I followed your recommended steps for surface preparation of old deck with residual product. After stripping, neutralizing, brightening, and sanding i was able to achieve results i would have never imagined. Your product is excellent! I will highly recommend this product for outdoor projects. Thank you so much!
I've used big box stores products in past on my deck. I went with an expensive stain last year and was not happy with results.
At a local store in Norman, Ok a friend was buying Ready Seal. He convinced me to try the Natural Cedar on my deck.
HOLY CRAP!! I'm SOLD on Ready Seal. The application, the cleanup, everything you say on label, is true. I will NEVER again use anything except Ready Seal on all of my wood projects. Take it from me, Ready Seal is the product to use! I am very, very happy with Ready Seal.
Lee Roberts
As a 60 year old widow, I was dreading refinishing my 555 sq ft, seriously neglected deck. I'd done some repairs and cleaned it in the 9 years I've owned my home but never managed to get it stained/resealed. I have a dog and both doors that access the backyard from the house open onto the deck. I worried about how to block off half the deck to seal at a time so we could get out without having to leash up and go around the front to go through the fence gate. I belong to a handy women's group online and several members recommended Ready Seal. They said you can walk on it pretty much immediately. They also said it was foolproof. I did some reading. In addition, I learned I will never have to remove the old finish to reapply. I was sold!
I replaced the top board of my railing because it was in terrible shape (knowing I can't stain it yet). Then I pressure washed all parts. I used a homemade brightener, sprayed it on, let it set 15-20 mins, scrubbed with a push broom, rinsed very well. I waited several 90 degree, rain-free days. Sanded some parts of the railing that old finish still clung to. Checked the moisture level with a meter. It took me two days (separated by a day that I had to work) to stain the railing with a 3" angled brush and then the deck floor with a 4" brush (what I had). I realized at one point I had some color variation and then saw I had 2 (of 6) cans with a different lot #. There's room in the cans so I just shook and then stirred each can and then poured the product back and forth between the cans so they were well mixed (recommended anyway, d'oh). Brushed some more product onto the lighter section and it blended right in. I was almost out with a 6' x 6' area left so needed to purchase another gallon (3rd different lot #), which I mixed with the remaining stain. It's been a week now since I started staining, any variation from doing different parts on different days has evened out. And it works! It rained the day after I finished and it beaded up rather than soaked in.
I chose the color PECAN after much deliberation. I knew I didn't want anything with red or yellow tones, I prefer darker stains but worried about darker colors causing the deck to be hot to walk on. I finally decided I could always go darker next time if I didn't care for the color. Pecan is perfect and my deck looks SERIOUSLY AMAZING! I can't believe *I* did that and can't stop looking at it.
I was told by a friend that Ready Seal is the absolute best product to use when staining and that it was 'self leveling'. I tried it and will never use another product for staining. I have a lot of decking and prefer real wood to the resin stuff that is popular today. Take my word for it. Give it a try or ask a professional.
I built a new deck 3 years ago, and then stained it 2 years ago using a big boxes & "premium" and most expensive oil based stain, followed all the instructions. When it went on it seemed a little thick, and wasn't absorbing consistently. Sure enough the next season it was blistering, and this spring even worse. Did lots of research, went to a proper paint store, was recommended this product. Its amazing, its like what a stain should be, you can see it absorbing immediately and with a day or two its completely dried and no surficial product remaining. Redid an old deck that is at least 10 years since last product was applied - deck looks almost new now. I sanded the old decks, applied it in full sun / shade, two coats same day / next day .... absolutely amazing.
And, its cheaper than the big boxes premium oil stain. With my old stain they told me I would have to re-sand to redo it, now that I have Ready Seal applied just a quick pressure wash and reapply every few years - as someone who has been around wood and woodwork my entire life - have no doubt watching this product in application that it will be what I remember a good stain was like growing up - as it fades it even will probably get nicer looking. Don't ever change the product please - and if you do please let me know so I can buy a good supply!!
Gatineau Quebec
I have worked with paint finishes for over 35 years. For decks, there is no better product than this! I had a client with a Ipe deck, the process would take 6-8 hrs and after having tried 3-4 different products over the years none of them lasted longer than 5 to 6 months. With this product I’m in and out in an hour and a half and lasts full year in New England climate.
All I can say is WOW!!!! I wish we would have used this product years ago because it would have saved us from lots of worry.
It is so easy to use and goes on perfectly! Cleanup is a breeze. We used a roller and did our entire 2 level deck in a day.I guarantee you won’t be disappointed!!!!!
I have a new deck that was allowed to cure (turn gray) for one year. This is a large deck (over 700 foot) and I used Ready/Seal in natural cedar. I am so pleased with this product.
It is so forgiving…no lap marks, no marks where I stopped and restarted the next day. This is the only stain that allows you to see the natural and beautiful grain of the wood. This was my first time prepping and staining a deck (I am 71 yrs old). However, whenever I had a question I reached out to the Ready Seal staff and they were kind and helpful. I would recommend this product. Hopefully, I will be just as happy a year from now after some wear. I have some wonderful pictures of the refinished deck but evidently I can’t post them.
