Here is how our Defy Color Sample Program works:
- Pick as many Defy Stain Colors as you would like by placing a check next to each then click “Add to Cart”. Color swatches at bottom of the page.
- All samples cost $10 each to ship. The sample size volume is roughly 1 oz. Which is enough to test for color on your wood.
- Once you decide to purchase a stain from our site, you can use the money you spent on the shipping towards the purchase of a 5 Gallon Pail of Stain!
- Maximum $15 discount per customer. Instructions on how to get a credit will be included with your samples.
- Cedar Tone, Natural Pine, and Light Walnut are the same for Defy Extreme, Epoxy, and Hardwood stain versions.
*Sample program cannot be combined with any promotional discount coupons!
How To Claim Sample Credit
- Enter your sample order number into the “Comment Area” during checkout. The sample credit will be issued after the order for the 5-gallon pail is placed. Typically the next business day and will post to your Credit card or Pay Pal account within 3-8 business days.
Defy Stain Color Samples
*All 7 colors are available in Extreme Wood Stain.
*Cedartone, Light Walnut, and Natural Pine only for Defy Hardwood Stain and Defy Marine Stain.
How much stain required for 80 x 20 foot deck. One coat extreme.
Thx Rich
About 10 gallons for 1 coat on 1600 sq feet. If you have railings and steps, you will need to add that square footage to the total.
Hello.. do you know when light walnut will be back in stock?
Light Walnut is in stock. Did you see a message on the site saying it was out of stock?
Your hardwood stains are too light. Way to light. Cannot use. I notice Butternut is the darkest. Can it be used on Mahogany and how much better in comparison is the dedicated hardwood stains ?
Yes, you can use it on hardwoods.
We’re staining a western red cedar fence – dried the wood for a year and the boards have just gone up. I want to test this stain but I don’t have the cleaner or brightener.
– Is there an at-home alternative so we can see the accurate stain color? Or do you offer samples of the cleaning products? Would be nice to include these with the stain sample.
– How do you pressure wash the fence without damaging the wood?
– Do the stain samples go bad? (ours is about a year old, unopened) Thanks!
-Sorry, but we do not have samples of prep products and there are no alternatives.
-Use 1600 or less PSI while using the Defy Deck Cleaner
-No, they should be fine.
I have two questions.
1. I received the samples in those small plastic tubes. What is the best procedure to get the sample from the sealed plastic tube packet onto the wood and how big of an area should each sample cover? (i.e. square inches)
2. I have a pinkish tone new redwood fence and trying to tone it down (less pink/red and more brownish) and not turn it orange. Any recommendation on which color might work the best for that would be appreciated. I did not order the darkest brown sample (butternut) but have cedar tone, natural pin and light walnut to try on a spare piece of wood and will do that. I though Butternut would be too dark and redwood too red so did not order those samples but maybe I should have.
1. Cut or tear ends and apply to wood. Coverage varies on porosity but you will get enough to see what it ook like on your wood.2. No way to guess as it depends on your wood for the final color. You will have to test the colors.
Do your colors change depending on the wood used? In other words what will butternut look like on redwood vs cedar??
The final color varies based on wood type, how you prep, and the age of the wood. The only way to know the final color is to test samples.
Are sample pints available for sampling?
The samples above are small 1-2 oz tubes. We do not have pints.
I have a small project. Do you sell it by the quart?
We do not.
which is darker, butternut or walnut? wondering how to mix with cedartone to take a bit of the orange out without making the stain dark….we would go with clear or natural but don’t want to reapply every year! 🙂
Butternut is darker.
Hello, New redwood deck can a gray or cedar color be used or does the color have to match the wood’s?
You can use any color you want but always test first so you can see how it looks on your wood: https://www.deckstain.com/defy-stain-samples.html/
See here about new wood as well: https://www.defystainhelp.com/prep-new-wood-for-defy-stains/
do you sell a stain that is not semi-transparent? does the semi transparent look more like a solid stain? when ordering 2 samples, do I get the money applied to a 5 gallon container?
As we mentioned we only sell the semi-transparent stain. It does not look like a solid stain.
I was looking for a dark brown stain for my deck. so, which of the above stains would be close to a dark brown? I do not want a semi- transparent stain!
We only sell the Defy in semi-transparent colors. Butternut is the darkest brown.
How can I get a color chart?
We offer samples to test on your wood, not color charts. The reason being is that the colors will vary drastically based on wood type, age of wood, prep, and application.
do you sell Defy Extreme Solid Stain?
We do not.
Is it necessary to strip a Cabot wood toned deck and siding stain which is oil based when covering with Defy extreme solid color stain.
Thanks
Yes, that would be best.
The deck is 20 yes old. Only stained with “Silver Cedar” Benjamin Moore. Mostly worn off. Do I need to strip before stain?
thanks, Gary
Yes, remove all previous coatings.
Can this be applied to outside cedar columns
Yes it can.
Can this be used on composite decks
No, it is not designed for composite decking.
