Difference Between Oil And Water Based Deck Stain

To remove and clean oil based stains you will need mineral spirits and for acrylics you can clean your tools with water.
Difference between oil and water based deck stain. Oil based deck stains tend to work better in hot or cold extremes and with most woods. In the debate between oil based stains vs. Oil based stains will fade as they age and acrylic stains will chip away. They take longer to dry up to 48 hours which can be a real problem when you live in a humid or wet climate the resins used in oil based stains often contain materials that act as a food source for mold mildew and algae which can result in your deck turning black.
Water based stain products by contrast can usually be added over previous applications of water or oil based stains without unsightly smears or patches. A water based stain will also retain its color better than oil. The chart below is a quick reference comparing oil and water based stains. Water based stains if you are coating a wood that has a natural resistance to rotting a water based stain is the better option.
They are more breathable meaning they won t trap moisture which can cause a stain to fail. Oil based stains penetrate the wood and acrylic stains lay on top of the wood like a shell. How to tell if a stain is water based. As a result water based stains pollute less are less irritating to be around and are significantly easier to clean up after than oil based stains.
The ronseal decking oil is a solvent based product and the ronseal ultimate decking oil is a water based they will not be compatible and there will be adhesion problems and probably quite a patchy finish should you use one over the other. When choosing a stain to apply to your wood it is important to first identify the correct stain base. Some examples of this kind of wood are cedar cypress and redwood. Oil based stains will not last as long as water based stains.
Oil vs water based deck stain. As always comments are encouraged. Water based stains can be applied over oil wood that has been painted or stained before may repel oil based stain products leaving patchy areas where the color has not been absorbed fully. Read our article for information that sets the record straight when comparing water based stains with oil based stains.
Water based stains work well on woods that have natural oil or wood that has previously been stain with oil based products.