Hands down this is the BEST stain I’ve ever used!! I’m not the best of painter and I swear this stain is the easiest, goof proof product. My end result looks so amazing you’d think I was a pro..There are no runs, and it goes on so even!! I can’t say enough about this product- THANK YOU!!
I've been using Ready Seal for years, comparing to other brands. I can say as a contractor this is truly the easiest DIY product. My customers are always very happy after they see the results.
Just finished sealing and staining our 16x30 deck with dark walnut. Went on easier than any other stain I’ve ever used. I tried spraying it, but didn’t care for the coverage. Probably my sprayers fault. So we went with a staining pad. Went on super smooth and looks great! Time will tell but so far so good!
I can't even tell you how much I love this product! I live in a pretty tough climate and everything else I've tried has been a huge disappointment.
The color I chose is beautiful! The product applies easily and performs/protects fantastic.
Thanks for a superior product. Wish I knew about this years ago.
My deck is DONE! It's 17 years old and been stripped and re-stained every 2-3 years. It's always been the same routine-hire an unknown guy who power washes the deck and gets stuff all over the house walls and windows. Then for the stain. Apparently around here in SE Michigan where the weather plays hell on a deck, there's a newer, better brand of stain each time with each deck guy. My cedar was seriously worn and I was certain one more power washing would cause it's demise. So I took on the project myself, after learning more about deck cleaner and stain than I ever thought there was to know. So, like 1-2-3 I used Green Ox, bleach, and Ready Seal Natural Cedar stain. 15 gallons of Green Ox because I knew I'd never go through this ordeal ever again (Green Ox recommended 5 gallons, but I was motivated.) Then the bleach. Holey Moley. 5 gallons cut 1:1. Please stress to your customers that the bleach needs TIME TO WORK. The first gallon was wasted because I thought a couple minutes was enough. Finally Ready Seal. This stuff spread like a dream. Even the vertical surfaces went on with a 4" mini roller! Used the mini roller on the rail tops too. I used a 7"x2" deck brush for all horizontal surfaces. The stairs and deck floors were done in a lot less time than I thought I'd need. Pretty dark. Was disappointed...until a week passed and just as your instructions promised, the deck looks much lighter and spectacular! I mean after 17 years, my deck looks as good as it did in 2006! I still have to replace some boards, but so what? THIS STUFF MAKES ME LOOK LIKE A GENIUS (and trust me, a genius I ain't). I'm sorry that I didn't do before/after pics. But the after pics I DO have are splendid!
Alan R
This is the best deck stain I have ever used and it’s holding up awesome. Two coats. I would like to send a picture of my deck, how do I do that?
Please send pictures to [email protected].
Just finished staining my deck. I love this product! Easy to use and beautiful results!
I live in Canada and was looking for a store that sells their product. I called and Thomas was the most helpful person. Not only did he give me multiple store phone numbers, he helped me to find stores on the site which was super easy, I not good with computers. I was very very happy with his service.
Thomas also followed up with an email with extra instructions and to insure I was using the product correctly.
As for the product...it really is Goof Proof. It is super easy to use, neighbors on both sides now want their fences done with Ready Seal.
THANK YOU AGAIN THOMAS
The stain really is goof-proof and the fact that I can use a roller to apply it is an added bonus inasmuch as it reduces time spent staining 1,600 s.f. of upper and lower decking. The finish is perfect and without any indication of overlap marks, etc. this is THE stain to use!!
If I knew how to attach a photo I would!!
I just rebuilt my 30 year old deck. Previous rebuilds were coated with Thompson's water seal, Cabot, and Behr deck stain. All of them quickly wore off and had no penetration. I tried Ready Seal on new deck boards. It sunk in deeply and applied easily. It looks absolutely beautiful and doesn't scuff off with every step. It's there for good. It's the best I've used. Outstanding deck stain and it really is goof proof.
We just applied Ready Seal mahogany stain to the decks of our lakeside cottage in Northern Ontario. The 3 year old decks decks are built from sienna brown pressure treated spruce. They were sun faded and very dry.
As advertised, the product is goof proof. Pressure washed deck 48 hrs before application, and sun dried. Application was easy-we used with paint pads, and brushes for small areas and between deck boards.. Used a few rags to wipe a few small puddles and black aluminum spindles. No runs, streaks..nothing. tried 5/8 nap roller, but found it too thick. Deck surface would be easier/neater to do with 3/8 nap roller, IMHO. Regardless, it goes on super easy.
Talked to Ready Seal folks on phone re questions and tips. Their advice was spot on. No sanding. A light pressure wash 2 days before applying, and sunny conditions made it a simple process. Deck was completely dry in 48 hours, with water beading on wood surface. Our deck looks like it is ensconsed in rich mahogany velvet. It is truly beautiful.
Multiple neighbors have commented on the rich color, and asked for product details.
2nd coat to be applied in summer of 2023. Will do further review then, but right now, our rating is "wow".
I highly recommend.
