Armstrong Clark 2020 Contest Results can be seen here: 2020 Armstrong Clark Stain Contest

Armstrong Clark 2019 Contest Results can be seen here: 2019 Armstrong Clark Stain Contest

AC Contest BUTTONContestant winners will receive

  • First Place = $500 + 5 Gallon Pail of Armstrong Clark Stain of your choice!
  • Second Place = $350  + 3 Gallons of Armstrong Clark Stain of your choice!
  • Third Place:= $200  + 2 Gallons of Armstrong Clark Stain of your choice!

How To Enter Contest

  1. Enter by Sept. 30th, 2021.
  2. In the comment section below, post a short description of your deck/wood staining project, the products used to prep, and the Armstrong Clark Stain and Color used. Examples of wood projects that can be entered: Decks, Fences, Wood Side Homes, Log Cabins, etc.
  3. Add 2 before prepping pictures of the wood that was restored (no more/less). You can still enter if you do not have the before pictures. Decks, wood fences, wood homes, etc are allowed.
  4. 2 after staining pictures must be included (no more/less).
  5. If having trouble uploading the pictures, please make your picture(s) size smaller (below 1 MB).

Any questions or issues posting, please ask in the comment area.

We look forward to all Armstrong Clark Stain entries!

*Disclaimer: All products must be purchased from ArmstrongClarkStain.com. The contest is not open to products purchased from other online dealers or from physical retail stores.

