Does pressure treated wood need to be sealed?
Pressure treated wood can last for many years untreated, however applying a stain can offer many benefits. In today’s article we go over using an oil based stain on a set of pressure treated outdoor stairs. We choose the Ready Seal brand as we feel it is the best semi transparent deck stain for pressure treated wood.
Applying a stain/sealer to pressure treat wood it will help preserve the wood from things like mold, mildew and damaging UV rays. Ready Seal currently offers 7 different semi-transparent colors that enhance the natural beauty of the wood while allowing the grain of the wood to remain visible.
Reason’s to Seal Pressure Treated Wood:
• Enhances natural beauty while maintaining natural wood grain & texture
• Protection from mold, mildew and UV rays
• Water-proofing
Best Semi Transparent Deck Stain for Pressure Treated Wood
The photo above shows the set of stairs before any stain/sealer has been applied. These stairs are made of pressure-treated pine and were installed in early spring giving them plenty of time to dry over the entire summer.
Before applying a stain to any wood it is important to first let it dry. Ready Seal recommends 12% moisture or less in all wood projects prior to staining. Moisture content can be measured using an electronic moisture meter.
In this case we did not use a moisture meter as the stairs have been outside drying all summer. If you are unsure if your wood is dry we suggest picking up a moisture meter.
Ready Seal Deck Stain for Pressure Treated Wood, (Golden Pine)
First let me say that BuyToolBags.com is in no way associated with Ready Seal and this was purchased at full price though Amazon. The reason for this article is because we have spent countless hours researching various stains/sealers and found very little information from actual users. We have also used this wood stain in the past on other projects with great results.
To check the current pricing and all color options here is a direct link “Ready Seal Stain” <-(click to see current pricing on Amazon)
Reasons we chose Ready Seal for this project:
• Easy application, they are not kidding about this being “Goof Proof”
• It is a stain & sealer (not a paint)
• UV Blocking & Mildew Resistant to help keep the wood looking new
Ready Seal Stain Colors
The next task was deciding on which color tint to go with. Generally they say:
“the darker the tint, the better the UV protection, the lighter the tint the more often it should be reapplied.”
Since these are new stairs in good condition we deiced to go with the lightest tint offered, Golden Pine. We like the look of the new wood and figure it would be easy to apply a darker stain in the future if needed.
Check out the Ready Seal color chart to get an idea on the 7 other color options available. Other popular choices are the Pecan, Natural Cedar and Dark Walnut.
Scroll down to the bottom of the article to see the cook top we stained using the Ready Seal Pecan color stain.
Best Semi Transparent Deck Stain for Pressure Treated Wood (Application)
For this project we mixed up 1 gallon of the Ready Seal Golden Pine deck stain and used a good quality 3″ brush to apply. Before treatment they recommend cleaning the surface with a 50/50 water & bleach solution using a stiff bristle brush. Again, with this project we deiced to skip this step as the wood is in very good condition.
For older projects that could use a good cleaning.
If your project is dirty or you need to remove mildew from your deck take a look at our article on some of the Latest Electric Pressure Washers here.
The above photo is close up shot of the natural wood vs a wet coat of the Golden Pine deck stain. When they say this stuff is “Goof Proof” they are not kidding. Simply stir the can to ensure an even color, dip your brush in and start painting…staining.
Application process:
• Keep the brush wet with stain
• Brush on
• Check your work to ensure no spots are missed
• That’s it…It really is that easy!
Some users and the Ready Seal website show the stain being applied with a sprayer. For applying stain to a deck or a large fence we would differently recommend looking into a power sprayer but for a small projects like this a brush works just fine.
One thing we don’t recommend using is a small pump sprayer typically used for pesticides.
We tested this stain in the Ground Work 1-1/2″ gallon hand pump sprayer below and it did not go well. Although the stain did come out it was in a direct beam and not an even mist.
Best Semi Transparent Deck Stain for Pressure Treated Wood (Results)
One of of the other reasons for creating this article on what we consider is the “Best Semi Transparent Deck Stain for Pressure Treated Wood” is that it was hard to find good photos of what this stain will look like. Most users would forget to disclose the color of the stain or the base wood being treated.
Keep in mind most of these photos show the stain in the “wet” stage. These photos were taken on a Samsung Galaxy S8 but we feel they do an accurate job of representing the colors, the Golden Pine reminds us how this wood looks after a rainfall.
As the stain drys the look may change, we will update this article with more photos as time passes.
Overall, application of the Ready Seal deck stain and sealer went very smooth. Drips spots are easily blended in, a little bit of dirt here and there didn’t slow us down and the results speak for themselves.
The next time you ask “Should I stain pressure treated wood”, the answer is YES!
When it comes to ease of application we strongly believe Ready Seal to be the best Semi Transparent Deck Stain for pressure treated wood.
Best Semi Transparent Deck Stain for Pressure Treated Wood (conclusion)
We hope this article gives you a good idea of the Ready Seal Golden Pine stain on Pressure Treated Pine wood. In conclusion we think this would be an excellent stain for outdoor decks, stain for outdoor furniture or as in this case a stain for outdoor stairs.
