Two weekends ago we sealed our deck for the first time. At the recommendation of friends, we chose Behr Premium Transparent Weatherproofing Wood Finish for Decks, Fences, and Siding. Our primary goal in sealing the deck was to prevent cracks and splinters from developing. A secondary, yet still important goal was to maintain the deck’s overall natural southern yellow pine look.
After reading through Behr’s weatherproofing pamphlet, we decided their Premium Weatherproofer line was the best value for our job. Behr claims their Premium Weatherproofing Wood Finish lasts up to 4 years on decks, and 6 years on fences when two coats are applied. After examining Behr’s color choices, we decided to go with Behr’s Natural Finish (#500 in premium, #400 in non-premium). As you can see from the picture on the right, Behr Natural #500 promises a relatively light, natural color that preserves the authentic look of a pine deck.
Editor’s Update, November, 2010: This article was originally published on June 16, 2008. We published a follow-up review on April 6, 2010 that detailed our experience with this product over time. We ultimately stripped Behr off this deck in November, 2010. The remainder of this article is contains our original review.
Preparation Experience
Behr Premium weatherproofer requires the deck to be completely clean of foreign debris, mold and mildew, and previous sealers. Our deck was built 8 months ago, had never been sealed, and was relatively clean. Kim powerwashed the deck to remove a minimal amount of residue and to restore its natural yellow pine color. She did this without using a chemical stripper or cleaning agent.
For new and older decks that were previously stained or sealed, Behr recommends their own #64 Premium Stain and Finish Stripper. To brighten the finish, they recommend Behr No. 63 Premium 2-in-1 Wood Prep. For serious stains, they offer a heavy-duty stain remover: Behr #62 Premium Mildew Stain Remover. We opted not to use any of these preparation products as our deck was in extremely good, clean condition after Kim finished powerwashing. As a result, preparation was tedious only to the extent of the power washing.
Application Experience
Environment Requirements: Behr requires that the sealer be applied when outside temperatures are between 40 deg. and 90 deg., and when no rain is expected within 24 hours of the application of the final coat. We applied the sealer over a 48 hour period. All three days were in the mid-80s, and rain free.
Coating Requirements: Behr recommends two coats for complete protection. Behr also recommends that the second coat be applied within 48 hours of the first coat. We started the second coat at the 46th hour. We believe that because we waited 46 hours to apply the second coat, it took much longer to dry. As a result, the deck remained sticky for the next 3 weeks. Fortunately, it did eventually dry completely. We recommend applying the second coat on the same day (between 2-12 hours after the first coat). For large decks, this may mean working only half the deck the first day, and half the deck at a later date.
Application Method: We tried 4 different application methods, with the following results:
- Airless Sprayer: the instructions indicate that an airless sprayer with a .015 tip may be used to apply the sealer. We used our Wagner Airless Sprayer and found that it was simply too eratic. The sprayer was very efficient at putting weatherproofer on the deck, but it created a stain cloud between our house and our neighbor’s. Fortunately, it didn’t damage their house. We had to discontinue use of the sprayer. Even if you use an airless sprayer, Behr still requires that you back brush every area to ensure even coverage. This substantially reduces the efficiency of a sprayer.
- Pump Sprayer: we also tried a pump sprayer (similar to what you would use to apply bug repellant or weed killer). The sprayer worked, but we still had to back brush and it never misted quite as well as we would have expected.
- Flat Sponge Brush: this method was the fastest method to apply the Weatherproofer. Unfortunately, the sponge brush was inefficient at applying the weatherproofer around the edges of decking boards (which have curved edges, unlike traditional 2x6s).
- Polyester Paint Brush: the traditional 4″ brush turned out to be the most efficient method of applying the stain. We ended up dipping our brush into a pan and sealing the old fashioned way. We had hoped to find a faster method; unfortunately, it just wasn’t in the cards for us. Looking back, a larger brush on the end of a pole may have worked as well.
Coating/Coverage Experience: The first coat is quickly absorbed into the boards and thus much more tedious to apply. The second floats on top of the first and is thus much easier to spread. Behr claims 300-360 sq. ft. coverage for the first coat and 600-700 sq. ft. coverage for the second. Their estimates were accurate. We used about 4.5 gallons to cover 1000 sq. ft. + railings.
Behr Natural No. 500 Color Experience (It’s Orange!)
The color on the side of the 5 gallon container of Behr Natural No. 500 shows a very authentic yellow-pine wood look. This is simply incorrect. Behr Natural No. 500 dries an auburn / orange color that gets incrementally darker with the second coat. This was a major disappointment to us. When we first started applying the sealer, under a bright sun and with only a small area covered, we did not realize how auburn / dark orange it would look. We’ve since grown accustomed to the color and have gotten over the “un-natural” look. Behr certainly needs to update their color on the 5-gallon container to more accurately reflect the resulting color.
Price Per Gallon
We bought Behr’s Premium Weatherproofer for $125 / 5 gallon container (or $25/gallon). This was about 30% more expensive than comparable weatherproofers, but most of those sealers only provide 2 years of protection.
Overall Experience
When we purchased Behr Premium Transparent Weatherproofer, we were shopping for three things: durability, authentic color, and a reasonable price. In this case, we haven’t had enough time to evaluate durability, but assuming Behr meets it’s claim of 4 years of protection, it will be very good. Behr clearly fails for color. The Natural No. 500 simply isn’t true to the color on the container. The price was high, but reasonable for a product that protects for 4 years.
Bottom line: If we had to do it again, we wouldn’t choose Behr Natural No. 500. Since Behr doesn’t make a more transparent/yellow color, we would be forced to choose another brand.
What do you think? Have you had a good experience with Behr or another deck sealer?
While you may not be pleased with the color, I think your deck looks very pretty!
That said, you are 100 percent correct about Behr’s need to update the color. (Although, different woods react differently, too, so it could be a fluke. Had this happen several years ago with a Cabot stain product.)
I’ve never used Behr’s deck products. I have been using their wood stain for years though(on the front door. Have been using their interior paints and even tried a masonry paint a few years back, all with good results. Repainted the whole house last year using their new exterior paint with primer in the mix. While it hasn’t quite been a year yet since we finished, we had a lousy winter and a super soggy spring and I have to say it doesn’t seem to have fazed the paint in the least. Happy camper so far. 🙂
Thanks for the encouragement. A few other readers said they liked it too – which is nice. It’s started to grow on us a bit – especially now that it isn’t sticky.
Nice review Fred!
As “stains” have been moved from the traditional oil-based, to water cleanable alkyd-based there have been great increases in the viscosity of the stains. This has led to a decrease in the effectiveness of the Pump Sprayer as a delivery method. Fixed pressure airless sprayers work well with thick bodied latex paints, but may over-atomize lighter bodied deck stains as you discovered. Wagner’s Paint Crew PLUS has an adjustable pressure setting which could help on these materials. As the deck stains moved to thicker water based formulations Wagner specifically developed a tool for applying them. It’s called the DeckMate and it provides a stain reservoir and valve above a unique pad with brush fingers allowing the stain to be applied to the surface boards and the gaps between them. You operate it much like a mop and does the back brushing on the return stroke. This tool is sold separately and also in conjunction with the Control Spray hand-held HVLP. The high air volume and low pressure of the Control Spray provides excellent atomization of the Behr 500 stain, but with much less unwanted over-atomization and drifting. It works great on your railings too with the seemingly endless little 2″x2″ vertical posts. It has a nice narrow pattern and good flow rate for this job.