This product was so easy to use and came out great. I had about 950 square feet of cedar fence to stain. I used a Wagner Power Painter that was about 25 years old, and stained the fence with Pecan. When I first started, I was a little worried about some runs in the stain. But I remembered many reviews said to ignore them, that they would blend right in, and they did. So happy I went with Ready Seal. I strongly recommend it
This product was sold to me and it worked wonderfully....Easy to apply and looks great on the new deck.
I purchased my home in October 2019 and it had a new pine deck. I wanted to let the pine dry for a year or two before staining; I researched and purchased the dark walnut in early 2021. After I pressure washed the deck in late spring it rained a lot the rest of the summer, so I waited.
Last week (Late July 2022) I sprayed the 50/50 bleach as recommended, waited a few days, tested the moisture content, and stained the deck yesterday. I initially attempted to apply the stain with brushes and realized it would take forever, so I broke out the power sprayer and knocked it out in 4 hours. I love the results and now await to see how it looks in the coming weeks. Only thing for me is the power sprayer over sprayed stain mist droplets everywhere within 40 feet, including my house siding. and windows. Magic eraser works great on the windows and vinyl trim, and I will have to touch up the paint in some areas. Very happy; just wish I could post my pictures for you all to see the results.
Ready seal is the best stain I have used and its almost impossible to mess up. I have a lot of wood on my property (old and new) and used 30 gallons and it looks beautiful. It really brings the grain of the wood out. I applied 2 coats and just hope it lasts. I like that reapplication is easy and does not require stripping the wood down as well. Clean up is easy and smell is minimal as well. As long as something better doesn't continue to come along I will continue to use this product. The thing to remember is preparation is the most important step to get your best look. If you do a good job cleaning the wood it turns out beautiful and you will think a professional did it.
The product is beautiful. I was only given a 24 to 40 hour window for dry. It went on easy as advertised. It made it 26 hours before the rain started again. I was afraid it would blotch. It still looks beautiful. I look forward to using you product much more in the future.
Used this product twice now on deck Great results
Ready Seal Stain has kept my deck functional for several years. My deck is large and was in rough condition when I bought my house. Ready Stain has kept me from some very expensive wood repairs. It is goof proof too. You can’t go wrong with this product
I absolutely love this stain. It is soooo easy to work with and it looks beautiful. I have been using sikkens for years and always had trouble with paw prints that just wouldn't come off, even the following year. I used the pecan on yellow pine and I think it came out great!
I’m very happy with how the deck turned out using Ready Seal. Pecan is a beautiful color.
We just finished using Ready Seal Natural Cedar oil based stain and sealer. As per other comments we were very happy with how it covered and saturated the cedar fence.
If fence is year old powerwashand let dry.
Buy a moisture tester and check if its under 12% before sealing.
We used a sprayer which worked well. We did hand brush to avoid overspray near neighbors fence.
We regret not buying a spray gun that would be able to draw from a 5 gallon bucket. Ours only worked with the provided small container. So we lost time refilling that.
The seal did not streak or showed overlap marks. Nice!
Wait at least 45 minutes before the recommended second coat.
Definitely would buy this again.
I just finished staining my deck with Ready Seal. I LOVE it! I'll definitely recommend this product.
We recently pressure washed, sanded and cleaned the 4 decks we have around our pool (roughly 600 sq/ft) after approx. 17 years of use. We did our research and chose Ready Seal Pecan sealant/stain based on your website info and the recommendation from our local Windsor Plywood store manager.
The end result is absolutely astounding. Our backyard looks like a resort again and I'm really confident that we won't have to worry about this product peeling/chipping like some of my neighbors decks who used cheaper products like Behr (and have to redo their decks every year). It's been about 2 weeks since we finished applying the Ready Seal product and it looks fantastic. We did two coats as the first coat soaked into the wood quite nicely, so a second really seemed to ensure the rich color came out.
This product was so easy to use and apply I would strongly recommend it to everyone.
Amazing results on no knot cedar!
Wish I could attach pictures..My customers is shocked at how beautiful it is!
Just applied the natural stain on my new last year cedar board deck. I used a 5 " deck paint brush with a handle screwed into the brush. Turned out great no overlaps!
Ready seal was easy to apply and clean up was easy. I used the pecan stain on 2 year old brown treated wood on a deck. It looks amazing and the rain beads up nicely. Great product!!!
This is beyond doubt the best stain ever! Easy to apply, no worry about blending if you spill a drop. Water just beads on top. I’ve used many different stains and this is by far my favorite!
After researching and reading numerous reviews, I decided to go with Ready Seal and it is EVERYTHING it’s hyped up to be! We are super please with the results! We used the Natural/Light Oak on our seven year old fence. The results are nothing short of phenomenal!
WOW! Where has this product been all my life? It truly is good proof and the coverage is phenomenal! I can’t believe I’ve wasted all these years reapplying other brands. Thank you Sonya for telling me about this product! My yard has never looked better! Thank you Ready seal! New lifelong customer!!!
