Thompsons WaterSeal TH.A21711-16 Advanced Natural Wood Protector, gallon

I have used the regular Thompsons wood product on decks in the past and find it to have the best long term effectiveness for UV and wood preservation. Thompsons will not add the short term richness of an oil type product but after a year or two it will continue to keep the moisture out of the wood and preserve better in my experience. The Thompsons Advanced in this review was for a 4 year old dock on a lake in Minnesota that was part of a house purchase. The dock was a cedar wood dock that was looking very rough and had no previous treatment. I did much research as this is a big dock and I wanted to use the best product possible for the best long term results as the labor cost was more then the product cost and don’t want to redo this very often. My bother in law and nephew did the work. It started with a professional power wash and then a power sander on the troubled spots and bench. Then they applied the Thompsons with a roller and brushed it in. It is very easy to work with and although they say the wood can be damp we have given it time to dry well and had perfect dry weather to apply. The product says it is clear but it have a yellow/orange tint to it which I liked because it added a slight cedar wood looking color to the freshly pressure washed wood. Some reviews commented on it making for a slippery surface but this was not the case in my experience.(I wonder if they put on two coats that is not recommended in the instructions?). The dock looks beautiful and when it rains it totally beads up and does not absorb a drop of water. i gave it 4 stars on longevity because it has only been one year but if its like my past experience. With Thompsons I will go back and change it to 5 after a few years if it holds up well. I have a before and after picture of the dock, not the best pictures but I was to lazy to go take more. Everyone that see the dock comments on how nice it looks especially the ones that saw it before. I like the product wary much and feel confident that it will hold up well. Hope this help you. Jim

I love the way this came out on my new deck wood. The treatment out of the jug looks more like a fancy flavored coffee creamer than something that's clear. The application is a little like a giant decoupage project. You smooth this out to a thin coat and it dries nearly clear. It does make the wood a shade darker, but it looks really nice. It also adds a little bit of a sheen that I like too. I hope it holds up longer than a couple of years.I've completed my first half of the deck. I have work that's going to be done over the other half soon. Once that's done I'll finish the rest of my project. The product instructions said to treat right away on new wood. I waited a couple of weeks for it to stop raining for a few days in a row. I used a half gallon on the half that's been treated so I should be able to finish the rest with the remaining product that I have.

Applied to a 1 year old 10’ x 20’ deck with railings in August 2018. Took almost exactly 1 jug and lasted just around 20 months vs the advertised 24 months. However, I did not power wash it and I applied it on a hot sunny day, so I think I’m to blame for how long it lasted. It went on very easy with a cheap outdoor stain brush. In the first 12-18 months after application, water would bead so much that the water would remain on the deck long after everything else outside was dry. Getting ready to reapply now (May 2020) and I’m going to power wash it and apply during the shady part of the day. I’ve used other stains and paints in the past, and I like this for its ease of use, low cost, and performance.

Well it works like you'd expect it to. I painted it on 48 hours before it rained on a new playground, and the water beaded nicely. My only complaint is the yellow color when you're painting it on. It says in the directions not to let it thicken too much or pool in any areas, but this is almost impossible unless you have unlimited time and multiple paint brush sizes. I had left some areas a bit thicker thinking the yellow would turn clear. It did in fact turn clear. But then the rain brought the yellow back out in the extra thick areas, and it looked like streaks of yellow wood glue all over it. Luckily, I don't really care what it looks like when it's wet, and it turned clear after the rain dried out. I can't give them a bad rating for this entirely, because maybe the yellow is required due to the chemical makeup, but just be warned that you will have to thin it out as you paint it on, and you just have to be really careful, especially if this is a prized deck or furniture you're putting it on.

Was a bit uncertain as I had always use regular Thompson seal before, but am now a convert. Easy to apply, the yellow color shows where you have applied. Covers well. I bought 2 containers as i had a deck and an arbor to do. ( Used 11/2) The arbor has been done for many years and after power washing and sealing look like new again. Since finishing it has rained and am pleased to say the water beads well. How long it lasts i don't know as yet, but it will take a beating in the Texas summer so only time will tell

This works great. I used it on my old, weather-worn outdoor wooden stairs. It went on easily & smoothly & penetrated the cracks. The next day we had torrential downpour of rain & the water just beaded up on the stairs, as the product is supposed to do. The color is a little yellow going on, it leaves a slight honey color glaze but very pretty & natural-looking. A gallon goes a long way, I used on 2 sets of 4-step stairs with landings & railings.

This is a great product. I had been using a different more expensive deck treatment that was supposed to protect for several years and lasted only one. I was afraid I was going to need a new deck soon if I didn't find a better seal. I read the reviews on Thompson's Advanced and decided to try it. The product is easy to apply, dries within 24 hours and gives fantastic protection. Now when it rains the water beads on the deck like water on a freshly waxed car. The water will not penetrate, crack and swell the wood. This product has saved me a lot of money. I highly recommend.