If you want to know what are the best deck sealers in 2023, then this guide will show you everything you need to know…

Let’s get into it…

Before I show you the better deck sealers on the market, let me explain a little about deck sealers so you know you’re actually looking at the right product…

What you need to know about deck sealers…

Deck sealers are clear coatings that you put on your deck…

That’s the whole idea behind deck sealers…

They’re clear…

Technically, a deck stain or an oil is also a sealer but they have a pigment or tone in them to alter the colour of your decking…

When we talk about deck sealers, we’re referring to the clear or transparent coatings

They have no pigment, dyes or stains in them…

Make sense?

Great, let’s keep the ball rolling…

The problem with deck sealers…

One major problem with a deck sealer is that it gives your deck no protection from the sun’s UV rays…

Here’s the thing…

Dye, pigments and stains are what gives your decking protection from the sun…

So a clear deck sealer won’t give you that protection

You’ll coat your deck with the clear sealer and the colour will be deep and vibrant…

If you want to know what this colour will look like, wet your deck and that’s pretty much what your deck will look like with a clear deck sealer…

The thing is, after a few months of being blasted by the sun’s UV rays, the colour will fade and your deck will turn grey…

As you could imagine, this could be a little bit of a let down if you have a beautiful, deep and rich coloured decking for it to fade and grey off in a few months…

Doesn’t sound right does it??

So why would anybody in their right mind apply a deck sealer to their decking?

Great question, I’m glad you asked…

It leads nicely into our next section… 

The benefits of using a deck sealer…

There are a few cases where a deck sealer is the best option…

You see, there’s a trend in the decking world that some people are unaware of…

There’s actually a very large group of people who really love that natural “grey look” to their deck instead of having a vibrant colour…

It’s a whole vibe…

The thing is, the way to get this grey look is to expose your deck to the sun…

The UV rays fade the colour and turn your deck grey…

It looks like this…

Now the problem with letting your deck grey off like this is that it’s exposed to the weather and that’s when bad things start to happen…

Your deck boards can start to warp and split…

Mould and fungus will start to attack your timber and cause it to rot and fall apart…

This is what a grey deck looks like when it sits in the weather unprotected…

You see, this situation I’ve just described is where clear deck sealers shine…

A clear decking sealer will give your decking protection against the rain, mould and fungus without altering the colour of your deck…

And because it’s clear, it allows the UV to grey your deck off so you get that grey look without the harsh damage to your timber…

So if you are after that natural grey look, a clear deck sealer is the best option for you…

Now with that said…

There’s another type of clear deck sealer that you need to be aware of…

There’s actually clear deck sealers on the market that will also give you UV protection and stop the grey damage that occurs from being exposed to the sun…

Amazing, right?

A lot of people love that natural colour of their decking timber…

That’s why they chose it…

So if you wet your deck and you like the colour that it brings up, that’s pretty much what your deck will look like with a clear deck sealer…

And the last thing they want to do is alter the colour by using a decking stain…

They don’t want to lose that colour by letting their deck turn grey…

If you’re like this, a clear sealer that will bring up the actual colour of your deck and keep it that way is what you’re looking for…

And there’s actually a clear deck sealer that does this as well…

Now that you know all about deck sealers, let me show you a few of the best ones out there…

Defy Extreme Clear…

Defy Extreme Clear sealer is one of those deck sealers that also blocks out the UV rays…

They have some “wiz bang” nano technology that allows you to keep the natural colour of your deck whilst also protecting it from sun damage…

They do this by reflecting the UV rays away from the surface of your deck…

This is the best deck sealer if you DON’T want your deck to turn grey…

The thing is, you DO need to clean and recoat your deck every 12 months to keep it protected but that’s pretty standard…

So if you like the way your deck looks when it’s wet and you want to keep it that colour then this is the best deck sealer for you…

It’s only $55.50 for 1 gallon…

You can purchase it straight from the Defy website…

Just know that I haven’t seen the long term outcome from a product like this…

I don’t know if your deck will still turn grey or if it will keep its colour…

It will also depend on your maintenance plan…

If you let your decking go too long without recoating then it will definitely turn grey…

Any decking sealer you use will eventually break down and fail…

Even if the company claims that your deck will be protected from UV damage…

The key is to monitor your deck throughout the year and if you notice any change, it’s time to pressure wash it and recoat…

Take this next clear deck sealer for instance…

It offers water and UV protection but many professionals don’t like it because decks that have this clear sealer applied to it often turn grey within a few months…

Perhaps if you really want that “sun kissed” grey finish to your deck then you should check out this next product…

Thompson’s Clear Wood Sealer…

Based on reviews and reports from professional deck restorers, this deck sealer gets a bad rating because it allows your deck to turn grey…

So it may be bad at protecting your deck from UV damage but if you want the natural grey look, this could be the perfect deck sealer for you…

A deck sealer like this will give you protection from the rain and still allow your deck to turn grey…