I’ve used these tools at home (and where I work) and they work great with this particular stain. We designed them with it in mind 🙂
Tim, great tip. I will definitely look into the upgraded airless sprayer. Based on a few other comments you’ve left, I can only guess that you work for Wagner (or their PR company)… true?
When we stained our deck we had the same problem…the stuff just works diff. than paint, and dries much darker or ligter than the sample color. I will always we doing a test strip before we go full force on our whole project for now on.
btw I think your deck looks great!
i just tested the 500 on a piece of pressure treated wood- i also find it gives it too much of a yellow/orange tint. so much for maintaining the natural color. all 3 cans are going back
I just got done using this Behr Premium sealer AGAIN on my cedar porch. This was the first sealer I used on my porch when it was new. The porch has a southern (sunny) exposure and we have harsh Minnesota winters. I have found two coats of this sealer only lasts about 12 months.
I actually do like the color even though it isn’t what is shown on the can. However, the odd color means that unless I strip down the wood completely I am stuck using this sealer because I can’t find another brand that closely matches. I have also found that as the wood ages, even after using Behr’s cleaner and brightener prior to sealing, the overall color is getting a bit darker each time. I have had to apply it 3 times in 4 years. Once it starts peeling, it doesn’t take long before it all goes to heck.
I don’t know if it’s the sun, the harsh climate, or just the nature of cedar but I would not recommend this product for use on cedar. Just about any cheap sealer will hold up for one year.
Fred,
I agree wth you on the color problem. I just did my deck and it is tinted orange. I’m hoping that it will lighten up as time goes by. When I saw the color, I thought that the can may have been mislabled or accidently filled with a tinted sealer. First time I used a BEHR product. I’m not a “happy camper”. I’m thinking of stripping it off and using some other product.
Other than the color your deck looks mighty fine.
Like all the prior comments, the color is very off and it doesn’t hold up more than 12 months. Would never use this again. Is Thompson Water Seal any good?
I’ve just had as similar experience with Cabot’s Clear Solution – the results don’t match the pictures. It’s brown, not clear!
I’m looking for a product that will maintain the natural color of the wood (pressured pine) and protect it from greying, meldewing, etc.
Is anyone aware of such a product? What about Thompson’s WaterSeal Advanced Natural Wood Protect Clear?
We had our existing deck redecked, and then about 2 months later we had a very large addition added to the existing deck. The color difference was very noticable, even for such a short period. For that reason I tried the BEHR 2-1 deck prep. I was stunned. The difference in the wood was awesome. All the wood was bright and looked the same, and completly new. Even after just a few months weathering this product made a huge difference. I think this process is a must if you want to avoid the orange tint.
I am trying to seal my deck this week- I will post my results. On the non 2-1 prep my pressure treated test board it seemed orangish, I am going to try the BEHR Premimum Natural transparent 500 this weekend if I can get the weather to work out. Thanks for all the comments/help.
I think your deck looks great. I just finished sealing a pine outdoor chair with the same BEHR product you used. I also waited too long to apply the second coat (a year after the first coat) and after a week the chair is still very sticky. I am glad to hear that your deck cured after three weeks and I am hoping for the same result for my chair. I agree with you that the resulting color is not represented well on the can.
Living in the Pacific Northwest, outside Seattle, we use Cedar for decks. Yes, there are other materials, but most are Cedar. I used the Behr deck/fence product as directed. I was disappointed in the fact it lasted 1 year. Started peeling up, especially on the knotty areas. Behr was very good about sending stripper and cleaner. They reimbursed me for the product. I switched to Cabot and have been very happy. It lasts about 4 years.
Don’t waste your time with Behr, unless you have time to waste.
Amen to that – I have just gone through the same exercise in Montreal. it lasted less than a year, and looked like a giant’s bad suntan peel. I don’t like chemicals and used a belt and orbital sander, a huge tiring and tiresome job, and went to benjamin Moore K320 clear sealer instead, on recommendations from people in a similar situation. I have been advised against anything to do with Thompson’s products, as you will have to stay with them always, I’m told, and any other finish applied later on will not work – not in the case of my cedar decking, by the way, virgin wood. My advice is to stay well away from Behr from now on. Deck care is a huge job, and you really don’t need disastrous results like some of us have experienced, at any time.
I had a similar experience. Last summer I used Behr semi-transparent stain on my deck, but over the winter probably 50% washed off. Behr replaced the product and sent me deck cleaner as well. They said that should take the remaining stain off and I could recoat.
The deck cleaner (I think it is # 32) took off small amounts of the stain in several test areas that I applied it to; however the deck remains stained in areas and not where it peeled off. Now I have no idea what to do besides using a solid stain which hides the grain and beauty of the cedar. Any suggestions ? Sanding the entire deck if not a possibility.
I might suggest trying TWP 100 series on decks. I just put in on my IPE deck. We shall see how long it lasts. I expect to have to recoat next year or two. I also heard of a good product that a company in Reno uses. I cannot recall the name, but it has like a 10 year warranty. Seal America Nevada is the company that does it. I will follow up next year and let you know how the TWP 100 seriest worked.
I re-finished my 10-year old deck here in Atlanta with Behr #500 about a month ago and could not be more pleased – the color is a beautiful golden/honey color on my pressure treated pine. I stripped the old finish off (it was cedar color which was very orange and I didn’t like it from day 1) with Behr stripper (which worked great), used the 2-1 prep, and then two coats of the #500 – the second coat gave it a really nice sheen – it looks beautiful right now, curious how long it will last after reading the above comments.
Did it last?
I used Behr Natural #500 Transparent Premium just like you did but I used it on Cedar wood fence (not pine). It was beautiful with a golden/honey color. It was not at all orange.
Lucky, after reading this thread, I bought a cedar piece of wood at Home Depot and 3 throw-away brushes. Then bought 3 of the colors in a 1 gallon (or their sample size);
Aftering I bought these items – I went immediately to the Home Depot parking lot and put the stain on the cedar piece of wood. I felt like “Papa Bear, Mama Bear and Baby Bear” which out of the 3 samples of transparent stain on the cedar wood piece, I was able to see right there in the Home Depot parking lot, that Behr Natural #500 was perfect (the others were either too orange or too dark) when I stained a portion of the cedar with the sample stain colors – and returned the sample sizes for credit; and immediately bought 7 gallons of what I needed.
What I learned from reading this thread, is that you definitely have to try the sample out on the type of wood you will be using. The color shown was not at all what was photographed on the can.
I am very happy with the color after the maintenance crew put it on the new cedar fence. So thanks for all your input which saved me time and money!!!
