Are you looking for the best clear deck sealer for pressure treated wood? As you lead into our detailed review I can quickly tell you that we have selected Ready Seal 512 as the Best Clear Deck Sealers For Pressure Treated Wood.
A hardwood deck can be a beautiful addition to any home. These special features of your home are zones where you can really appreciate being out of the usual living areas, while spending quality time with your family and loved ones. If the deck is not properly maintained however, these structures will eventually become extremely weather beaten.
It’s obvious that these decks are exposed to direct sunlight, rainfall, changes in temperature, as well as other weather extremes. So, how do you maintain your deck in pristine condition?
It’s no surprise that using a clear deck sealer for pressure treated wood is critical to its structure and longevity. Clear deck sealers also preserve the natural appearance of the hardwood, which looks appealing to the deck owner.
We have analyzed and listed some of the best clear deck sealers for pressure treated wood to assist you in further enhancing the safety of your wooden constructions.
Best Clear Deck Sealer For Pressure Treated Wood
1. Ready Seal 512 Exterior Stain and Sealer for Wood – Overall Best
With this fantastic outdoor wood finish, Ready Seal has created one of the best clear deck sealers for pressure treated wood. The 5-gallon product can be used for a variety of projects and caters to both amateur DIYers and experienced contractors alike.
This substance serves as a sealant as well as a stain. This means that it gives the wood some color. The stain comes in a variety of color options to complement your deck beautifully. This offers great UV resistance while also providing a long-lasting topcoat. It’s also simple to use, with no back brushing, prepping, or wet-line treatment required.
The product blends well in a wide variety of temperatures and materials without leaving behind runs, drops, or streaks. This stain and sealant creates a mold and mildew-resistant, waterproof, UV-blocked coating. It’s long-lasting, sturdy, and attractive. This substance fits the bill perfectly for all types of consumers, owing to the reliability and ease of use.
- Weather Resistant Properties
- Contains Both Stain and Sealant
- Can be used at any temperature
- Colors are available in a variety of options
- Can be a little runny to use
In short, you wouldn’t go too far wrong if you were to choose Ready Seal 512, to retain your hardwood decks for ages to come. With a sound customer service and warranty, users are bound to be coming back for more!
2. DEFY Crystal Clear Composite Sealer
The Defy Composite Deck Sealer is a modern waterproofing sealer for wood decks. This revolutionary and environmentally sustainable sealer is designed to preserve composite wood from moisture and the sun’s ultraviolet rays, so you won’t have to reseal it for at least another year. It also works well against fungus, mold, and mildew.
With a crystal-clear coating and zinc nanoparticles that give further protection to your deck by insulating it from UV radiation, this product is very popular. These nanoparticles also help to improve the mildew-fighting composition by acting as natural spore repellents.
Its proprietary zinc nano-particle system functions like sunscreen for your wood deck! Just as sunscreen prevents damage and discoloration of your skin, this clear deck sealer prevents premature greying and staining in composite wood.
Defy Deck Sealer is simple to use because it may be applied in multiple coats without removing or stripping existing coatings. It’s environmentally friendly, healthy to use, and the water-based formulation is simple to clean up if anything goes wrong.
- Water-based and environmentally sustainable
- Simple to use and re-use
- Provides adequate UV protection
- For various wooden surfaces
- Being a clear it won’t hide old stains and marks
DEFY has always maintained its standards and customer service by providing great quality products at minimal rates. Whether you are a wood working novice or an expert in the field, you will be satisfied with the protection that this clear deck sealer delivers.
3. ECO Advance Wood Siloxane Deck Sealer
Eco Advance is one of the very few manufacturers that offer the best clear deck sealers for pressure treated wood, with features that will attract any wood enthusiast readily. Made from a commercial grade formula, this wood siloxane sealer hits the spot!
A standard garden pump sprayer can be used to apply the Eco Advance water proofer. It provides amazing outcomes that can be accomplished by any type of home user. This deck water sealant is suitable for use on a variety of wood products, including decks, gates, flooring, plywood, and much more. It protects from water and oil damage, numerous stains, mold, and mildews. As a result, it’s a highly adaptable product that may be used in a variety of applications.
Despite being one of the finest deck sealers because of its strength and excellent degree of safety, it is still water-based and environmentally safe. The formula is non-toxic and will not harm any plants that contact it. This deck water sealant is entirely permeable once it has been cured. As a result, it’s a perfect choice for all sorts of wood in a lot of circumstances.
