Choosing Armstrong Clark Oil Based Wood Stains will ensure lasting beauty and protection for all your exterior wood surfaces. Backed by five generations of experience in oil-based coatings and cutting edge technology, Armstrong Clark Wood Stains will not only meet your wood protection needs but far exceed them.
Determine the square footage area of the surface you plan to stain. On decks be sure not only to measure the floor but also railings, spindles, steps and all areas that you are planning to stain. Armstrong-Clark Deck and Siding Stains will cover approximately 150-200 sq. ft. per gallon depending on age and wood porosity.
The Armstrong Clark Staining Instructions
Armstrong Clark Deck and Siding Stains come in many different colors and tones. Keep in mind that the actual color results can vary depending on the type, age, condition, and porosity of the wood. Color samples are available if needed.
Prior to using any of the Armstrong Clark Wood Stains it is important to prepare the wood surface properly so the stain will perform as expected. See the RAD Wood Cleaner or Stain Stripper products for properly cleaning the wood surface prior to staining.
Allow the wood surface to dry 1-2 days after it has been cleaned and prepped. Be sure no rain is expected on the day of staining and for 3-4 hours after application so the stain can cure properly.
To apply Armstrong Clark Deck Stain you can use a roller, brush, stain pad, or airless sprayer. Mix the stain thoroughly prior to use. Unlike other stains, Armstrong Deck Stain can be applied in direct sunlight and on hot days. If the first application of stain penetrates within 30 minutes another coat can be applied for added protection.
If applying by sprayer, use a roller or brush to go over the sprayed areas for a more even appearance. After 24 hours use a dry rag to remove any remaining puddles or glossy areas.
Armstrong Clark Wood Stain is environmentally friendly and does not contain an offensive odor. It is easy to apply and very user-friendly. Enhancing the appearance of your deck and giving it lasting protection is the best investment you can make and Armstrong Clark Oil Based Wood Stains makes it easy.
Need Help with Materials Needed? Ask Below with your sq footage.
How to Calculate Square Footage
Deck Sq. Footage
Flooring Length x width =?
Railing Length x height =?
Steps Width x Depth x #of Steps =?
Add up all 3 for the Total Sq. footage.
Fence Sq. Footage
Length x height =?
Multiply x 2 for both sides = Total Sq. Footage
Coverage Rate for AC Stains
The specified coverage rate for Armstrong Clark is 150-250 square feet per gallon for the first coat. Second will apply at 200-300 per gallon. This averages to about 100-125 sq. feet per gallon for 2 coats wet on wet. From this, and from measuring the surface you can calculate how much stain you need. For more aged wood you could easily factor in some extra stain. On newer wood that is still smooth and dense, you probably are not going to use as much.
Note: Hardwood Decking spreads about twice as far. 300-400 sq feet per gallon and only 1 coat.
For maintenance coats you are not going to use near as much stain as you did initially staining bare wood. There are just way too many variables to know the exact coverage rate. There is really no way of knowing exactly how much stain you will need. It is better to buy more than you need than to not have enough. You can always save left over stain for next time. Armstrong Clark has a shelf life of 1 year if opened and 3 years unopened as long as the can is properly resealed.
Hi there. I’m a furniture refinisher. My clients have started to ask me if I can refinish their entry doors or window frames. Can your stains be used for entry doors and window frames?. If so, What stains would you recommend for entry doors or window frames?. Most entry doors in my clients homes are stained redwood, cherry or red mahogany.
Sorry, but no. The main issue would be that the entry doors typically have a top coat lacquer, and our coatings cannot be top-coated with a lacquer.
We have have used your semi transparent cedar on rotary cut birch has any one every tried this? The color is excellent the top coat is a 2 part solvent based polyurethane and the finish is stable!
You cannot use a poly for exterior wood. It will blister and peel when in the sun. If interior wood, it should be okay.
I have built a front porch out of rough lumber and I lightly torched the wood to bring out some of the black veins in the pine. Can I use the transparent wood stain? And do I need to do any special prep? Attached is a picture.
