Simply Deck Care with Thompson's WaterSeal ~ Review & Giveaway

**The product for this review was provided by Thompson's WaterSeal. All opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way.

When we moved into our home a couple of years ago, we had several projects on our to-do list. We've had the opportunity to finish up many of our indoor projects, but very few outside. This summer we have made it a point to work on some of those things, with priority being given to our deck which has been in desperate need of some TLC for quite some time! Thanks to Thompson's WaterSeal, we were given the opportunity to do a complete deck makeover in just one day!

In the early 1980's, the Thompson's Company began marketing to homeowners who made Thompson's WaterSeal their number one choice for protection against water damage. The Thompson's WaterSeal brand remains the undisputed national leader in the exterior waterproofing category, in terms of market share, brand recognition and consumer trust. They have earned a well-deserved reputation as a leader in identifying industry trends and emerging technologies.

Upon visiting their website and learning more about the products they offer, I knew the new Thompson's WaterSeal Waterproofing Stain would be perfect for our deck project and I was thrilled to learn we were going to have the opportunity to review both their cleaner and waterproofing stain! 

The stain comes in five popular colors: Acorn Brown, Harvest God, Maple Brown, Sequoia Red and Woodland Cedar. Each color is available in three opacities: Transparent (most grain), Semi-Transparent (medium grain) and Solid (least grain). 

Our current deck was so weathered and dull looking, we really wanted to bring it back to life with a darker color like the Acorn Brown. However, we didn't want it to be too dark...so I really appreciated that there were different opacities to choose from. We decided to go with the Transparent and I'm so happy with our decision!!

When our case of stain and cleaner arrived, we were ready to get started the first day that the weather cooperated! 

We started out with the Thompson's WaterSeal Deck Cleaner and Brightener! This product is made to clean all wood types. It is made to help restore the natural color and beauty, removes stains and rust as well as dirt, mildew, algae and fungus stains.

I will admit, with as weathered and dirty as our deck looked, I wasn't sure how well this cleaner would work. However....the results amazed me! 

Before

To get started, we added the contents of a container to a plastic lawn and garden sprayer. We applied to no more than 5 boards at a time to maintain adequate surface wetness per the directions on the container. 

We then allowed the cleaner and brightener to remain on the wood for about 10 minutes without letting it completely dry. At that time we lightly scrubbed the surface with a deck washer broom which allowed us to scrub the deck and then thoroughly rinse it to remove all the residue. 

As we cleaned more and more of the deck I was continually amazed with how great it looked. There were a few stubborn stains that we needed to scrub again...but overall the process was quick and incredibly easy! I couldn't believe the difference this product made. It brought our dull and dirty deck to a whole new level. It was clean and brighter, just as the product is mean to do!

     

Of course, this wasn't the end to our deck makeover. We wanted to give it a whole new look with a coat of stain. And what better stain than a waterproofing stain with powerful protection?! 

This stain features increased durability for a better looking deck longer (our transparent stain is guaranteed for three years, the semi-transparent for four years and the solid stain for five years). It also saves time because of the pigment suspension technology. This keeps the color evenly dispersed in the container so there's no need to put the can on a paint shaker and no waiting when you buy it in the store! Customers can just grab and go and get started on their project!

We were super excited for this next step and were thrilled that the stain can be applied to damp wood. That mean that we could begin soon after cleaning the deck and get it all finished in one day!! This was very much appreciated considering most deck stains require a 48 hour wait between cleaning and staining.

Our deck is pretty small, so we decided to mix two of the cans in a bucket to assure color uniformity. My husband commented on how well he liked the packaging of the stain. Unlike round cans which can be messy, this square can was not messy, easy to close and easy to carry!

Once we had the stain ready to go, we began applying it using an applicator pad. We worked from the top to bottom of each board to ensure a uniform coverage and look. We were amazed with how easy and quick it was to apply! It went on easily and smoothly and with just one coat, the Thompson's WaterSeal Waterproof Stain took our deck from blah to beautiful! 

Within a couple of hours the deck was dry to the touch, and the next evening we began putting our deck furniture back on it! 

I am still amazed at the difference in the look of our deck. We enjoy spending time on it more and anyone who has seen it has only great things to say! I highly recommend Thompson's Waterseal to anyone looking for high quality products that are easy to use and offer fantastic results! We have some cleaner and stain leftover and already have plans to do our picnic table as well this summer!

If you have some projects to do outside this summer, check out Thompson's Waterseal. With Father's Day around the corner and warmer weather here, it's the perfect time to get outdoors and transform your outdoor living space, or even smaller items as well!

Buy It: The Thompson's WaterSeal products are available only at Home Depot. 

Win It: One very lucky reader is going to win a "deck care kit" like the one we received which will include 1 case of cleaner and 1 case of Thompson's WaterSeal brand new waterproofing stain (4 gallons of product in each case, value up to $140). 

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