What is the BEST wood preservative for fencing?
Consumer Reports does comparisons on preservatives for fencing and decking. There are four basic types of materials on the market: Transparent, Semi-Transparent and Solid/Opague. Transparent products show all of the natural grain, but typically need to be applied yearly for full effectiveness. They repel water, but don’t protect well against the harmful UV rays of the sun. Semi-Transparent stains and treatments show some of the wood grain and protect against water, but they typically last a couple of years and offer your wood better protection against harmful UV rays. Solid treatments hide the wood grain, but last the longest and offer the best protection from moisture and UV rays. According to Consumer Reports, most transparent products will perform worse than most semi-transparent products which perform worse than most solid treatments and stains. I personally use semi-transparent products (Cabots is well rated). They perform well in tests and in real life in protecting your investme