2 years ago I used Thompson clear sealer. Outside of power washing is there anything else I need to do before I apply the defy extreme
You will need to remove it. Use the Defy Stripper and then the Defy Brightener.
Oh and I did stain the right side of the fence but apparently the photo is too large to post here. One gallon stains about two and a half sections of fence. I’ve been using a hand pump sprayer.
I recently stained my deck and am working on the fence now. Doing this project myself (66 year old lady) because of the pandemic. The deck was a bear to do because of all the areas that had to be coated. The fence has been a breeze. I am using the water-based cedar stain and I think it looks great.
The deck closeup doesn’t look so great though. The stain is impossible to control and even though I started first thing in the morning when it was cool, the stain dried very quickly. There are runs and drips all over the place but I figure as long as the wood is protected I’m okay with the way it looks. Plus I live with my two dogs and they don’t care. Lol.
I started staining the fence in the shady areas and then ran out of stain. I am now on my third batch of stain at six gallons per order. I had no idea just how much stain the wood would suck up but it’s like a sponge. I haven’t even started staining the other side of the fence either. 🙁
Love the stain though!
Yours looks great. We just started staining our deck (24×24) last week with Light Walnut. It’s amazing how much work and time this takes. But the outcome is well worth it. Ours is drippy also. Suppose that is typical for stain.
How did you apply the stain to the deck, also using the pump sprayer? I’m about to apply the natural pine to my deck and plan to use a LPHV spray gun for the railings and a stain pad for the decking. Looks great in the pics!
I am redoing my pergola, do I need to use pressure treated wood or can I use pine with the defy extreme. My question is will the defy protect the pine adequately. also which color has the darkest red tint
You need Pressure Treated for outside wood.
I ordered samples and am broken-hearted because we need a dark stain to help hide imperfections and the Butternut appears too red. Light Walnut is too light. I had just stripped previous stain a few weeks ago and then washed and brightened the 11 year-old treated pine boards a day before I put the samples on. Will letting the boards dry out a bit/weather for a week change how it accepts the color? Can I apply more than 2 coats to get a darker result? Are your samples the same as the one’s I ordered? The second/darker Light Walnut picture has 3 coats of the sample, applied about 10 minutes apart. The other pics show 2 coats. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Sorry but no it is not possible to darken it and adding additional coats is a bad idea as the stain will not be able to fully penetrate into the wood. Never apply more than two coats. Letting the wood dry out longer will not change anything.
How long to get a sample to tampa florida
About 3 business days.
Colors for marine sealer, which has the most red color? Cedar or light walnut?
Light Walnut.
I appreciate your answer to my earlier question regarding the need to fully strip my deck of the residual ArborCoat. I wanted to ask a few more Qs. Our deck is pretty beat up after 30 years…it has a lot of raised grain on deck and railings. I plan on sanding deck to bring this down a bit, but a lot of open grain will remain.
– After getting the ArborCoat off, will your Defy Semi-Transparent provide good protection in this case?
– Any recommendations on better preparation?
– What is the procedure for refreshing Defy Semi-Transparent stain every 2 years or so?
– Does it need to be stripped off each time? Or, can we simply over coat it?
Thanks again,
Tom
-Yes.
-No, not really.
-Clean and then recoat. Use the Defy Wood Cleaner.
-See above.
Thanks!!
Is it necessary to wipe deck stain with a cloth after applying?
No need.
A few Q’s. We did our deck about 4 years ago with Benjamin Moore oil-based Arborcoat. It actually held up pretty well, but all that is left now is the faded pigment. Do I need to completely strip the deck to go to Defy water-based semi-transparent Butternut stain? Do you know how long it takes to receive a shipment in New Jersey? Is that the same time for samples and then a 6 gallon order? Thanks!!
Yes, you would have to remove fully and that would require stripping and sanding. Shipping takes about 2-4 business days samples or gallon orders.
OK. Thanks!
We just had 80 ft of redwood privacy fence built in our backyard, oil over water based? Closest color stain to keep it’s beautiful color? Please help all new to me
Defy only comes in water-based. Natural Pine is the lightest tinted color.
I am a taskrabbit Elite tasker. A client hired me to stain some chairs for them, and they used your water-based extreme product. It went on like a charm, and I used less product than anticipated. your formulation is awesome. Thank you.
Alan Chenkin
I recently used your semi transparent butternut stain on boat dock in Lake Murray, SC. I did not realize that as soon as I applied the stain to the deck. the hot sun baked the first coat on and I was not able to attain the same shade throughout my project. Lesson learned. I was wondering if you would recommend me sanding the light areas of my project and re-stain in cooler temperatures to allow the stain to soak into wood for desired shade. Please help! Any advice you may have. Thank you Gus Soto
Unfotnauly you cannot spot treat this and have it all blend. Best would be to just leave it as is for now. More than likely the color will even out. You can lightly clean and reapply another coat in the Spring of next year as well.
House was previously stain with Cabot clear solution oil formula. We have cleaned removed oxidized stain. Can we now switch to your Water based Defy semi transparent?
