The Armstrong Clark Stain Photo Album
Armstrong Clark Wood Stains comes in 16 different color choices. Armstrong Clark penetrates into the wood grain while “enhancing” the natural color tones of your wood.
Very Important: We do not guarantee final colors due to age and species of the wood, and how wood is prepared, affects the final color of an applied stain. Please use an Armstrong Clark Sample can to test for color and absorption on your wood before beginning application. Please wait 48 to 72 hours after applying the sample before viewing for the final color.
Final Armstrong Clark color will vary based on:
- Type of Wood
- Age of Wood
- Prepping of Wood
- Application method
Any Questions on Armstrong Clark Colors? Ask in the Comments below.
Armstrong Clark Stain Photo Gallery
There are over 100 pictures of all Armstrong Clark stain colors. Descriptions of stain colors are below each picture.
Colors are listed in the same order as Color Chart.
If you have used the Armstrong Clark Stains, we would love to see your photos!
Please add them in the comment area below
I have a 30 year old fence that has probably not been treated in 10 years. It appears to be down to bare wood, no product. We pressure washed but did not use a cleaner. Can we put your semi transparent stain on it as it is and hope to get a few years before we need to replace it?
Yes, you can.😀
My cedar deck is 10 years old and was originally treated with Penofin and maintenance has always been Penofin. However, it is beautiful when first treated but doesn’t last and turns black. I stripped and brighten my deck and used Ready Seal, however, still after 3 weeks, it had color rub off. So after reviewing, it seems that it never really cures and this is a known problem. So, I stripped it off and brighten the deck and I am looking at using the Armstrong Clark Semi Transparent or Transparent. I am in Missouri with Cedar deck on the Northwest side of house. Also, I do have some fuzzies after washing, do I need to sand those off before applying your stain? Does Armstrong Clark have any color rub off? Should it be wiped after applying. My cedar is in good Shape as it’s been treated every 2 years. thanks.
Hello,
It does not rub off. Use the semi-transparent for better UV protection. Post pics of the fuzzies for advice.
Do not back wipe.
Amber transparent.
Here is a question why do some areas turn out looking so muddy compared to other?
That would be part of the wood grain itself, not the stain.
How soon can we put plants in large containers back on the deck after staining with Armstrong Stain?
1-2 days after.
Hi,
Can I use Armstrong semi-transparent or transparent on pressure treated wood? I live in Canada and we experience harsh winter months. What do you recommend?
Hi, yes you can use the AC stains on pressure treated wood, any color will work!
Hi- we live on the coast of North Carolina and I’ve just replaced all of the cedar shakes on our home. We are interested in your product. It seems like the one doing research that will most protect it and we’re struggling with a color. We don’t want any orange tones and we don’t want any blue tones. We would like a lighter color. What would you suggest?
Cedar in general is going to be orange or golden when stained as the wood color internally is that way. You can make it more red or brown but you cannot make it more neutral or tan.
The best would be to test some of the lighter color samples and see how they look on your wood:
https://www.armstrongclarkstain.com/samples
I have a cedar fence (smooth not rough sawn) and I put a clear wood protector on it 18 months ago. I loved that look, but the fence grayed quickly and I’m looking for something with UV protection that will last 2-3 years. Your transparent natural doesn’t have enough protection for that does it? That would be my choice in appearance…..
The semi cedar is more orange than I’d like. Do you know what kind of wood this Semi Amber is on? That might be the best balance of appearance and protection but the other amber pictures are darker than what I’m looking for.
You will need to strip off the clear sealer first. When it comes to UV resistance. the more pigment you have the better the UV resistance. Natural color is tinted but will fade the fastest. The Amber is on teak furniture.
I’m a contractor in New Jersey and I love your product.
Mahogany treads with Amber stain.
Looks great!
I ordered a sample of rustic brown and natural oak, thinking the rustic brown would be darker than natural oak. Once I placed the samples on the wood, it was the exact opposite. Natural oak is very dark and rustic brown is lighter with more of a red tint to it? I’m just confused as the natural oak is significantly darker than in the color chart (when compared to rustic brown). I guess this has to do with the type of wood I’m using?
Color always varies based on wood type and the age of the wood.
We have a pressure treated deck (southern pine I believe). The amber color is listed under hardwoods and softwoods on the AC website. The deck is about 8 months old and has been cleaned and powered washed.
Can amber be used on my deck?
Yes.
When you say not recommended higher elevation to what elevation do you refer? My home sits at 5778 feet above sea leve ( I live in Colorado)
You can use it there with no issues.