We had a new deck built a year ago using YallaWood. It was beautiful when it was finished, it looked really good as it was, but last summer was very hot and the wood was drying out much quicker than expected so the contractor was concerned to get it stained as soon as possible. We chose Behr Semi-Transparent Premium Weatherprofing in a color we designed ourselves since we could not find a shade on the card we particularly liked. When it was finished it looked terrific, we could not have been more pleased. It did all the right things, water balled up on it, it kept looking good, but only for a short time. The balling up of the water soon wore off, it survived the winter but when the spring weather came with sunshine and rain and then even hotter sunshine in early summer the color stated to fade dramatically, we could almost see it fading daily. The beautiful deep rich shade we had chosen faded to a very unattractive pink. We were concerned mainly about the deck losing its protection. Behr’s products are guaranteed and they maintained that the deck had not been prepped correctly in the first place to absorb the stain properly, but nevertheless they agreed to refund the money for the stain and also to reimburse us for a list of products they recommended to get the deck back into shape.
The moral of this story is, always be sure to prep thoroughly, (or make sure your contractor preps thoroughly) according to the directions on the can and also read any tips you can find online to make sure the job is a success. How long it will actually last in the end is anybody’s guess, if it takes a lot of punishment from the weather (as ours does) it will not last very long. If it is sheltered it will last a lot longer, manufacturers should be more specific on the can to reduce delusionally high expectations.
the transparent Bears products are not useful in south florida, they might last one year. I would go with the semi tranparent its says it will last 3 years and it does.
I am a small general contractor, I built my first deck over eighteen years ago and have been building decks ever since. I have used every type of wood from the recycled pine to the nicest redwoods to the best exotic hardwoods available. A lot of clients will ask for the “longest warranty” so as not to have to treat the deck as often. So Behr is often there product of choice, as they are familiar with it being Home Depots most sold brand.
Behr has in recent years, been reformulating several products with silicone; they reformulated again in April, to address unevenness in their “one-coat” recommendation, as more than one coat was always needed to achieve even color in their semi-transparent product. If more than one coat is applied, there has been a problem. They have addressed this by going to a two coat procedure but this too creates several problems, one of which is WATER-SPOTTING. This spotting generally appears after a few months of exposure to the elements.
Every single customer who has requested that I use Behr this year, has called me up complaining a few months later about spotting and evenness issues. After I realized that it was only on these decks that I had the issues, I stopped using Behr entirely. Their new formulas are the worst on the market. All directions were followed, humidity and heat factors monitored both during and after application as always, etc, etc. I have addressed this with Behr and was told that it must have been something that I had done wrong in all counts. I assume I wasn’t holding my mouth correctly or I didn’t have the right numbers to win the Behr lottery at getting it right for the product.
I will never apply another Behr product nor I suggest that anyone does. Go to the next level, use Penofin or comparable brand. They don’t have unrealistic warranties and the product is beautiful despite costing a little more.
Would love to see how this deck is looking now and what the customers think.
I wish I’d read this post before choosing a deck stain. I chose this product to use on my brand new 750 sq foot deck and it looked fantastic for about 3 months until the inclement weather arrived. It still looks great on the hand rails, but the entire deck surface is peeling fairly consistently and where it is still in tact it has absorbed stains from fallen leaves. Now I read the guarantee and see that they don’t cover anything to do with deck surfaces… makes you think they know that their product is flawed in some way doesn’t it!
I would only recommend this product if you are able to prevent exposure to low temperatures, rain, leaves or foot traffic. In fact, to be on the safe side once applied, even if you believe that you’ve applied it correctly, don’t even look at it as that may effect it’s durability 🙂
I’m in a pickle. I’m a General Contractor here in Socal. My neighbor has an 18yr old cedar deck that a painting contractor put ‘Behr- Premium, wood toned, weatherproofing wood finish on. It has all of the problems described in these posts.
1. Water spots
2. Dirty
3. hazy
She wants me to remove it and apply Tompsons Water Seal. My concern is am I going to be able to remove this stuff well enough to get to clean wood. I wanted to have my woodfloor refinisher sand it down to clean wood. He said too many nails and gaps between the planks.
My question is, what can I use to get this stuff off well enough to have a clean wood surface that will except the Tompsons. I want to do a good job so my neighbor will refer me to the other neighbors. Thanks for the help
Have sprayed my fence with #502 redwood stain and it has blown on the neighbor’s metal building and windows. HOw can I remove the stain? Need an answer right away.
Hi Mike, thanks for the question. First I’ll say that I’m no professional decking expert, and the problem you describe likely needs professional help.
My guess is that you’re going to want to use some type of chemical stripper first to cut through the Behr sealer. Once you through the ‘shell’, power wash to get the stain out and get down to the cedar. Depending on how porous the cedar was (after 18 years, it could be VERY porous), you may not be able to get all of the stain color out… that’s just reality.
With 18 years on the decking, I’d be real tempted to recommend resurfacing the deck with new cedar… Good luck and let us know how it turns out.
If you contact Behr they will tell you what to use. Tel No. 800-854-0133 Technical Assistance.
Tell them the whole story don’t leave anything out, have ALL information about the deck to hand; size, age, exact condition, products used, how much and when,and if possible how it was applied, how many coats, and under what conditions. They may want photographs.
Don’t be daunted, stay with it and you will get the information you need. Ask for a guarantee.
Spotting, haze, fading, pealing and cracking, I have all of that and I used this product on two new cedar projects. It at first looked great. After a few months, it was looking bad so I topped it off again to try and resolve the issue. I ended up with three good coats. This lasted even less time than before and now you can see how the dust has ‘melted’ into the surface as it gets warm. You can’t even scrub it off because the haze goes into the surface. This Behr stain product is a complete nightmare. Some one should file a class action against them for all of the damage they are causing to people’s property.
I am a retired person who took on a deck staining job on a 2500 sq. ft. deck. It is three years old and had never been sealed. I cleaned it with bleach, Jomax, and a pressure washer. It cleaned up like brand new wood. It is pressure treated yellow pine. I applied Behr #500 semi transparent weatherproofer.
In six months it showed weathering spots. Today at 10 months it is peeling, fading and needs a total stripping.
I contacted Behr who has offered me replacement product, a refund if I restrip it with Behr stripper and $250. for my troubles. I estimate the strip and redo of the new “two coat” process will take about 40 hours. Thats minimum wage for an incredible back breaker job! I’m very unhappy with the Behr company and their products.
BEHR Weatherproofing should not be used on decks. It says for decks on the can but after having had several conversations with BEHR reps, I was told that really isn’t formulated for horizontal surfaces.
FADING
HAZE,
WATER-SPOTTING (burning of sediments into the surface)
PEELING
Anyone who has used the BEHR exterior “stains” should complain to the company. They are aware of the problems but still passing the blame on to the consumer. This product shouldn’t be used on any exterior surface.