Ask a Question or Post a Picture...
You are guest ( Sign Up ? )
or post as a guest
Loading comment... The comment will be refreshed after 00:00.
  • We will reply to your comment shortly
    Al · 07/20/2021
    Project: Timber frame barn with southern yellow pine siding. After many hours of research and using other products on our decks etc. in the past we decided on Amber semi transparent Armstrong Stain. Not only is the product amazing, the company support is excellent as well. The Amber stain was exactly as advertised. The company said to expect a bit of an orange tint at first that we were trying to avoid, but it did quickly take on the brown semi transparent appearance we hoped for. This is a quality product for sure and withstands the hot Tennessee weather.  We are unable to preview the photos that uploaded to confirm they are correct. Please confirm. Thanks
  • We will reply to your comment shortly
    Lee · 07/20/2021
    Two year old cedar deck.  Original stain failed - probable cause: moisture content in the wood was too high.  Stripped, power sanded and brightened then after aging for two months, lightly sanded, cleaned and brightened with Restore-A-Deck cleaner and brightener.  Armstong-Clark Cedar Semi-transparent on cedar deck boards.  Western Washington.
  • We will reply to your comment shortly
    Chris · 07/17/2021
    Well, it is done!
    3 year old Cedar Deck in VT. Prepped with RAD clean and brighten and stained with AC semi transparent natural oak.
  • We will reply to your comment shortly
    Richie Racioppi · 07/17/2021
    20 year old Mahogany front porch First time user of Armstrong &Clark .Used 80 grit with rented sander , hosed off let dry and Stained next day . It’s better then brand new . No smell / easy to blend in doing two boards at a time going full length. Thanks ! 
  • We will reply to your comment shortly
    Brian · 07/01/2021
    short description:  30 year old deck, pressure-treated pine products used to prep:  pressure wash, Restore-a-Deck Wood Cleaner, Restore-a-Deck Wood Brightener; rinsing the deck afterwards, and letting it dry before staining Armstrong Clark Stain and Color used:  Semi-Transparent Chestnut applied with roller and brushes
    Turned out wonderful! Armstrong Clark Stain products are excellent!
    • We will reply to your comment shortly
      Brian · 07/01/2021
      after (4th pic didn't upload to first post)
  • We will reply to your comment shortly
    thomas J kroner · 06/24/2021
    10 year old deck. Used the stripper and brighter combo and was amazed how it cleaned up. Stain went on nice and went further than we thought it would. Really hope it lasts longer than the last brand we used. 
    • We will reply to your comment shortly
      thomas J kroner · 07/01/2021
      dried a little more orange/red than i had hoped.. still happy.  would go with the darker brown next time but personal preference.  
      • We will reply to your comment shortly
        Chris · 07/17/2021
        Thanks for your post! I am trying to get a little less orange/red result myself. I did “Natural oak” and just posted pictures — it is a degree less orange than the “sequoia”, but I honestly might consider the “rustic brown” next time around as any orange/red result is a little much for me.
        • We will reply to your comment shortly
          thomas J kroner · 07/18/2021
          i should post a pic now that its been a month or so...it really "oranged" up lol.  its ok because "the boss" loves it..shes happy..therefore im happy lol
  • We will reply to your comment shortly
    Rolf · 06/14/2021
    Used the Ipe stain.. Mahogany Red for my @ 2 year old deck and steps.   Live in Traverse City Michigan so the weather did most of the prep :))).  I lightly power washed it and applied stain.   Came out great.
    • We will reply to your comment shortly
      Armstrong · 06/14/2021
      Looks great! Mission or Leelanua?
      • We will reply to your comment shortly
        Rolf · 06/14/2021
        Steps
      • We will reply to your comment shortly
        Rolf · 06/14/2021
        Overlooking East Bay and Old Mission…Deck us 1400 square ft including steps which also came out great.   This product is the easiest of the 3 brands I used in past… Penofins and TWP.   I did back wipe in areas where I put too much on… it’s IPE so tricky to get just enough but not too much… pictures of the steps…
  • We will reply to your comment shortly
    David Glosson · 06/02/2021
    Stained 15x25 deck on Tuesday finished about 6pm. Rained 22hrs after, was bright and sunny til then. My question should I blow puddle water off. How long should I wait to put deck furniture back on deck?
    • We will reply to your comment shortly
      Armstrong · 06/02/2021
      You can just let the water dry off on the deck. 48 hours is okay for furniture.
  • We will reply to your comment shortly
    Ben · 05/22/2021
    Within last six months we have changed all side and back fences surrounding our property and used a water-based stain. However, we were not satisfied with the stain results. When the last – front – section of cedar fence was installed, I started consulting my friends and researching online. I wanted what is the BEST! After considering several different products, I decided to go with ARMSTRONG CLARK STAIN, ordered two samples which helped me to choose transparent natural cedar tone. Then ordered the combo kit of Restore-A-Deck cleaner and brightener and 5 gallons of the transparent natural. Followed directions to prep including power wash and finally stained the fence using airless pump. AC is way easier to apply with the BEST result. I’m very happy that I went with AC. In fact, we have already received a number of compliments and some neighbors even asked if I could do their fences, too! Thanks ARMSTRONG CLARK!
  • We will reply to your comment shortly
    Susan K Bailey · 05/20/2021
    Hereis the before picture! 
  • We will reply to your comment shortly
    Susan K Bailey · 05/20/2021
    Here are additional pictures 
  • We will reply to your comment shortly
    Susan K Bailey · 05/20/2021
    We wanted something we could apply and reapply with ease over the years.  I called Armstrong Clark and had the good fortune of speaking to Mr. Clark personally- awesome customer service! We applied Armstrong Clark oil based semi solid in Espresso.  It looks fantastic!  My husband said it looks like indoor furniture.  We are thrilled!   I am proud to show it off and recommend Armstron Clark to all. 
  • We will reply to your comment shortly
    Carolyn · 05/16/2021
    Missed a couple of pics....
  • We will reply to your comment shortly
    Carolyn · 05/16/2021
    Hello,We bought this house last year, and decided that the deck would be on our "to-do" list for this Spring. I had used your stains on three decks with our previous homes and was always pleased, so I wasn't worried about whether this new project would work to our expectations...
    This was an eight-year old pressure treated pine deck that had never been painted or stained. It was also located directly beneath a giant Black Walnut tree that had pelted it with nuts and tannins during a bad windstorm last fall, resulting in dark blotches.  After we had the tree cut down this spring, we set to work repairing the deck. We used the Prep Kit which did brighten and clean the wood, but because of the colour difference between new and old wood, we sanded the entire surface and then washed it well. After drying and cleaning, we were ready for our one-coat of Translucent Cedar.It went on like a breeze, coated evenly and dried quickly. The dry old wood of the deck now looks properly maintained and in good condition.  The deck has been completely restored and we have peace of mind knowing that this stain will weather well and will not need re-doing for as long as we own our home. Thanks for your excellent, top quality products. I have posted the two "After" pics first - obviously!
  • We will reply to your comment shortly
    mike · 05/16/2021
    Worked very hard on this deck and the deck says it all its a MASTERPIECE of art.I used amber stain on mahogany deck boards.1st I power washed the deck, than I used a palm sander and sanded the whole deck because the power washer made the boards rough.Than I used a vacuum and leaf blower clean the deck, than cleaner and brightener.It was recommended by this company to use  a stain pad and glad I did as I used half the stain by using the pad.In the past I used a lambs wool pad. I like that you can use this product in hot weather and it doesn't have to be a certain temperature.I would highly recommend using this product to do your deck.Whenever I had a question regarding the deck I always got a quick answer.
  • We will reply to your comment shortly
    B. Burkholder · 04/24/2021
    We had a dilapidated old fence in our backyard that was an eyesore when we purchased the house. After pressure washing, we then applied Armstrong Clark's semi transparent cedar stain.  It now looks great.
  • We will reply to your comment shortly
    Carolyn Rosen · 04/19/2021
    Can I enter this contest from Canada, or is this USA only? Love your products, Carolyn
  • We will reply to your comment shortly
    The Chad · 04/18/2021
    I stained my cedar deck using the restore-a-deck system (cleaner and brightener) as well as the semi-transparent cedar stain. 
  • We will reply to your comment shortly
    Mike · 03/31/2021
    I used your Amber wood stain on my Ipe outdoor deck two years ago. It still looks really good despite the tough Atlanta, Ga climate. My question is this; I have a half gallon of the stain left and just opened the can to do some touch up on the deck and it has quite a bit of sediment at the bottom of the can. Once the can is opened, how long is the useful life of the stain that remains in the opened can. Said another way, If I used this stain two years ago and reopened the can to use the remainder of the stain, is that stain still ok to use?
    • We will reply to your comment shortly
      Armstrong · 03/31/2021
      Shelf life is 12 months after opening. It has probably gone bad.
  • We will reply to your comment shortly
    Mary · 03/19/2021
    This is our front porch floor. We want to stain it using your semitransparent stain. It has been stained, but as you can see it's weathered and peeling in spots. I'm wondering if we can just use your 2 step process and then stain, or do you think we need to sand? Thank you for your input. We just ordered 4 samples!
    • We will reply to your comment shortly
      Armstrong · 03/19/2021
      You will need to remove it fully first.
  • We will reply to your comment shortly
    John Kimsey · 02/26/2021
    14' x 44' Mahogany deck, 27 years old.