Cabot - How to Choose Exterior Stain

It’s time to take your staining skills to the next level.
It’s time to Go Premium with Cabot.
This is how to choose the right exterior wood stain. Before you start looking at our premium stain options,
you may need to decide what’s more important to you: the aesthetic appeal of the wood or achieving maximum protection.
Choosing a solid stain means hiding more of the natural character of the wood.
As for a more transparent stain, the opposite is true: it shows more woodgrain.
To simplify this decision, here’s the opacity scale for stains.
Starting with Clears. They’re colorless transparent coatings that show the full natural beauty of the wood. They do, however, repel water and defend against some UV damage.
Wood Toned stains provide a hint of color while allowing the beauty of the wood to shine through-which you can find in products like Cabot Gold, Australian Timber Oil, and Wood Toned Deck and Siding Stain.
Semi-Transparent stains add a light color to the surface while still showing some of the grain.
Semi-Solid stains impart more color than Semi-Transparent, and therefore, hide more of the woodgrain.
Finally, Solid stains cover 100% of the natural wood grain, BUT offer maximum protection to the surface, while hiding imperfections in the wood.
In addition to the stain opacity, consider the unique natural color of your wood type before choosing a stain.
For example, pressure-treated pine may start out with a greenish hue. And cedar has a more natural red color.
To ensure you’re achieving a perfect pro finish you want, pick up a Cabot stain sample and test it in a hidden area.
And that’s how you choose the right exterior wood stain from Cabot: Trusted by pros for over 140 years.

[@icedteamama176]

Hi, we have a 9 yr old side deck that gets a ton of hot afternoon sun which has been stained couple of times (oil based)…heard the solid stains only comes water based. Is oil based semi-solid the best option? Deck has been pressure washed. Thanks!

[@larahorn9357]

Hi I have a semi solid stain with sealer do I need to also add the clear coat over the stain?

[@Cabot]

Hi Lara, you do not need to add a clear coat over the stain. This is a one coat application product.

[@JeffAMay]

How long do these different stains last on a deck or fence?

[@Cabot]

Hi Jeff, this can depend on a variety of factors, including weather and usage. If you'd like to chat through more specifics, please feel free to reach out to our customer support team Monday-Saturday from 8am-6pm EST at 1-800-US-STAIN or you can e-mail us at [e-mail]. Thank you!