Last Updated on April 28, 2024 by Defy Help
2024 Update for Wet on Wet Application for Defy Exterior Wood and Deck Stains
Defy Deck Stains are applied wet on wet for most scenarios. We love hearing from our customers who have used the Defy Stains or have questions about the application. We appreciate your input, so feel free to leave a comment below and pictures of your completed projects if you have them.
Wet on Wet stain application consists of applying a coat of stain and then applying your second coat of stain while the first coat has not dried or cured completely. This process allows the application to be evenly applied while at the same time, over-application issues are minimized.
So how do you apply Defy Wood and Deck Stains “Wet on Wet”? This article will explain the simple steps taken to help you apply your Defy Stains properly.
Defy Stains Wet on Wet Application Help
- Make sure that the wood is properly prepped first. See here for Defy Prepping Instructions
- Start with railings first. Apply one coat of stain to all railings. Take care to protect the floor from any drips. After the first coat is applied, apply a light second coat to the top of the railings only. This should be done 20-120 minutes after the first coat is applied.
- Repeat Step 2 for any wood benches or other vertical structures.
- Once done with the verticals, apply one coat of the Defy Stain to the flooring and walking surfaces. Make sure to do the entire floor.
- Reapply a second light coat to the floor within 20-60 minutes of the first coat. it is okay to walk on your first coat of stain even though it has not dried completely. Take care to no step in your second coat of stain.
Defy Stain Tips for Wet on Wet Application
- Do not apply 2 coats to brand-new wood.
- Wear shoes that you do not care about getting stain on.
- Apply quickly to avoid overlaps.
- Only 1 coat is needed for the verticals while all horizontals should get the second coat
- Do not over-apply. Two light coats are best.
- Defy is a penetrating wood stain that works best by diving deep into the wood grain. Make sure to avoid “filming” the stain on the surface from excessive application.
- Defy Stains are best applied with a stain pad applicator, brush, or sprayer.
If You Need any Help, Please Ask Below!
I like the look of semi-transparent with sheen, which I gather is achieved by applying two coats of the Ultra semi-transparent stain. I have pressure-treated boards that were newly laid 9 months ago. I gather that “new” pressure-treated boards should not get two coats. But I’ve read advice stating that some, never-previously-stained, pressure-treated boards can at some point get two coats to achieve the sheen. I guess my question is, at what point is never-stained pressure-treated wood “old” enough to get two coats? Thanks!
About 1 year.
thank you!
When it comes to reapplying a semi-transparent stain down the road after having applied 2 coats of Ultra, will I need to actually re-sand the wood, given the sheen, or will the cleaner and brightener be sufficient as is apparently the case with the Extreme stain.
Clean and brighten for prep.
I have a deck that has new wood which has sat for 9 months. I appy a two coat wet coat. Do you recommend applying a third coat after it dries properly
No.
Does Defy Ultra takes longer to dry compared to Defy Extreme? The instructions for applying the 2nd coat for Defy Ultra stated a 1-2 hours wait time. For Defy Extreme, the recommended wait time is 30-60 minutes.
A little longer for the Ultra.
We have ordered the Defy clear stain to go over the washed and brightened PT deck both Defy brand. It seems that the brightener made the wood a lot lighter in color. Will the Defy clear stain bring back the original color
No, there is no color in the Clear. You need a tint like the Natural Pine to give it an enhanced appearance.
What is the sq.ft. wood coverage per gallon of Defy Extreme stains?
150-250 sq feet per gallon.
I applied the first coat last night not knowing that I had to apply the second coat immediately. Is there anything I can do to apply a second coat now?
No. You can wait until Spring and lightly clean and apply a coat then.
Hi. I want the satin finish. Should I use the Ultra Extreme, or can I achieve this with the Extreme 2 coats? Thanks
No, you cannot achieve a shine with the Defy Extreme. Having a shine will lead to peeling.
I can with the Ultra, correct?
Sure.
