Important Note! The Defy Hardwood Label is discontinued! If your color is OUT OF STOCK, use the Defy Extreme Stain. It is the exact same product and color.
If you’re looking for the best stain for cedar decks in a water-based product, then look no further. DEFY Deck Stain for Hardwoods is a synthetic, semi-transparent finish specifically formulated for use on cedar, mahogany, redwood, and other dense or difficult to penetrate woods.
DEFY Hardwood Stain also works well on composite woods. It is a VOC-compliant stain that penetrates wood pores to block out water and provide long lasting protection from weather damage.
DEFY Deck Stain Uses
DEFY Deck Stain for Hardwoods can be used on interior or exterior smooth hardwood surfaces including: wood siding, decks, outdoor wood furniture, and other hardwood surfaces. For more porous surfaces such as pressure treated lumber, pine and cedar log siding, or rough sawn lumber, use DEFY Extreme Wood Stain. DEFY Deck Stain for Hardwoods is available in Cedar Tone, Light Walnut, and Natural Pine. Finding a cedar stain or redwood deck stain product that actually works is difficult, as most deck stains have trouble penetrating oil-rich or dense wood types. This product was specifically designed with smaller resins to penetrate better which helps eliminate surface buildup and peeling. Other products out there claim to be the best stain for cedar decks but there is only one DEFY Deck Stain for Hardwoods.
Easy Maintenance
DEFY deck stains will give you years of protection for your deck and are easy to maintain. When the surfaces begin to look weathered and worn, which should normally be every 2-3 years and 3-5 years for the vertical surfaces, simply reapply a light maintenance coat. No need to strip the deck every time. It may be beneficial to use DEFY Wood Brightener to clean and brighten the surface before the maintenance coat. DEFY deck stains contain powerful sunscreens to block damaging UV rays. Ultra violet rays cause wood to turn gray and become susceptible to water penetration and decay. DEFY Deck Stain for Hardwoods contains synthetic resins that do not attract mildew and algae like other natural resin stains (oil-based products) do. Additionally, DEFY deck stains are water repellent.
Can I buy solid stains in 5 gallon size
Single gallons only.
I have a new build of Cedar 10″ logs. We wanted a clear protectant however it appears you suggest stain for Hardwoods and a mildewcide? What is the best compromise for the Defy products and should we use a different product for inside and out?
Thanks
Mindy
Use the Defy Hardwood stain in any color you like. You can use it inside if you like as well.
Can I apply to slightly damp cedar siding?
No, it has to be dry.
Ok thanks!
How many days after using the brightener, can it be sealed?
And how many gallons of brightener, and hardwood sealer do I need for 450 sq ft deck plus the arbor?
Thank you, Karin
48 hours after the Brightener to stain. One gallon of Brightener should cover it since it is a concentrate. For the stain, we would need a total sq footage of all wood to be stained that including the deck floor, railings, steps, and arbor to give an accurate amount needed.
I have a 450 sq ft cedar deck and arbor. It was stained with Sikkens Cetol a few years ago and looks terrible. It was oil based. Lots of color shifting and the deck was impossible to keep clean. I plan on using Defy Hardwood Cedartone, and for prep, it will be hand sanded with a small circular sander. A tack cloth will be used to remove all dust from the wood grain before staining. As every effort will be made to remove all previous stain, will this prep give me a good result? And how many gallons will it take for the two coats?
Thank you, Karin
Sanding is not the best option for prep but if you want to sand, do not sand with grit finer than 60-80. No need to tack cloth but you will need to use the Defy Brightener after for final prep as this will remove the dust and open up the wood pores after sanding so the Defy stain is able to penetrate into the wood.
Do you have Defy Extreme in an oil based stain?
It does not come in oil based.
I need to apply Defy Hardwood Stain to the Ipe floorboards on my deck. Info sheet states dry time is 2-4 hrs but I also read technical data info that states to not apply in rainfall is expected within 12 hrs. If I wait to late afternoon to avoid direct sun, there is a 25% chance of rain 6 hrs after I’d stain. Is the 12 hrs noted something I need to adhere to?
6-12 hours should be good.
