best Wood Stain For Fence (2023 Updated)

Our pergola was installed a few months ago and in need of being stained. Traditionally, stain is applied after the wood has been weathered for a year, but with this stain, it allows you to either apply to new wood or weathered wood.

I like that this is self-priming and that it has stain and sealant in one, cutting down on the workload. Since our pergola requires a ladder, I was also looking for a product that would not have to be applied every year or two.

This solid stain protects up to 5 years on decks and 15 years on fencing and siding, so I am optimistic. Due to temperatures and rain, I have been unable to prep and stain my pergola properly, but I did a test on one of the pieces of board remaining from our project.

Since our patio is in the sun nearly all day, the UV protection is a must and should help the stain last longer, thereby protecting the wood. The mildew resistant coating is also an added benefit I like since I live in the humid south and it can be easy for surfaces to mildew if not properly treated.

I applied one coat and two coats on my sample board. The one coat shows quite a bit more of the grain, whereas the required two coats provides a more solid, protected surface. I found it helpful to back brush to get the stain in the dents and crevices and to leave a wet edge while working.

I only did 1 board, but I used a 1″ brush and the wet edge is a must to encourage uniformity. Although I only did a small sample, I am satisfied with this solid stain. It provides even coverage and I can’t wait to get it applied to my pergola.

Olympic Exterior Wood Protector Water Base Semi Transparent Redwood Stain made our deck and fence look so professional, Our fence looked so old and needed something, and this was the ticket to bringing it back to life.

Olympic Wood Protector Semi-Transparent, COLOR: Redwood Semi-Transparent. Is a durable semi-transparent stain that provides a subtle natural redwood stain color and allows the natural wood grain and texture to show.

Exclusive Scuff Guarf stain formula gives the wood a tough finish and an enhanced level of protection. 100% acrylic latex wood stain formula is self-priming and cleans up easily with soap and water. It does take time putting this stain on but its worth it in the end.

I recommend Olympic Exterior Wood Protector it looks and smells like cedar. Everything ive used it on looks great. For all exterior wood. Bare wood,Finished wood , Old reclaimed wood , Stained or unfinished wood This stain is great for wooden decks and fencing and thats what I used it for.

I wanted to keep my fencing looking good and preserve the wood which was our deck. Olympic Exterior Wood Protector, protects for 3 years its mildew resistant, UV protection, waterproof sealer, you can also use a roller or a sprayer.

You will love this product.

I got the Olympic Wood Protector Solid in Deep Redwood Solid to update my shed, which was several years overdue for some protective coating. I like that this is solid so it helps hide flaws better, but the color was not what I was expecting.

I know it is called deep redwood but the picture examples on the Olympic website show this to be closer to brown. I was shocked at the bright red color in the can so I started with a swatch test before going all in.

It applies just as bright but when I checked it the next day after it dried it did deepen, though it still has more red to it than what is shown on the website (see my attached pictures for swatches).

There is a color dot on the sticker label on the can, though I am not sure that it came from the color in my can as it too is more brown than what is in the can. So once I was over the color shock, I decided I was going to roll with it and have a pop of color in my yard for the shed.

I still give this 5 stars because I like that it is a solid stain and sealant in one with waterproofing protection and UV defense. It is nice that it can last up to 5 years for decks and 15 years for fences and siding so I won’t have to apply more for a long while.

My shed is exposed to plenty of sunlight so I haven’t had mildew issues, but it is nice that this has a mildew resistant coating for additional protection if needed.

Recently had a small porch built off our 100 year old cottage. The wood used was treated having lots of wood knots, which are very difficult to cover up. My wife wanted painted but I knew that just regular paint wouldn’t cover up the knots.

I took a chance-so I bought KILZ® Waterproofing Semi-Transparent Stain. I thought nothing ventured nothing gained. To my wife’s surprise and joy the KILZ Waterproofing actually worked. The knots were gone! Now KILZ is my go to stain!.

So I picked this up in store because I needed a quick deck stain and sealer. There were three “colors” (tan, brown, dark brown) but all were the same type, tint base deck stain and sealer. I figured it would be colored already.