What is the best way to apply Defy to a 1.5 month old Redwood horizontal board fence? I’m in Northern California so it won’t rain for months (or years). How many coats? We’re going to use clear, Butternut, or Light Walnut semi transparent, after we apply some small samples to an inconspicuous area.
Two coats applied wet on wet is correcy. You can spray on your first can and then use a brush to apply the second coat and to make sure it is applied evenly.
Is it ok to mix the crystal clear with colors like pine or walnut for a lighter tone?
Yes.
Hello, if I treated fence ( treated pine ) with Thompson’s clear water proof what would be the best way to apply defy extreme? Can I use a pump sprayer? Also treated porches with Thompson , but much more. What difference will defy have that say an Armstrong Clark or stain and seal expert won’t have? Thanks
Strip and brighten for prep if the Thompsons is still beading water otherwise clean and then brighten. Defy is a penetrating water based stain that offers better UV and mildew resistance than its competitors.
Ok great … when using stripper should I use a brush and scrub each board? Also would it be ok to complete stripping over about a week, possibly between rain storms then brighten when completed? Thanks
Best to strip all at once and brighten the same day to avoid the chance of fuzzies. Apply stripper and then pressure wash off. You do not have to scrub.
Hello, I decided to clean fence with a cleaner and pressure washer and ended up getting the fuzzy on most fence boards( treated pine) any good ways to smooth out the boards and rid the fuzzy s ? Thanks
You would have o sand it.
I’m also curious, is there a difference in chemicals between defy stripper and others? Can I apply stripper with a pump sprayer ? Thanks
Not sure what the “others” are made of so no way to answer. It can be sprayed.
does my deck need to be completely dry to apply DEFY stain or can I apply it if it rained 12 hours ago?
Wait 48 hours after rain or prep.
We have a 3 year old cedar deck that was previously stained with another product that turned dark after several months. We have now cleaned, brightened it and have applied a light sanding. We will now be using the Defy Extreme semi transparent cedar tone stain. Would you recommend one coat or two ? Would the second coat make the final look a bit darker ? Thanks
Did you fully remove the prior coating? It does have to come off fully. Apply two light coats wet on wet.
Thanks for the quick reply. Yes, we did remove the prior coats completely. And the preference would be to use a stain pad or synthetic brush to apply ?
We like stain pads and brushes. Pads are a little better.
How many hours of no rain in the forecast do I need in order stain the deck so as not to take a chance of the rain impacting the applied stain? Thankd.
6-12 hours.
Can I mix clear coat and semi transparent together to lighten the semi transparent. I am going to use the redwood color semi transparent. Thanks
Yes, but you will reduce the UV protection roughly in half if a 50/50 mix.
how many coats do i need to apply to a new deck? its about 12 months
2 coats. Clean and brighten the wood for prep.
After new pressure treated deck wood has been cleaned and lightened, do I understand correctly we only apply one coat of stain? Must we use only large bristle type brushes?
Thank you
One coat is suggested for new wood. Use a stain pad or brush to apply. We prefer stain pads.
We just ordered our stain for our 2 yr old pressure treated deck that has never been stained. We should only put 1 coat??? What happens if we do 2?
You will need two coats for this.
Can you apply your solid stain on the deck with the carwash brush
No.
Planning on using Defy solid stain. Can’t find any videos on application of the solid stain, so don’t know how much thicker consistency to expect. I understand the need to prep, brighten, and wait at least 48 hours before staining, and maintaining wet edge while applying. Is the best tool for applying solid stain on deck floor, a brush or stain pad? I will be replacing some deck floor boards (pressure treated first), and railing tops (cedar). Based on this, I’ll plan on doing 1 coat on everything, with 2nd coat next year after cleaning…or are application rules different for solid stain? Also, is any other prep required next year for 2nd coat? And finally, should I restrict next year’s 2nd coat, for railings, only to the top horizontal surfaces? Thank you…
For proper coverage, you will need two coats this year. Use a roller and brush to apply the solid stain. You cannot stain the new wood for 3+ months of weathering so do all next year if the timing does not work this year.
Are the 2 coats for the solid stain still required to be wet on wet?