I have had a problem similar to a few others on this site. Four years ago I built a beautiful 3-tiered cedar deck. 700 sq ft covered, 700 sq ft bar area, 250 sq ft pool deck. In a rush, I hurried to treat the wood. I used CWF but didn’t follow the directions. I treated it in direct sunlight and without regard to heat. Consequently the finished dried on the surface before it could penetrate and after a long, cold winter it lifted and peeled. I then decided to use Behr’s Premium #500. I even contacted technical support to get some advice to make sure I didn’t experience the same problems. I used the stripper and cleaner. I followed all directions regarding direct sunlight, temperature and humidity. The following spring-the same result! I again called Behr and they determined that their rep had neglected to tell me to use the conditioner. So they gave me a shopping list and would reimburse me. I used the stripper, cleaner, conditioner. I was careful to avoid direct sunlight and paid close attention to temp and humidity. I didnt want to go through this again. I sadly report that the result was the same and I am extermely pissed. This time I will stop nothing short of having Behr foot the bill for having a professional strip off their crap and replace it with a quality competitors product.
What stripper do you recommend to remove this product
Depends a little on the wood you are using but for the most part it will take an off the shelf liquid stripper and a pretty good amount of labor. Basically, you have a cheap coat of liquid plastic all over the wood and it can’t do what wood naturally does. You can just wait a few months and it will start flaking off because it can’t really breathe properly.
Good Luck
Paul
Yes, I experienced the same thing.
The clerk at Home Depot assured me this would be a transparent color. We wanted to see the NATURAL color of our 50 ft 3 tiered redwood deck. I was so surprised!! As you know once you start you cannot stop. I had to stain the whole deck (7 gallons).
I think it surely does protect the deck but I really wanted our redwood deck to be redwood. Now it is a brown/orangey color.
Behr has a great reputation but on # 500 the colors and the clerks have been mis-lead!
We just put the Behr weatherproofing semi-transparent stain on part of our brand new deck today. The color is totally different from the same color we bought a year ago for our house so we stopped staining to try to figure out how to retify the color. However, after reading all of these posts I am concerned that we used the Behr stain at all. Should we try to strip it off? Or try to put another brand over the top of it. Please help!
In followup to my comment back in December, with the exception of the cap rail my hand rails still look brand new… the rest of it has gone to bad, really bad! I will say that if you’re looking for an easy way to strip this stuff from your deck, just leave it 6 months from application then gently pressure wash it. You’ll find that it washes away quite easily without damaging the wood, but be sure to have it on a very low pressure. It took me only and hour to strip the majority of my upper deck (about 300 sq ft) and the rest I’ll finish off with a belt sander.
Now all I need to know is which competitor product looks the same but actually works???
We applied the stain late last Spring/early Summer.
The inside portion of the deck we painted still looks great (same as the time we applied it) but the outside exposed portion is peeling up and about 1/2 gone off the deck, steps and rails.
This is very expensive stain to be putting down that won’t even last a year. The color is Bordeaux.
I’m working to contact a rep to see what can be done against the warranty which is supposed to be 6 years.
Why would you seal/stain a very expensive deck before testing on a piece of wood first?
David, how long do you propose leaving the test piece for to make sure the stain meets your expectations?
I thought you could go by the guarantee. We did contact a rep and we’re taking pictures and requesting a refund.
I’m not willing to use this product, it’s just not worth the time and energy it takes to put it on with it not lasting even a year.
The testing is “supposed” to be done by the manufacturer, not me. Their guarantee should stand for something.
It’s better than the Olympic deck product I used which turned out to be dangerous as it was slippery for years. It was more expensive than Behr. It looked good for wahile but then the true colors started to show through.
When it started to weather off, long before the predicted period claimed by Olympic, no amount of stripping or power washing would get the rest of it off the wood. I wrote the company and they said sand it off. Sand it off? That would take off more wood than I wanted to see disappear. The amount of work on a deck this size was prohibitive or too costly to have done by professionals.
Olympic could not have cared less about this problem. They were not in any way interested in hearing about the danger posed by the slippery when wet state of their product. I would not touch Olympic again – ever.
I’m having the same problem with the Behr premium weatherproofing “natural” finish that I applied some 6 months ago. I used it on a brand new 600′ redwood deck that I built and on about 400 sq. ft. of fencing. It looked great for about 3 months and now is chalking and spotting and looks as if there is a 5 year old coating on it. I asked Behr for a representative to come look at the problem and they said they would just refund the material cost. I just discovered I can only find 1 of the 2 receipts I need for a refund on the cleaner/prep and stain I purchased, so I guess I won’t even get the cost of materials back. They are quick to offer a refund with no visual proof of failure, indicating that the product doesn’t work. 4 years of protection??? Try 6 months. I am an experienced painter and carpenter and wanted a finish that would need re coating with less frequency. I paid top dollar for the finest they offer and still ended up with a deck that needs work in less than a year. Is there a law suit out there? I’m pissed…
This garbage “sealer” ruined my deck and fencing! It isn’t anything CLOSE to “Natural” it’s freaking RED/BROWN now! This is stupid and they will pay. Pay to strip it off and pay to replace it if I have anything to say about it!
I am so glad I came across this. Last year I used Behr’s cleaner on a red cedar deck. I used Behr #501. I told them at home depot that I wanted a clear sealant and this is what they sold me. It was ORANGE. It looked terrible. After dealing with Home Depot and Behr reps, I got them to replace everything I bought and they gave my Behr 500. I planned on resealing my deck this weekend. I would have been so mad if it went orange again.
As far as colors, unless you apply the stain to the exact same wood species as Behr used in their samples the color you come out with will be indicative of the wood color you apply it to. There will always be some variation in color from the sample, that’s why custom colors are so good. When attempting to have a custom color made up, remember it takes a professional several tries before getting it right, which means you could buy several test quarts if not more in your efforts of getting the exact color you are looking for so be VERY PATIENT and the effort will be worth it.
I replaced the deck boards on about 700 SF deck with yalla wood back in April. The clerk at Home Depot said that I should stain the wood ASAP. I saw later on a TV home repair show that you should wait a year before applying anything to new wooden decks. I’m not sure who to believe. I was planning on using Behr Semi-Transparent Stain, but after reading all this I’m strongly reconsidering. I used Cabot clear sealer the last time on the old deck and it turned out orange. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
It’ll be interesting how Behr will handle 2 years on the deck. I bet, It will pill. Note, this is best case scenario: new wood, with no previous coat. Most of the time, the deck is old, with some old leftovers from previous maintenance, which doesn’t help.
Another interesting point is how you will maintain this product, Behr is extremely hard to strip.
Oh, and one more thing: stay away from Behr and Thompson products!
Woody Pro
Has anyone used Preserva Wood products, and can tell me how this brand compares to Cabot? I plan to stain my cedar deck and fence in July/August.
Deck is 2 years old and has never been stained. Two sides of my fence (2856 sq ft) is brand new while one side , which my neighbor built, is 1 year old. My neighbor wants to stain his fence with the Cabot Clear stain (a little darker than Preserva Wood Clear).
Home Depot tells me that it’s important to prep both old and NEW wood. Says the Behr 2-1 will draw out all of the tannin. All in, I have about 4,000 square feet of fence and deck to work on. Bracing myself for a lot of work.
