I have a solid Cedar gate that is 13'x6'. I live in the Caribbean so this gate is always subject to direct sunlight and salt air. Which product of yours would provide the best protection, last the longest and be the easiest to apply and maintain?

I also have a deck made of pressure treated lumber. What do you recommend for it?

Thanks for you time.

The Defy Stain for Cedar would be your best choice. It is easily applied and maintained.

We do not ship to the Caribbean nor is there dealers there. Typically we would ship to Miami and you would need to make arrangements from there.

I'm interested in your epoxy stain but I have cedar. The hardwood stain does not have epoxy in it. My deck is 4 years old and I'm just finishing stripping and cleaning/brightening it. Will the epoxy work well on cedar or not at all?

The Defy Hardwood stain will penetrate into cedar wood better then the Epoxy. You can use the Epoxy but in a cold weather state you may run the risk of some minor stain failure after the winter.

I stained our new 380 sq ft deck 3 yrs ago with one coat of Sikkens Translucent Cape Cod Grey and then as I saw rain not puddling last summer, applied a coat of Olympic WaterProof, which I was later advised I shouldn't have done on a "penetrating" stain.


Instead of removing the current stain with their TSP/bleach/water solution and applying another coat of Sikkens translucent, I'm considering using the Defy products to strip and brighten then staining with the Epoxy Driftwood Grey since it is a semi-transparent. We live in Delaware and there aren't any Defy dealers in the area, so I'd need to order online and am impressed with your store, the very favorable reviews on several sites of the Defy Epoxy stain and the information you provide on your website, which I think is excellent. So, I need your thoughts on 3 questions:

1- Since the Epoxy stain involves applying 2 "wet" coats, can you walk on the deck to apply the 2nd coat without leaving footprints or messing up the surface? One of your 101 tips indicates you can, but didn't specify that it was OK to walk on the deck, if using the Epoxy.

2- How long should I wait between stripping & power washing the deck and the time when I apply the stain or, can the stain be applied immediately after the prep work is completed without needing the deck to dry out?

3- One of your tips indicates not to use a power sander, unless absolutely necessary. Is that correct? The deck surface is in good condition. The handrails, however, are "roughed up" a little from the weather. I was planning on stripping, power washing, letting deck dry 2-3 days, then sanding everything with a 5" orbital sander using 60-80 grit before applying the stain. Should I not do that?

I appreciate your help.

Thanks

1. Yes you can walk on the first coat. Typically the second coat goes on 20-120 minutes after the first coat.
2. Must let dry for 24-48 hours. You will also need a wood brightener after the wood stripper to neutralize the wood's pH balance.
3. I would not sand everything. If you want to smooth the tops of the handrails you can but the stain may fail a little faster there for lack of penetration.