Why Behr makes us and all reputable Deck Contractors CRINGE!

Picture of a deck with Behr Stain after weathering from http://www.diychatroom.com/f4/why-you-dont-use-latex-deck-stain-73415/

Ryan can spot a Behr Deck a mile away, in fact it has caught many customers off guard and they are impressed.  We hear it time and time again "I had some one come out and do my deck last year but they must have done it wrong because it is peeling off and chipping."  The only thing that was done wrong was that the wrong product was used...Behr, about 90% of the time and Olympic, the other 10%.  When interviewing potential deck contractors you can easily "weed out" the true experts from the ones who think this is a quick way to make a few bucks.  Experts in Deck refinishing and maintenance will NEVER recommend Behr or Olympic...EVER!  

Consumer Reports consistently rates Behr as a great stain, so why do contractors with true knowledge and expertise in the area of Deck Refinishing and Maintenance curl into the fetal position at the mention of Behr?  Consumer Reports tests their deck stain products in an accelerated test on one board.  They do not use real world testing.  Behrs Acrylic formula leads to chipping, peeling, cracking on decks, we have seen this occur often in decks that have been done in as little as a year ago.  Beyond the appearance problems of Behr, their formula is not good for wood. It smothers the wood not allowing it to adequately breathe.  Once it starts cracking, peeling and chipping it allows for moisture to seep in under the stain and into the wood with no way to dry out in a timely manor, leading to rotting.  

Once a consumer realizes the lack of quality they received with Behr, the process in order to remove the product is time consuming and can be expensive.  In order to remove most Behr finishes it often takes an extremely harsh paint stripper and/or extensive sanding.  After removing the finish, damage is sometimes discovered, resulting in having to replace joists, headers, floorboards and railings.  

The overall cost of using Behr, in the long run, is almost tragic!  We want all deck owners to have the best and we know that some people love to get out and stain their deck themselves.  Our professional advice to every deck owner is to steer clear of Behr and Olympic.  Choose an oil based Transparent or Semi-Transparent Stain.  We use TWP, which receives the highest ratings from professional deck contractors, and Armstrong Clark for Hardwood decks.  We also would recommend the use of Ready Seal (must purchase online) and Super Deck (Available at Ace and Kwal stores in Denver).

For Deck Stain Reviews by contractors in real world settings, please see the link below!

http://www.deckstainhelp.com/behr-premium-semi-transparent-wood-stain-review-2013/