No pic. Please upload again. It should be okay to stain as long as the wood is absorbent. No need to prep if it is clean and rough-cut wood.
Does your natural tone transparent wood stain have UV protection with no pigment added?
The Natural is lightly tinted and has UV protection. It is not “clear”.
Can I apply a UV stable WB Urethane over the oil stain?
No, you cannot apply a top coat or any urethane over an exterior wood stain. It would peel if you did this.
How cold can it be to stain. Day time temps have been 55-60, night time temps 32-36. Thanks
Application temps are 55-90 F. It cannot drop below freezing the first night after staining.
Newly constructed covered porch- the ceiling is yellow pine car siding (no knots). I just purchased your semi-transparent stain for the ceiling. How do you recommend I clean/prep the raw wood before applying the stain? Thank you!
See here about new wood:
https://www.armstrongclarkstain.com/new-decking-and-armstrong-clark-stain
Is it ok to use your semi-transparent stain on a pressure-treated pine deck after cleaning with oxygen bleach and oxalic acid? I have not done any treatment to the deck since building it 1 yr ago. Also, is there a sealer that can be used over your stain to make it last longer? Thank you!
Yes, you should be able to use the stain as long as the wood is prepped correctly. No, you cannot apply a sealer over a deck stain. That would lead to peeling.
Hello,
We stained our deck a few days ago, but when I wipe certain spots with a dry cloth, I am getting some stain on the cloth.
Should I use a dry cloth to wipe these areas or should I spray with a hose and then wipe it? I thought I remembered reading a comment about rain after applying can help “wash off” excess stain but I can’t find it… Thanks.
Rain water may remove the excess stain. To speed up the process, you could use rags and mineral spirits. Make sure to saturate any oily rags in water and lay flat to dry outside.
How long after staining can I walk on deck?
1-2 days.
I used RAD Cleaner and Brightener following directions, and see that I have either some fuzz or furring, either from too much pressure in pressure washer, or too concentrate cleaning solution/too long letting sit. I suspect the latter…but either way I have a fuzzy look as the wood is drying. Solution? Light sanding before it dries?
Yes or rent a floor buffer with sanding pad. Very easy:
https://www.deckstainhelp.com/wood-fuzzies-furring-on-deck/
I stained the floor of my deck with AC Amber stain and as i finished a fast moving heavy rain storm soaked the completed deck. Did the rain wash away any protective elements of the stain? Should i add a second coat?
Post some pics in comments after the rain water has dried.
The deck floor near the railings were dry for days when it rained. The other part of the deck floor was rained on after about 1 hour after applying the stain. Looks like there is no shine on the floor that was rained on.
It looks good. No need to apply more stain.
I just replaced the deck steps with new cedar, planning to clean and restain the deck next week. What do I do for the new cedar steps, so white and pop pretty?
This is my third or fourth time redoing the deck with AC stain and RAD prep products.
See here about new wood:
https://www.armstrongclarkstain.com/new-decking-and-armstrong-clark-stain
I have a pressure treated pine deck that is 6 years old and never been finished. I’ve sanded the stains and glaze off of it with a floor sander and 60 grit paper. Do I need to do any more prep or can I apply the stain to the freshly sanded surface?
Brighten the wood and give it a good pressure wash rinse. This will open the wood pores so the stain can dive deeper into the wood grain.
What do you mean by “Brighten”?
Use a wood brightener: https://www.armstrongclarkstain.com/restore-a-deck-brightener
Hi I have a mahogany deck and I’ve used your product but I have ran into problem I applied 1 coat it rain and it got wet so I added another coat it has been two weeks and some parts are wet and some are dry what would you recommend
Remove all and start over using this kit:
https://www.armstrongclarkstain.com/restore-a-deck-stripper
Hi! Looks like we over applied the Armstrong Clark Natural Oak Semi-Transparent wood stain in a redwood deck and the stain is still not dry after many days. What do you recommend to fix the problem?
