2020 Update for Tips and Advice for Defy Exterior Wood and Deck Stains
Defy Deck Stains have become one of the top-rated water-based exterior coatings in 2020. We love hearing from our customers who have used the Defy Stains or have questions on prepping and application. We appreciate your input, so feel free to leave a comment below and pictures of your completed projects if you have them.
Welcome to the official help site for DefyStain.com! DEFY wood and deck stain products are formulated with premium quality synthetic resins that resist mold and mildew growth, are easy to apply and are environmentally friendly. Defy stains offer protection from UV fading, wood rot, water damage, and mildew for all types of wood species. Use DEFY Wood Stains on pressure treated lumber, cedar, mahogany, redwood or any vertical or horizontal exterior wood surface.
The Defy stain help site is designed for exterior wood and deck owners looking for help with Defy Extreme Stain, Defy Stains for Hardwoods and Defy Epoxy Fortified Wood Stain. We will offer tips and proper application instructions for Defy Stains so you may achieve professional results.
Please read our articles and ask any questions you may have as we are here to help.
I have used defy wood cleaner and will use defy wood Brightener next.are your defy stains a sealer also or are they just a penetrating stain
Defy stains are sealers as well.
I have composite deck 17 years old ,, is there positives or negatives to putting on a 2nd coat?
No need.
How to clean any dried extreme stain Splatter on vinyl Siding and railings
Use a water-based graffiti remover cleaner.
I used Defy Extreme Semi-Transparent Wood Stain in Driftwood Gray on my very weathered deck last year. I followed all instructions concerning cleaning and brightening and the result is great. I remember reading that after a year I should apply a light maintenance coat. However your website now gives different instructions as how to clean the deck beforehand, eg. mild soap cleaner or brightener. What should I be using?
See here about new wood: https://www.defystainhelp.com/prep-new-wood-for-defy-stains/
Use the Defy Wood Cleaner for prep.
thanks
I have 21 large cypress posts on my Acadian style house! They are 15 years old and very weathered. I originally wanted the weathered look but they are suffering from exposure. 10 of my posts get the hot Louisiana evening sun and rain. How would your products work for these posts? I can not redo 21 posts every 2-3 years. Any suggestions????
Do you have samples of small quantities to buy and try first?
https://www.defystain.com/defy-stain-samples.html
Prep with the Defy Cleaner and pressure washing. Defy Brightener after. Use the Defy Extreme Stain for these posts: https://www.defystain.com/wood-restoration/wood-and-deck-stains/defy-extreme.html
I am looking to stain my deck posts and perhaps the joists, my deck is composite.
I am looking at the DEFY Extreme Wood Stain product for this purpose. Is this product:
a) allow air to move in and out of the stain so that the stain does not trap water and cause decay
b) when the coat overtime fades could it just be re-coated or will the previous coat need to be stripped?
c) where can we get samples? I would like to try out some color combinations
A. Yes, it is breathable.
B. It can be cleaned and recoated as needed.
C. https://www.defystain.com/defy-stain-samples.html/
Please confirm, utilizing Defy Extreme Water Base Stain on a one year old vertical pressure treated pine fence only requires one coat? Thanks Dan
If a year old then do the 2 coats applied wet on wet.
Best method for Applying stain to upright spindles. I know Defy is watery, should I use a lambswool mitt?
Also, can I use latex paint to cover any stain splashes on painted side of house?
Thank you!
Use a stain pad or brush, not a mitt. You cannot use paint over the Defy.
If I cannot stain in 15 days after prep, how to redo prep? Using brightener and then wait for 48 hours?
Lightly pressure wash and apply the Brightener.
Thanks!
Our PT pine deck is on the north side of our house and is heavily shaded by trees. The last oil-based semi-transparent stain I used mildewed terribly. I have spent many hours sanding away the old stain and as much of the mildew as possible. I plan on trying DEFY, but is there anything more I can do to help prevent mildew? Upstate NY.
Thanks.
Make sure to clean and brighten the wood after the sanding. No, there is not anything else needed or can be done additionally with preventing mildew.
Do I need to use a cleaner on new treated lumber to open wood pores?
See here about new wood: https://www.defystainhelp.com/prep-new-wood-for-defy-stains/
I have a 5 gallon bucket. Do I need to stir, can I pour what I need into a bucket that contained scented powder laundry soap. Do I need to remove imbedded stuff from cracks the pressure washer didn’t get out
You have to stir it first. use a clean bucket if transferring to another container.
how many coats do i have to put on a new, but ready to stain fence. can i spray it once and backroll or backbrush it or is more needed
If rough sawn wood, 2 coats wet on wet.
if i used defy extreme on a fence 3 years ago can i restain it without stripping it
Yes, but you will have to clean it.