This may possibly be the first product that I have ever left a review for. About 5 years ago I built a picnic table beside our pond. I somehow found readyseal in either lowes or HD (that was the last time I found it in a store). I used dark walnut. Since then, I've built a 12x24 lean to and stained the rafters and 1x4s before putting the tin on, stained t111 on the exterior, treated 6x6 posts, interior 1x4 trim, pine doors, rough cut board and batten, you name it and it will do the job. I've rolled it, brushed it and used it out of a pump up sprayer. I've bought 3 5 gallon buckets and 2 gallons of the dark walnut. The stuff is great. No streaks, splotches etc. The post on the lean to and t111 that is exposed to the weather 5 years ago still looks almost as good as it did the day after I put it on. Great product. If you're looking for a easy to use stain for interior or exterior this is it
High precipitation Idaho mountain home: Recently did my yearly touch ups on our decking railings which we treated with Ready Seal using a sprayer and brush before installing them all brand new 2 summers ago. We wanted our railings to have a more high end and modern look (we didn't want too classic of a log cabin look on these classic cabin styled railings) and the Mission Brown product did that so well! This color created a really great match for the darker red deck color on the horizontal floor boards. Highly recommend ordering the samples for all colors and testing all, labeling as you go to keep track. Thanks to testing, we unexpectedly landed on a color we wouldn't have chosen fm looking online or at color sample pamphlets fm our local hardware stores that stock Ready Seal. The color looks super sharp w/ the wood grain beauty coming through, the texture is so lovely, and we are so glad we didn't choose a more opaque paint product fm a different manufacturer. The application is easier IMO than a lot of products I researched. Reapplication is even easier with a small tarp below working area for any drips. In the dry months I can easily see which railings need that annual Ready Seal touch up bc the wood looks drier, a much lighter washed out color than the rest. A quick clean up of those surfaces and reapplying Ready Seal to them w/ regular paint brush, and they look instantly great! The railings that take the most sun exposure and have most snow sitting on them in winter will need that maintenance coat of Ready Seal every year. The applications fm year to year blends so nicely! Not a lot of pressure on me to create a seamless look. This year I was able to do my reapplication work in some colder temped, dry fall weather. Too chilly for other paint products to be at the correct application temperature. I really love that flexibility! I feel smart for choosing Ready Seal fm the beginning of this project. I am interested in using this product for future wood treating needs.
Phenomenal customer support!!!
Called the company today to speak to technical support. The person I spoke with spent almost an hour on the phone with me, patiently answering all my questions. All I can say is WOW!!!! Companies that care about their customers in this day and age- how special is that? I will be a ready seal customer for life.
I just finished three weekends of staining decks, stairs, and a big lake dock - using 50 gallons in all. Ready Seal is incredible stuff. Easy to apply, levels out for an even finish even if you spray too much in one area. I had to use two coats everywhere but the second coat could be applied soon after the first coat. I rarely write reviews but I had to submit one for this product because I am so pleased with the finished product. If you are considering a deck stain and sealer, look no further. You will not be disappointed.
We stained an outdoor glider with Ready Seal Dark Walnut. I contacted Ready Seal by email to make sure I could use on outdoor furniture. They answered right away Yes it was great to use on outdoor furniture.
Our glider turned out beautiful., a rich deep brown color (not black-brown).
We stained some posts as well for our outdoor hanging lights. The posts are just as awesome.
Highly recommend this product.
Not a big fan of reviews, we searched the net for a good product to apply on our newly seasoned deck. Working with other types of sealers in the past, trying to AVOID lap marks unsuccessfully, we thought to give Ready Seal a try. They did boast a no lap or drip marks application. We did the work with a 5 and 4 inch deck brushes. Well folks, their product surpassed our expectations. Not a single lap mark or random drip anywhere
( except on the siding which was my fault). I’ll take care of that tomorrow. If it wasn’t for all the WOW moments we would have finished sooner. Looking at it now you would think we installed cedar planks instead of treated deck boards (we used Natural Light Oak). The first coat sucked right in and the second an hour later was a breeze with plenty of WOW moments in between.
Ready Seal has a new return customer. If you would like of pic or two of the deck just ask.
Thanks again for making a product that actually does what you said it would do!!!
With great appreciation,
Richard & Marilyn Slesar
I LOVE READY SEAL. FLORDIA SUN RAIN AND SALT CANT HURT MY DECK AND DOCK. IT IS FOOL PROOF
Great product! I researched, a better term would be obsessed, over what paint or stain to use on my new yellow pine tongue & groove porch on my 100 year-old house. I ruled out paint pretty quickly. Didn't want to deal with the possibility of peeling/chipping. The wood grain is beautiful and I wanted to show it off. After hours of reading reviews & descriptions, I settled on Ready Seal Light Oak. I'm so impressed! Truly goof proof. Thanks for making a wonderful product.
Bruce A.
Meadville, PA
This is my 2nd review.
We applied the 1st coat of Ready Seal mahogany color to 3 year old sienna brown pressure treated wood deck last summer. The results were outstanding, as per my review then.
UT we ran out of time last season, and only got one coat on before camp was closed up for the winter. Then it got 7 months of Ontario winter, snow, ice and cold.
