BEHR Premium Solid Color Waterproofing Exterior Wood Stain and Sealer solves two problems at once, bringing rich, lasting color to exterior wood and sealing it against water and weather for years to come.
Every homeowner has household tales of woe, and one of mine involves wood stain. We had just added a patio area after completing an extension to our lovely Glendale, CA home and my wife and I both loved the rich grain of the wood our contractor had chosen for the flooring. To our dismay, the next day we realized his painter had used a solid stain on the wood, all but completely concealing the grain and changing the color to a much darker brown.
As much as I missed the lovely grain I knew was just below my feet, I have to admit that for the remaining three years that we lived in that home, that outdoor wood flooring stayed in perfect condition, not a hint of fading, cracking, or discoloration anywhere despite hours of sun, occasional lashing rain, and loads of windblown debris.
Solid wood stain is so called because it creates a solid, opaque finish. Rather than complementing the color of and the grain of the wood you're staining, it completely changes the color and hides the grain, but as it sinks into the surface, some of the texture of the wood will still be visible. So the wood on your deck, shingles, door, or trim will still look like, y'know, wood.
BEHR Premium Solid Color Waterproofing Wood Stain and Sealer is made using an acrylic solution, so once applied and dried, it seals in wood, protecting it from rain, snow, moisture in general, and preventing rot. This stain is a perfect choice for decks or porches made from a wood like pine that, left untreated, will eventually fall apart with exposure to the elements.
It's a decent price, though hardly a steal, but a good, thick coat of the stuff should last at least four or five years in most conditions. If you use a sprayer, it's super easy to apply, but even with brushes or rollers, it's still a user-friendly stain.
With more than 375 reviews posted on HomeDepot.com, BEHR Premium Solid Color Waterproofing Wood Stain and Sealer has a solid 4.3-star averaged rating.
And a writer from ConsumerSearch called BEHR Premium Solid Color Waterproofing Wood Stain and Sealer excellent at "resisting mildew, cracking, color change, and more."
Pros: Seals and protects wood, resists fading and cracking, multiple application options
Cons: Slight orange hue comes out on certain woods, hides wood grain
Buy a gallon of BEHR Premium Solid Color Waterproofing Wood Stain and Sealer from HomeDepot.com for $38.98