For wooden house decorating, the best semi transparent deck stain for pressure treated wood is indispensable! Well, it is undeniable that wood is an excellent natural source for every category in our life!

From the industry to agriculture and more, wood is no doubt but that it plays a vital role!

This goes the same for house decoration as wood, for a very long time, is the most outstanding material for furniture making! It probably not only brings your house a unique natural beauty but also adds to it a classical charm! As a result, despite the high cost, wood is still highly popular!

Although wood is beautiful itself, with the stain, your wooden surface’ beauty will be much more enhanced!

Nowadays, there are a variety of stains from many trusted brands that are highly recommended for your pressure-treated wood!

If you see it too overwhelming to find out your favorite product among them, let check this article out immediately!

Best Semi Transparent Deck Stain for Pressure Treated Wood

Ready Seal Natural Cedar 5 Gallon

Ready SealEditor Rating:

First listed here is the Ready Seal, one of the best exterior stains and sealers for wood! Highly recommended for every project in your house, this stain will enable you to boost the natural beauty of your wood but still keep the grain and texture of the wood visible.

As an oil-based product, this 2 in 1 stain and sealer is suitable for all your exterior decoration! The stain, with the unique formula, is capable of deeply penetrating the wood’s surface, which helps protect it from external impacts such as UV rays, mildew, and mold.

Ready Seal is extremely dark at the first application, but do not worry because it will completely penetrate and reveal the true color after 14 days or so. It will also blend itself and be able to be applied in any temperature range for compatible surfaces!

Therefore, with the Ready Seal stain, you have to keep in your mind 4 “no”: no primer, no back brushing, no wet-line application, and no dilution required! They are remarkable notes that you need to pay attention to before using to make sure it will bring you favorable outcomes!

Pros:

  • “Goof Proof” application, very simple and easy to apply
  • 2 in 1 product for wood
  • High-end quality finish
  • Affordable price

Cons:

  • Badly packaged
  • Does not work for IPE deck wood
  • Not waterproof

Verdict

In brief, this stain has both benefits and drawbacks that you need to consider carefully for a good experience! For the application process, the Ready Seal is a very good choice.

DEFY Extreme Wood Stain 1 Gallon

DEFY Extreme Semi-Transparent StainEditor Rating:

Not all oil-based paints are good at staining the wood, thus, if you desire to buy such a stain, let’s try DEFY Extreme! This water-based wood stain from DEFY is proud to provide users with a beautiful semi-transparent stain for your wooden projects but still eco-friendly!

With DEFY Extreme, you will be able to offer your wood a natural matte finish! High-quality and multifunctional, this wood stain is ideal for exterior furniture, fences, staining wood decks, and more. Therefore, you can solve all the around-house tasks with just one buying!

One outstanding point of this stain is the new technology of Zinc Nano-Particle, meaning that DEFY Extreme will offer your projects great protection like sunscreen preventing them from damaging UV rays and the color loss!

Besides the durability, with the DEFY stain, you will also be able to maintain the finish with ease! It doesn’t require users to sand or strip the surface many times. This stain will allow you to brighten the wood simply with the DEFY wood brightener and then apply the maintenance coat!

Pros:

  • High-quality finish with durability
  • Eco-friendly
  • Easy and quick to apply

Cons:

  • Lasts for 6 months
  • Not reaches the true color

Verdict

This water-based stain is actually a new alternative for people who are involved in environmental problems due to its formula! Additionally, it also brings users the same benefits as other types with great durability!

Thompson’s Waterseal Woodland Cedar

Thompson’s WatersealEditor Rating:

You are looking for a stain with the waterproof feature, then Thompson’s Waterseal is actually what you need! Catching up with the increasing demands of customers, Thompsons has focused on this feature to make it stand out among millions of products for wood projects!

Exceeding the ASTM D-4446, the industry standard for waterproof wood, this Waterseal stain is able to completely prevent the damage of water to your wood surface! Additionally, it also provides a coating that will stop the mildew and damaging UV rays from them!

Furthermore, with the advanced polymers, your wood surface will be applied to a long-lasting color! As a stain but thick like the paint, you can use more than one way to apply on your projects! But remember, use only on the dry and cleaned surface for the best outcome!

Pros:

  • Easy and quick to apply
  • Excellent color
  • UV protection

Cons:

  • Not lasts long in the winter

Verdict

The waterproof, UV protection, and long-lasting color are all the outstanding features that you can receive from this stain! The drawback may make you hesitate, but the winter is just one season of the year, so it doesn’t matter at all!

#1 Deck Sealer 1 Gallon

Deck SealerEditor Rating:

Among the five stains listed here, the #1 Deck Sealer is different thanks to its special formula. Well, like other stains, this one is also able to protect your wood surfaces from the graying and fading caused by UV rays! But with this sealer, your finish will completely hide the grain of the wood!

As both the sealer and stain, this 2 in 1 product provides the convenience and multifunction for users! Provided with the variety of colors offered, your finish applied will be brought with the advanced solid color with natural and beautiful looking!

