Cabot Clear Wood Protector, Clear, 1 Gallon

Easy application and effective protection. I had powerwashed my deck to make the wood like new. I was refered to this product by my friend and neighbor. Loved how easy it was to apply, and as importantly how easy the cleanup is because it is water based, the cleaning was easy and great to preserve the application brush. This is transparent so it lets the grain show through and it gave the wood a warm glow. The finished project is protected and looks great.

power wash or sand before application for best results

Squirrels chewing on. Must taste good

perfect sealant for my wrap around deck. did not clog the sprayer, easy and fast application, fast drying to a glossy finish

So I purchased this product with the intention of putting it on my deck floor after staining it. After reading the instructions and info on the can, I decided against it, as I was afraid of it becoming slippery. So I decided to get some use out of it, and used it on my top rail of the deck railing, as it is prone to get mold on it. The railing is white, I opened the can, it looked yellow, but I figured it would dry clear. As it dried I noticed it was not drying clear at all! So I hurried, and tried to wash it all off. As you can tell from the pictures, I could not get it all off! I have spent hours, days, and weeks working on my deck, and to have this happen at the end, is so totally frustrating! I am angry with the maker of this, angry with the product, and angry with all of my wasted time! I will never use this product again, and I caution anyone else who purchases this!

This was easy to apply to my new 6' high cedar fence with a regular roller, and a 4" roller for corners. It might have gone much faster using a rag to wipe it on (and a latex glove), but it was easy. I applied two or three coats tho only one coat was needed. Part of the reason: so many knotholes in cedar I wanted them to soak up the Cabot's for maximum in-and-out protection. Then, once there was extra Cabot's around the knotholes, I rolled that out resulting in an additional coat. The 6' fence, 20' wide, with 2+ coats left perhaps a pint so I was able to use the gallon re-protecting an older cedar fence's top rail.Rating/testing organizations say no brand of clear coating lasts longer than 4 years, if that. For the $45 or $50 spent on this gallon, I think my cedar with extra layers will stay bright a bit longer than that. In San Francisco, we don't suffer below-40 degree weather so that also helps.Extra note: post-pandemic, lots of construction jobs in Calif. made this product hard to find at all hardware stores. So Amazon delivered, at a discount besides!3 Years Later (10/24) I've experimented with other brands on the fence and I'm back to Cabot for the clear protection. I should add the Consumer Reports articles say clear coats of NO brands are worth the $, but perhaps that's where freezing winters + hot summers are more of a torture test. In San Francisco, temp range 48-80 (and only occasionally at those "extremes") perhaps the coats all enjoy less stressful jobs.

Applied with a sprayer & that worked fine. The Color was rich and looked beautiful for the first several months. This property is in California, no harsh weather. Exactly one year later, defense looks washed out and doesn't even look like we ever put the sealer on it. Very disappointing.

Used this for years, then had trouble finding it in local stores so used other brands and was never really happy with the result. Was very pleased to see this product on Amazon. Ordered 2 gallons, arrived promptly, and both cans were well secured with 4 extra clips on the lids for safe shipment. Just applied to my deck, easy to apply, and happy with the result. Product looks yellowish in the van and when applying but dries clear - actually darkens the wood on my deck a bit and looks great. Please continue to carry this product because Amazon is the only place I can find the Cabot Clear!