Think again. It’s just a semi-transparent sealer. There was not an employee anywhere around the paint department to mix in the stain color (why it’s not already mixed I don’t know, considering they advertise colors on the can).

Even if someone WERE available to mix in the stain color, you would not find out that you need that done unless you pop the can open, come here to read reviews, or scroll down pages of instructions to the *caution* section on the manufacturers site.

It says nowhere on the can that you must have the color added. Very misleading. I prepped my deck, was ready to start, popped the can open and was sorely disappointed. Now I have to make another trip back to the store to have color added or buy something else.

Such a waste of time and energy when all they needed was a little text on the can that says “make sure to get the color added before you leave the store” etc. I have yet to find out if the product is any good as I’ll have to wait until tomorrow to even go back and get it colored.

So frustrating.

Such a big difference in our deck. It was looking old but this product brought it to life again. Get so many compliments. A must have

In the past I’ve used latex primers, alkyd primers and other recommended wood sealer/primers to prep for outdoor painting and have seen the effects of weather on my exterior home projects including porches and railings.

The last bunch of years i’ve been using Flood CWF-UV water based as either a sealer without paint and as a primer under exterior latex paint. One project was a raised boardwalk made of treated 2×6 lumber.

The Flood held up under traffic and the paint stayed on nicely. I just go with the Flood now. It seems to penetrate better than the primers. The natural dries slightly yellowish. If I get drips I can see the runs but it always dries perfectly.

I’m no expert but I much prefer the Flood for exterior wood projects now.

This is the 2nd time I’ve used this product (CWF Flood Cedar) on our cedar deck. The result with 2 rolled on coats is always amazing. We live in the Pacific Northwest, the weather from rain is often brutal.

Our deck is into the woods and moss grows heavily during the fall and spring months. It’s been two years since applying the First run of CWF, and with light power washes in between for moss removal, this product has stood the test.

I do a wet on wet application, this seems to work especially well. My deck is 200sq ft. And used exactly 1 gal. (Not sparingly) with all coats overlapping as I roll. Truly happy again with this product and will use forever of the duration of this deck going forward.

Proven over time and Money well spent!.

I enjoyed this deck stain. Yes, there is better quality out there but that comes with a hefty price tag so it’s really just about what you are looking for. Personally. I wanted something affordable that looks nice and protects my deck while also giving an all over coverage and even color to the wood.

This product did just that and looks absolutely beautiful on the wood. If your on a budget and looking for a good affordable stain for your deck, I think this product is great! Like I said previously, yes there is better out there but for the price, this product works just fine.

This product seems to work as advertised, but I’m not sure it’s been down long enough to give a good review (applied 2 weeks ago). The stain applied very nicely and it was the color I expected. It added a little color but allowed the wood grain to come through.

It dries quickly – so you have to work with a purpose. When the first rain came – water puddled up and didn’t absorb into the wood. The can did arrive damaged. It didn’t leak but it was definitely dented and bowed.

I’m surprised it didn’t leak.

Applied this exactly how the directions indicated onto a BRAND NEW deck, 6 months later it’s peeling and flaking off and looks like garbage. Absolute waste of money. Do not buy this product.

Very thin consistency makes it fairly difficult to use. Yesit did the job but with some difficulty. Still, the project came out fairly good.

New cedar deck built in 2020 in Zigzag Oregon. I went to Clackamas Miller Paint and bought Storm System type 2 sealer at $53ish a gallon. I have had nothing but problems with the sealer. The first application last about 6 months.

Looked failed and beat. In the summer, I cleaned and scrubbed the deck for 2nd application. FYI Oregon had record dry heat. Applied 2nd application. This time it only lasted about 2 months. Called Storm’s “customer service” for help, and got the run around.

Finally after weeks of waiting for Storm to call me back I proactively got ahold of Storms technical support. The support agent had an opposite answer for every question. He was very well rehearsed at playing both sides of the fence on why the sealer failed.

It tells me that this is not the first time this company or agent had someone calling for help because of the Storm System sealer had failed. Buyers consider yourself tipped off regard this product. Expensive and doesnt work.