No, solid stain second coat has to be applied to a fully dry deck.
I have a new Cedar deck. From reading your help instructions, its sounds like I should first clean, then brighten and then apply a single coat of defy Extreme, with the brush (not pads or brushes) being the best tool to apply (just doing deck boards, railings are painted). Do I have that all correct? Any other prep/application tools I should have on hand?
See here about new wood: https://www.deckstain.com/prep-new-wood-for-defy-stains/
After wait and prep, apply one coat with a brush or a stain pad.
I have a 10 year old deck, that I stripped, sanded and brightened. I applied Defy extreme and have a couple of lighter areas that I noticed 10 hours later. Should I apply another coat over just those areas, the whole deck or wait 12 months clean, brighten and reapply stain?
Wait 9-12 months to clean, brighten and reapply stain.
I am staining a 10+ year old redwood deck that had severe stain buildup (oil based) . I sanded down to bare wood. What prep should I do and how may coats of semi- ?transparent stain should I apply
Use the Defy wood cleaner for prep. Stain with the Defy Extreme Stain.
Should I apply 1 or 2 coats ?
How fine of grit did you sand?
Used very coarse 36 Grit to remove old stain layers and then used 80 Grit to finish
Two coats wet on wet.
I’m in Northern CA and the weather is dry and hot. Can I stain in the morning when temps are in the 70’s when the afternoon temps will reach the 90’s ?
Yes, that is okay.
Reading the instructions on the Defy cleaner it says for redwood I must use brightner after on redwood. Is that really necessary ? I am staining with defy extreme Butternut.
Yes you have to brighten after the cleaner.
Why do you not apply 2 coats to new wood? And how long do you need it to be rain free after applying
New wood is not absorbent enough to have two coats fully soak into the wood. 12 hours after applying.
My boards have been down for 6 months. Is that enough time for 2 coats
No, only 1 coat.
I am applying the Gray deck stain to a friends deck. I had to sand and strip the old paint off before staying. We only bought three gallons which covered the deck with one coat but it needs a second. He reordered more stain but I won’t be able to do a wet on wet application. Any suggestions before I apply the second coat. It’s been three days since the first coat.
You cannot do a second coat once the first coat dries/cures. You will have to wait 9-12 months and then reprep.
Ok. Thanks.
We have an old pressure treated wood deck that had previously been stained grey. Most of it had peeled off and we replaced several of the boards last year. We have sanded the deck and would like to apply your extreme stain in grey. Previous stain was grey and there is still some grey color to some of the boards. Now that it is sanded (old and new wood). Should the brightener be used on the sanded wood? Since all the wood has been sanded down do I use 1 coat of stain, or 1 coat on new boards, 2 coats on old boards?
Clean and brighten for final prep. Just one coat to all wood.
I am confused by your wet on wet article. I have a new deck. Do I use 2 coats or 1 coat?
One coat for new wood:
I have a new pressure treated wood deck. Install finished 9/28. Took a week. Wood is stamped kiln dried. Weather dry. Deck exposed to sun. Deck boards have shrunk to about 1/8” gap between. Massachusetts has drought conditions. I bought 3 gallons of Defy Extreme light walnut. Wood seems ready to stain. Is it necessary to apply wood cleaner and Brightener? Wood is brand new. Also instructions say don’t apply two coats to new wood but same instructions then say apply 2 coats to all horizontals within about an hour of the first coat. Should I just lightly sand? Also contractor and building inspector recommend staining now before it gets colder. I’m confused by the conflicting advice. Can I stain this weekend? Weather appears perfect to do it.Thanks Mike
Yes, you have to clean and brighten for prep. Just one coat for new wood. Do not sand.
We have a ‘new’ cedar deck that was installed abut 10 months ago. Should we use one or two coats? Thanks, looking forward to seeing the results!
One coat: https://www.deckstain.com/prep-new-wood-for-defy-stains/
What do you mean to not apply 2 coats to ‘brand new’ wood? I will be applying to a few new replacements of vertical grain fir porch flooring. It is not pressure treated and has probably been sitting in the lumber yard for awhile.
