Customer Reviews for BEHR PREMIUM 8 oz. #SC-143 Harbor Gray Solid Color Waterproofing Exterior Wood Stain and Sealer Sample

We recently had our deck stained by a professional crew and while we like the color, it turned out more like a paint than a semi-transparent. We had just installed a new deck and fence at the beginning of the calendar year and were looking so forward to having it stained and ready to go. The one thing we told the contractor was that we wanted to be able to see grain through the stain, so he suggested the semi-transparent to still help give a little more protection from the full-day sun rather than a fully transparent stain. After he came to check the work of the crew, even he was shocked at how solid the semi-transparent stain looked. He said the crew followed the instructions on the label, but it looks like paint, not a stain. You can see the physical texture of the wood, but not the grain. We're just so disappointed given it's a brand-new deck and it's not at all what we wanted. We had even purchased several stain samples to try out before picking a color, so we felt pretty confident in our choice, only to be disappointed with the final product. Also, the deck is still very tacky, but we're only about 48 hours in and some of the review below say to give it 72 hours, so we'll see.

I used this on my deck one year ago and it is already peeling off. Terrible product!!!

Like another reviewer mentioned, when applied it is more of a cedar red than chocolate even after two coats, but I'm still very happy with it. It's odd that the color turns out that way because the dried stain on the bucket is definitely chocolate. Even so, I'd buy this again, really pleased

The photo of the "gallon" there is no volume shown on the bottom of the can. When you buy the product your informational sticker states it is a gallon but the can is only 116 fl.oz. which is only 90% of a gallon (128 fl.oz.). Therefore this is !0% more expensive than their advertised price and is pretty shady if you were to ask me. I call the company and was told the issue was getting passed to "higher-ups" and they will call me. I expect a call as much as I expect this stain to last 10yrs on a deck and 25yrs on a fence. Class action suit?

put a deck on, let it sit a year, waited for a breezy, sunny summer day to put stain on. Did 2 coats. One year later, peeling, wearing, need to do it again.

This stain looks great, but I didnt expect it to be such a solid color with two coatings. I'd recommend it but know you won't see much of the beauty of the wood grain with semi transparent.

Great coverage, amazing color

Blessings to whoever reads this post. May God continue protect you and all your friends and family. I ordered this item on line. It showed up on time and the product is awesome. I love the color and the aplication coats on well with a brush. I am refinishing my above ground jucuzzi. When finished I will gladly update the post with a before and after photo.

I bought it, brought it home, opened the can and was shocked about how orange it was. I thought it would mellow when it dried, it did but was still too bright. I went back and got russet to put over it and was much happier.

Covered a 18 year old deck beautifully ( pictures available )

Wish it was still carried in stores like it was last fall. Great neutral color.

Material has a thin consistency & is easy to apply. No need to dilute with water. Covers & handles very well. I applied two thin coats with a 3/4" roller to a new redwood fence with rather rough boards. I am very satisfied with the appearance of finished product [see photos]. I look forward to many years of protection from the elements. Attractive appearance is a bonus.

Love this product so much more than valspar. Did two thin coats about 2 hours apart and it worked great for coverage and ease of use. We used a sponge brush to get between the boards and a pad to do the surface. This was the easiest method while doing several boards at a time as this dries really fast. To avoid puddles and streaking, run the pad the entire length of the deck board before moving onto the next boards to achieve a uniform look. The Coffee color is just the right tone between brown and black. Finally, the first time it rained it beaded up great and protected the wood. Will need to see how it wears over the next years, but very satisfied so far.

If you just happen to be an artist and can tolerate the fussiness of this semintransparent stain, then buy it. Warning: You cannot use a brush. You MUST use a staining pad. Apply carefully and lightly. You will get overlap marks and streaks. It’s shocking how good and how horrible this product can make your deck look. One area will look perfect then another wil be a mess and you have to sand most of it off and reapply.

Nice coverage. I was pricey so I hope it lasts more than one season

This product has went above my expectations. 5 stars!

The color is exactly what I wanted. It ran through the sprayer fine. Dries fast, was able to apply second coat after two hours. The fence looks great.

We purchased this solid stain for a small privacy fence in our backyard and it is BEAUTIFUL! We also have a black aluminum fence and this ties everything in perfectly. The stain went on smooth and it only took us a 1/2 gallon for the project. REALLY LOVE IT! A very modern look.

I have fence with various install dates. This works great, looks great and covers well

So far, so good. It has been on my deck for a few weeks now. The recommended applicator did not work as well as I hoped, but the stain looks great.

Easy application and beautiful color. Three coats made our deck perfectly waterproof. Rain beads up on it now, and we love the gray tone.

The sample swatch was beautiful as well as the color in the can. A nice grey. I am currently on day 3 of staining my 12x12 deck (spending 6-8 hours each day) because it goes on very light. Imagine painting with Elmer's glue. It's that light in color. I had to do heavier coats and will probably have to get a 2nd can to do a 2nd coat. I wished that I would have gotten the solid color of this.

I have a pine porch and steps that are pushing 10 years. “Painting” them have been on my late father’s “list” since we built them, but it was now or never. I did powerwash, then used Behr 63 cleaner (just to be safe, at least on the stairs). One word of caution: if you can, try to get an in store demo. I used 4 different screens, one of those packets from Behr I picked up last year from HD, and the colour was still very much lighter (and much redder) than I ever woud have expected. It’s more of a light, reddish brown than anything. Thankfully, instead of the compromise colour, it’s barely a shade off what my mother originally wanted (I wanted something very dark—along the Cordova family.) I will admit that while certainly nowhere near Sable, I do like the end result. Just one big thing to note: whether it’s a roller or application pad, USE QUALITY!! You can get away with cheap brushes, buy definitely not a main applicator. Mine claimed to be and fell apart while using it on the covered porch, which had also been properly prepped, sanded in spots just in case, etc. It goes on very easy, clean up is easy, and let’s see if it lasts as long as it says. I’ve never had Behr fail me yet. (The Olympia garbage used on my back deck started to peel in less than 3 years.)

This product turned out great. Be patient you are going to need to use two coats. We also primed the surface which I think helped. Took a little over a month with many sessions of painting. Worth it! The color is very close to a piece of cedar wood.

Uniform stain mix. Limited to low need to stir.

Just stained our deck after using this same stain different color on my shed last year. Stuff goes on great with either a brush or airless sprayer. Used only one coat on both applications as a second coat was not necessary as it fills in porous spaces in the old wood. So far its very durable and looks awesome. Highly recommend for exterior staining projects

It has a slight orange tone that I didn't love at first but the overall end result was nice looking.

The product went on fairly smooth. It was mostly able to cover in 1 coat but the deck boards took 3 coats. It was hard to work fast enough before it started to dry which lead to some unevenness in the color.

The quality and consistency were not as expected. We were extremely disappointed in the final product. We were originally set out to purchase an alternative brand, however, the Home Depot associate highly recommended Behr, next time we will stay with what we know.

I would not reccomend anyone out this product down. It doesnt last close to 10 years in the sun. First go around i did everything right. Pressure washed, behr stripper. More power washing then sanded all the way down to bear wood. This didnt last 3 years till the stain pealed off and looked worse than when i had started