Differences between transparent and semi-transparent

[gt2003]

Ok, now I'm kind of confused (surprise). I'm re-doing my deck soon and was wanting to use the Armstrong Clark stain. However, the color I like most is the transparent color, Redwood tone. So, set me straight, what is the actual difference in the semi-trans and the transparent stain? Is it only the pigment/UV protection? Or, is there some other difference that i need to know about. My deck is about 8 years old and needs some moisture added back to it so guide me in the best direction. I could use the rustic brown in the semi-trans but it is a little dark for my taste. Thanks in advance for the insight.

Worst comes to worst, I could use a woodrich product in a color that I prefer.

Thanks again, Greg

EDIT: My wife isn't too fond of the woodrich colors and thinks she might prefer the AC Sierra Redwood semi-transparent. She is asking if it will leave a little bit of a "shine". Will it do this? The olympic stain or toner or whatever we used last time simply soaked into the deck and left to shine, no nothing.

Please still inform me on the differences between the semi trans and the trans. Thanks, Greg

[bigchaz]

Let me just warn you and your wife:
You really cant be so picky about the color. Staining a deck is not like painting a house. You can't hold up a color card and expect it to look exactly like the picture. We (Apex DeckSavers) actually only offer two colors. I tell the customer they either choose something lighter or something browner. Each deck is different. The stain takes on some of the natural coloring of the wood. Older wood can often be darker, newer wood can make a stain more orange, wood that has been stripped too heavily will be lighter, etc, etc

You sound like you are going back and forth because of a few shades of color. You'll be in for disappointment if you have one idea and one idea only for what you think the wood will look like. For older wood it sounds like the proper choice is semi-transparent. Keep in mind Im not an AC user, so this is simply research and my conversation with the company. It will last longer, give you a little more color to the wood, and may be a bit more forgiving in terms of application for you. There will be a bit more UV protection, probably pretty nominal. Unless you over apply the product you wont have a shine.

[gt2003]

Thanks Charlie. I'm not trying to be a PITA but an informed consumer. Thank goodness A/C is sending us samples to try on an inconspicuous area of our cleaned/brightened deck. Hopefully they will be here in the next day or two. Maybe the Sierra redwood will be the answer. Even on the AC website there is a tremendous difference between their color sample and their picture of a building with the stain applied.

So, what is the actual difference between the semi's and the transparents?

[RPetry]

Greg,

What Charlie said.

You stated:

My deck is about 8 years old and needs some moisture added back to it so guide me in the best direction.

Paraffinic oil. But your assumptions may be false.

Look, its a deck. Just clean and stain it. The wood should be fine for 2 years. Unless you want to hire a pro, just do it.

[gt2003]

LOL, thanks Rick. I really do appreciate the input. Maybe I'm trying to make this too hard. Like I said, samples are on the way and A/C seems to have a pretty good % of parafinnic oil so maybe color isn't that much of an issue. (PS - nice website, on the photo progression pics, what is the stain color you used on the top row, second pic? Nice, nice, nice!!!)

the 1st time the deck was stained, I simply powerwashed it (tip too close to wood due to ignorance) then stained. This time I will clean, brighten then stain. So, the results should be much better. I expect a good cleaning/brightening will give the wife the color/shine she is expecting.

Let me ask one more time, what are the differences between transparents and semi-trans? A/C has a cedar color in the transparent and the semi-trans, so what is the difference. Boy, I'm a persistant SOB, hehehe.

[MMI Enterprises]

Probably safe to say the difference is that one has less pigment so ya can see through it more...
But note that less pigment doesn't necessarily have to mean less protection. Some stains or coatings are designed to where the damaging rays reflect, if I'm not mistaken, regardless of how dark the color might be. This can be seen in action with stains sometimes by viewing a finished project from different angles. The wood will take on a different tone not unlike sunblock on a tanned persons body. I think of it as similar to wearing expensive uv protection sunglasses compared to cheap sunglasses. Used to be before uv protection that dark glasses let the damaging rays through...now we get racoon face..lol .
Not sure how well such screening science is perfected in the stain world or how comparable it may be to sunblock or eyewear but I assume that is what manufacture are shooting for.

[RPetry]

Kevin,

Some stains or coatings are designed to where the damaging rays reflect, if I'm not mistaken, regardless of how dark the color might be. This can be seen in action with stains sometimes by viewing a finished project from different angles. The wood will take on a different tone not unlike sunblock on a tanned persons body.

I believe this is caused by iron oxide pigments. Kind of like millions of tiny mirrors.

Greg,

You said:

(PS - nice website, on the photo progression pics, what is the stain color you used on the top row, second pic? Nice, nice, nice!!!)

Thanks, coded it 2 winters ago. The picture is pressure treated Southern Yellow Pine, stained with Ready Seal medium red.

[John Orr]

It sounds to me that the A-C's stains are a lot like Olympic's. Oly's Toner is transparent - no film on the surface. It literally colors the wood and looks very natural. The semi-transparent leaves a film on the surface of the wood that, but you can still see the grain of the wood.

The Toner has the consistency of mineral spirits - very easy to apply with a pump-up sprayer. The semi-transparent is thicker and generally won't work in a pump-up.

[gt2003]

Thanks, that's what I needed to know. I appreciate the input, Greg

[MMI Enterprises]

John you keep saying that but I just can't reach ya on it. AC is nothing like Omax toner or Omax semi from what I seen of it.

[John Orr]

Originally Posted by MMI Enterprises

John you keep saying that but I just can't reach ya on it. AC is nothing like Omax toner or Omax semi from what I seen of it.

Only one way to find out - I will order some A-C samples and let you know.

[bigchaz]

Originally Posted by John Orr

It sounds to me that the A-C's stains are a lot like Olympic's. Oly's Toner is transparent - no film on the surface. It literally colors the wood and looks very natural. The semi-transparent leaves a film on the surface of the wood that, but you can still see the grain of the wood.

The Toner has the consistency of mineral spirits - very easy to apply with a pump-up sprayer. The semi-transparent is thicker and generally won't work in a pump-up.

The semi transparent is no thicker than woodtux or maybe ready seal

[MMI Enterprises]

The Toner has the consistency of mineral spirits - very easy to apply with a pump-up sprayer. The semi-transparent is thicker and generally won't work in a pump-up.

All pumpup's or HOer's must not be equal...lol


..sorry, it cracks me up every time I get the chance to post that Omax Toner by a HOer pic..

[gt2003]

I will tell you that whatever Olympic toner I had was like water, literally. It soaked right into the wood and provided no water protection, no wood rehab, nothing. I won't be using it again. Just my non-professional opinion though.

[Beth n Rod]

Originally Posted by gt2003

I will tell you that whatever Olympic toner I had was like water, literally. It soaked right into the wood and provided no water protection, no wood rehab, nothing. I won't be using it again. Just my non-professional opinion though.

Different products behave differently when applied. Some are meant to do just what you saw, soak in and replenish the oils that are lost from the wood. Others, form a finish on the surface and provide a barrier. With these you can see the product working, more easily - I suppose because you can see the film and you can see the water rolling off. However these kinds of products wear to the point of cracking and peeling in many cases and if you don't know what you are looking at and do not know when or how to maintain them, they are a nightmare (an expensive one) waiting to happen in the future. Applied correctly, an oil based finish that your wood absorbs will protect well for a period of time. But don't blame the product necessarily...

Beth