Thanks
Does not matter if sitting in a lumber yard, it has to be built then exposed. Only one coat for new wood: https://www.deckstain.com/prep-new-wood-for-defy-stains/
Because I will be staining old exposed boards along with new wood, should I just stain them all with 1 coat and follow up with a second coat in 12-18 months?
Correct.
Does the semi-transparent stain lighten or darken with age? Thanks
Lightens.
What’s the difference between your semi-transparent Extreme and the Extreme 40? Do they both exhibit the same color and matte finish? Thanks
Different VOC compliancy.
I am planning to use a Paint Sprayer (Homeright Finish Max Super) to stain my deck. I’m aware I can use airless, but can I use HVLP Sprayers also?
Yes.
Thank You.
I have a grill gazebo and a natural gas grill on my upper deck, why couldn’t I work around those if it is ok to walk on 1st coat of stain?
I am going to use your product on a new redwood deck. I plan on waiting for it to totally cure. So next Spring. But I read in your literature to NOT apply to new wood. Please explain.
Next Spring is good: https://www.deckstain.com/prep-new-wood-for-defy-stains/
My pressure treated pine deck is approx 6 months old. Is this considered new? Do I need one or two coats?
One coat: https://www.deckstain.com/prep-new-wood-for-defy-stains/
Are you able to provide more detail on the recommended “brush” for applying your wet on wet method? What kind of brush is it exactly? It says a “car brush” but the youtube video seems to show more of a brush broom. Thanks
https://www.deckstain.com/deck-floor-staining-push-brush-detail.html
This product description states handle must be purchased separately. Can you confirm a push handle can be attached and do you offer it for order on your website?
Any threaded pole will work.
It has been over 2 weeks since I cleaned and brightened my cedar siding. I read here it is best to apply stain within 2 weeks. Can I reapply brightener and let dry a few days then apply stain or should I use cleaner then brighten again before staining? Or as a third option, just apply stain?
Thanks
Use the brightener and rinse well. Stain 48 hours later.
I recently put together a pre-fabricated and pre-stained Backyard Discovery cedar pergola. The manufacture’s stain is very thin with limited penetration and they stated the pergola should be sealed right away. Can I directly apply the Extreme stain to the manufacture’s stain and will it seal the cedar wood properly. Thank you
No, you cannot apply the Defy over the current stain. Nor can you seal over a deck stain. They are giving bad advice. You will need to strip it off first and then brighten the wood.
In regards to your answer the manufacturer stated this “This wood on our products are flash heated which dries the stain fast into only the first few layers. This allows you to re-stain or paint with a different color on top of the pre-stained wood, you can also use a water or oil based sealent on the pre-stained wood as well.”
What are your thoughts using the Extreme based on this additional information?
Thank you
It will not work. The previous coating has to be removed first.
I’m in the middle of staining my pine deck with butternut. I’ve been trying to protect the deck from drips, but I still ended up with some drips and patches of stain that I created by trying to fix the drips. I’m not a perfectionist and what I’ve done looks good to me so far. Should I sand the drips/patches of stain on boards before I coat them? I just want to make sure the board accepts the stain. Thank you! Really loving your products.
They should be fine as is.
We sanded off the old oil based sealer from my Cedar deck. 2 days later we applied the Defy Cedar tint stain, 2 coats, wet on wet. It did not dry evenly. The sales person at the hardware store said we could use a roller to apply the stain, but you can see areas where my son stopped and started again and areas where the stain went on thicker vs lighter. What do I do to give it an even look? Can I put a third coat on in early fall, 4 months from now? Will that even help?
No, yo even it out you will need to strip it off and start over.
What do you recommend to strip it?
Defy Stain Stripper and then the Defy Brightener.
As a precursor to ordering a sample/or quantity of Extreme semi-transparent stain, do you have a color cross reference of your Driftwood Gray to Olympic Cape Cod Gray or Valspar Cottage Gray, both semi-transparent? Application vertical cedar siding properly prepared.
