Brick Painters LLC
It’s been an extremely hot and dry summer here in Nashville. This is a perfect time to experiment with different products, and maybe find some new favorites. This year, we actually found 2 of our new deck stain product staples that we are now going to use for most jobs. We are excited about their abilitites and applications. The great thing about these products is :
- They are very easy to apply
- Extended dry times help the product penetrate in hot weather
- When they fade, just clean and apply a fresh coat. No peeling, sanding, stripping.
Here are our favorite transparent stains for decks, handrails, and any other woodwork you might want to make beautiful.
#1 Cutek Extreme (Oil Based)
Cutek is a product that is so versatile and easy to use that it almost seems too good to be true. The only downside of this product is that it leans on the more expensive side, but it’s totally worth it. It is not a traditional stain, but rather a penetrating wood oil. So technically speaking, it is far more than a stain because it does not sit on top of the wood. We first tried this product on a large Douglas Fir garage overhang. It requires that you put one coat on, let it dry completely (24hrs) and then put a 2nd coat on. The surprise of this product is that it is incredibly easy to work with, not very drippy, and has a very mild smell. This is rare for most oil products, and we purposely try to find less toxic and harmful products for our projects. This met all of our requirements and then some.
We recommend this product highly for the homeowner OR the professional painter. You will not be let down by it’s super flat and traditional stained look, but even more impressed by it’s permormance. Check out the photo below for Cutek’s awesome finished look.
For more info on Cutek Extreme Wood Oil and where to buy it
#2 DEFY Extreme Wood Stain
The 2nd product on our list is Defy Extreme Wood Stain. It is a water based product, and for the most part we aren’t fans of water based products on decks or any wood that is going to hold water. The downside with most of these products is that when they eventually fail, you have to strip them off completely to re-apply. This is not the case with DEFY. It will fade much like the Cutek and when it does, just lightly clean the surface and apply and fresh coat. We first used this product at a bar here in East Nashville. In most cases any water based product would have been doomed. The Defy held up very well and still looks good. With that much foot traffic, any product will get dirty fast, but DEFY cleans easily and a new coat is applied regularly to keep it looking great. This product would be excellent for any home or business, it is that reliable and versatile. With it’s wet on wet process you can stain faster, and have your surface ready to use faster than any oil and most water based stains. DEFY does dry to a flat finish so if you desire some sheen, get their DEFY ULTRA. You can order this product online or find it at some local Ace Hardware stores.
The photo below is DEFY used on a house in East Nashville
For more info on DEFY stains and where to buy them
We hope we have given you some good insight on these two very amazing and not hard to use stain products. We highly recommend them both, and all of the projects we have used them on still look great. We at Brick Painters are happy to give you any advice or insight on your deck staining projects. If you are local to the Nashville area, we would be happy to work with you. Enjoy and tight lines!!