Able to use for all vertical and horizontal surfaces, this sealer with low smell, low VOCs, and water-based clean up will absolutely bring you the most favorable outcomes when working with wood projects! As a result, it will also bring you expecting satisfaction!

Pros:

  • Excellent color reaching
  • Good coverage
  • Easy to apply
  • Long-lasting finish

Cons:

  • Streaky stain
  • Some of the colors are not attractive
  • Hides all the wood grain

Verdict

It is no doubt that the #1 Deck Sealer is able to provide with other stains’ benefits with few drawbacks! If you find a more perfect stain than this one, it seems very hard! However, if you are the type of people who prefer the natural beauty of wood, maybe it’s worth considering the drawback before buying!

Cabot Semi-Transparent Stain

Cabot Semi-Transparent StainEditor Rating:

Last but not least, one more stain we want to list here is the Cabot Semi-Transparent stain, which comes with the light pigment to stand out the grain of the wood surface. However, it still requires only one coat application to reach the true color!

With both the oil-based and Acrylic water-based formulas, this strain provides users with two standout benefits: waterproof and UV protection like other types of stain! And while you apply it properly, the finish will never peel, blister, or crack!

Pros:

  • Excellent color and texture
  • Long-lasting finish with high quality
  • Fast delivery
  • Best waterproof

Cons:

  • Hard to thin and mix

Verdict

The Cabot Semi-Transparent Stain seems more tricky to work with in comparison with other stains, which can bring out an inconvenience. In return, its outstanding features will exceed your expectations for sure!

Best Semi Transparent Deck Stain For Pressure Treated Wood – Buying Guide

You still find it hard to decide which stain is the most compatible with your wood? Don’t worry because we will show it to you right now!

Tips to choose the best stain

The kinds of pressure-treated wood

Different types of wood need different treatments, so it’s important to know your treated lumber types before making a decision!

Accordingly, the pressure-treated method makes use of water to fasten the penetration of chemical preservatives into the lumbers, making it more moisture-contented than other woods.

There are four kinds of pressure-treated lumbers to keep in mind and figure out the staining methods, with each of which, the way you apply staining will affect the final finish.

Wet-treated

It takes about 6 months so that the wood will completely dry and ready to stain, otherwise, the moisture remaining when you try to stain the wood will be sealed behind the stain and damage the wood from inside out.

Water repellent added wood

Waterproof woods themselves are good at resist water, but it might also resist some water-based stains, meaning you must ensure that the chosen products must adhere well.

Kiln Dried Pressure Treated

This category is actually the best for you! With it, you can use it right away in most cases without worrying! However, please consider the KDAT or ADAT tags to figure out whether you need to leave the wood air-dried or kiln-dried after treatment.

Finishes

Seal and stains are used for protecting wood from bad elements from the environment, then, it is dependable on what you desire it to bring – good looking more or protection more.

The wood grain is one of the factors that help you decide which stain you should buy because there are types that hide all the wood grain, while others are not!

Whatever you might choose, you have to remember that each type has its pros and cons, for example, solid stains hiding all the wood grain lasts longer, while sealers enhance the natural beauty of wood but it is less durable!

Read More: The Best Deck Stain In 2020 – A Review By Brands

FAQ about Semi Transparent Deck Stain For Pressure Treated Wood

Clarify the differences between the water-based and oil-based stains?

Simply put, water-based stains are what you can thin just by adding some water, while oil-based stains often need specially-made oil to be able to penetrate into the wood.

Specifically, water-based stains include pigment and resin which will stick to each other after drying, and water-based besides common benefits is cheaper, less odor dries quickly, and easy to clean!

However, with this stain, you have no choice but to apply more than a coat on your wood, meaning it is not as economical and durable as the oil-based, except for the fact that, the water-based paints are better for mildew.

When it comes to oil-based stains, they are often more expensive than water-based but it lasts longer and enables it to preserve the wood surface better. There is more than one method to use with oil-based: spraying, rolling or brushing on, all works well

More excitingly, oil-based products are supposed to enhance the color of the wood, making it fresher when applying the coat.

When is the best time to stain the wood?

Before staining, always check the weather forecast first. Never starting the stain projects under the direct sunlight because the stain will dry faster by the time it penetrates deep into the wood. The ideal temperature is within 50°F to 90°F for 24 hours and it will not rain in several days after.

Wrapping Up for Today

This is the wrap up of our review, and we hope with this article, you will find yourself a great choice!

Absolutely, everything has 2 sites, and the stain is no exception! However, each product has each strength, and depending on your main purpose, you will find the most suitable for your projects!

As an adviser, we highly recommend the #1 Deck Sealer for your wood projects due to its outstanding benefits! Although there are still some disadvantages, it is undeniable that the pros it brings you are extremely excellent!

However, the advice is advice, and your final decision is the vital key! Let’s follow this article carefully, and you will find your best semi transparent deck stain for pressure treated wood!