My concern is getting a close match to existing as the entire job will span 2 summers.
Thanks for any help,
Jack
Sorry but no, we do not.
hello I have a a new pressure treated deck 16 by 34 by salt water marsh, I want to use extreme , one coat or 2 and how much will I need to order?
See here about new wood. https://www.deckstain.com/prep-new-wood-for-defy-stains/
As for the amount needed, we would need a total sq footage that includes all floors, steps, ratings, etc.
Can I strip and brighten the deck on one weekend, and then wait one to two weeks before applying stain?
sometimes the weather does not give us back to back good ,dry days.
Yes, but try to stain within 2 weeks of prep for pest results.
I am planning to strip and brighten prior to applying stain. I know I need to wait 48 hours after brightening prior to applying stain. If it rains during this time do I need to wait an additional 48 hours? If it rains between periods does it effect the stain should I just wait for a clear forecast?
Yes, if it rains, wait another 48 hours to dry before staining.
I have a 4 year old clear cedar fence prepped by sanding and cleaning and brightening. I’ve tried to read all that I could on your site but of course still have a couple of questions.
1) I plan to put on the “Natural Pine” stain because its slightly lighter in tone than the “Cedar Tone” and we really like the natural look of the wood. My question is, does the amount of pigment in the stain extend the life of the stain or the need to re-apply? If so, by how much?
2) The fence boards are are horizontal and very long and I’m worried about being able to apply “wet on wet” successfully over the whole length. Do you have advice on how best to do this and what tools would be best?
Thanks!
1. Not really. Darker colors may give slightly better UV protection but it will not extend the life of the stain.
2. Not really an option here. You have to do the entire board length while always keeping a wet edge. Use stain pads for the floors.
20 y/o redwood deck. Previous solid stain product placed 3 yrs ago. Deck sanded to bare wood 1 month ago. Significant weather including rain and wind since. What preparation is needed prior to staining with Defy Extreme transparent Cedar Tone
Defy wood cleaner followed by the Defy wood Brightener is the correct prep.
We cleaned and brightened our deck two weeks ago and stained it last week Saturday, all with Defy products and per directions. The deck was ten years old and had never had anything done to it. The stain is still sticky, 6 days later. What do we need to do?
We have never heard of this happening. Did you have a previous stain on the wood? Feel free to post a picture.
There was no previous stain on the wood.
It is a fully curing stain. Meaning it does dry fully so it may need more time. How many coats did you apply and if two, if you apply it wet on wet?
We applied two coats, wet on wet.
Hi. After cleaning and brightening our 10 yr old deck, per Defy instructions and using Defy products, we applied a coat of stain yesterday evening. We ran out of light and only got a second coat on the top rails (horizontal surface) but not on the floor boards. Can I put a second coat on the floor today? It’s been about 12-14 hrs since the first coat was applied. Temps have ranged 60-75 with low humidity. Thanks!
No, best not to do it now as second coats need to go on wet on wet, before the first coat cures. It would be better to leave as is and lightly recoat in the Spring as it will be more absorbent than.
Do I use one coat or wet on wet 2 coats on a ten month old cedar fence that has been prepped with Defy Wood Cleaner and Wood Brightener?
Yes, that is correct. Two light coats.
Do I need A high pressure washer to clean the stain remover, or will a hose nozzle be sufficient to clean the deck?
Use a pressure washer.
We stained our deck but ran out of daylight. Some areas need a second coat. It has sat overnight. Can we still add a coat if no longer wet.
Sorry but no, once it starts to cure it will repel a second coat. Needs to be wet on wet. Best to let it weather for 3-5 months, lightly wash off dirt, and apply another coat then.
I read that Defy Redwood stain is very popular for redwood decks. Would it be ok to use on a treated pine deck? Thanks
Yes. It works for all exterior wood types.
Will it be ok to give just one coat using Defy Extreme Semi Transparent? Will it look ok, the guy doing this for us just wants to do one coat? What will happen just giving one coat, will it give complete coverage?
It will be fine unless the wood is old and very absorbent.