We just did our 2nd coat here 2 weeks ago... first weekend in June, 2023.
Water was still beading on the wood from last year's application.
We followed original instructions... made sure the wood was below 10% humidity.
washed the deck with hose water and a light brushing... rinsed and let dry for 3 sunny days.
We used a 6" deck stain brush for the deck boards stairs and vertical skirting. Regular paintbrushes for the rails and posts, and tight spots.
Took us 4 hours to do an 800 SF deck and all the trimmings.
The stain soaked right in, actually better than the 1st coat.
As nice as the color was from the first coat in 2022, the 2nd coat has really added another level of depth and richness that is absolutely beautiful. Like rich lustrous deep mahogany velvet. Water beads up like a newly waxed car. The color really is something to see.
Again, neighbors and visitors comments are extremely positive.
I am thrilled, again.
We will now leave it for 2 more years as is, and reevaluate in year 3.
I highly recommend this product.
Product goes on easy with no issues whatsoever. My cedar fence looks outstanding. Very happy I found this product.
Wonderful product! You can't go wrong using this product. Easy to apply and the end results looks amazing. Thank you for making a FANTASTIC PRODUCT!
Just used Ready Seal (dark walnut) to stain our deck, i had never used your product but read about it online.
I must say this is the BEST stain i have ever used and my deck looks fabulous. I used a Deck Boss brush to apply and had my deck done in a few hours. The color is beautiful with no lines/overlaps etc.
I am so glad i found out about your product and from here out will always use Ready Seal .. i only wish my local box stores carried it in stock, i had to order from Lowe's but was there in a week.
Thanks Ready Seal, you are the BEST!
I loved everything about this product. After extensive research of what stain to use I could not be happier. The price point, ease of application, color and minimal odor are what makes this product great to me. I will use ready seal for life.
I don't leave many product reviews, but after using Ready Seal on our cedar deck today, I just have to assure anyone who has had a bad experience with deck stain that this product is the one to use. I applied the natural light oak color in direct sunlight, with lots of time spent on balusters. I was really concerned about drying too fast, lap marks, etc. Turns out that the Ready Seal truly performs as advertised - perfectly consistent color, no lap marks or blotchiness, easy to apply and low odor. Don't waste all of your prep work on some other product, use Ready Seal and you won't regret it!
I recently cleaned and stained my 40 x 50 rough cut cedar shake home. I could not be more pleased with the way it turned out, it probably hadn't been done in the last 20 years. I used the natural cedar color. It went on as advertised no drips and no lap marks. I applied it using an airless sprayer, right after I put it on it appeared to be fairly dark but lighten up over the following 2 days to a beautiful natural cedar color. The cedar shakes absorbed a lot, applied two coats with 45 minutes between the two, used 20 gallons ended up with a nice even color distribution. Love this stuff.
Just stained our front porch. First we sanded it because we wanted to. Then applied Ready Seal which was so easy. It’s still trying but take a look. Almost 200 likes from our friends. So easy when applying. I have pictures if you want to see the before and after.
Oh my. I have no words. Last year we stained our beautiful new deck with Behr water based stain. Lasted less than three months and peeled. We had to power wash strip and sand. I found this product and the reviews were so encouraging. So I took the plunge. The stain is AMAZING. Easy to apply, good proof, amazing color. I had to drive to three paint stores to find gallons but it was so worth it. Five 🌟
Bought a home 2 years ago and the fence needed to be pressure washed and stained. Researched many products and found Ready Seal. Best choice ever! My fence looks like a professional did it! Many compliments! Not an overreach when they say goof proof. I have already recommended it to others after they saw my fence! Great product!
We have used this product on numerous projects. From our wedding backdrop walls and decor we built, to the porch swing my son and i just finished. Easy application, great results. I highly recommend this product for new builds to restoration projects. Protects the wood while bringing out its natural beauty. Thank you Ready Seal.
I just stained my cabin with Ready Seal Golden Pine by myself from setup to cleanup in 4 hours what a fantastic product. When you say goof proof that is exactly what it is , temperatures was mid 30s to mid 40s it flowed perfectly no runs clean up easy. Ill try and send pictures thank you for a great product !!!
Just got through staining 2900 square-foot deck and probably the best stain product I've ever used . I will definitely purchase this in the future
This is a great product because it truly works as advertised. Two years ago we paid big $ to have our deck stained because, after researching stains, I was scared that I would mess it up if I did it myself. This year after talking to a local paint supply company they recommended Ready Seal because it's very forgiving and easy to apply. They were not lying! I did a large deck myself and it looks just as good or better than when the pros did it two years ago. I power washed it and used the Walnut color and it looks great. The next time the deck needs stained I will for sure be using this product again.
