Pressure Washing Guide

Midwestpro · Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2007 5:16 pm Post subject: Clear Deck Stain

A lot of our customers want their deck to remain natural looking after it's properly cleaned but still want water and sun protection. Most think to achieve both they should go with a clear sealer. The problem with clear sealers, regardless of what it says on the can, is that they do not protect the wood from harmful sun rays. The reason is because there is no pigment in a clear sealer, but they do give you some water protection.

Decks sealed with a clear sealer will normally turn gray within a year due to sun damage. To protect your deck from water and sun you need to choose a sealer that has some pigment in it. There are some good oil based semi transparent sealers on the market that have a toner in them. This toner gives the sealer a little color (pigment) but it's still semi transparent, which means you can see the wood grain through it.

Basically the darker the color the more sun protection the sealer provides. We talk most of our customers into a honey gold or natural tone sealer, which gives great sun protection and gives the deck the natural look they want.

footballmike · Joined: 27 Jan 2008 Posts: 10 Location: Texas

I was going to go with a clear sealer for the nature look on the new deck. I think I will reconsider and may even hire it out now. This information has helped a lot.

mvanderwal · Joined: 12 Jul 2009 Posts: 10

I also was considering a clear sealant on my deck, but thats a really good point that no one had ever told me - there really isn't good sun protection and the wood could fade and be damaged.....hmmm I'll have to reconsider I suppose!