If you put a semi-solid stain (e.g., Expresso) on 20-year-old mahagony decking under a covered porch which has different exposure to sunlight, will it have the effect of giving consistent color across the deck? Thanks.
You cannot use a semi-solid color on a hardwood deck like Mahogany. Only use one of the 3 hardwood colors. Amber, Mahogany, or Black Walnut
Perfect. Thanks!
What stain colors would be more gray brown. Have tried amber, cedar, mountain cedar, and walnut. All except walnut very yellow orange on cedar. Walnut darker than hoping for.
We do not have any colors that are gray brown. Rustic Brown and Natural Oak are more brown colors.
I want to PRESERVE a pressure treated pine deck, 5 years old. Will first sand off 3 year old latex semi-solid. I’d like blue or purple! but appearance comes second to durability and longevity. What product and prep do you recommend? Northwest Indiana.
Sorry but we do not have any blue or purple colors.
I know – that was a joke. Repeat query without colors.
Clean and brighten after the sanding. Any of the AC colors will work. Try a semi transparent or semi solid.
Replaced our deck a year ago and now this summer staining it.. very happy with the Armstrong stain. My grandson helped and got it done in one day. Thinking about adding a second coat to flat surfaces but very happy.😁
Hello! I purchased mountain cedar from you in 2015, I did a re application of the same product on the deck only (leftover) in 2019. This is a great product. I am looking now to change it up, it is pressure treated material an honestly I am sick of looking at the terrible grain that it has. I am thinking espresso with doing a lighter color on the rails, a grey color but see you dont have anything and may go with a solid stain color for someting differnet on the rails. What do you recommend for prep on the deck? Would just a cleaning do as I am going darker, and maybe the rails.
Strip and brighten all is the correct way to prep here: https://www.armstrongclarkstain.com/restore-a-deck-stripper
can you only guy through the internet?
do you send sample colors
I have a new deck live in northern Illinois and have all day sun on 85% of deck
We sell online only. You can get samples here: https://www.armstrongclarkstain.com/samples
We live in Central Indiana and have a new deck made of pressure-treated wood. It receives 8-10 hours of direct sunlight during the day. Our main concern is to protect the wood from UV damage. A contractor who works with your stains said, once they have properly prepped and applied a Semi-Transparent stain it will provide sufficient UV protection for at least 2-3 years. He said he prefers it to Semi-Solid because those can look patchy and tend to peel instead of just fade. Which can make for tougher reapplication when it is time to re-stain. Would love to know if Semi-Transparent will satisfy our objective in your opinion as well. Thanks!
Typcially the Semi-transparent colors will work for 2-3 years ona deck surface. Twice as long on vertical wood.
I’m looking to restain my old fence. I’m considering the black walnut and espresso. Which of the two has less red in it? I’m looking for a true dark brown. Also is the espresso semi transparent?
Neither have red in it. Espresso is darker and a semi solid.
Hi, considering a cedar deck that has been stripped with the restore-a-deck products, and plan on using the cleaner and brightener product before this years stain, what is the best recommended stain to keep the cedar’s natural colour and not yellow it any further? Thanks
Any color that you like will work. You might want to test some samples to see how it looks on your wood: https://www.armstrongclarkstain.com/samples
I’m back, thank you for your reply. I’d love to order samples, but we are in Canada and with shipping and timing schedules, we don’t have time to go through that specific process. Thanks for your time, you guys are a priceless resource. I’m not sure if anyone else has had this problem but I can’t seem to attach photos of our current decks state and what we’re looking for, does it have to be a certain format besides jpeg? Apologies
.jpg, .pdng, .gif will work but you may need to lower the resolution of your photo.
Hello, apologies in advance again.. no matter what size and resolution I try it will not allow me to drag/attach photos onto here. Is there any chance I can email them instead?
Are you clicking the attachment icon in the bottom right corner of the comment box? If you are, then you might want to check your computer or browser settings because something on your end blocking it.
BTW, why are you sending pics? We would only need to see them for prep advice. Showing your wood will not help determine the final color when stained. Only actual samples applied will do this.
I didn’t have that option and had to switch browsers all together. Yes for prep advice and possibly not having to take all this time for samples then ordering the actual product since we live in Canada. We are looking for that colour tone below so if we can get it close with your recommendation we are happy to order and skip the sample step.
Use the RAD Cleaner and Brightener Kit for prep.
https://www.armstrongclarkstain.com/restore-a-deck-kit
As for the stain, you cannot match that pic as the wood type is different then your cedar. The closest would be Cedar Tone or Natural Tone.
Thank you very much
From the images above it’s hard to tell the difference between Transparent Natural and Transparent Cedar. I assume TC has a red tint to it and TN is more clear? Thank you!!