- Permeable to vapors
- Provides adequate waterproofing
- Application is simple
- Safe and non-toxic
- No dyes or pigments will work with this mixture
Being environmentally sustainable and nontoxic, this ECO ADVANCE deck sealer has raised the bar for all other contemporaries, making this product very good value for money.
4. Thompson’s Water Seal 041851-16 Transparent Stain
Another brand that provides the best deck sealer for pressure treated wood is Thompson’s. This variant is made of a sophisticated anti-fading polymer and has a realistic cedar stain. The existence of UV light protection with great lifespan endurance is one of it’s inherent benefits.
Use this solution to waterproof and safeguard your wooden deck from sun exposure and fungal growth. It uses sophisticated polymers to provide long-lasting and resilient shielding that prevents colors from fading. It can also be used on damp or dry wood that has been recently cleaned. For the next five years, there is no need to reapply again!
The surfaces around pools are generally wet and waiting for them to dry entirely might be inconvenient. However, this water-based sealer works exceptionally well on damp wood and safeguards decks against mold and mildew, making it an excellent choice for humid or wet climates.
- Texture is thick and creamy
- Price is a decent bargain
- No frills, just good performance
- Resilient to UV rays and fungus
- Complain about oily sludge
The one-gallon jar will cover 250 to 400 sq ft. Even more, for optimal coverage, your deck merely requires one coat! The solution dries in about two hours, however for the greatest results, we recommend waiting a full night. It includes lower VOCs and is engineered to repel water with only one coat. This wood-protecting sealer can be applied with brushes or a sprayer.
5. SEAL-ONCE MARINE Deck Sealer
From 2005, SEAL-ONCE has been pioneering the development in the use of nanotechnology to make long-lasting, sustainable and environment friendly wood sealers. This distinctive MARINE formulation is designed for use on wood in high-moisture areas such as ponds, lakes, rivers, and seas.
In these certain places, it delivers excellent, long-lasting coverage against water damage and deterioration. Enhancing and extending the functional life of fishing piers, wood decks, and patio furniture, making this another wise investment.
MARINE employs innovative nanotechnology to permeate underneath wood, covering the wood fibers at the cellular level, in contrast to most top-coat sealers. This innovative nano-particle technology allows it to create a superior barrier beneath the surface that protects from within.
It creates a permeable, flexible membrane that enables the wood to expand and compress as needed, in turn, offering improved water damage and decay protection. MARINE preserves and extends the natural life of wood by allowing it to age organically without rot. It can be used to conserve both old and fresh wood.
Also Check How To Apply Polycrylic Finish On Wood
This is a water-resistant sealant for pressure-treated wood that can be used on home paneling, furniture, towers, and even wharf surfaces.
The product can also be employed as a wood stain, with 11 color tints that can be mixed in with the clear solution to bring out the inherent grain of the wood. The tinted wood paints offer extra UV protection from the sun’s damaging rays.
- Waterproof and easy to clean
- Exceptional protection from UV Rays
- Does not leave stain on the hands
- Must be applied when in the shade
Seal-Once products are known to be safe for the environment, with lesser VOCS (volatile organic compounds) and a better tint. These ergonomic features, combined with the manufacturers warranty and impeccable customer service, make this product well worthy of the price tag.
6. Rainguard 1 Gal Homeowner Wood Sealer
As indicated by its name, Rainguard is known to guard and shield your wooden decks from harsh weather, including heavy rain events. Do you understand what makes this formulation one of the finest pressure treated wood deck sealers? It’s the Silane-Siloxane Waterproof Enamel, which is one of the aspects of the product.
This compound will keep your deck dry for up to a decade, without replacements. In a Micro-Lok, a special blend of Silanes and Siloxane is combined. It performs well in terms of maintaining the mechanical bond between the compounds and the hardwood under UV light, searing temperatures, torrential rain, and strong winds.
It has a lateral coverage area of 150-200 square feet for every gallon and a longitudinal coverage area of roughly 125-150 square feet for each gallon, which means you receive very good coverage area in one purchase.
This substance not only keeps the water out, but it also has anti-mold and anti-mildew properties. That’s always useful because those are two of the deadliest enemies of outdoor wood. The cherry on the cake is that this product is sustainable and environmentally friendly, and comes with a 10-year warranty, demonstrating the company’s strong conviction.