If your not a fan of the color, check out all 7 choices:
• Golden Pine stain
• Light Oak stain
• Dark Walnut stain
• Pecan stain
• Mahogany stain
• Natural Cedar stain
• Redwood stain
“Where can I buy Ready Seal Stain?”
After doing much research online for a good wood stain that was easy to use the next step was… Where can I buy it?
This proved to be more difficult than expected as it was not available at any local hardware stores. I eventually ordered it online and the Ready Seal gallon arrived in good condition within only a few days. (links below)
If you have photos of your project we would love to see them, Contact Us for info!
Update, 6 months later…
The snow has finally started to melt and it looks like spring is right around the corner.
It has now been about six months since we originally applied the Ready Seal stain and this is the first look at how they held up through a NY winter.
A winter that brought freezing cold temperatures and plenty of snow thanks to a “bomb cyclone” and a handful of nor’ esters. Links are provided for anyone not familiar with the weather terms.
To put it mildly…it was cold and we got snow.
“Is Ready Seal the best semi transparent deck stain for pressured treated wood?” Quite possibly…Yes
The good news however is that the stain seamed to hold up very well throughout all of this and I was pleasantly surprised by how well it maintained the Golden Pine color!
In the image above you can see that the color remained consistent across the entire project. That includes the stairs, decking and railings where snow has been laying for the past few months.
Overall, I am happy with the results and will plan for another update at the one year mark (Fall of 2018). We will then be able to see how well the Ready Seal wood stain protects against mold, mildew and UV rays after one full year.
If you have any questions or comments regarding this project please leave them below. If you found this information helpful use the Facebook share button below to share this information with a friend.
Ready Seal Pecan Deck Stain on Outdoor Furniture (outdoor wooden cook table)
In addition to staining the pressure treated stairs I also used Ready Seal to stain an outdoor wooden table. This table was built to support a Weber Q2200 grill for outdoor cooking and provide a place to store a propane tank.
For this project we used Ready Seal in the Pecan color for a darker finish. Here are a few photos of the Pecan stain shown wet, dried and after 6 months.
Ready Seal Deck Stain, Pecan Color on wood table (wet)
Based on reviews the Pecan stain is one of the most popular options. However, when searching on the internet it was hard to find actual photos of how the stain will look on specific wood types.
While wet, the stain has a very rich, almost glossy look.
The photo above shows the color of the Pecan stain right after application on dry pressure treated pine lumber. Application on this project was the same as the stairs.
Wood Stain Application on Pressure Treated Wood:
• First allow the wood to dry, Wood should be at 12% moisture or less.
• Minimum 1 month for New Pressure Treated Lumber.
• Clean the wood of dirt, dust & debris. Ready Seal recommends a (1 part Bleach to 3 parts water) solution.
• Apply the wood stain and let it soak into the wood. For this project a paint brush was used with good results.
Ready Seal Deck Stain, Pecan color on wood table (dry)
This photo was taken a few weeks after the initial application and shows the Pecan color in the dried state. As you can see the glossy/shinny look is gone and the wood looks much more natural.
An outdoor gate lock was added to the wooden door for security.
No Rusty locks here!
This is an excellent outdoor gate lock made of an industrial strength polymer with stainless steel components. Rust and corrosion proof lock for outdoor applications.
I highly recommend the LokkLatch for any outdoor gate or wood project. Keys are included and the Magnalatch can be adjusted vertically to compensate for misalignment or sag.
Ready Seal Deck Stain, Pecan color on wood table (update at 6 months)
Here is the final photo of the outdoor grill table that was taken roughly 6 months after application of the Ready Seal Pecan stain.
No complaints on Ready Seal after winter snow
The stain held up very well through the winter and the color remained consistent across the entire project. So far so good, the next test will be to see how the color holds up to the summer sun.
With that being said the ease of application, color options and price make this one of the best semi transparent deck stain for pressure treated wood that we have used. Check back in to see how it holds up at the one year mark.
**2020 Update, Re-Application**
It has been about 2-1/2yrs since my original application using the Golden Pine stain as shown above. The stain did an excellent job of protecting the wood but the color has faded and it was time for a re-coat.
Part 2 shows the same set of stairs with a new coat of Ready Seal stain, this time in the Dark Walnut color. The Results Were Great!
It helps to clean any algae, mildew, etc. Spray the solution or cleaner with a pressure washer for a large deck area. Then take the time to soak the solution, and later pressure washes them. Then apply a stain or sealer on the deck.
Robert,
Yes, a clean surface is very important. In my case this was a new construction without any signs of algae or mildew. I originally considered cleaning the surface with a bleach/water solution before applying the stain, but did not feel it was needed.
Do you have any recommendations on a good algae cleaner for old wood?
How is it doing now? I was thinking of using Pecan for my one year old pressure treated wood. Is the color holding well for the Sun, I have a very sunny backyard where the deck is.
I estimated the Golden Pine lasted around 2yrs in the direct sun. I have just re-stained these stairs using the Dark Walnut color (also by Ready Seal) and will see if the Darker color holds up better against the sun. Here are photos from the recent application: Part# 2 Dark Walnut Stain
The wood however was still in excellent condition, no mold or rot, and the reapplication went on extremely easy with no prep-work required. Just brushed off some loose dirt and went to town. Thanks for stopping by!