Colors vary based on your wood tye and age. The Cedar has a little more orange to it than the Natural.
It’s time to clean and stain my pressure treated wood deck. (Last done 2 years ago) I love your product and have been using it for years. I have used semi transparent cedar in the past but now considering using transparent natural. I will use your restore a deck first. Would transparent work over semi transparent (deck quite faded now)
No, you will need to use the Stripper and Brightener kit if you want to switch.
Hi, I have a western red cedar ceiling with armstrong clark natural transparent on it. It darkened the cedar more than i was expecting. Can that be lightened in some way?
Sorry but no, you cannot lighten the stain color outside of removing it.
Which armstrong clark stain is more brown and does not have red in it? mountain cedar or woodland brown… I cannot remember which stain I bought about three years ago. I believe it was mountain cedar… ? Thanks so much. You don’t keep purchase info from three years ago by any chance?
You bought Mtn Cedar in 2019.
Thank you so much! I assume it was the Mt Cedar semi-solid … was Mt Cedar ever available in a semi transparent! Learned a lesson to take pics of my paint cans and not rely on my memory! Thanks again!
Mtn Cedar has only ever come in a semi-solid.
Forgot to post my photos…sorry!! Again…I live in NH an am planning to re-stain my small mahogany deck, which is completely weathered. I am attaching some photos of a small section of board when it was new (all the same piece of board, but looks different in different lighting). Which color of the hardwood colors would be the closest? Amber looks too light, Mahogany looks too red, and Black Walnut looks too dark, but closer than the other two. Which would you recommend I use? Thank you.
Use Amber. Make sure to prep well.
I live in NH an am planning to re-stain my small mahogany deck, which is completely weathered. I am attaching some photos of a small section of board when it was new (all the same piece of board, but looks different in different lighting). Which color of the hardwood colors would be the closest? Amber looks too light, Mahogany looks too red, and Black Walnut looks too dark, but closer than the other two. Which would you recommend I use? Thank you.
A picture of the upper portion after aanother contractor claimed to have used Armstrong Clark semi trans. As you can see it now looks like a solid color stain or paint.
Looks like a solid opaque stain which means it cannot be stripped. You will need to power sand this to get it all off.
Agreed thanks.
Our original work on the lower flooring portion.
I have a real problem. I am a licensed general contractor in Colorado as well as owning a painting company for 30 years. I have done many decks over the years. Back in June and July I repaired and completely stripped and restained a 20 yr old pressure treated pine wood deck for my mother and father-in-law in Pennsylvania. The deck was originally Armstrong Clark Driftwood semi-transparent on all flooring and railings. We ordered 5 gallons of cedar and 5 gallons of driftwood semi-transparent from you for the finish coats. Needless to say it turned out amazing. Approximately a month later another company came out and pressure washed a retractable awning covering the upper portion of the deck without protecting it. Whatever product they used to remove the algae either had bleach in it or something that completely discolored the cedar flooring portion of the deck with a chemical reaction. The owner insisted on fixing it claiming he knew what he was doing. He had one of his workers lately sand that upper damaged portion and supposedly restained with Armstrong Clark cedar semi-trans. I question whether he used Armstrong Clark as that portion he tried to fix looks like solid color stain or even paint. He now insists on redoing that portion by stripping it but we’re not having anything to do with him again. I would like to strip his existing finish and restain again to match ours. Would you recommend using the stripper brightener kit or do you give pause after looking at these pictures?The solution isn’t fun and a lot of work but I want to proceed correctly. I am including pictures of the damaged portion of the deck, another picture of our original work our work on the bottom flooring portion and a third picture of his final product that looks like a solid color stain. Thank you for your time and a great product.
Is the wood stain also a sealer?
Yes.
The picture of the sample off semi solid Mountain Cedar looks much darker than all the photos of Mointain Cedar in the album which look like a lighter natural color. Will a semi solid cover small rust marks around screws? Deck is only a year old but deck brush when prepping deck apparently removed coating despite a warranty. I’m told I got a bad batch. So can no longer use semi-transparent. Perimeter is painted brown want a two tone with lighter top. Amber semi-solid looks light in some pictures as well. Am hoping I don’t have to use a solid stain now that will peel and I’m running out of warm weather in Northeast. Been impossible finding 4 days without rain. Completed prep can’t stain until no rain. Thanks
No, a semi-solid will not cover rust marks. You will need a solid stain to cover it or you can try and find a dark brown semi-transparent or semi-solid that could blend with the black rust marks to some degree.
Please post your pics in one gallery spot. This is brutal. All I want to see is some semi-solid decks and I can’t find any. Please make this easier!