I thought I was the only one with a problem with Behrs. I stripped my deck as directed. It cost a fortune. It took me three weeks to do it. Then, I applied the semi-transparent stain. One year later, much of the stain was gone. It was just peeling off. I reapplied. The next year, the same thing. I just kept doing it each year even though it is supposed to be good for 3-6 years. Then this year, I bought the same color (redwood) and started to apply it. I was horrified. It’s a BRIGHT UGLY ORANGE. It is absolutely NOTHING like what I have put on for the past 4 years. I certainly didn’t think I needed to test it as it was the same premixed color I had used in the previous 4 years. Did they change the formula for the color? I’ll just have to live with a two-toned deck this year. Next year I strip it off and find a new company. LOUSY, EXPENSIVE PRODUCT!!
I’m still trying to get Behr to pay for or furnish materials to remove their product off of my deck. (see my earlier post) They sent me a check only for the materials I used, but if I cash it, that absolves them of any further responsibility. I believe there is an unhappy customer out there for every can of semi transparent stain they have sold and that’s why they will not send a representative to look at any of the projects ruined by Behr stain. THE PRODUCT DOES NOT COME CLOSE TO BEHRS 4 YEAR GUARANTEE OR INDICATED COLOR. They instead simply shift the blame to the customer stating that proper preparation or application guidelines were not followed. This site and many others I have found have one story after another by people who used the product in good faith, followed instructions and are now trying to decide what to do next. Well, unless there is a class action suit you will be doing it on your own and paying for it again.
If you have decided to give up on dealing with Behr (which is what they are hoping for) my suggestion would be to countersink all your fasteners and sand the deck with a floor sander. Then I would look into an oil based stain instead of the modified oil based stains that haven’t been perfected yet. Does anyone know a good law firm out there??? Scott
Save your money and look for another product! We spent a fortune in both time and money with all the (proper) prep and application of Behr weatherproofing and it looked great – for all of 4 months! There is no way it is good for 4 years! And Behr does not NOT stand behind their guarantees.
Bought 5 gallons of Behr Premium Weatherproofing Wood Finish Natural 500 this morning. Just put in 400 feet of milled 6inx6in x 6 foot Texas cedar post fence. Awesome looking ranch style fence across the front of our 4 acre property. I researched the heck out of stains and sealers for cedar fencing. I settled for a water base sealer. Looked at samples of wood that had been treated with every stain under the sun…ddn’t like any of the pigmented ones. I wanted a true clear/transparent sealer so that the natural grain and color of the cedar would show through. Running late for work, I left the Behr product with my hired fencer. Came home about an hour ago to find a BROWN PAINTED FENCE!!! “That is not what I purchased!!!!!!”, I thought to myself as I drove through my newly installed gate. I ran to the empty 5 gallon bucket of spent “Natural Wood Finish” only to find remnants of the stain. I didn’t take the time to pop open the bucket to examine more closely what I had bought…nothing I had read online had prepared me for the look of my finished $3000 fence. Good Grief… I thought I had purchased a “natural”, and clear, finish. Just something that would soak into the wood and bring out the grain and “natural” color of the milled cedar. My God! What have I done??? From the few ounces of left-over stain, it appears to be a walnut brown non-transparent latex paint…is there some mistake here? My entire fence is RUINED! There’s no way to get that crap off my fence. It’s like someone had mixed a brown pigment with Elmer’s Glue and painted my beautiful cedar fence! There was absolutely NOTHING on that damn 5 gallon bucket that says anything brown pigment. I thought I was buying a clear, water based sealer…something that looked like, well, WATER…soaks into the wood and brings out the grain, and protects the wood FROM water…
Any suggestions? I feel so STUPID and so RIPPED OFF. Too bad I just now found this website…
Mark in the Texas Hill Country (with a butt ugly brown fence)
Mark~ Not much you can do unless you sand it down. I have had to repair several very expensive decks where that was used. If it were a deck I would say wait a months and it would start to peel and flake but on a vertical surface it just starts fading and washing out. BEHR isn’t just bad, it is the worst brand on the market. They suck people in with the outrageous warranty on the can! Next time go with a real stain product like Cabot.
In talking with the rep he told me that they’d replace the stain and send some deck wash but I told him it was just too much work, that we’d cleaned the deck prior to the initial application and it just didn’t last. He finally talked with my husband which told him that we just wanted the money back and now.
We did get a full refund for the 5 gallons that we’d purchase. I had to send the receipt, pictures of the bucket, bar code, etc.
This summer we’ve been applying the Cabbot product, mainly because it was the only thing that we could find that would be close to a match on the color. I really don’t care for it that much, it’s very solid, shoes NO grain of the wood at all. As far as the initial color I like the Behr the best, just wish it would’ve worked. Not sure how long the Cabbot will stay on, we’ve already had to touch up some spots.
I built my deck with a special species of reddwood that I paid quite a bit for for its rather unusual rosewood appearance that i thought was not just unusual, but very pretty. I used Behr on it, and immediately the wood turned orange. This turned darker over time. After a couple of resealing jobs over the years, the original very pretty wood was nothing more than an amorphous medium brown….. Yech.
My son and i have spent the last two weeks carefully sanding off the old Behr seralant, and plan to reseal with something else.
I used ArmorAll Clear Waterproofing Wood Protector (Product Number GATL60530) several times on my stripped pine deck. It goes on like water and barely changes the wood color, but after several hours it looks stunning. It accents the wood gain and adds a perfect light honey tint — not yellow, orange or brown but a tint that really brings out the grain especially on the vertical wood. I was horrified to find out the product is discontinued?!?!?!? I just put on the Behr Premium Transparent Weatherproofing Wood Finish and its, well, brown. Why the xxx would ArmorAll discontinue this awesome product. It’s like discontinuing Windex. If anyone can find even one gallon of the ArmorAll out there I’ll take it..
Home Depot and Behr have a huge problem with the 501 Weatherproofing. I just ruined my new deck and $20,000. with this junk. I can’t find ONE person that has used this product and is satisfied. My questions (1) what is the best way to remove this CRAP and (2) where does the line for the lawsuits begin?
I made myself perfectly clear @ Home Depot that I did not want to “stain” my deck, but coat it with a clear sealer. HD guy ABSOLUTELY reccomented this product (Behr no.500) for that job.
I am in tears that my brand new deck is ORANGE and ugly! How do I get it off now?
Just like the others above I am very very disappointed with the color of this product. I have a huge wrap around deck on my house that took a friggin’ long time to prep for painting. I used the Behr deck wash#63(i think) scrubbed, scrubbed some more, power washed, and then sanded my deck. I chose the color beach beige which is supposed to be a light brown color. It came out white and even gray in some spots. WTF!!!??? I am extremely pissed off and saddened because of the color of my deck. The deck itself looks great, but it clashes with the color of my house and is NO WHERE NEAR THE COLOR I CHOSE. EFF BEHR!!!
I tested this stain and it was orange as well. Two products I found that were more brown (but only a five year warrany were Olympic Maximum waterproofing sealant (honey gold) and Cabo semi-transparent oil stain (6306 neutral base). Both are a light brown instead of an orange tint.
My husband and I refinished our deck 6 weeks ago, using Behr Transparent Weatherproofing sealant. It is still so tacky that we can not walk on it, let alone replace the patio furniture…and that is after using box fans to help dry the area. I have never been so disappointed in a product! We painted the interior of our home with Behr paints and were so satisfied that we used the deck sealant. NEVER AGAIN! And yes, the deck has a nice “orange glow” rather than the natural look of the wood.