Did you remove all of the Cabot down to the bare wood? If so, then yes, you should be okay to stain now.
We recently purchased our home. I have sanded our pine pergola that is 10+ years old and does not appear to have had a stain ever put on it. Interested in using your product but have noticed numerous carpenter bee holes. We plan to fill these before staining. Can you advise whether the stain will cover the plugs and deter future bees.
Wood filler will not work on exterior wood. It will not “stain” to blend with a deck stain nor will it perform correctly. It will look very unsightly. Best to leave as is or try the blend the stain with a caulk that is close in color after you apply the Defy.
The butternut stain isn’t available in your water based stain/sealer?
Yes in the Defy Extreme version.
Do you have samples of the solid stain?
We do not.
We live in north FL (lots of sun and humidity) and have built a pergola out of milled cypress. What is the best stain to apply for maximum UV protection?
The Defy Extreme.
I purchased TWP 1511 Cal Redwood previously from you, but would like to switch to Defy Extreme. Which color would come closest to this?
FYI, you must remove the TWP first before using the Defy Extreme. There is not a color that will match the 1511. Closest will be the Light Walnut but that will be a little richer in tone.
I am from Toronto Canada. I am planning to install a new ceder pergola. Can I stain the wood before installation? Which of your product is best for new wood?
Use the Defy Hardwood stain for cedar. It cannot be pre-stained. It will need to weather outside for a few months and then cleaned and brightened for the initial prep.
My deck is 5 years old. I used a compound “One Time Wood”. The finish is failing, can I use Defy products over the One Time Wood.
No. You will have to strip off the OneTime first and then brighten the wood.
Hello-we have added a frame construction addition to our log home that will have log siding (pine) to replicate the true logs in the main house that is stained with Teton Bronze in 2001. We are trying to have the two structures match as closely as possible. Can you recommend a color that would come close to a (now darkened/exposed/periodically re-stained) Teton Bronze? Many, many thanks for your help.-Beth
Hello, sorry but it is not possible to match new wood to old wood exactly. Best to use the Teton Bronze again as there is not a way to replicate an “aged” look.
We have ordered samples of TWP and Armstrong oil base from you in the gray colors. But now I think we have decided to use a water base stain, due to drying time. Is the Defy Extreme Driftwood Gray darker then the Armstrong Driftwood.
No, not darker. About the same.
Which stain product has the darkest gray color in the semi- transparent? We will be using on tongue and groove pine, on a roofed porch and exposed stairs. Thank you in advance for any help.
Patty,
Spencer WV
Only the Defy Extreme comes in a gray color and it is not a dark gray but a lighter Driftwood Gray.
In the photo of your color samples the wood used appears to be a light colored pine. But, won’t these colors appear different on much darker woods such as ipe or mahogany? Can you supply photos of your stains on darker woods? Thanks – Jon
We do not have photos for all wood types and yes colors will always vary based on the wood type and age. This is why we supply the samples for testing on your wood.
Its PT yellow pine. I ordered a sample.
Is Butternut your darkest brown color?
Yes, that is the darkest brown color.
I want to order a sample of Hardwood stain, are your samples for hardwood and Extreme and will it look the same on redwood?
The samples are the same colors for the Hardwood and the Extreme.
My mother is looking for a medium brown. Would you consider your light walnut a medium brown? She doesn’t want orange or dark brown colors. TIA
Light Walnut is a brown with a hint of red. Butternut is a dark brown.
Need stain for Douglas fir arbor, redwood fence and cedar. All wood is new and unfinished. Southern California. Arbor is mostly in the shade. Redwood fence is in sun and shade and cedar is in full sun. Are there retail stores in Los Angeles or Santa Monica?
Hello, we sell direct from our website to your door. See this about new wood: https://www.defystainhelp.com/prep-new-wood-for-defy-stains/
[quote name=”Donna King”]You kindly sent samples for our deck/porch project, but the Butternut and Light Walnut were both redder in cast than I expected from the picture. Our brick is brown/gray; is the natural pine more a true light brown, without the red? Thank you![/quote]
The Natural Pine is a Golden color.
You kindly sent samples for our deck/porch project, but the Butternut and Light Walnut were both redder in cast than I expected from the picture. Our brick is brown/gray; is the natural pine more a true light brown, without the red? Thank you!
[quote name=”Adele Boyle”]We have a new pine pressure treated deck and screen porch. We live in NC. We need to stain before sceening. It is on average 85-90° each day. Would like to keep it as natural as possible. How many coats? Us pine color better than clear? Adele Boyle[/quote]
Hello, you cannot prestain. The wood needs to weather and be prepped. See this for more info:
https://www.defystainhelp.com/prep-new-wood-for-defy-stains/
We have a new pine pressure treated deck and screen porch. We live in NC. We need to stain before sceening. It is on average 85-90° each day. Would like to keep it as natural as possible. How many coats? Us pine color better than clear? Adele Boyle