I have a few drips on a vertical surface applied with Extreme. What is the best way to remove the drips and keep the consent color of the stain?
Post a picture.
Photo
You cannot just remove the drips and not the rest of the stain. It will all have to come off.
Well the deck is cleaned, brightened and stained. My contractor was so impressed with the product he offered to buy the cans we had left over for another job he is doing. We stuck to the advice of your team and just did one coat but I believe the deck floor could have definitely used 2 coats. We will be waiting until next spring to clean the floor and apply a maintenance coat. But the deck turned out beautiful. We chose Butternut and it is gorgeous. I didn’t want anything real dark and I didn’t want a stain that had… Read more »
Looks great!
Well it is 9 months since our first coat of Defy on our new deck and I believe we are now supposed to do a maintence coat?? Pictures of finished deck is in my original post above. Do I need to use cleaner and brightener before maintenance coat? If so where do I start? As you can see the deck bottom is enclosed with wood and stained. Do I start from top to bottom or bottom to top? Personally I don ‘t think the sides need a maintenance coat but if cleaner and brightener run down on it will it… Read more »
Just use the Defy Cleaner and lightly pressure rinse. You can probably get by with just doing the horizontals and skip the railings. Just one coat of the stain.
Will the cleaner cause streaking as it runs off the floor onto the side panels? That is my concern. The sides do not really need staining but the floor, steps and top of railings do need a maintenance coat. I was thinking of having my hubby stand on the ground with a hose and if any rolls off from the floor to the side panels he can wash it off immediately. Do you think this is good idea to avoid streaking of the side panels?
It should not if you rinse off any runoff of the cleaner right away as you mentioned.
What kind of wood. PT PINE OR CEDAR WAS THIS WITH butternut stain?
My contractor is here to start staining and he said the can says in bold letters not to apply in direct sunlight. It is going to be sunny every day. How do you avoid direct sunlight when the deck is wide open with no shade. The temp is about 79 degrees right now. My husband is going to tell him to move forward. Just not sure how we avoid direct sunlight. Even if he started at 8am the job will take most of the day to complete. The deck is huge and has a wood wall under it that also… Read more »
Tell him to move fast so it does not flash dry if in full sun.
Ok. We are only applying one coat because it is a brand new deck. If it gets too sunny he is going to do the railings and come back when the sun is not a high and do it in stages.
I have used the Defy Extreme wood stain for about 6 years now on my wrap around porch. I am getting ready to do a maintenance coat again. On the porch we have railings, etc that are stained with a solid color stain (looks like paint). I am wondering if I treat the railings with Wet n Forget will that hurt the Defy stain on the deck boards? I am planning on covering the deck boards when I apply the Wet n Forget but when it rains the product will eventually come in contact with some of the deck boards.… Read more »
It should not harm the Defy Stain.
I need a five gallon pail of stain. I was hoping you have a record of what I bought. It is a steroid base stain, but I don’t remember what color. I lost all of my records when my computer crashed.
Jac
Both times you ordered the Defy Extreme Cedartone. We forwarded your last order to you.
We have a new fence and are trying to decide if we want it to go “naturally gray” while still protecting the wood. If so, would it be any more protective to use driftwood gray instead of clear?
If you want it to naturally gray, use the Clear.
I have applied 2 coats of Driftwood gray at air temp of 49˚. The stain took longer to set up for the second coat and the final results had great penetration but not as much gray color on the surface as I would like. Can I add one more coat on cured product to increase the gray color?
No, not at this time as it will not take or adhere since it has already cured. You can lightly clean and apply another coat in 6-12 months.
An older friend had a can of Biowash Natural Deck Oil (OLD) and I put it on her porch. It won’t dry, how do I get rid of it and replace it with Defy wood oil. She like it cause there is no chemical that she is a allergic to.
You would need to strip and sand to remove. Once removed, brighten the wood.
is Defy and biowash natural deck oil the same thing
Defy Extreme is not the same thing. Defy Wood Oil is very similar to the old Biowash NDO. Same colors as well.
can you use Defy on picnic tables and chairs-wood
Yes you can as long as you prep correctly.
I just used cleaner on my deck. A large deck a little tired at 75 . Can I wait to do brightener or does it need to be done right after the cleaning. We have been having some pretty hot days in the 90’s. How long can I wait to stain. I am concerned the stain will dry to quick . My deck is in the hot sun all day. Thank You
It should be brightened as soon as possible. Stain within 15 days of the prep.
