COMPARISON
Wood stains and sealers compared by how soon rain is safe
15 products in our catalog state a time for rain exposure, from 20 minutes (Sadolin Quick Dry Woodstain) to 1 day (Thompson's WaterSeal WaterSeal Solid Color Wood Sealer). The median is 1 day. The table shows the 15 shortest, built only from numeric times in manufacturer documents.
Comparison table
| Product | Manufacturer-stated minimum | Condition/source |
|---|---|---|
| Sadolin Quick Dry Woodstain Exterior and interior woodstain (UK) | 20 minutes | The source gives no conditions for this time. |
| Ready Seal Ready Seal Exterior Wood Stain and Sealer All colors | 2 hours | See product page |
| BEHR PREMIUM Semi-Transparent Waterproofing Wood Finish Penetrating Oil Semi-transparent | 4 hours | See product page |
| BEHR PREMIUM Solid Color Waterproofing Stain & Sealer Solid color | 4 hours | See product page |
| Olympic (PPG) MAXIMUM Stain + Sealant in One All opacities | 8 hours | See product page |
| BEHR PREMIUM ADVANCED DECKOVER Smooth Smooth (all colors) | 1 day | Application limit |
| BEHR PREMIUM Semi-Transparent Waterproofing Stain & Sealer Semi-transparent (all colors) | 1 day | Application limit |
| Haymes Water-Based Decking Finish Deck finish (Australia) | 1 day | The source gives no conditions for this time. |
| Rust-Oleum Renovator Deck Cleaner + Sealer Clear | 1 day | Application limit |
| Rust-Oleum RockSolid 20X Deck Resurfacer All colors | 1 day | Application limit |
| Rust-Oleum RockSolid 6X Deck Coat All colors | 1 day | Application limit |
| Rust-Oleum RockSolid Deck Start Wood Primer Clear-drying primer | 1 day | Application limit |
| Sikkens Cetol SRD Translucent Exterior translucent wood finish | 1 day | At 21°C (70°F). |
| Thompson's WaterSeal WaterSeal Clear Wood Sealer Clear | 1 day | Application limit |
| Thompson's WaterSeal WaterSeal Solid Color Wood Sealer Solid colors | 1 day | Application limit |
Quick answers
Which has the shortest stated time for rain exposure?
Among the 15 products in our catalog with a numeric milestone for rain exposure, the shortest is Sadolin Quick Dry Woodstain at 20 minutes.
How wide is the range for rain exposure?
Stated times run from 20 minutes to 1 day, with a median of 1 day across 8 manufacturers.
What can change the order?
Temperature, humidity, thickness, airflow, surface preparation and what the manufacturer means by this milestone can all change which product is right. We keep the manufacturer wording on each product page so you can check before relying on a number.