Have just used 22 gallons of Behr Cedar natural 501 on my daughters deck and fences in Richmond VA . I used a drum type floor sander and removed all traces of gray ( this seems to be the standard color for decks in the USA , as is the dreadful practiceof pressure washing !! ) . The wood was then further treated as recommended by Behr . It was hard work but what a transformation ; a sea of splintery gray wood was transformed into something really attractive and welcoming . Ok , it is a little darker than we expected but after dismal gray , who cares . As to the four years life , we will see . We have done what we consider to be a good job and will be very disappointed if the surfaces break down inside the stated period . It is interesting to see , that most of the complaints about Behr are to be found in comments relating to other wood protection products for example , Cabot et al . Surely , if the various products are that bad , the companies involved would have been out of business years ago .
Good luck with that 22 gallon job. BE sure to post again in a few months when you realize how bad this Behr product is. I build decks/outside structures for a living… I would paint at deck with purple poka-dots before I would use this product (or any Behr product) ever again. Keep your drum sander ready to go….!
X2…
Fred- or anyone- are deck sealers suppose to be matt in color and shine? We just had our deck sealed and it looks FLAT. I agree with the color swatches. We chose chestnut and it came out RED! Our beautiful natural color deck is RED. We’re getting used to it.
1) Will it get redder with time or lighter?
2) Should the deck have a sheen or gloss to it?
3) how bad is it if my contractor only applied one coat. He says two but I know it is only one. He’s bailed already. should I do it myself or is one ok?
4) when do I need to do anything else to the deck and what exactly do I do..
our deck was built 3 months ago so it was in excellent condition.
thanks so much. I’m a mom/teacher and my husband is not the type to get his nails dirty. I do all the handy work around the house! He does laundry!
To Maria…good luck, but I would say within 3 to 6 months you’ll see it beginning to peal and even fade before then. This is a really poor product. We did get our money refunded but it absolutley ruined our deck.
Good Luck….I would say in 3 to 6 months it will begin peeling and you’ll see fading even before then. Overall this is a very poor quality product. We did get a FULL refund but the labor costs using it was lost as well as the issue with what will we do from here.
Well I’ve just used Behr staining. I must admit it has not been on long enough yet for me to experience the peeling. But I would like to know if anyone out there has experience any whit spots on there decks after rain or morning dew. My deck is covered in white spots and I do not know how to make them go away. Can anyone help me?
W\HITE SPOTS: Well, yes that is what happens first in most every case I have seen. These are not ‘normal water spots’ that can be easily removed. What is happening is the dust and sediment in the water droplet is refracting heat and light, and have begun to melt into the soft plastic layer you have just coated your deck with. The particles will continue to return to the pitted areas and continue to create white spots on the surface which eventually cannot be removed. The good news is, under most any of the ‘right conditions’ this product will begin to flake and peel. In some cases that I have seen, it almost completely disintegrateed in less than 12 months. In other cases you may be able completely remove with a few good afternoons with a sander, as I did with one client who experienced this. In any case, good luck!
PD~
Deck Contractor
Wolman simply makes the best products on the market.
Regardless of what penetrating product one chooses, it is very important to use a professional airless sprayer, not a Wagner. It is also very important to back brush. If one does not back brush they will not get the longevity expected or advertised.
Even a new deck needs to be cleaned to maximum the effect of the protectant.
On average a deck will need to be cleaned and protected every three years; a fence every five years. This is true for any of the best products with exception to the solid or opaque products, they do in fact last longer; however, they are much more costly to reapply–they often need to be stripped.
Do your research and think about the long term cost of maintaining your wood. Be careful of false claims. Many products won’t last a year, much less five. And those who claim 25 or 30 years are full of it–read the fine print.
Wow lots of info on Behr! We Remove a ton of it in the KC area. We install 25 year seals that work! You can ask to see the fine print, although there really isn’t any. 25 Years is on the SEAL, not a stain, not the color, etc. Will seal the wood protecting it from degrading and protection from replacement.
We’ve helped a few customers this past year that are going back on Behr, and calling them out on that warranty they have, talk about a joke warranty! Last about 1/10 the length they say.
Is this an oil base producT?
Is there something you can use that will just protect the wood without changing the natural color of the wood?
just used this crap behr 500 what a joke always used thompson water seal clear before but guy a home depo said it was same already opened it and they would not take back. for store credit even. thompson sealer dont last as long but dries clear. would have been better off but now i will replace all the boards on my fence .any more you have to become the expert they dont hire people that know . just sell sell sell . good to find a place to vent behr dont care last time i buy any behr product.
We contacted behr customer service, sent in a request witht the pictures of the peeling stain and did get a full refund. Of course wekre out all the labor and work to get the stuff off.
I went to home depo . exchanged even thought I had used 3 gal of 5 gal pale
didnt have any prolblem. they have changed. and got a new coustmor.
got some thompson water seal and gave me extra 10 per cent off. of that.
if it was lowes it would be a differnt story.
I put on the Behr premium semi transparent wood stain about 8 month ago.
About 25% of the deck was new. It is now peeling off allover new/ old wood, shade/sun Do not use this product.
We have just reuined out brand new deck with the Behr product. The deck is orange and blotchy. We are very upset. The deck looks like crap. Can we put a semi-transparent stain over the Behr transparent stain. We want to cover-up the orange?
I had a new deck built two yrs ago and used Behr redwood stain. Six months later it began peeling. Behr agreed to replace the stain and provide their stripper and prep products. It was extremely difficult to get the previous stain off without scrubbing on your knees. Used the prep and restained….this past winter it began peeling again. Behr again agreed to replace the products so I got back down on hands and knees and even used a belt sander to clear the deck. No way will I go ahead with this stuff again. When you scrubed it off it was like mud.
Any stain suggestions?
We have been using this for 5 years now and if you don’t use two coats each year, it is history by the end of the summer. While it cleans up well and looks great, for the price of it, I’m switching to Thompson’s for the next few years to see if there is any improvement. Thompson’s is not cheap either, but it beats the price I paid for this stuff this year !
Behr Just changed there stains to 100% acrylic stains, no more Hybrids (Oil and latex) which in my opinion is much better.
No matter what kind of stain you use, you have to prep…..no pressure washer (max 500psi, if you do use one) and rinse well. Very important not to put more then 2 coats. Make sure it’s not applied in direct sunlight, do not wait more then 48hrs before applying the second coat and make sure your pores are opened.
This might be written on the can, but most people always skip at least one step.
If you do it right it will last you more then 2 years.
It has on my deck.
I’m not saying you haven’t done it right….but who knows if something was missed, especially if it;s something we only do once in a while.
Its true that the colors don’t match the samples though.
