Hi...last year I completed a cedar deck off of our house. I attached a picture to show the specifics...the top is 17x15 and there is a long staircase, landing, then smaller stairs. I used the black aluminum balusters so obviously I don;t have to stain them. Anyway, I plan on using a semi-transparent, probably Olympic Maximum. I'm curious how much I need to get? Any ideas? Thanks!

Coverages vary for each brand of stain. I would think 3-4 gallons should be enough.

BTW, Olympic is an average product.

Thanks for the response. Any recommendation over the Olympic? The wife has chosen "Sierra" as the color. Also thinking of doing the large (pressure treated) posts in a solid stain, probably a dark brown.

A very similar color but a better stain would be the Armstrong Clark Sierra Redwood.

Hello, I am a project manager for a painting contractor that works on custom homes in Minnesota.

I would recommend either Sikkens or Cabot's.

Sikkens offers the nicest finish. Sikkens adds a slight tone to the wood still hi-lighting the wood grain and texture. We always recommend Sikkens on newly unfinished decks. The only down fall to Sikkens is that it goes on lighter which means you will have to re-apply more often than a more solid body stain.

Cabot's is rated as one of the more durable stains on the market. If you go with Cabot's I would recomend the semi-transparent stain. If you go any fuller than this you will essentally be painting your deck. The semi-transparent still offers some of the grain and beauty of the wood come through, but has more color tone that shows.

The rule to remember is that you can always go darker if one is too light, but to go lighter is a lot of work or a lot of money. Again this is another reason we recommend Sikkens on new decks as if it isn't dark enought then they can go with a cabot's in a year or two when the deck needs finishing again.


Also, remember if you are in a climate like Minnesota what ever the warranty says you can cut that in half for refinishing. Realistically the stain won't last that long before refinishing is needed.


As for qty, by your measurement and by looking at your deck I would recommend 3 gallons. This will give you two coats. I would purchase a 6" deck brush and make sure to cut in between the boards.

Thanks
Mike

Mike, I appreciate the post but I am surprised that you would suggest Sikkens. It is an average product at best. They are much better choices out there for the consumer and contractor.

You are correct on the warranty especially for horizontal surfaces.