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.