Well, if you got 2 years out of it you were lucky. I’m renting a pressure washer in a week to try and remove what’s left of the stain I applied 1 1/2 years ago. It began to flake 4 months after it was applied and yes I had new wood that had been conditioned with their product and allowed to dry. I applied 2 coats with an airless and back brushed the whole job. It didn’t matter, the product was crap. I am getting an oil based product from a supplier in Washington State as California restricts the sale of these types of stain. Home Depot is still proudly displaying the Behr products next to the deck and redwood section in their store. They were less help in this matter than Behr was. For everyone that posted here on this subject just remember, it’s all your fault and you did it wrong. It’s not Behr or the people that sell it, it’s you, you, you…
My husband and I are not getting any younger. We wanted to protect our deck and hardwork, so we made the investment to buy Behr Premium Transparent Weatherproofing Wood Finish for Decks, Fences, and Siding.
We followed the instructions to the letter. After our first summer the deck looked like it was more than 5 years old. We contacted Behr and was given a case number to submit with our next purchase of Behr products to place on the deck.
We thought that it was us and the way that we applied the product. So, we hired a local small business to do the back breaking work for us. With in two months of the product being applied; our deck looks worse than it did before. When a picture is shown of the deck people believe that it’s 15 years old.
Bad experience with the 500 product . the sealer dried with drips and inconsistent coverage.Heavy body to product kept running and piling up. we rolled the product on but looks badly inconsistent and orange looking also the deck is new and the sealer lapped bad rolling it on. Home owner very mad. Will another coat help with the lapping?
I thought my problems were my own bad luck…..4 years, stained 3 times. The crap just peels off with VERY little traffic. Just started staining again last night to make it look better. My standards are fairly low compared to some of the folks on here and I am not happy. I am just trying to protect the wood and this junk won’t even dop that. Oh joy…here we go with the stripper.
Does This stuff ever dry?!! Im so pissed off. Not only is it Orange. It s wet and sticky for 3 weeks now. Iv been painting for almost 9 years now, and its the worst product iv ever used. My customers are holding out some of my cash because thier deck furnature is still out in the yard! Any one wanna sue these jerks like me? And from the sounds of it< Its not gonna last but for 4 or 5 months. bye bye customers.
Has anyone heard of a company/product called SEALWIZE? I have been told this is the most AMAZING product out there. Their all “green”, patented technology is by far the most outstanding wood deck sealer on the market. This product can only be obtained and installed through exclusize dealers/contractors. THIS PRODUCT COMES WITH A 30-YEAR WARRANTY! Yes, that’s right…. I said 30 years! Your deck will NEVER have to be sealed again! Check it out and let me know your thoughts! I have been told this product is expensive but totally worth it!! Unfortunately, there is not a local dealer in my area yet so I cannot get this done!
I am about to restain a clean deck and had been planning on using Behr products until I read all these remarks. Can anyone suggest a good product that is clear or tinted so that the wood grain will show through and a product that will last several years. I do not see many suggestions of other products whcih have good results. I prefer to brush it on rather than spray.
I am amazed that nobody has mentioned damage from the use of Behr #64 as I have had. I even followed most of the precautions, but failed to cover all of the exposed skin. I also had to use my 3500 PSI pressure washer to get to lift off, and that increased the likelihood that I was going to get burned. This morning i had the doctor give a full exam. I have 3 spots on the left arm that removed all the layers of flesh, each 3/8 of an inch in diameter, along with 2 other small ones, and the palms of my hands are slick where it got in. The holes in the goggles let in mist that burned my eyes, and the repirator let in just enough to cause pain in the middle of my chest. Though I wasn’t thorough, I still contend that they do not specify 100% body coverage, and only recommend protective clothing, in general terms. Even with a hat, a mask, and goggles, that is not enough when spraying
with a hose or any pressure washer. The Behr consumer dept. told me that every application has to be stripped of all substances, even treating or a good layer of stain that has been on for more than 48 hours. Their system is all wrong.
They tell everyone that the EPA has made them get rid of all the toxic stuff that makes it stay put on it’s own but that is a myth. I just filed an official report with the CPSC, Consumer Product Safety Commission, which is the ones who are responcible for all approvals and complaints. Most of you are telling me that after all the prep they call for, I will still only get 1 year or more out of the #502 stain. In 36 years as a painter I have tried to tell every client to use only solid acrylic.
I bought plastiron stain because the salesman said that the very high metal content makes it last better. but i don’t know if this is true. he said it sparkles like millions of mirrors to reflect the sun. is this true? will sparkles reflect the uv better? the color is ok. let me know
I AM SO GLAD I FOUND ALL OF YOUR COMMENTS!!
I was just getting ready to buy the Behr 501 for my Cedar fence I just killed myself every weekend for a month to build.
I’ve had great experience with Behr interior paints but had no experience on wood treatments.
You can find some small comfort that these comments have lost them a customer for this product.
Just applied two coats today of No. 500 Transparent Natural. The deck is 7 months since install. No.2 Southern Pine P.T. Location: south Florida. Like most people I just wanted a clean natural look to just bring out the grain etc. I did the BEHR “2in1 Deck cleaner” with a bristle brush to really lighten up the wood, and it did. The following week I applied the stain. I used a 3/4″ roller “brush” to apply the product in one area, THEN I went back with a lamb’s wool applicator (on a long handle) to smooth out and work the product into the grain. I did this in small sections at a time so the product would not dry up in place. . .This really worked well and evened out the finish. I did notice the color was more honey-like than I expected. Did not feel it was too orangey though. After the second coat, I was actually pleased with the whole look. That lamb’s wool applicator is a beauty to use. It’s still a tiny bit tacky tonight, but not too bad. I hope this goes away overnight. I don’t expect rain. I just hope that this finish will last two years. Going back with the wool applicator was an extra step and I hope it will have been worth it!
We got estimates from the folks at Certified Contractors Coalition and we reluctantly chose to go with the group that used plastiron stain. It looks like normal stain except when you are maybe 3 feet away and you see lots of sparkling glitter. I just hope it lasts as long as it’s supposed to.
Bob
We used Behr stain on our deck and pergola that was finished a year ago. Although we loved the richness of the color it did not hold up. Just this week we had our house painted and requested a quote to refinish the deck in obviously another product that would withstand the test of time or at least beyond one year. Our professional painter/deck stainer initially thought it had been over 5 years since we had stained our deck. It was quite embarrassing to say the least. I will say that we will not be using Behr stain again and are very welcome to using another product as was recommended.
Please Read !!!!!!!
We used Behr on our deck , I will say that we will not be using Behr ever again ,applied two coats of No. 500 Transparent Natural, 6 months later it began to peel.
Now our Deck looks like a mess, tje wood is cracking , we are truly disappointed .
I wish I had not used this product , now I am stuck with a deck that looks 10 year’s old . I’m at a loss . Big Mistake !!
I have Pics to prove it , I will be contacting the company soon.
I just bought my first house a year ago, and knew upon the initial once over that the stockade fence, 35-plus yrs old and showing every bit of it, would be high on my priority list. Having been a Carpenter for 25yrs and (shame on me!) caught up in all the excitement, chose BEHR: natural cedar tone #501. Absolutely awful!!!!! A hideous ORANGE tint that is anything but natural cedar. Shame on BEHR for this misleading product, species of wood have to be taken into consideration prior to application. Spruce is not one of them. I cringe everytime i enter my backyard, cant wait for the day when the fence has ” Weathered out” and i can cover up this gaudy mess. My fault again being in the trade , but John Q. Consumer…… BEWARE!!!!!!!