Take your money elsewhere.

The shipping was excellent. It was delivered very quickly. I couldn’t find a sprayer that I could spray the sealer with so it took a little longer to apply. We have had our first rain since application and it did not bead up like a usual sealer.

Time will tell. The color allows for the beauty of the wood to come thru beautifully.

Bought 2 cans. One was black walnut, the other was blonde. Stirred like crazy but won’t turn dark. Also neither can seals the wood. Using Thompson’s sealant, the rain bubbles on top of the wood. With this product, the rain is quickly absorbed.

NO SEALANT.

TranslateShow in original languageSe ve de mucha calidad, fácil de aplicar, alto rendimiento, color precioso. La madera queda como nueva. Envase perfecto, antigoteo, además incluye guantes y palito para mover.

Genial.

I used this redwood stain for my shed and some wood planters on my patio. I love the finish it leaves as well as the durability. The application and clean up was easy with my rollers and brushes. It absorbed quicker than I thought it would leaving a beautiful rich color and protection from the elements.

It’s important to cover areas that you don’t want a stain because this will leave a permanent stain on anything porous. One coat was all I needed but I keep an extra gallon for the future if touch ups are necessary.

As accents, I used some of the stain to finish some wooden birdhouses I made. I get many compliments from my neighbors and they ask what brand and color stain I used.

This is just what we needed to make our home look nice! We purchased an older home in need of many cosmetic fixes. One of the worst, most obvious problems was the UGLY deck. Being on a budget, we searched for solutions: The deck either needed extensive sanding and resurfacing OR this product.

There are a lot of deep grooves and deep stains in the wood, not a smooth surface. I bought one can (with this price, it’s easy to experiment) just to see what would happen. Cleaned the wood with a wire brush and the results are smashing.

This red stain is very much like what they use on wood picnic tables. Not for everyone, quite reddish when dry, but what an improvement for our cottage-y place. So far, it’s sticking, covering well with two coats, dries fast and easy to use.

Quite happy here!.

I used Behr Redwood No. 9 Oil Latex stain on my redwood gate and a short redwood fence topper on one section of my block wall over a dozen years ago. I painted only my side of the fence topper which was put up by my neighbor who did not paint his side.

The Behr stain outlasted the fence topper, which rotted out on the unpainted side. I removed it when my neighbor moved and used the rest of the original gallon of stain to touch up the redwood gate (which still looked good, but was a bit weather streaked) and now it looks brand new after all these years.

Awesome Behr product!. Will be back for another gallon in about 12 years, or so.

We have a wood patio set from Ikea. Unfortunately the finish didn’t last and needed complete redo. Ikea was no longer selling the matching stain. This turned out good as it forced me to try this product.

After washing the set with some soapy bleach mixture I sanded all the top surfaces. Then applied the semi transparent stain and sealer in the custom mixed Sable color which is almost an exact match. The end result was amazing, looks better than new.

The key is making sure you don’t apply in direct sun as dries really fast. Aldo wet on wet if doing second coat. I don’t know how long it will last but should be much longer than the original finish.

Hello, I used Behr semi transparent stain on my deck after cleaning and prepping the surface. I applied 2 thin coats and it looked great. It was quite tacky for a long time as others have noted but this eventually resolved.

After the first winter the stain started to peel significantly and by the end of the first full summer it looked horrible. There is a portion of my deck that is covered and this has held up fine. I have now fully sanded the remaining surface in preparation of re-doing the project.

I am very reluctant to use this product again but need to do so to match the remaining covered deck surface. I would sure appreciate some advice and warranty coverage to repeat this process. Thanks so much.

I live in southern AZ, the sun makes any surface very hot. This stain begins to blister after 2 yrs. Then I have to sand the entire deck and benches before I can apply new coat. I use an air compressor to make sure the surface completely free of dust.

I use the recommended 2 coats, 24 hrs between coats. I apply this before our Monsoon season (starts early July) and it does really well repelling water. If you live in a part of the country where the temps are moderate, this stain may be perfect for you.

