Consumer Reports on Best Outdoor Stain for Houses

Consumer Reports: Top Deck Stains

Past Consumer Reports • Published May 23, 2014 • Updated on August xix, 2014 at 10:28 am

Has your deck seen meliorate days? Consumer Reports has you lot "covered." Information technology just tested 29 deck stains.

To find out which stains last the longest, testers apply them to wood panels. The panels are left on Consumer Reports' roof for up to three years. Other panels are left in a shady spot to test for mildew resistance.

The blazon of stain you use makes a deviation. A clear finish shows off the wood's natural grain and texture but tends to simply concluding a year, and information technology won't keep the wood from turning greyness. A solid stain lasts longer, simply information technology covers up the natural grain of the wood. It's more durable. So three years after, information technology's most exactly the same.

The semi-transparent Cabot Express Deck Woods Stain claims you'll need no dry fourth dimension between cleaning your deck and applying the stain. So testers applied the Cabot to a wet wood panel. They tried the aforementioned experiment with a semi-transparent stain from Behr.

NBC 5 reached out to Cabot Woodcare, this was the company's response:

"Cabot Woodcare respects the work Consumer Reports does, and we stand up behind our products. Our testing for Cabot Limited Deck does non match Consumer Reports results, but we are committed to constant comeback. Additionally, we were pleased to meet that Cabot Solid Acrylic Siding stain scored very well in their 2022 ratings."

And after ii years the Behr still looked really good, but the Cabot had started to interruption downwards. In fact, the Behr Premium Semi-Transparent Weather condition Proofing Forest Stain earned top ratings. Information technology costs $37 at Habitation Depot.