- Water resistance is remarkable
- Guaranteed for ten years
- Mold and fungus resistant
- Can be used on almost any surface
- Must be mixed in some ratio
Protecting your backyard does not require you to break the bank and by using Rainguard you will receive good value for your investment. If you are looking for a reliable clear deck sealer, which has all the properties to safeguard your wooden features, this one is worthy of your consideration.
7. Olympic Stain 56500-04 Maximum Waterproofing Sealant
This particular product has a point of difference. Most deck sealers need temperatures of at least 55 degrees or above to apply, but Olympic Stain’s sealant adheres effortlessly even in conditions as low as 35 degrees. It can even be used on wet wood after a rainstorm.
What we like the most about this product is that a gallon can coat up to 400 square feet, giving it the most coverage per size offered. However, because this is not a one-coat product, you may require a couple of applications. Utilize this for all your exterior wood structures, such as fences, piers, arbors and, obviously, your deck.
This product not only adds beautiful color, but it also acts as a stain and sealer in one simple process. Furthermore, when applied, the product is effortless to maintain. It comes in four finishes and can be used on all wood varieties. The excellent possibilities complement the wood while leaving a natural flat appearance.
See, Can You Use Non Pressure Treated Wood Outside ?
The UV inhibitors in this water-based sealer prevent fading and distorting from sun exposure, and it also defends a deck against rotting and staining caused by water or dampness. It won’t add a gloss or modify the appearance of the deck. One coat will last up to three years and will undoubtedly be a worthwhile endeavor!
- Provides UV Protection
- Not very expensive
- Environment friendly
- Dries up easily
- Product is a bit thicker
Olympic Stain has undoubtedly created an exceptional clear deck sealer for wood that has been pressure treated or gone through harsh weather extremities. It is protective, UV resistant and well versed in every function that it performs.
8. STORM SYSTEM Storm Protector Penetrating Sealer
With its capabilities, this Storm System deck protector has earned the right to be part of our list. It comes with six distinct color options for the stain, and no matter which color you choose, you’ll adore the semi-transparent coating and the many methods in which you can use it.
The solution penetrates deeply within the wooden deck to provide safety, but as with all treatments, you must allow pressure-treated wood to mature before using it.
Hardwood, mahogany, fir, birch, and other wood types can all be used with this versatile creation. To get UV protection and a lap-free coating, you can use a roller, sprayer, or paintbrush to complete the process.
- Compatible with different wood types
- Durable and reliable
- Can be applied easily
- Some VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) are present in the product
The evolving Storm System is improving day by day to provide the best products at reasonable prices for any wood enthusiast to achieve the best quality decks and to retain the quality finish.
Buying Guide For Best Clear Deck Sealer for Pressure Treated Wood
There are a few crucial factors to consider while selecting the best deck sealer for your requirements. Each product is distinct, with its own set of qualities. When searching for a wood deck sealer, consider the following points.
Resistance and Durability
When determining which deck sealer is appropriate for your needs, consider what the wood must be rendered resistant to. First and foremost, your sealer must make your deck impervious to water, which is its worst foe. Mildew growth follows, which can be controlled with numerous deck sealers. Lastly, it will be advantageous if your deck sealer protects against UV ray degradation.
The strength and toughness of the deck sealer are usually the determining factors. Not all of these sealants work in the same way. Some are more durable and will last longer than the others, but they will require more attention in the long term. Evaluating these characteristics can assist you in selecting the best clear deck sealer for your needs.
Area and ease of Application
Various wood sealers have different thicknesses, which affects how they’re applied. They also take varied amounts of time to dry. If you’re going to spray the sealant, be sure it’s thin enough to be applied via the sprayer. Before you choose a deck sealer, you must first assess the quality of the hardwood you will be sealing. Different sealers are effective on various materials.
Depending on the characteristics of your deck, some wood sealers will be capable of penetrating denser materials, and others will be able to infiltrate less dense materials.
Mode of Application
Deck sealers are also applied in a variety of ways. Using a basic and robust brush is the most typical method of application. Some, on the other hand, may utilize paint rollers or spray guns. I personally have also used a soft haired broom for some products and found it to be both easy and fast to use. If we make it an easy process to follow then we will be encouraged to repeat the same process when required in the future. All of this is dependent upon the application’s target area, as in small or large.