There are over 100 pictures of all Armstrong Clark stain colors. Descriptions of stain colors are below each picture.
Colors are listed in same order as Color Chart.
Any picture of sequoia semi solid?
Yes, there are about 6-8 pics in the album, towards the end.
How do I know if I should use the Clean and brighten or the strip and brighten as prep work. Our deck is about 7 years old and was stained once previously. I can’t remember if it was your product or another.
Post some pics here.
I purchased the semi transparent rustic brown.
what’s the best applicator for a large deck.
Deck stain pads for or brushes.
I purchased a house with a pt wood deck. The previous owner sanded deck. From the pictures attached can u suggest next steps? Would like to use rustic brown semi- transparent stain. Thanks
Prep with the Restore A Deck Cleaner and Brightener Kit and then you can stain with the Rustic Brown.
Thank you
I need a quart sized container for some replacement boards on my deck. Do you sell that size?
We do not. Gallon is smallest.
As a furniture restorer, I have had a lot of experience with staining, including deck staining. I have tried many stain formulas and by far Armstrong surpasses in consistency, durability and color. I have a 30 year old, large pressure treated deck. After two separate applications of solid oil stain to hide the previous owners stain color, I had had it with the constant mildew, chipping, scraping, etc. I considered demolishing the deck and installing Trex, but frankly, I love “real” wood. So, I figured I would try one more time to bring this deck back to life with a little structural alteration, glass-blasting, cleaning with Armstrong cleaner and staining. I couldn’t believe the final product. I highly recommend the cleaner and brightener (don’t skip-its an easy process) as despite the results after blasting, the cleaner/brightener made it look like new wood. I combined (50/50) of Driftwood (semi) and Rustic brown (semi) to come up with a color that resembled a pergola already in place. The result was a very natural aged barn look. I also highly recommend mixing a combined color several times during the application process so it stays consistent. I can’t recommend this stain enough! Thank you
Don’t forget to enter our contest: https://www.armstrongclarkstain.com/articles/190-armstrong-clark-2022-contest-win-cash
Before photos:
What about the use of patio rugs. After staining, when is it okay to put them down?
When fully dry. 24-48 hours should be okay.
Rustic brown deck. Turned out beautifully!
I put new kiln fired floor decking. The railing are old they have cabot Australian timber oil jarrah brown. Last year I covered de king with transparent cedar tone. Color was off. I cleaned ( not stripped)and brighten using your product. I want to re stain using semi trans. Chestnut.
Please reply back with some pictures so we can see your prep.
We are very happy with the result of the stain – semi transparent chestnut – on our deck. We applied just one coat as instructed. Color initially was a bit darker but after a few days I think it finally set.
I currently have water based a semi- Solid from Sherwin Williams on deck. We have pressure washed the entire deck. I have also used an orbital sander with 60 paper on the entire deck. I am afraid to use any cleaners on the deck because we have an asphalt driveway , and I have older plants all the way around the deck. I am afraid a cleaner or brightener will harm them. Can I use AC Semi Solid Oil with the prep work I have already done?
Post pics of your prep.
Here are the pics of the prep work.
You still have old stain that has not been removed. Best to strip and brighten with the RAD stripper kit with both additives while pressure washing.
We have aged cedar shingles. All the colors the contractor provided have a lot of red. What are our options. The previous stain is TPW Cedar it looks more brown.
They are recommending an oil base stain.
The color options are above in the color chart. You will need to strip off the TWP first. Then you can use any color that you like.
Are semi transparent natural oak and hardwood amber close in color on pressure treated lumber? We’ve used (and liked) the amber before, but understand the semi transparent lasts longer. Any advise?
Amber has the same UV protection as any of the other semi-transparent colors.
How will your semi-transparent stain hold up on Iron wood?
For hardwoods, you will need one of the hardwood colors: https://www.armstrongclarkstain.com/wood-and-decking-stains/hardwood-and-ipe-stain
It is normal to have to prep and redo exotic hardwoods like Ironwood annually.
I have a redwood deck and I am trying to achieve this look. Which stain color will be the closest match? Thank you!
Look at Amber color.
Thank you! Ordered a sample.
My 750 sq ft PT deck was built about 12-14 years ago, and been stained most recently with TWP semi-transparent Dark Oak. The wood is in good condition, and was last stained 5+ years ago. I’m planning to stain it with AC semi-solid Mountain Cedar or Woodlawn Brown.
Can you offer any advice or suggestions?
Prep with this kit and then you can use the Armstrong Clark Stain: https://www.armstrongclarkstain.com/restore-a-deck-stripper