These columns still look gorgeous even through Wisconsin winters. We used a very thick application of the stain - applying with an actual paintbrush to get the darker saturation. It's topped off with a marine-grade boat finish, minimum two coats. It should be lightly sanded with a very fine (almost 'old' and worn) sanding sponge just to get off any residue and make the finish stick once a year depending on wear (minimum every other year) and recoated with the marine finish. The maintenance depends on where you live and how the weather effects them. These haven't needed to be recoated yet and it's been a few years.