I used this on new maple kitchen cabinets. It was horrible to work with. I planned on denim blue with a light glaze of black. The blue seemed fine on the first small pieces, but as the pieces increased in size the problems started.

I couldn’t get the stain wiped off fast enough, and working small areas at a time left overlap discoloration. I ended up having to use a very heavy glaze to give any uniformity. Then came our doors. Started with the smallest ones first, backsides only.

The results are awful, and again using a heavy black glaze that in places can’t even mask the unevenness of the blue. I am every concerned about doing the front of these custom-made doors. I have prepared the wood as instructed.

I am following directions. I have tried brushes, sponges, new white cotton fabric, paper towels. I haven’t finished the inside of the doors yet because it has been an exercise in frustration. I have no idea what I’m going to do about the fronts.

Our kitchen has been years in it’s transformation and this is not only frustrating and expensive , but it is heartbreaking. For the record I have stained many things, have never had a problem.

This appears to be a good product. Put it on a huge pergola last week. The redwood really soaked up the stuff. It did not leave an oily sheen/shine like Cabot’s Australian Pine Oil based product, which I was hoping for, as this product has 3 oils in it’s basis.

Environmental forces have greatly reduced the VOC content of most finishes, including these outdoor wood coatings, so we’re all left with reduced true benefits, other than hopefully a more sustained environment.

I may give it a second coat in Spring, as we’re in a new (8 year old home) place with unknown stain history on the pergola.

Love their transparent stain. One of the easiest stains to apply. Heard mixed reviews on their semi and solid stains but this line of Superdeck product is great

Finally found a Great oil based stain that actually penetrates the wood. I used it on a exterior deck.

We had our older large deck and big privacy fence prepped and painted in early May 2022. We got lucky and it was optimum painting weather the entire time. The team that did the work was phenomenal. They washed, power washed, replaced a few boards, and sanded before painting.

We picked the Arborcoat in seagull Gray on the deck, and it looks spectacular. 4 Weeks later, the cleanability of the paint is not great. I have to use the pressure wash setting on the hose to get dirt and mud out.

Dried flower petals and their colors almost need to be scrubbed out. I’m pretty sure the rust marks from and old half barrel flower pot are permanent, even though the drips were seen after the first rain and the barrel was moved.

It’s really disappointing after spending so much money on paint to have it be so high maintenance after only a month, makes me worry that it will start peeling or chipping within a year. Again, the color itself is beautiful.

This Paint is probably better suited for a covered patio with no flowers.

I am a mother of a 1. 5 year old and was primarily concerned about paint odor and toxicity, and wanted to invest in a high quality paint that would make my job easy since painting with a toddler is not for the faint hearted.

Let me just note that I have painted with 2 other zero VOC paints in the past: Mythic and Colorhouse. Mythic to my knowledge is no longer available to the general consumer, so I won’t waste time on Mythic, but Colorhouse paints like a DREAM compared to BM’s Natura line.

Natura was exceedingly drippy, had poor coverage, and was very unforgiving of my starts and stops that inevitably happen when caring for a toddler. I had to paint extra coats to even out mistakes, and take extra time when applying to avoid drips or uneven painted areas.

This paint is not for the beginner painter. If all you care about is no VOC and no odor, you can learn to use it (use a high quality roller, use a spotlight, go slow, double check your work frequently), but if you also value an easy to work with paint, go with another paint!! My paint job took twice as long due in part to this terrible paint, but you can work with it if you are in the unfortunate group like me who bought the paint and had to stick with it.

When I switched back to Colorhouse paint at the end of my project, it felt like magic since it was so much easier to work with! Colorhouse is a brand that has staked its reputation on producing a non-toxic paint that is also high quality, and at about the same price point I would say throw Natura in the trash and go with Colorhouse if you have the option.

Unfortunately for me, I have to have Colorhouse shipped as it is not locally available, but looking ahead that is what I will be doing for all my future paint projects. Benjamin Moore, if you are reading this, the only thing that will make me rescind my review is if you send someone to finish painting my house and send my family on a tropical vacation since I lost my summer due to this terrible product.