I’ve power washed my 16 year old decking which is cedar. Some areas still have bits of previous dark stain on it. Do I have to sand those areas to bare wood or can I use your product over it (there is no beading up of water on these areas)? Decking is roughened up due to power washing; is it ok to use Defy for Hardwoods on deck ‘as is’? Rollers sound wonderful for application (approx. 750′ of decking total), but will a brush penetrate/protect better? I would prefer a mottled look as to coloration as my house Hardiplank is light/medium grey and current cedar handrails/spindles, while power washed, still retain some grey coloration. I’d love to have decking blend in the different colorations to transition to the grey siding color. Are the stains semi-transparent, which I think I’d prefer to allow the grain and colorations to give added interest/transitioning to house coloration? I appreciate your helping with these many questions. I’m in my 70’s and still healthy and able to do these projects, and your product intrigues me as to its environmental qualities, but I used an expensive, and supposedly ‘best’, protection several years ago which I then discovered flaked and peeled over the last two years. My precent power washing to bare wood evenly has proven to be impossible although I do not notice any beading of water on the previously applied dark stain I applied.
Must remove all of the previous stain before using the Defy. Do not use a roller. Use a stain pad. You cannot get a mottled look with Defy products.
Started the transition between oil finish and Defy last summer and finished about 2/3 of the 1500+Sq ft
ipe deck with stairs and railings. Passed the first winter with flying colors so will continue to finish the west deck this summer. Found one comment from a couple years ago that recommended your deck cleaner and a maintenance coat on the last year deck. Should we power wash after the cleaner or just thoroughly rinse and then apply the maintenance coat?
Use the Defy Cleaner and pressure washing when doing a recoat.
[quote name=”Barbara Archer”]my deck is approximately 700 square feet[/quote]
About 7 gallons for two coats.
my deck is approximately 700 square feet
[quote name=”Joey”]I have a redwood floating deck around a floating home in Portland Oregon to refinish. On a freshwater River. Deck is about 18 inches out of the water. Law states must use waterborne stain. Main concerns are UV and mildew. Which stain do you recommend? Second deck same location on another home. Only this one was outdoor wood, so I believe it’s fir. The finish has already failed and been removed. What stain for this one? Do you have color samples you mail out or is this product available somewhere in Portland Oregon?[/quote]
You can get samples here:
http://www.deckstain.com/defy-stain-samples.html
We would suggest the Defy Extreme Stain for both of these decks.
I have a redwood floating deck around a floating home in Portland Oregon to refinish. On a freshwater River. Deck is about 18 inches out of the water. Law states must use waterborne stain. Main concerns are UV and mildew. Which stain do you recommend? Second deck same location on another home. Only this one was outdoor wood, so I believe it’s fir. The finish has already failed and been removed. What stain for this one? Do you have color samples you mail out or is this product available somewhere in Portland Oregon?
Should have said “does NOT”. Water based stains such as Defy do not promote mold growth, oil based stains do. That is why they need to add mildwecides into them.
Your May 23, 2012 comment includes this surprising statement:
“The Defy Hardwood Stain is best for cedar wood. It does not contain a mildewcide as it is a water based stain that does promote the growth of mildew.”
Do you really mean that it “does promote the growth of mildew”? If you really mean “does NOT promote the growth of mildew”, how does it do that?
The Defy Hardwood Stain is best for cedar wood. It does not contain a mildewcide as it is a water based stain that does not promote the growth of mildew.
As for removing an old stain, you should use the Defy Stains Stripper followed by the Defy Wood Brightener.
Thanks
Hi,
Is your Defy Hardwood Stain the best stain to use on a cedar deck in Minnesota? Is the Hardwood stain better than your Defy Extreme on a cedar deck?
Can you send me a list of steps that we need to do to remove a 2 year old oil stain of which there is not much left on the deck. Is the Defy Hardwood Stain environmentally friendly and can you please email us a MSDS on this product?
Does the Defy Hardwood stain contain mildecide to prevent mildew? We were hoping we didn’t need a product containing mildecide (spelling?) if we went with a water based stain with synthetic resin?
We look forward to hearing back as soon as possible. We’d love to order the 5 gallon Hardwood Stain if that is what you feel is the best!
Thanks,
Tom and Michele Johnson
For the best preparation for the wood you should remove the woodguard stain with the Defy Stain Stripper. This will allow the new coat to properly adhere and penetrate into the wood.
Hi, I have an existing log cabin that I have been using Woodguard as a stain. Would your product be able to go over this and if so, is there any prep required. I have also built a new garage which I would be putting log siding on..would you suggest any particular product for new wood and how long could I expect to go before needing a 2nd application.
Excellent for IPE and other exotic hardwoods.