DEFY 1 Gallon Semi-Transparent Deck Stain for Hardwoods, Light Walnut

I've had an Ipe deck for about 12 years (it's actually Red Belau, which is very similar). After many years of using penetrating oil (all the top brands) I've slowly watched our once beautiful deck get darker and darker, to the point of almost being black, despite regular maintenance. It also seemed to be growing green slime quicker every year. (We live in Western Washington.)This year, after scouring the interwebs, I decided to try something new, and I'm SO GLAD I did. Here was my regimen, which I'll be using forever going forward:1. Pressure washed: Got off all the dirt, grime and green slime, like I normally do.2. Defy Stain Stripper: This was new for me and a critical step. Over the years, I've never used a stain that created a coating so I didn't think a Stain Stripper was necessary. But I realized that the penetrating oil I'd been using over the years had created a sort of coating of its own that needed to be removed. The stripper pulled years of built up oil out from the wood and you could see the dark red and brown being washed away. (I scrubbed it with a push broom before hosing it off, just to loosen up more stuff.)3. Defy Wood Brightener: This is something I've done before and did it again this year. Lightens the wood up another shade but, more importantly, it resets the PH balance of the wood to its natural state so it accepts the stain better.4. Defy Extreme Stain for Hardwoods: This product was also new to me this year, and again, critical to the success of my project. I bought 3 gallons each of both the Cedar and Light Walnut colors. I tested them on an inconspicuous board and honestly, I could barely tell the difference between them. Maybe due to the age of my deck, I dunno, but since they were essentially identical and both beautiful, I mixed the colors together in a 5-gallon bucket and went for it.The results? Amazing. I never thought I'd get my deck back to anything close to its original state, but this stain (and general approach) did the trick beyond my wildest dreams. Hopefully it holds up well over the winter. Next year I'll just clean, brighten, apply more stain (without pressure washing or stripping).The photos show my progress about halfway through, so you can see the difference.

Our deck is mahogany and we needed to buy a stain specifically made for hardwoods. This is easy to use and went on way smoother than a lot of products I've encountered in the past. Our deck has a ton of sun exposure and we get a lot of snow, plus some spring storms, so I don't expect this to last forever, but it certainly seems to be doing the job so far. It's only been down for about 6 weeks.This does have a reddish cast to it, but not overly so. If used on cedar it will definitely bring out a brighter orange-y color, but that's the nature of that material and you don't need to use a hardwood formula for that anyway. I wanted to go with this color because I wanted something relatively neutral. Mahogany wouldn't have been my choice for a deck in the first place (the previous owners installed that), but this color looks really nice in my opinion.Follow directions very closely! We did a DIY refinish and washed thoroughly with teak cleaner and teak brightener (again because it's formulated for hardwoods). This stain is easiest to apply by pouring it in a paint tray and using a broomstick with a soft/feathered bristle head like the ones made for washing cars. Trust me—get one of those for $8 and you'll be so happy you did! Apply sparingly or, like all deck stains, you WILL end up with a sticky surface and then you'll have to deal with that huge headache.

I have used this product 4 prior times on my IPE deck. It's much more transparent than expected and needs 3 coats to create an even look. I went with the Cedar, but should have tried the light Walnut. I don't remember prior years being so transparent. Labeling is different, maybe the recipe is too. They say when it no longer beads water it needs a maintenance coat. Well that is 2 or 3 months later. With a maintenance coat in fall you can get 3 years out of it. If not the 2nd year will look pretty bad half way thru summer. Wish I went with a stamped concrete patio. Although my IPE deck looks like furniture when I'm done, it is a LOT of work.

Our wooden patio deck approaching 20 years old really needed some help. I started cleaning and scrubbing it not knowing for sure what product I would use to stain it. After some research,I knew semi transparent was my choice and I felt Defy was a great option to handle our variety of seasons. I did all the work by hand with a brush. Three coats on at least 500 square feet total with the privacy fence surround used 6 gallons The stain is very forgiving with my beginner application technique, and goes on very nicely. The color light walnut is gorgeous.I did not want a beige or red tinge. The true walnut brown looks very nice. So far with rain and sun and snow,the finish is great. I am determined to maintain it properly now with defy products.

Great product works very well. My suggestion is not to apply 3 coats. Follow the directions which required 2. I thought more is better and that’s not so. The 3rd coat didn’t soak into the lumber but sat on top of the previous 2 and now is sticky It’s been 2 weeks and it’s slowly getting better. When it’s at night or a cool day your feet don’t stick but on a hot sunny day sticky. My fault

NEEDED FOUR COATS TO Seal white cedar!!!!! plus, I'll find out in the spring if it actually lasts. Prior use of two coats peeled in first year and I did all required prep & followed application instructions carefully. Thus , this stuff is super expensive--twice what you'd expect since you need to apply four times.

This stain is amazing! We just had a new deck installed last year, and we used this product to seal and stain it. It looks amazing!!! It is worth the extra money spent over Thompson’s. Is a much better seal and stain. Highly recommend. Amazon shipped quickly, as well.

I selected white oak for my patio table for it's outdoor durability. I thought Defy Deck Stain for Hardwoods would measure up for durability. Take a look at the picture. After only 1 year of life, half under a canopy, the stain is mostly gone. Now I get to re-sand the whole thing. I'll use a different, better produce this time.