Try wiping it all down with mineral spirits and rags to remove the excess stain. Make sure to saturate any oily rags in water when done and lay flat to dry outside.
I have an IPE deck that gets heavy sun and we encountered a fading problem in less than six months. The deck is four years old and we used your products last year and are presently oiling after cleaning. Is there any additive available to increase or extend the sun protection in your product ?
No, that is not possible. IPE, being very desnse, requires annual coatings. Make sure you are using one of our hardwood colors:
https://www.armstrongclarkstain.com/hardwood-and-ipe-stain
Can I do a second on Ipe after 12hrs?
Can apply clear coat after 24hrs and what clear can be applied over Armstrong Product?
No. IPE is too dense to take a second coat and you cannot add a clear coat over a deck stain like AC. It will peel if you did.
I used the cleaner brightener and stain system last fall, this summer the stain on the heavily used area seems to be rubbing away. Can I put a second coat on? And, what surface prep do I use.
Thanks
Post some pics in comments for prep help.
Here are some pictures
Use the Cleaner and Brightener kit and then apply 1 coat of stain.
Here are some pictures of the issue areas.
Do you have any product for ipe that does not have pigment?
No and stain must be pigmented for UV protection. No pigment and the wood will gray in months.
How long should I let the product dry before walking on it and then how long before bringing the furniture back on the my deck?
Typically dries in 4-12 hours but full cure can take a couple of days.
Can I do 2 coats of the hardwood ipe semitransparent stain? Trying to darken it a bit more…
Not on hardwood decking. It will not take as the hardwood is too dense.
I have just treated an old ipe deck with Armstron Clark wood stain. The deck is over 20 years old. It was left untreated for over five years and then occasional (x3?) treated with Penofin. Last treatement over 7 years ago. This time it was pressure washed, stripped with a hyrogenated product (Penofin Pro-Tech cleaner) and then treated with an oxalic acid based conditioner. When completely washed clean and dry, two coats of mahogany Armstrong-Clark were applied wet on wet. Photos attached.
What would be a maintenance schedule going forward? We are in San Franciso; not too hot, sunny but often wet an foggy and never frosty.
Thanks,
A
IPE wood needs to be recoated annually in most scenarios. Clean and brighten for prep and one coat of stain.
Excellent1 Thanks for the prompt reply.
A
Staining for the first time. The new deck boards have been down for a year already. I cleaned & brightened & ready to go. Do i do one (1) coat now & then one (1) coat in Spring?? Or……do i do two (2) coats now??
That varies on the porosity of the wood so hard to say. To be safe, do one now and one in Spring if needed.
What if rain is in the forecast? How many days prior to rain can semi transparent stain be applied?
AC can take a rain about 12 hours after application.
I am wondering what product you would recommend for this heavily weathered cedar siding?
That will look great when done! Use the Restore-A-Deck Cleaner and Brightener Kits while pressure washing for prep. Stain with any of the Armstrong colors in a semi-transparent.
Can I use semi-solid stain for an interior job? If so, can I apply polyurethane or lacquer over the stain?
No, and no. It is exterior only and can never be top coated with a poly.
I used Armstrong-Clarks redwood tone transparent stain and am now looking for a sealant. What should I use? Oil? Water? etc.
Hello, it is not possible to apply a sealer over the AC (or any wood stain brand). It will peel if you attempt this.
I used rustic brown to stain my front steps a month or two ago. I finally got around to doing the back deck, but the stain is going on a lot darker now. The difference is clearly visible when looking at it from the street. I’m not sure if it is because I didn’t stir it enough and the pigment settled to the bottom of the can when doing the front or if the pigment is more concentrated now as I am getting to the bottom of the can. I bought three cans in total and mixed them all in a 5 gallon pail before starting in an effort to have an even color throughout. It’s a great product, but I’m a little disappointed that the color doesn’t match. Since the front steps are fully dried now, would it be ok to back over it with a light coat to darken it up a bit?
Pigment can settle so you do need to mix it while working. You can add a light coat to darken it if needed.