It cost $43.59 for 1.2 gallons and you can get this one straight from Amazon…

Here’s how I’d use this product to get that grey deck you so desperately want…

Of course you need to clean and pressure wash your deck and wait for it to dry…

Then what you do is, apply one coat of the sealer and wait 2 days for it to dry properly…

Next you have to play the waiting game…

Give your deck a few months to turn grey…

Check it over the next 6 months…

Then once you’re happy with the grey colour, give your deck a clean and apply another coat of clear deck sealer…

But I wouldn’t go past 6 months before applying the second coat…

The manufacturer of this deck sealer recommends only one coat…

In my experience, one coat of deck sealer won’t last very long at all…

If you apply only one coat of a high quality deck stain, don’t be surprised when your deck fades in about 3 months…

Why would a clear deck sealer be any different?

Most companies say you’ll be protected for 2 to 3 years but in my experience, if your deck is subject to high foot traffic, cats, dogs, rowdy kids, extreme weather and all sorts of abuse, then you may only get 6 to 8 months before your coating wears off…

Trust me, I know what I’m talking about…

Any testing that the company did in their little factory didn’t include testing the level of abuse your family will bring to your decking…

I see it time and time again…

And the thing with a clear deck sealer is…

How can you tell if it’s still there?

It’s invisible!!

So clean and recoat every 6 to 12 months..

Capeesh?

Let’s move onto the next one…

Armstrong Clarke Transparent Wood Stain…

This next product isn’t actually a clear deck sealer…

It is a transparent stain…

Technically it seals and protects your decking so it is a sealer, but we call it a stain…

It does the same thing…

Well actually, this transparent stain actually does a little more than your everyday clear deck sealer…

You see, this stain by Armstrong Clarke will let all of your natural timber colour come through but it also has a slight colour tone in it so you get a little more UV protection than you would with a clear sealer…

It’s not as much protection as a solid deck stain or sealer but it will last longer than a clear…

So you should definitely check this sealer out…

They also have a pretty big colour range…

You can get that natural colour coming through and then just enhance it with a touch of a walnut or Jarrah red…

If you’re interested in a deck sealer like this where you can enhance the colour slightly and get a little more protection from the UV, then you can pick up some Armstrong Clarke Transparent Wood Stain for around $50 per gallon from this website here…

Just remember that the same rules apply for this sealer as it does to the clear sealers…

You need to clean and recoat at least every 12 months…

In some cases, even sooner than 12 months…

Just be aware of that…

Ok, let’s move onto our next deck sealer…

Cutek Extreme CD50…

Now this next deck sealer is one that I personally use on clients’ decks when they want that grey look to their deck…

Cuteck calls it the “Silver finish” which sounds kinda cool so I might go with that from now on…

The whole idea with this clear sealer is to actually let your deck grey off…

I mean, Silver off over time whilst protecting your timber from the rain…

You see, I’m from the land of OZ and this is one of the only clear deck sealers that stood the test of time…

Are they better than any of the others I’ve shown you already?

Not necessarily…

But they’re the best deck sealer for me because I can always get my hands on some whenever I need it…

I’ve used some others in the past that have been taken off the market the next time I try to find them…

The fact that the Cutek CD50 stayed while most others disappeared is enough for me to make them my go-to when it comes to clear sealers…

The cool thing with this Cuteck product is that you can add a colour tone to this sealer and enhance the appearance…

Which of course gives you that UV protection so your deck won’t turn silver…

Another cool thing is you can order a free sample so you can test it out before you commit to purchasing a whole bucket…

And then once you decide to purchase, you can pick up a litre for $50…

Another great thing about Cutek is that it’s really easy to find someone who stocks it …

Just go to the “Find a Stockist” section on their website and put it in your suburb…

They have thousands of companies who supply their deck sealer…

And that’s pretty important…

Just saying…

Moving on…

Now it’s time for you to choose the best deck sealer for you…

First decide what you want from a clear deck sealer…

Do you want your deck to go grey?

Then go with Thompson’s Wood Sealer…

Do you like the natural colour of your deck and want to keep it natural?

Then go with the Defy Clear wood with their wiz bang nano UV reflectors…

If you like the idea of enhancing your deckings natural colour by adding a little tonner to it, then pick up some of the Armstrong and Clarke sealer…

And finally, if you’re my neighbour and live Down Under, consider investing in the Cutek CD50 Clear…

If you decide that you don’t actually want a clear deck coating and you prefer a stain, then go with a deck stain instead…

Whichever you choose, remember to always test out a small section before you commit to your whole deck…

It’s much easier to remove a small section of sealer if you don’t like the way it looks…

Once you coat the whole deck, it’s too late to change it…

Well, there you have it…

4 of the best deck sealers on the market…

I hope I’ve helped you make a decision today…

If you have any questions, please leave me a comment below and I’ll do my best to answer any questions you have…

Best of luck…

Peace,

Jason…

FAQ’s