I can't say enough wonderful things about this amazing stain! It literally took me the entire summer to strip, sand and prep our 5 year old deck that had approximately 5 coats of solid stain on it. Unfortunately, I had used a pressure washer that damaged our lower deck quite significantly so it was left with some pretty obvious marks that I was unable to remove after hours of sanding! Needless to say, after all the work I had put into getting the deck down to its natural state, I was really nervous as to what product to use. I spent a great deal of time researching online (which can be totally confusing), for the best stain and came across your product. I was still not completely confident in my choice but my fears were completely put to rest by a wonderful salesperson at my local Hirshfields who raved about the product and I am happy to say he was totally right! This product is a breeze to put on (I used both a roller and a brush) and it is truly "goof proof"like they claim! I had no lap marks, no back-brushing required, dried quickly and even camouflaged my damaged deck boards. I chose the dark walnut color but still the beauty of the wood shows through. We'll see how it handles a cold, snowy Minnesota winter, but with the ease of application, I would have no problem reapplying in the spring if I had to! Thank you so much for your incredible product! I can't imagine why anyone would use anything else!
I just finished applying the clear Ready Seal to my new fence. This product is easy to spray on and clean up was fast. I am very impressed and pleased with the results that this product has given. I have read all of the other reviews and decided to use Ready Seal. I'm glad I did. What a superior product. I recommend it to all my friends.
I just finished my cabin with golden pine ready seal. Only took a hour and a half and it looks fantastic. This is a super product. I don't know why anyone would use anything else.
Replaced my deck in June 2018 using treated pine lumber. After three months I cleaned and sanded the deck surface and applied Ready Seal "Pecan" semi transparent stain. I used a pump sprayer to get between the boards and then a paint roller to finish the surfaces. For the lattice and vertical sections I used a HVLP spray gun. The product was easy to apply and I had no issues with lapping even after leaving stain footprints on other sections of the deck. After several hours, the finish was even and looked great. What I really like about Ready Seal is once I need to recoat in the future, I will only need to clean the deck and reapply.
I used Read Seal on my cedar fence 6 years ago. I am restraining my fence this year. Great product. Don't think I'd use anything else.
"Easy application. Much easier than a water- or oil-based polyurethane. You can have absolutely no painting or finishing skills and use this without messing it up. It really is goof-proof."
Brittany Goldwyn, DIY Project Blogger
https://www.bybrittanygoldwyn.com/2018/03/review-of-ready-seal-wood-stain-and-sealer/
I've been in the deck restoration business over 17 years, and for 14 now have been using Ready Seal. It truly is a breeze to work with, has a very low odor, and is easy to clean up. The color palette is great and my customers always love the final look. Ready Seal is very competitively priced, and the customer service is second to none. Why use any other product?? Two thumbs up to the team at Ready Seal !!
Workability is great, easy to spray... Ready Seal has an average spread rate with a heavy spraying application at about 100-125 sq. ft per gallon. Penetration is the high point I think, with a massive absorption rating... Ready Seal has deeper penetration than anything I have used thus far. I liked the initial color and the color now after it is starting to settle. In comparison to other sealer/stains I would say Ready Seal has the most furniture like finished look that I have encountered with really beautiful grain accents. Think I might be moving towards Ready Seal exclusively.... Another thing I liked was that even with a really heavy wet on wet application there was no matting or sheen at all, unlike a linseed oil that is very easy to see an over-application. 2 thumbs up for Ready Seal from me.
We went with Ready Seal in the redwood color, the fact that we can reapply with no sanding or stripping was the biggest selling point. Also, the ease of application and the beautiful color provided us with amazing results. I can't recommend Ready Seal highly enough.
"We searched for someone to stain the fence at our new home when we moved to Texas in 1998, and found someone who used Ready Seal. It looked amazing. Our fence outlasted fences built years after ours in the still-growing subdivision, and still looked fantastic. We moved to a new home in 2009 and again chose Ready Seal for our new fence. Happily, our fence looks far better than many in the upscale neighborhood. We absolutely LOVE this product. When you spend a lot of money on a beautiful wooden fence, you must protect your investment with this product."
I never use anything else. We are staining a deck today with dark walnut. Ready Seal is the absolute best product on the market. I tell my clients, if you want another stain, you also need someone to apply it for you.
This product is everything it advertises to be and more! Having never sealed a fence before, I asked a couple of fence contractors what they would recommend. Every time the answer was Ready Seal. This product lived up to its "goof proof" claim. It was easy to apply (I used a pump sprayer) and the finished result looks great. Please believe me when I say that if I can do it, anyone can use this product successfully.
I also want to say that the company's customer service is outstanding. They professionally, patiently, and courteously answered all my questions. I would highly recommend Ready Seal.
I used Ready Seal last week on my walkway and I’m so pleased with the way it looks, the ease of applying your product and the beautiful look. I selected the Pecan and it’s awesome. Thank you for a great product. I can’t wait for my new deck to cure/dry out so I can do it.
This is an amazing product!
I just did the inside of my fence since the sides facing out still look good and this is the first time in 3 years.
I did the top quarter two weeks before by hand so I wouldn’t get overspray on my neighbors house’s and just finished spraying the bottom today and it blended so well you can’t tell, and to just have to power wash the fence and not strip it like with so many other products is a big plus.
