Pine has never looked so good. Dark Walnut stain applied to an outdoor set of stairs made of Pressure Treated Pine. Check out the Results!
This will be the second time I have stained these stairs. The first time was back in the Fall of 2017 and now in June 2020. So about 2-1/2 years between applications.
If you want to see how everything turned out the first time, check out the link here: Part 1: Ready Seal Golden Pine Stain
Since I was happy with how easy it was to use this stain, I decided to go with Ready Seal again. For this application we will be using the Dark Walnut color on a set of 3-year old pressure treated pine stairs.
Ready Seal Dark Walnut Stain on Pressure Treated Pine (before/after)
The photo above shows a fresh coat of the Ready Seal Dark Walnut stain applied to the pressure treated wood stairs.
Second Application of Ready Seal
At over 2-1/2 years since the original application of the Golden Pine stain this wood was in need of a re-coat. And while I was happy with the Golden Pine color it was out of stock at the time and I wanted to try a new color.
On this application the color used was Dark Walnut. It is currently one of eight colors currently offered by Ready Seal and the third one I have tried.
So far the three colors that I have used was Golden Pine, Pecan and now the Dark Walnut. All of them produce a very natural looking finish and like the can says, application is “Goof-Proof”
To see all of the colors they offer check out the Ready Seal website.
*Disclaimer, I have NO AFFILIATION with Ready Seal and all of these products were purchased with my own money.
Dark Walnut Stain on Pine (continued)
Here is another photo showing the contrast between the old wood vs the wet stain. As you can see from the picture the Ready Seal stain produces a very natural (rich look) to the wood.
Although the first coat of stain eventually faded, the wood appeared to be very well protected. No mildew, rot or staining.
Re-coating was Easy
Since the wood was still in very good condition the only prep-work I did before applying the new stain was brushing off loose dirt and hitting any rough spots with a light sanding.
No cleaners, no bleach, no stripping off old product
This is not the case with some other finishes I have tried in the past (Thompsons Watersealer comes to mind) along with others. Where it can be an absolute nightmare to remove the old product as it peels or flakes off.
Even as the Ready Seal wears it never has peeled, flaked or chipped. It simply fades to a lighter color revealing the original wood underneath.
From my research, they say the lighter the color of the stain the sooner it will need to be reapplied. Having used both the Golden Pine (light color) and the Pecan (medium brown) I can say that the Pecan so far has held up longer.
Only time will tell, but since the original application almost three years ago I think this product has done an excellent job so far.
Dark Walnut Stain on Pine (dried-results)
The photo above shows the final results after allowing the stain to dry for around 1-week.
As you can see, the stain dries to more of a matte finish. This is different from the wet/shiny appearance seen above when the product was first applied.
Overall, I really like the color and how it blends into the natural landscape.
Outdoor Wood Protection using Ready Seal stain
Wood is a good choice as a building material in that it is easy to work with and relatively inexpensive. However, there are also many disadvantages to using wood. Especially in an outdoor setting.
Maintenance is key!
UV rays, mildew, rot and bugs are just some of things that will have to be managed when dealing with wood. So if you want to keep your wood looking like new, a good quality stain will be needed.
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