PPG ProLuxe Premium Deck Wood Finish, 1 Gallon, 077 Cedar

First, this is an amazing stain. That said, I just applied it, so I can’t comment yet on how well it holds up over time. I used Sikkens Log and Siding stain about 10yrs ago and loved it, so I do have some experience with this brand of stain. Second, this product is a two coat stain. It is imperative that you apply two coats in order to get the look and wood protection that you need. Third, you MUST prep the wood that you are going to stain by both power washing/cleaning it AND lightly sanding it with a coarse 60-80 grit sand paper. Depending on if the wood you are going to stain has been stained/varnished previously, you might actually have to do some heavy sanding. Fourth, you absolutely can NOT let this stain get wet before it has dried for at least 48hrs. Pay very close attention to your weather forecast. If there is even a remote chance of rain over the course of the two days after you apply a coat of this stain, DO NOT do it. Wait until you have a solid 72hr window of guaranteed no rain. In addition, if the forecast calls for a heavy dew the evening of the day you are going to apply a coat, wait until a different day where little to no dew is forecast. Trust me on this. Every negative review I have read about this stain in my opinion has been been written by someone who did not properly prep the wood first, didn’t take the time to apply the second coat or let the stain get wet before completely drying. Read the fine print on the can or go to Sikkens PPG Proluxe website and read the application instructions. If you follow the instructions to the letter, I’m guessing you will love this product and will give it 5 stars too!

It is a rich cedar color which went on easily with a roller and was completely dry after 24 hours. It really dressed up my newly installed rough cedar posts. The before, during and after pictures should give you a good idea of what color to expect on new unstained cedar.

Make shur you get the right product I ordered DEK. The supplier shipped SRD. Three letters yet not the same. DEK is High Solids, SRD is lower solids used as a 1st coat. Then top coat with DEK. Or apply two coats of SRD, if you choose this process you will be re-coating. Much sooner then the DEK system. The beauty of this products is when re-coated they come back in one coat. Absolutely beautiful

Beats all other outdoor staining products out there.

The prior homeowner of the house we bought swore by this stuff, indicating it was THE BEST DECK STAIN you could buy. It's expensive - so it should be quality stain. The first coat went on smoothly and the results looked OK. Then I read the directions on the can which indicated that a second coat is recommended. Well let me tell you... YOU MUST put on the second coat. The first coat pretty much absorbs into the wood. The second coat is when you see the stain finally lay on top of the first coat and give that stain shine that makes the wood look FABULOUS!! Am now convinced this Sikkens Cetol DEK Finish is amazingly good stain.

We had a contractor build a surround deck and stairs for our hot tub (cedar tub). The contractor decided to use Australian wood oil or sheep dip or something like that - the cedar turned out orange and blotchy. He insisted we wait until it dried thoroughly (which didn't happen after three weeks). I got fed up and I asked the guy who built our hot tub what finish he had used - in a year and a half of exposure to New England winter the finish still looked new. He said Sikkens Cetol #77 Cedar finish. I ordered a quart, sanded off the tree or wood or sheep oil (it didn't penetrate very deep), brushed on the Sikkens and the finish with cetol is beautiful. We ran out - cedar soaks this stuff in deep. I ordered a gallon this time, we intend to use it to finish our cedar entry. High recommended.

Actually puts a protective coating on your deck holds up fairly well

Just completed a large redwood pergola with this product. So far I am very happy with the results. We live in the Phoenix area, it is 107 as I type this. We are hoping in the long run this will hold up to desert extremes. I was very happy with the shipping and packaging. This is an expensive product so you wouldn't want it damaged in the least. If this product will hold up to our climate for 3 years we would feel justified with the cost. Update next summer folks