This stuff is awesome. It spreads itself. And it’s true, there is no overlap marks showing and no back brushing. Just spread it on and it spreads to where it is needed. The easiest stain/sealer I have ever worked with. And you can walk on it in an hour. I used it on two large porches that were built 2 years ago and ready for sealer. And I had them both done in 2 days. I used the Golden Pine stain and the treated wood was back to its natural color. I am very pleased.
The best stain ever. I will always use this product. I'm so happy with how my deck turned out. I used bear on my back deck and it was horrible after a couple months. I used ready seal Dark Walnut on my pool deck and it is truly goof proof and beautiful. I will be using on my fence next. I have before and after pictures that are just amazing.
Just stained my new cedar fence with Ready Seal and it came out great! Used a airless sprayer and had about 200ft of fence inside and out done in about 4 hours. Used almost exactly the amount calculated from info on this website, three 5gal buckets and I couldn't be more pleased. Product was easy to spray and I just left the runs alone and didn't do any back brushing at all and it came out fantastic. I don't usually write reviews but I researched and read for weeks trying to decide what stain to use and just wanted to let people know if your thinking about using this product just go ahead and buy it, I Promise you you'll be pleased. One of the things that also sold me on it was the fact that later when it comes time to stain it again it will take minimal prep work to get it ready for a new coat of ready seal...
I have a cedar stained deck that I've been maintaining for 20 years. Without fail, every stain I've tried has had to be sanded off the next year, cleaned, then carefully brushed on yet again. Every year, I'd try a different brand, and they were all horrible. At wits end, I tried Ready Seal. That was 2 years ago. I'm reapplying it for the first time (instead of once per year) and I didn't have to sand ANYTHING. I simply cleaned the deck, and now I'll wait till it's dry to stain again. It absorbs quickly, there is ZERO back brushing, no lines, no fuss, and no muss. It just eventually fades and then you reapply. It's amazing.
After reading multiple reviews, and watching several videos, I bought Ready Seal in dark walnut. PROS: No temperature restrictions for application, ease of application, color options, potential protection and final outcome. (I could go on and on!) CONS: The only thing I had to be careful of was, if I applied too much stain, the product would accumulate on the underside of the horizontal board. It dried smooth but was darker/more concentrated than the surrounding stain. (I admit, I got a little overconfident applying the stain halfway through, because it’s so easy to apply!) I just ran my brush over it once to disperse the product evenly. I was initially surprised by how dark the stain was, and questioned my color choice. Then I remembered reading somewhere that the final color reveals itself in a few days. Three days later, the stain had dried and the color lightened some. It was perfect! I live in Florida, so time will tell how well it protects. I will definitely use this product for future projects!
I could go on for days about this product but the short and simple is.... Ready Seal may just be the best product ever invented.
We just completed a remodel on our 70 year old farmhouse and after using over 25 gallons of this stuff on my exterior porches & bead board ceilings I can tell you it performs exactly how they say it will.
We completely rebuilt our wraparound porch which was 80x8 in the front, 40x8 along the side, and 80x10 in the back. We also added bead board ceilings on the entire porch as well and EVERY inch of the new porch and ceiling was stained with Ready Seal.
Easiest product I have ever used. We used a stain pad for the deck boards & a 4” stain brush for the ceiling (and yes there are way easier ways to apply, I’m just a glutton for punishment I think) but the house was already painted so I did not want to use a sprayer.
Doesn’t matter how heavy you apply it...never once streaked on us, never once had to back-brush, self leveled exactly like they said it would. As I said earlier, for a DIY person this might seriously be the best product ever made.
We chose the pecan color to give a cedar feel to the porch & ceiling and it turned out awesome.
Seriously, just buy some and I promise this product will speak for itself and you’ll be glad that you did. After applying over 25 gallons I can assure you it was the best product I used during our entire remodel.
OMG, this stuff is phenomenal!
My 950 sq ft deck is 25 yrs old. Yep, it's big, multi-leveled and old, so I called in a contractor for a bid to replace it. After receiving the quote, I thought I might just try to get a few more years out of this deck 😀 That was when a friend suggested READY SEAL. I've power-washed and sealed my deck often over the years and have used many products but none so forgiving and easy to use. You can walk over this product minutes are putting it on. It rained the day after and I was so worried it would have a negative effect on my results, but no, the deck looks beautiful.
The pecan color makes the treated pine look so warm. My deck has a new glow and I am loving it. I will use nothing else going forward.
And btw, the immediate response to my queries from READY SEAL's team didn't hurt either :]
Happy in NYC
WOW.. This small word speaks volumes to not only the product, but also to Ready Seal's customer service team. We stained our backyard fence panels in Dark Walnut (525). They came out beautiful and totally elevated the outdoor experience. Everyone who comes over wants to know what product we used. The application of the stain was super easy and it was instantaneous gratification. I highly recommend this product and hope I can find more ways to use it in the future. As I also stated above- they have a top notch customer service department. They care about your experience and are true advocates of the product. Thank you Ready Seal Team.
I convinced one of my contractors that had been using CWF on his projects to give Ready Seal a try. He came back the next day and thanked me for the heads up on this product. My contractor applied Ready Seal to some Cabins, he commented that it was easy to use and it did a much better job than the CWF, it saved him almost 60% in labor cost. I highly recommend the ReadySeal products to all ABS members.
