Review Best Blotchy Deck Stain Ever

Review Sherwin-Williams™ Superdeck™ Semi transparent Stain

Finding the best blotchy deck stain is no doubt-ably Superdeck™ 2100 Weathered Gray Semi transparent stain. Staining a deck, lattice, or pergola, wishing for a real weathered, distressed look, you might want to read this first. Final outcome may exactly what you envisioned, if you really want a weathered gray look to new or old wood, this is for you.

Having stained countless decks, awnings, and exterior wooden structures over the years, this was the first time using Weathered Gray. The spottiest (if there's such a word) stain, being a complete surprise to both our journeyman painters, as well as myself, a local paint contractor here in Denver.

Preparing wood surfaces, power washing with a Trisodium phosphate (TSP) solution to open the grain, sanding floor beforehand, allowing ample dry time to take place, the next morning, we got started, masking everything we needed to cover, getting ready to apply the Weathered Gray oil based deck stain.

With this many blotches, you'd have to think, either we did not stir the stain up, or opening the can looked like poky-dots floating around in the can. Well, neither one I must say.

Reviewing Stains Being Blotchy Or Not

Several reasons sampling stains, include different types of wood, color hews, surrounding vegetation, different brick, roof, and stone colors, as well as lighting, the list goes on. That is why it is always good to test or sample the paint or stain before buying the bulk of it, knowing once mixed, it's yours to use, not returnable. Of course if once opening the can, after stirring, it had a very unusual mixture, I would have to question it.

Dating back to my earlier years as a paint contractor, quickly learned paint or stain samples inside a paint store is not always what it may appear out on the surface for which you are painting.

Even those samples above also below may not go on exactly as pictured, as this one takes the cake.

Which is why from that point on, we've always made a rule of thumb to sample large swatches of paint, making sure this is what is wanted. This is very important when a color change is requested.

This particular deck stain project was different, in that the owner did not live here in Denver, texting & emailing, picking this stain out in Kansas City at a local Sherwin-Williams Paint Store there, giving us painting instructions, conducting their own testing.

Always Good To Test Paint Stain Colors

How To Fix Blotchy Deck Stains

Knowing how to fix blotchy deck stains will help over-all appearance, and aesthetic dimensions. Best way to repair uneven deck stains is applying a uniform additional coat.

Now I know what you are thinking. Need to stir up, mixing the stain. Well, by the looks of this, it appeared as though we did not, but quite the contrary. Constantly stirred stain while applying it. Seeing this right before my eyes, as I've mentioned.

Another way to doctor a blotchy stain would be applying a solid paint stain, instead of a semi-transparent. Solid stains cover the natural beauty of the wood grain, whereas semi-trans does not. Remembering, not all semi-transparent stains are as blotchy as this one.

Best way to fix something like this is allow the fresh new oil stain cure. Yes, leave it alone for the time being. Having 2 complete coats, (although looks like a quarter coat) the linseed oil stain is repelling water, moisture, and of course additional stain.

It may be hard to look at this if you wanted something different, but patients is diffidently a virtue when it comes to this. I would say, lets look at giving the uprights another coat of a more uniform semi-trans stain say in six-nine months. By that time the wood will allow another oil based coat to soak in, having the desired results.

If re-stained too quickly, linseed oil will not have any place to go, but on top. Leaving a thick gummy film, never curing properly, which is another story all together!

This deck floor above is the same Weathered Gray semi transparent stain as the lattice, however applied differently. You might ask, "Why not brush & roll the lattice & pergola? Well, not if you don't want to drip more on the ground, than applying on the wood surface, these areas best served sprayed.

Lattice and pergola was sprayed 2 uniform coats, floor rolled 3 complete coats, allowing to dry in between. As rolling, we were almost ready to pull our hair out, saying "This stain is just not going on like we want" with a few superlatives in between!

Now, as written in other paint articles, having over 40 years of painting experience, this marks up something else I've just learned, wanting to share. Also coming to the realization I know a little, when I think I knew a lot, but know fixing this will take some time, not getting in a hurry.

Reasons Why Stains Look Different

Several reasons stains can look so different. Why the lattice does not look even close to the wooden floor.

First one of which is the lattice is a different type of wood than pergola, or floor, having at least 3 types of wood shown. Each type of wood takes an oil stain differently.

Secondly, the application is different. Lattice and pergola was sprayed two complete coats, whereas the floor was brushed and rolled with same amount.

Thirdly, the position of the wood, ventricle or horizontal can make a difference with some stains, with Superdeck Weathered Wood Stain being the most obvious.

Forth, sanding one wood and not the other will certainly lead to seeing a drastic difference. However, no way to sand lattice, having to sand deck floor, as there was multiple coats of primers and paints, having to remove by paint strippers, along with using heavy deck sanders and power washing.

• Different types of wood
• Application techniques
• Position of wood
• Sanding wood

Blotchy, Weather Beated Stain Wins Our Vote

Therefore, using Superdeck™ Semi-transparent Weathered Gray wins our vote being the blotchiest stain ever. So blotchy, if this stain was referred to as another name, another possibility would be Blotchy Stain or Old Weather Beated Wood.

Looking For A Blotchy Stain, This One Is It!

Hopefully, this is the look you are seeking, a blotchy, non-uniform, weathered, distressed look. If you are, this one is for you. However, if you want a more deep, uniform, highlighting the grain, glad you're not getting this one.

You can find a wide array of Superdeck™ colors, in Transparent, Semi transparent, & Solid stains at your local Sherwin-Williams Paint Stores.

If you are looking for a weathered wood look, we are your deck staining experts! Having experience in most other types of deck stains, along with extensive knowledge of Superdeck™ stains, which are a cut above the rest.