Ok, great. Thanks
I stained my deck with Clark last year but it faded and water is not beading up. Can I just scrub with Dawn and restrain with the same color?
Yes.
I’ve read all directions, prepped and ready to stain tomorrow, but I am having trouble determining how I will know if I should apply a second coat. I’ve read in the below comments that your advice was to only apply a second coat if the wood can fully absorb it, and to test this in one spot before proceeding. And to be careful not to overapply. Can you please describe in more detail what I am looking for to determine if I should apply a second coat? I was hoping to do wet-on-wet so I can get it all done in one day, so how do I test if the “wet” wood can fully absorb a second coat? For example, should it all absorb in a test section within so many minutes? What would it look like if I should not do the second coat? Thanks much – just want to do it right!! 🙂
Your wood looks dried out so just go ahead and apply the 2 coats we on wet.
Ok, will do. Thanks much!!
Any special prep required for new wood other than that it is clean and dry? It has been installed for two weeks and rained on several times but otherwise brand new cedar.
See this about new wood: https://www.armstrongclarkstain.com/new-decking-and-armstrong-clark-stain
Fantastic–thanks–so I can put my cedar down now out here for the rainy PNW winter, and then prep/clean it in July and stain it then?
Yes.
What are minimum temps required for staining? I’m looking at high of 60 and low of 47 in next couple of days. Ok to stain?
Temps are good.
Temperatures in 2 days will be around 86 degrees and nighttime lows around 65-58 degrees. Are we ok to stain in those temperatures?
Yes!
We have followed all the instructions/directions and unexpectedly there was a light rain last night. The wood was 100% dry previous to this and we had planned to stain today. Should we wait, and if so for how long after the last light rainfall?
Wait 48 hours after rain or prep for the wood to dry before staining.
Thank you!
I just stained my deck with AC semi-solid and noticed some drip marks and lighter areas when it dried. Would it be alright for me to do one more coat?
You do not want ot over apply as it may have issues then with fully curing.
Ok thanks! How long do I need to wait before cleaning, brightening, and staining it again? It gets full sun.
Every 2-3 years.
Ok thanks so much!
I have a 4-level, 600 sf, cumaru deck. I want to prep and stain the deck in sections. What precautions should I take (if any) to protect each of the finished sections while prepping the adjacent section with the RAD clean and brighten kit?
Do not prep in sections. Prep it all at once. You can stain in scetions as long as you have distinct cutoff points.
Thanks. What is the maximum time you can wait between prepping and staining? I’ve already prepped one section and will be out of town for about 3 weeks before I can prep the rest of the deck.
2 weeks is max. You will need to redo prep.
I’m not sure I can finish the prep for all of my deck including the steps, hand rails, balusters and vertical siding in two weeks. I will try, but (back to my original question) if I need to finish a section to meet the 2 week timeline, what if I were to cover that section with a heavy polyethylene plastic tarp and tape the plastic where it meets the finished section to keep any prep compound from getting on it? Thanks for your help.
You could try that but easier to just do all the prep at once. It is not as hard as you think it might be.
Should we stain our logs after re-chinking or before? I don’t want the chinking to pick up color, but will it adhere properly due to the many oils?
Stain first.
Thank you! How long should we wait for the oil to dry? We will be using Perma Chink. Their literature recommends 2 months!
24-36 hours.
I have put 2 coats on my very old never stained pressure treated pine deck. It still looks dry after 72 hours. Can I add a third coat?
No. More is not better and could lead to drying and curing issues.
After staining , it started raining after one hour. What should I do?😓
Nothing you can do now. Just wait until the rain water dries off to assess.
I am staining my mom’s deck. It is 22 year old pressure treated decking. It was last stained with Cabot semi transparent oil stain 3 years ago. It was a high VOC stain they no longer sell in Michigan . I have power washed the deck, removing all dirt, mildew an 75%of the old stain. Can I apply A and C semi transparent stain over the remaining old stain?
No, it has to come off 100%. Post some pics for prep tips.