Looked at all the reviews and bought 3 gal of Cedar Ready Seal at Home Depot to use on our approx. 600 plus sq. ft cedar plank ceiling back porch. Also used it on the 4 large cedar posts on the porch. We have used many brands of stains over the 40 years of home ownership and by far this is the highest quality and easiest to use. Ceilings are more of a challenge but even stopping each day over 3 days there were no signs of overlap, light or dark spots etc. Mostly used a small roller and brush on the project to get a good deep coat in a 1 coat application and to get in the rough texture of the cedar between the boards. Not too thin and not too thick of fluid for easy application. Highly recommend others to use this stain. Also called their tech support and got some excellent advice on a few questions I had with quick answers and very friendly and knowledgeable information.
I recently put some of the pecan stain color on my fence and it didn't come out as expected. I emailed Customer Service and immediately was contacted by them. They went over and beyond to find a solution. He also sent samples because you can get different results with different wood. I should've ordered the samples beforehand so it was in no way a bad product. It was a lesson learned and it's good to know that there are companies still around such as Ready Seal that go beyond the norm to help their customers! Thank you!
This is by far the best stain I have ever used. I put in 2 new privacy fencing Redwood in front and with a neighbor. One neighbor wanted to stick with the good neighbor fence which was 6 yr old cedar fence. I power washed it used the Ready Seal-Redwood and the fence looks like a piece of furniture...absolutely beautiful!!!
I started a fence project with Tho*****'s. I went back to the store for more and during the pandemic, they were out. I am so happy they were. I ordered Ready Seal online. I am extremely happy with it! I will never use another product and I warm everyone I know about using "the other one". I wish I could post a picture of the difference on my fence.
I have purchased over 40 gallons of Ready Seal in Pecan to stain my 6' high fence, and it was the best investment I've made on my home in recent years. It's the most beautiful stain you will use and the application is sooo easy and smooth. I used a staining brush for the entire application and it went on without runs, blotchiness or brush marks. I've driven 40 miles just to get this product and I won't settle for anything less. I only wish I would have stained my decks with it when I first built them. This last application on another fence, I applied 6 gallons in 4 hours and clean up was a breeze. We even had a rain storm 2 hours after application and it didn't affect my beautiful fence stain. 1,000% recommend!
I can’t begin to sing enough praises about your beautiful stain. It’s everything you advertised. It went on smooth, no lap marks, repels water, and after drying, it looked amazing and I couldn’t be happier.
I did my research trying to find a better stain to work with as I’ve stained many decks in my lifetime with so-so results and constant upkeep. (BTW... I’m a 68 years old woman). I’m so glad I found this product. My porch is beautiful. Thanks so much!
This is a great product.
1. We bought it thru Home Depot and it was delivered to our door. The day we did the staining, we took the 2 5gallon cans into Home Depot to shake them up.
2. The cans have a ingenious spout system. You never have to take the lid off. We would pour from the can into a 1.5 gallon pail that had a pouring lip on it. From there we could fill the sprayer or the rolling pan with ease.
3. the stain self levels. I never used an electric sprayer before but Ready Seal made me look like a pro. I would spray a 6 foot fence board starting at the top and move down vertically. We then followed with a roller immediately.
Neighbors would stop by as we were doing the 120 feet of fence and comment how beautiful it looks.
Great product - look no further.
P.S. The fence is 25 years plus...we power washed first, waited a week or so for the fence to dry out. then did the whole job staining job in about 3 1/2 hours....including breaks, lol.
After deciding to treat my new fence, I had to decide between a latex based or oil-based product. I thought, the water-based product would be easy to use, but provide less protection than oil-based, but the oil-based would be difficult to work with and clean up. After much thought I decided on the Ready Seal oil-based product and I am happy I did. First, you can tell immediately it is a quality product. The application is easy, and yes as mentioned “goof proof”. I used a deck-fence picket 6-inch roller to apply the product. I quickly adapted to the consistency of the product, it is not a paint, it is a stain. Second, the product covered more area than I thought, and the best part is, clean-up was easy. I simply threw away the cheap rollers and cleaned everything else with mineral sprits and hot soapy water. Here are my tips; save cardboard to place on the ground below the pickets and between fence ends and the house siding. Since the product is thin, it is easy to splatter if you roll too fast. Wear safety glasses and nitrate gloves (if desired). I used gloves for a while, but found the stain is easy to wipe off and ditched them, since they are hot to wear here in Florida. As advertised, the stain will not stain your skin. Clean up was easy. We had a few days of rain which interrupted my project. The completed areas look great and after heavy rains one week in the hot sun, the final color is starting to set in. This is a great product, I recommend it highly.
We used Ready Seal natural cedar color on our dock that probably hadn’t been touched in 10 years. My wife pressure washed it down we let it dry 2-3 days. We used rollers on it and
Everyone that sees it swears we replaced the wood!! It looks Great!!
Highly recommend this product!
I would recommend this product to anyone. The can says goof proof on it. You can't mess this up.