CR rates decking & stains

Tag : cr material

Consumers who opt to install a wood deck or currently have one willneed to stain it every one to three years. Flood Solid Color Deck& Siding, $21, was top-rated in Consumer Reports’ tests. After three years of exposure to the outdoors, its opaquefinish looked and protected best. Other opaque finishes thatperformed well include McCloskey Storm Coat Deck & Siding 7953,$16, and Thompson’s Water Seal Deck & House, $20.

For a semitransparent finish, consider Sikkens Cetol SRD 1708902,$27, and True Value Woodsman UV 7338872, $20, which performedcomparably, although Sikkens only requires one coat. These areespecially good choices for pre-2004 decks that typically usedtoxic chromate copper arsenic (CCA) lumber, since semipermanentstains tend to seal as they penetrate and are less likely to flakeas they age.

Consumer Reports’ July issue features comprehensive ratings and buying advice fordecking and staining products and how consumers can check if theirdeck needs to be replaced. Magazines go on sale June 3. The reportis also available to subscribers at www.ConsumerReports.org .


JULY 2008
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