BERH!!!! No.500 Transparent Natural is a good sealer to use on treated wood only . For best results pressure wash deck first, be sure not to get close to wood (damage your wood grain) clean entire deck. Deck needs to be dry completly before applying sealer (24hrs) the next day with out sun aiming onto deck (early morning or dawn) apply on with 4inch oil/stain brush drying time 24hrs no rain in site LOL….if needed you can apply a second coat on floor board and railing only( it gets abuse from the weather climate) don’t apply heavy with sealer….its very time consuming.Cedar and natural sealer looks awesome on fencing and may get about 5yrs on fence and 3yrs deck…Solid color sealer; its a NO! NO! deck will peel within a year and Thompson water sealer turns grey within 6months( the worst brand).. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND BEHR PRODUCT!!
I have used Behr Stain a half a dozen times since we had our deck rebuilt in 2000 and have been very happy with it until now. I restained our deck last year and when we bought the stain it was the first time it wasn’t premixed and on the shelf for puchase. As I look at our deck right now it makes me sick to think of the time at WORK I put into restaining because at least 60% of the surface is peeling like the stain didn’t penetrate the wood. I will never buy a Behr Product again. Severly disappointed…And by the way my wife is really upset…We do not have time for this…Fred
WORST STUFF EVER! Wanted basically clear protectant and HD sold me on Natural # 500. Ouch, definite colour; bit orangy but was not the end of the world. In Ontario winter, when snow melted there were already 10 areas peeling. I’d prepped with #62 and PT wood was only 1 yr old and in pristine shape. Two months of sun and rain later, it’s continued to peel and flake. About 20% is just gone. Pretty discouraging when you’ve put all the time and money into a new deck. Wish I’d seen this website first.
Can the new Behr acrylic exterior stains be applied over 40 years old oil based stained wood siding that is well weathered and dirty, but otherwise OK? I plan to clean the walls with a TSP/Dawn solution first and treat any stains with Oxygen Bleach solution then rinse off with water. After drying I would brush on the Behr solid color premium acrylic stain. Is any other preparation required or recommended?
Many Thanks.
Missy, I think the answer is “No.” But I’m not 100% familiar with the products you’re discussing here. You need to look for something that will cover oil and create a bonding surface for acrylic. If the product doesn’t say that it does that, I wouldn’t try it.
Is there a safe and effective way to remove Behr Premium Transparent Weatherproofing Wood Finish for Decks, Fences, and Siding #500 from a pressure treated deck? Sanding seems unwise given the arsenic particles that would be released.
I just applied it and it is already forming water spots. Given the other posts I am wondering if I need to redo this whole job before winter (or tear out the deck and replace it).
I just completed replacement of a huge deck with new PT 5/6X6 boards. But it’s Sept 1 and by the time I let the deck “breathe’ for 60 days it might be too cold in New England to apply stain. How soon can I apply weatherproofing stain to a new PT deck without either wasting my matgerial or worse, getting a spotty finish?
I just completed replacement of a huge deck with new PT 5/6X6 boards. But it’s Sept 1 and by the time I let the deck “breathe’ for 60 days it might be too cold in New England to apply stain. How soon can I apply weatherproofing stain to a new PT deck without either wasting my material or worse, getting a spotty finish?
I have not read the whole thread of comments, but I have to say I was wowed by this product Behr Premium deck finish the first time I used it, and VERY DISAPPOINTED within 8 months. I sanded and treated the mold and still did not last a year. I used Cabots semi transparent stain on another and, on the advice of a chemist, treated the wood with Clear Penetrating Epoxy before to give the oil base finish something to bond to– got 3 years out of it. Better, but too expensive when you add all the cost, time and mixing. This year I wanted the rich grain to show and better water repellent action. I sanded one of the Behr covered decks (I have 4 decks) to clean wood and put Duckback transparent stain in Heart Redwood tone, and have great results. I will not waste money on emulsion/ acrylic style deck stains (like the Behr) ever. Sure it dries fast and easy clean up, but it just does not hold up. here it is 40-38 F* and fog at night but I painted on the Duckback oil and tossed a tarp over for a few days to protect from dew and it is ready and will look nice for years…not months.
Behr misleading information.
I had a similar experience. My old carpet needed to go and before trying regular tile, I read about the wonders of staining the concrete slab. So I chose Behr Saltillo Tile.
The color on their advertising is completely bogus. I ended with a $1500 dolars worth of a failed experiment. The color looks like poop from a dog that ate too many oranges… not pretty.
I’m also finding out that Behr stain may not be an actual stain. Somebody needs to suit Behr for misleading on products and misrepresenting their colors on ther marketing lies.
Feel your pain, but at least your deck looks decent. My floor, well….. let;s leave it at that.
Had the same orange result with olympic semi transparent natural pine and fir tint. Our deck is pressure treated pine.Thought the store made a mistake. After reading these posts sounds like I should not have used anything with an orange tint on pressure treated pine.
did you receive my question concerning removing behr #502 redwood stain from windows and metal building? I need an answer quickly.
anyone ever use timberpro UV? i have a brand new redwood fence
Replaced decks on the back of our house around our swimming pool 2 years ago… 12X66 and 8X16 and 10X30… used BEHR product – now peeling off with hardly any use… house has 1 resident and no pool use last season… did everything as directed ( use to work part time as painter) very,very disappointed
My wife and I put the product on our deck as some boards were beginning to get rough. We applied it in September 2013. During the brutally cold winter of 2014 our deck kept making loud popping sounds. It even rattled our dishes in our kitchen cabinets that are part of the exterior wall attached to the deck. Well, here we are in the winter of 2015. It’s back – the loud popping sounds from the deck.
Have any of you ever experienced the loud popping sounds from your decks after applying this product?
Thank you!
We’ve never had loud popping sounds. That is very strange. It’s not acorns hitting the deck or something is it? We have those at our house and it’s really loud. I can’t imagine what would be causing popping. I suppose it could be trapped water somewhere freezing and expanding and causing some kind of joint expansion. Is there space between your boards? How much space?
Would never use this product again. Built a beautiful picnic table/folding bench and used the Behr transparent all in one product to finish it. It’s been 2 weeks since applying the product and on humid days it actually gets tacky again. All points of contact have actually lost their finish. There’s no penetration with this product at all. (pre sanded all surfaces with 80 grit before hand) will have to strip a new project just to get proper protection against the elements.
What a time waster!!
Herb,
Sanding usually is not recommended because it can actually make your surface less porous. I would have used the wood cleaner Behr sells to get the mill glaze off of your new lumber to open up the pores. I have been using Behr for decades and I would never use any other product.
I had a very good experience with Behr premium weatherproof redwood deck stain. I sprayed it on my fence with an airless sprayer and used a roller on my deck. I applied 2nd coat within 2 hours after completing the initial coat. On the fence I applied a 3rd coat a few days later. I live in Florida and oil based stain have not performed well against sun or mildew. 8 months later the stain looks great, but I know in Florida your lucky to get 2 years out of any deck stain.