Deck Stain

[Postal68]

Can anyone recommend a good deck stain. This is my project this weekend and I want to be prepared and do the best job possible with quality materials.

The deck is pressure treated lumber and i was thinking about staining the rails and balisters a solid white and the planks a complimentary solid color of my house (like a dark taupe siding)

Anyone have any experience with these solid color stains? I have only seen decks stained with a solid redwood and I really do no like this look.

Are there pros/cons to using a solid stain over a transparent, I do like the look of the wood grain showing through, but I am afraid that the color will not be what I wanted once I apply it to the wood.

I tested a transparent color on a piece and it came out nowhere near the color I was hoping for. I can't be spending money to keep buying colors to test and I haven't seen any home testers in stain as you do with paint.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

I've used solid color on mine for some years now. The only downside is that the wood grain will not show through any more, but the upside is you get the color you want.

I use Sikkens from our local paint store and it seems to be holding up well. I've use Cabot in the past and did not care for it very much but others seem to.

[EXT]

I've used Sikkens as well with very good results. Go on their website and check out the many versions of stains that they have, to select one for your situation. Note: they are not cheap.

[jeffc]

I was happy with Cabot. I do not like the solid stains - I just think the look is like redwood paint, which I've come to associate with cheapness, rightly or wrongly. I like the natural wood look, with some clear stain perhaps.