Environmentally Friendly
When it comes to selecting the best deck sealer, environmental considerations are always a thing to keep in mind. This includes determining how many volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are present in the sealer. VOCs are subject to tight controls in various areas. Water-based solutions have a substantially lower VOC concentration. This has an impact on the number of fumes released by the deck sealer. It’s advisable that your product of choice should be both environmentally friendly and safe to use.
Budget
An important aspect while choosing your clear deck sealer would be the allotted budget that you have decided. Depending on the quality, a clear sealer solution for a wooden platform might cost anywhere from $20 to $120 every gallon. Select for a stain that penetrates deep into the wood and costs roughly $30 to $50 per gallon. Whatever your budget may be, these sealers come in a wide range of costs and can be adapted well to suit every individuals varied needs.
Cleaning
It’s easy to make a big mess when applying deck sealant. The ease with which the substance may be cleaned might have a significant influence on the overall operation. Cleaning up oil-based sealers will necessitate the use of a solvent, such as methanol or paint thinner. Warm water and detergent should be enough to clean up water-based items.
Ideally you should purchase a deck sealer that is easy to clean up, which in turn will motivate you to treat your deck in the future.
On Going Maintenance of Your Deck
Is it possible to just spray the sealer onto your deck without first spending hours prepping it? This is also a significant factor in terms of upkeep. Some deck sealers demand you to sand the deck back to it’s original texture, while others enable you to spray over previous sealers. In my opinion, regardless of the type of sealant you use, the target area must be at least clean of dirt and other unwanted debris to achieve a satisfying result.
Time taken to dry
It may take one to two days for some wood sealers to settle completely. This is not great if an unexpected rainstorm arrives. Always keep in mind the item’s drying rate and arrange your job properly. Water-based sealers, overall, dry much more rapidly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best deck sealer?
The best deck sealer is determined by the type of wood used on your deck. If your deck is brand new, transparent sealers are the best option, while for a chemically treated deck, translucent (semi-transparent) ones may be more suitable.
Among the wide options that we have discussed above, some noteworthy brands are Ready Seal, Defy, and Eco Advance among others which can be regarded as the finest deck sealers for pressure treated wood.
At the end of the day, it all comes down to your preferences, the type of wood and to a lesser degree, your budget as well. One more fact that may determine which is the best deck sealer for you is the one that is the easiest to use, requires less preparation and is quick and easy to clean up afterwards.
What is the best sealer for a pressure treated deck?
Although pressure-treated wood may endure much more than untreated wood, protecting your investment is still recommended. The sunlight, humidity, and time are just a few of the things that can harm pressure-treated wood and eventually causing your wooden deck to deteriorate.
There is a huge range of products available on the market that can be regarded as the best sealers for a pressure treated deck. Among them, we have the Thompson Deck Sealer with ultimate UV protection and the Seal Once, which claims to seal your pressure treated wooden decks perfectly.
Wrapping Up Deck Sealers For Pressure Treated Wood
A deck serves as a special area worthy of ongoing maintenance. For many individuals, the deck is where they unwind, laugh, socialize, and enjoy themselves. It’s the appropriate place for a summertime barbecue, a relaxing evening with a bottle of wine and a special companion, or an enjoyable group get-together. Protecting and maintaining such a beautiful spot comes with choosing the best products for it.
Based on our analysis of the above-mentioned products, the following are our top three recommendations for a diverse range of consumers.
- Ready Seal 512 Exterior Stain and Sealer for Wood– as being one of the top transparent seal solutions on the market, will help protect your deck against mildew and water leaks. In the long haul, it will also aid with UV damage and color fading.
- DEFY Crystal Clear Composite Sealer- One of the best things about DEFY crystal clear is that it’s prepared to use right out of the box, requiring no extra pre-application preparation provided your deck is clean. There is no need to apply numerous coatings for protection; only one application is required.
- ECO ADVANCE Wood Siloxane Deck Sealer- a high-quality sealer with iron oxide coloring that can reach deep into some of the highest density wood species and, unlike many other sealers, may hopefully deter UV damage.
I’m Thomas Steven with more than 12 years of experience in woodworking. It has always been my passion to become a successful woodworker. I have completed hundreds of successful projects. This blog is a way of sharing my woodworking experiences and what tools get the best results. I write about woodworking while being an associate with Amazon and I earn a little commission from every qualifying purchase.