Thank you so much to Thompson’s WaterSeal for providing the stain for our deck! The product was provided free of charge to me, but the reviews are solely my own.
Mark and I recently finished our new deck in the back yard and we are really enjoying this new living space that it has provided. After all that hard work, we want to make sure to protect it. Thompson’s WaterSeal to the rescue!
It was so easy to apply. The first thing we had to do was take all of the furniture off the deck and clean it. Since it was new wood, we didn’t need to use any chemical wood cleaners, so we just swept it and used a little bit of scrubbing to get rid of a bit of dirt.
Here’s the deck before we stained it:
For the color, we chose Acorn semi-transparent. To apply the stain, we used a couple of deck painter pads. You can find similar ones HERE.
With both Mark & I working, the staining went really quickly on the floor of the deck. And the stain dries in as little as two hours!
Here’s what it looked like after the stain was applied:
It’s a good thing it dries quickly, too, because we’ve had quite a few pop-up thunderstorms. The weather radar showed no rain the day we stained, but sure enough, a storm rolled in and tested our stain and seal.
Good news – it works:
The water just beads right up! Yay!
*Tip: We bought a commercial squeegee to sweep the water off the deck after a good storm so it doesn’t just sit and puddle. No slips!
After the rain subsided and we squeegeed off the deck, it was time to paint the rails and put the furniture back in place.
The finished product? Nothing short of beautiful!
We opted to leave the balusters natural for now, and may go back and paint a clear sealant just for protection. We love the two-tone look.
Daisy Mae was ecstatic…can’t you tell?
I am so ready for the weather to cool just a bit more so we can light a fire in that fire pit, maybe roast some s’mores, and relax.
Next deck project: make cushions for our sectional! Then I think we’ll be done. For now.
Maybe. *wink*
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18 Responses
We did our deck this year too. The stain has made all the difference!
It turned out so pretty! I will be staining my floors sometime this week and am a little scared…hopefully they will turn out as well as your deck did. 🙂
It was obviously the perfect choice for you, I mean it has your name right on it! lol…
It really does make a huge difference. We love how it turned out!
Thank you Kadie! I’m sure your floors will be gorgeous!
LOL! I know, right?! That’s what I said when we got it 🙂
Your deck looks gorgeous!!!
Thompson water seal is amazing stuff….we used it on our picnic table many years ago!
Thank you Lindsay!
Awesome! We’re loving it so far 🙂
I got tired just READING this – it looks totally fantastic!! (But wow, what a big undertaking!) Our deck desperately needs to be re-done. I doubt it’s ever been re-painted since it was first installed.
That water beading picture looks like it’s made for a commercial!
Hi! We are looking to use the exact same stain and color tomorrow. How is it holding up after two years? Thanks in advance and a quick reply (befor we run out and buy the stain) would be much appreciated!
All stain fades and wears after two years, but it’s help up pretty well. We just did a quick re-coat a couple months ago. We have three dogs that run up and down the deck so their nails wear out certain spots. I honestly can’t complain – other than a quick re-coat, it hasn’t needed any maintenance!
(Hope that was quick enough for you!) 🙂
Thank you! Much appreciated! And quick enough? Are you kidding me?!!! Thank you!!! Quick follow up – fading is to be expected but did you see any peeling? We have an un-shaded sun facing deck and I was wondering… Also I am learning more than I can imagine on deck stains!! Thank you for writing about it – it encourages amateur DIY ers like me!
Oh girl, I’m as amateur as the come. If I can stain a deck, anybody can! We have not seen any peeling at all, thankfully.
I do highly recommend getting a dark stain, or even going for the heavier coverage stain instead of semi-transparent, since you’re sun-facing. Apply it slowly so it has time to soak in as you brush it on – take your time. And let it dry completely before touching it.
The squeegee is great to have, too, for heavy rains, to keep the water from puddling on the boards. It’s not necessary but it does help.
By the way, buy more applicator sponges than you think you’ll use. We wished we had a couple extra because they fall off when they get heavily soiled with stain. 🙂
Thanks again. You have been wonderfully helpful and encouraging!