I am thinking about staining my desk. In the past I've always used water-based because it's so much easier to sand off the stain and put in a new coat of stains. However, that's pretty much the limit of my knowledge about the different type of stain based. I want to be able to re-stain the deck without first have to remove the old stains. I also want to be able to see the nice wood grains through the stains. So, which is better fit for my needs?

Thank you.

 

I never remove the old stain, just clean and apply the new.

As long as the wood is in good shape, a semi-transparent stain will show a lot of grain. With older wood, I opt for a solid body stain since you want to start hiding the wood a little more.

Up here, I think oil based is the best choice while latex stands up a bit better to the harsh sun in the south.

 

In fla and I assume other states with intense sunlight, oil base fades out quickly and begins to deteriorate = short life. Here in east tenn all 3 types of stains seem to fair about the same.

Waterborne stains need to either be removed or well weathered before you can recoat. Both oil base and latex stains can be recoated at any time provided the deck is dry and the temps are decent. I generally just clean a deck before I restain it.

 

Thanks for the responses. I live in the Midwest. So, if I go with oil based, I would definitely need a couple of days of sun to dry them but I wouldn't have to strip/sand the paint out when applying a different set of new coatings, correct?

Thanks again!

 

Correct, as long as the deck is clean, dry and temps cooperative you can recoat oil base stain at any time.

 

I've seen some deck that looks shiny. Is that something that comes with oil based or do I have to put in another coating for the shines?

 

It depends on the stain and how heavily it was applied. Some waterborne and oil base toners/translucent and semi-transparent stains will have a little bit of sheen when dry. I've never seen a latex stain that had any sheen after it dried. It is not a good idea to apply a clear coat over the stain!

What is the current condition of the deck? which stain do you think you'll use?

 

Based on the discussion, I'm thinking about oil based stains but as far as which brand, I don't know. Any suggestions? The deck is pretty much worn out. If I want the wood grain to show and look new, I should consider sanding before applying the stains, correct?

 

Have you washed the deck yet? I often let how the cleaned deck looks determine the type of stain to use. A toner or translucent stain requires a new or new looking wood, semi-transparent needs decent wood and will allow some of the wood's color/grain show. Solid stains are best when the deck has enough age on it where the more translucent stains will no longer look good.

Other than to repair defects I've never sanded a deck, too time consuming and the nails/screws are hard on sandpaper ..... but there are diyers that do sand their decks.

Normally you'll find better stains at a paint store versus anyone's paint dept, better advice there too.

 

If the deck is worn out, it's going to look worn out after staining regardless of whether you sand. This is the situation where I switch to a solid body stain to start hiding the wood a little more.

The remedy for worn out wood is replacement.

 

I see. Thanks! I'll take into consideration.