# why would you mix varnish with deck stain?



## Millertyme (Apr 20, 2010)

ive never tried it but wood imagine it would help protect it by adding a protective film to the stain. It would help with wear and tear.


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## Matthewt1970 (Sep 16, 2008)

Bah. All that will really do is add a bit of shine to your stain and "MAY" inhibit it's ability to wear naturally causing it to peel.


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## poppameth (Oct 2, 2008)

This Old House is one of those shows where they come up with unproven methods that everyone watching takes as gospel. Let's see one of those decks a few years down the road.


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## ratherbefishin' (Jun 16, 2007)

poppameth said:


> Let's see one of those decks a few years down the road.


You're giving him too much credit. Since he used Helmsman, NOT recommended for floors, methinks it'll be more like weeks or months. Depends on what cheapazz box store stain he mixed it in......:laughing:


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## mazzonetv (Feb 25, 2009)

That's the first thing I thought of when I saw the video - if you wanted to add a good spar varnish Helmsman would be the last thing I would use. Then again, it was probably added to a behr deck stain =)) Don't really know why anyone would do that - there are plenty of good deck stains on the market between Sikkens, Arborcoat, etc....


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## poppameth (Oct 2, 2008)

I didn't even watch the video. From what my distributor told me, Helmsmen isn't real Spar Varnish at all. It's just the regular Minwax poly in an exterior can.


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