So many stain choices, help a newbie out?

[taintedtattoo 14]

Hi guys n gals, I am about ready to re-stain my cedar home this spring and would like a little advice. First off I have been reading for months online in forums only to be more confused and frustrated, so I will just ask the question, please don't flame me for not doing some of my own research.. I tried really:). I have done my home in the past with these products and this is my opinion on each. Currently I have ABR X100, in cedar tone color, I absolutely hate this,, it stinks, it looks dull, it was very expensive, and never looked good even when first applied. Next was Ready seal, nice to work with, cheaper, like the colors, but not the longest lasting, I got about 4 years with ABR (looking terrible the entire time) and about 3 with Ready seal..

Here are my current list of contenders I am considering, ease of application is not a big concern for me because I do not do this for a living, however I am somewhat experienced on the proper wood prep and so forth. In no particular order here is my list. I forgot to mention, I did my cedar split rail fence with Cabbots Aussie timber oil, I love the way it looks, the jury is still out on how long it holds up, its still on the first year and still looks great, I am a little leary of doing my entire home with this, although I would consider it if guys have strong feeling for it.

WoodDefender

TWP

Bakers grey away

Armstron Clark

WoodTux

and perhaps Readyseal another try.

Please give me your experience and opinions, I would say my order of importance would go like this

1) overall looks

2) protection, longitivity

3) cost

4) ease of application

5) color choices (many of the cedar browns and golds look nice to me)

6) shipping to Wisconsin? perhaps I cannot even get some of these.

Thank you in advance for taking the time to read and respond.

Edited February 12, 2011 by taintedtattoo

[PetersonDecks 14]

i know what you are talking about X-100, too many problems and the cedar tone is too orangy of a look. i can speak on Readyseal and TWP, i have used AC a little but not much and have not used Bakers. The ease of application is still critical, You are use to 2 products that make the application very easy to apply, Most Products show streaks and imperfections in the application. anyways, TWP has been showing fantastic results for me in regards to longevity. i am getting 2-3 years on floors and 4 years on vertical surfaces, Readyseal, i love the look and overall appearance, extremely easy to recoat if you already have Readyseal on. There should be a distributor in Wisconsin for TWP, you will have to order Readyseal online. Anyways, sounds like you have done your research, you have picked 5 of the best stains on the market to choose from. Good Luck

[Adrian 155]

Hi guys n gals, I am about ready to re-stain my cedar home this spring and would like a little advice. First off I have been reading for months online in forums only to be more confused and frustrated, so I will just ask the question, please don't flame me for not doing some of my own research.. I tried really:). I have done my home in the past with these products and this is my opinion on each. Currently I have ABR X100, in cedar tone color, I absolutely hate this,, it stinks, it looks dull, it was very expensive, and never looked good even when first applied. Next was Ready seal, nice to work with, cheaper, like the colors, but not the longest lasting, I got about 4 years with ABR (looking terrible the entire time) and about 3 with Ready seal..

Here are my current list of contenders I am considering, ease of application is not a big concern for me because I do not do this for a living, however I am somewhat experienced on the proper wood prep and so forth. In no particular order here is my list. I forgot to mention, I did my cedar split rail fence with Cabbots Aussie timber oil, I love the way it looks, the jury is still out on how long it holds up, its still on the first year and still looks great, I am a little leary of doing my entire home with this, although I would consider it if guys have strong feeling for it.

WoodDefender

TWP

Bakers grey away

Armstron Clark

WoodTux

and perhaps Readyseal another try.

Please give me your experience and opinions, I would say my order of importance would go like this

1) overall looks

2) protection, longitivity

3) cost

4) ease of application

5) color choices (many of the cedar browns and golds look nice to me)

6) shipping to Wisconsin? perhaps I cannot even get some of these.

Thank you in advance for taking the time to read and respond.

Welcome, Please complete your signature line. House Rule.

Again welcome.

[Doug Black 18]

I really only know TWP. Duron carries it, as do many lumber centers. The color on TWP 200 after a year is about half or less that of initial application but I think it looks better that way. Maintenance of TWP is not bad either. TWP doesn't come cheap but sometimes you can cut it a little, depending...

There is a recent post on here entitled fence restoration that shows Bakers. That looks good.