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That semi-solid looks good! I expected the semi-solid to look a little more "paint" like but it honestly doesn't look very different than my semi-transparent. I guess I'll definitely keep the semi-solid in mind down the road when the wood starts to weather more. Nice job! My neighbor has a semi-solid (not sure what brand, and almost a cream color) and it practically looks like paint to me. Perhaps that's the color more than anything..?

Ok, so the new PT deck is almost complete (about 16'x19' + stairs), and it seems like staining it before winter is a good idea. I'm located in Virginia, so temperature gets very hot in the summer and cold in the winter, and we get a good amount of rain. Can anyone recommend a good sealer for this temperate climate? I am strongly considering Armstrong Clark and also Ready Seal. I'm looking at a semi-transparent stain, and a not very dark stain since the deck will get direct sunlight, and don't want it to be too hot/hard on the wood. I was considering the "Pecan" stain or maybe even the "Amber" stain in Armstrong Clark, but am having a hard time finding samples of the stain, especially on PT wood. I'd prefer the stain to not be too reddish. To be honest I like the natural color, but I'm trying to strike a balance between something that will look good and last. I'm open to any and all suggestions. Thanks!

Ok thanks for the tips everyone! It's a little darker under the railings but not bad enough to bother me so I'll probably just leave it be. I'll remember the cardboard tip next time I do the railings.

Thanks for the compliments! Question for you pros.. How do you keep the deck boards under the railing from getting more stain than the rest of the deck, I'd guess just work faster/hire another person? The staining took me about 6-7hrs by myself (I'm probably a little slow this being my first time and I'm kind of anal), doing the railings really are a tedious job. The deck boards maybe took me an hour. Regarding the stain, I'm definitely happy w/ the color of the AC Amber. I'd say it's just like a cedarish color stain but with some brown which is exactly what I wanted. Thanks again for the advice/help. On to the next project..

Thanks for the advice, sounds like a plan. I don't want the little pup running out on it and getting stain on his paws.. :p Here are a couple pictures of the finished deck. The only "mistake" I think I made is that some areas under the railing are a little darker because they got more stain, but all in all it's not really noticeable and looks very good. Also, despite probably overapplying it in some spots (due to the railings dripping), it doesn't seem to leave a sticky/tacky surface behind like some stains, rather just left an extra film that I wiped off w/ a rag in some spots. Now just to see how long it lasts. [ATTACH]20048[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]20049[/ATTACH]

Well finally got around to staining my deck yesterday w/ AC Amber. Looks good so far and took longer than expected (what's new). It's a second story deck so I stained all the exterior facing railings/stairs/beams/posts which took up more stain but it's well worth it. I'll snap some pictures later today and post them but just wanted to say thanks for the advice folks. We'll see how the stain lasts longer term. I ordered 6 gallons and have a little under a gallon left over. I'm not sure what you guys use normally for staining decks, but I pretty much did everything w/ a 2.5" brush (for the little crevices and railing spindles) and 4" brush. I bought a "stain pad" for the deck boards but found that it doesn't get in the grooves between the boards so ended up just doing it w/ a 4" brush. How long should I let it dry, 24hrs? Is foot traffic fine after 24hrs or better to be safe and wait 48? Thanks!

Ok thanks guys, I guess I'll give amber a shot then. Any comments regarding how much stain I should order and if I should do one or two coats? :) I guess the question really is how much coverage you get out of a gallon, closer to 150 or 200? Weather is finally warming up! Was a long winter this year. Thanks! -Mike

Ok, I'm bringing this back from the dead because weather is getting better and I'm going to be ordering some stain. Looks like I have it narrowed down to Armstrong Clark in Cedar Semi Transparent or Amber Semi-Transparent. Is Amber a more brown color? I was looking at sample pictures and it seems like the two are very similar..? Is Cedar a more yellowish color? Also, any tips on how much stain I should order? The deck is approx 16'x19' + stairs. That's 304sqft. Of course I need to do railings and 6x6 posts since it's a second story deck. According to some distributors 1 gallon is good for approximately 200 sq ft. So would a total of 4 gallons suffice? I have a lot of railing (~90') and the stairs and rim/outter joists as well.. I'm not opposed to just ordering 5 and having some left over, but just want to make sure I have enough. Also, this is PT wood that's dried out from last fall and hasn't been stained. Is one coat plenty or should I consider 2, and does 2 coats help protect the wood more? I'm open to all suggestions and tips. Thanks!

Thanks guys, I'll def wait till spring then. I'm in nothern va, winters here aren't really bad usually. Usually only a few snowfalls a yr if that.

Ok, so is the general consensus to wait till spring to stain if the deck was built in late summer? I'm a little concerned about leaving the wood as-is through the winter, but perhaps I'm just overworrying?

Chaz thanks again for the info! The Amber semi-transparent is definitely at the front of the pack for me now in terms of what stain to use. Is there a certain period of time you'd recommend waiting before staining/sealing w/ an AC semi-transparent? Most of the deck has been finished for about a month and I'm seeing some black spots (mildew?) already on it, so I'm going to need to give it a light cleaning before staining (plus I got some mud here and there). I was hoping by the end of next month I could stain/seal it. Any advice is really appreciated!

Thanks NAPWO. I've seen the color charts, but my concern was how certain woods look after the stain, or are they generally pretty close regardless of the wood? My other question was regarding AC, they don't have a picture of Amber on their website for the semi-transparent, although it seems like some retailers have it (it's a new color). My first choice would be a transparent stain but I know it doesn't offer good protection so semi-transparent is my first choice, preferably something on the lighter side. Thanks!

Great thanks for the responses guys! That deck looks really nice bigchaz, I might just go with Amber for AC as well then. Just to double check but that is a semi-transparent right chaz? Also, any tips on how long to wait before stain/sealing it? Is the general consesus that I should wait till spring? I was thinking of trying to maybe stain it late October if a warm day comes along because I was worried about a cold winter damaging/causing warping/splitting, but maybe it'll be fine for this one winter? Thanks again for the help! -Mike