We recently constructed a backyard pergola built of smooth con hart redwood. The lumber was still wet when constructed. How long should we wait before staining it with your semi transparent stain?
https://www.armstrongclarkstain.com/new-decking-and-armstrong-clark-stain
I have a new installation of Batu mahogany. I purchased amber semi-transparent stain based on dome recommendations I saw online. There are some wax sealed ends that did not get cut off when laid. Should I sand the topside of those ends before staining? What grit do you recommend and follow up after sanding to open grain again?
The sealer will have to come off before staining but you cannot spot sand. That would lead to uneven stain absorption. 60-80 grit.
Got the deck stained today. Newly stained so still pretty shiny. The wood is new Batu Indonesian Mahogany. I used Amber colored semi transparent. Railings are on the way.
Looks good!
Can I use Anderson Clark oil based deck stain over Cabot water based deck stain over redwood?
No, you have to no matter what, remove the Cabot stain fully when switching stain brands.
How long between coats?
You can do it wet on wet or you can add a second coat when the first coat is fully dry.
How long until fully dry? 75° F day 54°F overnight tomorrow expected to be 78°F finished up at dusk.
How will I know if it needs another coat? Redwood
wanted to add the picture for reference
😂
Only apply a second coat if the wood can fully absorb another coat. You can test spot this. It can take 4-24 hours to dry.
What grit sandpaper to use before staining?
Sanding is not the best way to prep. We can help with prep tips but we would need to see pics posted and have some history about the current condition.
New construction green board decking has dried for 2 years.
This was installed recently or 2 years ago? It looks brand new.
2 years ago
Sorry to question again as it does not look like this has weathered outside after installation of the wood for 2 years. If so it would have grayed/oxidized. Unless it is covered with a roof? If the wood was “seasoned indoors” and then recently installed, that would not count as proper weathering. We just want to make sure you do not prematurely stain:
https://www.armstrongclarkstain.com/new-decking-and-armstrong-clark-stain
Feeling very discouraged with semi-transparent Chestnut stain that I just put on year old deck. Since the Chestnut stain that I put on in October 2022 didn’t last well, I cleaned and brightened the deck and railings with Restore-a-deck early this month. The cleaner actually washed away the remainder of the October staining (that I was surprise since I was using the Restore-a-deck cleaner and not the stripper).
When it was thoroughly dry (5% max on my moisture meter), I restained again using a new can of the semi transparent stain. I constantly stirred it, but there always seemed to be pigments that showed on the cedar deck boards (this happened in October, too). See photo. Is this what always happens with the Chestnut color?
Secondly, I worked hard not to over-apply the stain. It has now been 48 hours. As the heat from the sun (84 degrees today) hits the deck boards, they begin to glisten and the oil seems to be rising to the top of the surface. It’s not a ‘puddle’, but I can leave a fingerprint on the surface. Once the sun is no longer directly hitting a board, there no longer seems to be a problem. Is this a sign of over application? Should I be wiping with mineral spirits on a cloth?
The dark spots on your wood is not stain pigment but rather imperfections of your wood itself. The stain is enhancing the imperfections. It does not look over applied but it can take a few days or longer to fully cure. Also, a good rain would help wash away any oily resdue as well.
What kind of brush do I need to apply Armstrong stain to my outdoor pergola?
Stain pads are better. https://www.armstrongclarkstain.com/brushes-pads-sprayers
Previous owner had used spar varnish on cedar deck. Going to sand it off, with great pains! If sanding means the cedar wont accept the Armstrong oil very well, should we do another step or only pressure wash before staining? Should we try two coats of stain?
Sand not finer than 60-80 grit. Once done, use the Restore A Deck Kit for final prep and only 1 coat of the AC stain.
https://www.armstrongclarkstain.com/restore-a-deck-kit
Hi…how long does the stain take to dry and when can I put the patio furniture back?
4-12 hours to dry. 24-48 hours for furntiture.
Thunderstorms last night after I applied stain. Water pooling on wood now and obvious pigment on top of wood. Should I wipe it with rags now or wait the full 24 hours?
Either way is okay.