I have a 1 year old, unfinished, gabled tongue & groove red cedar ceiling over a paver brick patio. It is trimmed in Trex siding so it is not exposed to the elements. I live in Northern Illinois. I have been told that although the ceiling does not get any snow or ice on it that it is possible that as the sun sets in the afternoon and shines down on my brick pavers that the ceiling can be getting some UV exposure. My patio is not enclosed. Not sure if this is true or not but makes sense. At… Read more »
Use the Defy Hardwood as it will soak in better. Prep with the Defy Wood Cleaner. Use a stain pad to apply. Watch for drips and cover the patio below.
My ceiling is 18’x18′ and is 13′ high at the center. How much stain do you think I will need? Should I apply 1 or 2 coats this fall? Or 1 coat this fall and another next spring? Just to clarify then you think I only need to use the cleaner and not a brightener? Thanks.
Just one coat. About 3 gallons. Yes on the prep.
Should I go ahead and apply a second coat in the spring or wait and see how it looks first?
You will most likely not need another coat on a ceiling next Spring. Maybe in a few years.
Although it’s been at least 48 since the last rain some of the boards still feel wet. Am I okay staining today?
Not if damp. Let dry longer.
I have a 15 ft vaulted tongue and groove ceiling ,unfinished pine, two year old screened in porch Would be a bear to clean.No weather exposure. Is prep necessary in this sort of application. Wood looks great, but needs protection no graying or fading yet
Hi Jeff, yes you have to prep to remove the mill glaze. Do a light cleaning and brightening.
I used Defy cleaner, brightener and stain last Spring on my new deck after waiting several months for the wood to dry. It looked great! I doesn’t seem to be repelling water as well as it did at first. Should I apply a second coat this year, and if so, do I need to clean/brighten again first, or just wash with soap and water?
No need to apply a coat unless it visibly looks like it needs it. Defy “sheds” water and does not “bead” water. If you do want to do a light coat, then use the Defy Wood Cleaner first as the prep.
Hello
Approximately 7 years ago I stripped and restrained my log home using the Epoxy redwood stain. I see that is no longer available. I am going to use the extreme redwood this time. Do I need to strip the epoxy off of just give it a good cleaning and then a apply extreme with 2 coats wet on wet?
Prep with the Defy Wood Cleaner and pressure washing. The Epoxy and Extreme are compatible
OK good …. I still have the cleaner
Thank for the fast reply
Hi – My wife and I just finished restoring our deck with your products (stripping, brightening, sanding, and staining). Hard work, but result is immensely satisfying. We love the light walnut tone. We have two single gallons left, I ordered generously to protect against running out. How long will the stain keep in a fairly cool basement for a refresh down the road? And am I correct in thinking that for a deck that gets quite a bit of sunlight and rain (Maryland climate) at least the floor boards and railings will need a new coat in 2 or 3… Read more »
Yes a light recoat in about two years is normal. See this about shelf life:
I previously applied Defy Epoxy Fortified Wood stain with very good results. Now it si time to reapply. What product can I apply over the Epoxy fortified stain?
The Defy Extreme Stain:
https://www.defystain.com/defy-extreme-stain.html
Hi- I have just cleaned, brightened, and stained entire vertical cedar house beautiful. What do I do going forward? I don’t ever want to have to strip this whole house again?
Just lightly clean and reapply as needed. Every 3-6 years or so. Do you have pictures? We would love to see them!
Yes I can send pictures. Where to? Can you please tell me in detail what you mean by “lightly clean”. I don’t want thehouse to get darker every time I stain.
Lightly clean to remove dirt and grime is all you need to do. You can upload pictures right here in the comment area.
So I am a precise guy. Do you mean use your wood cleaner to lightly clean the wood or just with soap? If the wood cleaner how much would you dilute the cleaner so as not to remove the old stain. This is where the trouble starts from past experience. You try to “lightly clean” and you take off the prior stain in patches or different spots and you end up having to strip the whole thing to get it uniform.
Depends on who dirty it is. Sometimes you need just some soapy water and other times you will need a deeper cleaning with the Defy Wood Cleaner. It is okay to remove some of the stain, as long as you remove it evenly. I would not worry about it now, but when time to redo. Address the best way to prep then. Looking forward to the pictures. Did you see our contest?
I am using Defy Extreme butternut, love it . Sadly i have some drops on my vinyl siding what the best way to remove them without damaging my siding? Thank you
Try a water based graffiti remover from your local store.