This deck is 5 years old. Cedar planks were likely sealed while still green and in cool October weather. We used the Sikkens Cetol SRD (I understand the product has changed some in recent years). The stain was peeling off the next summer so we cleaned, sanded and resealed, but as you can see what was exposed to the weather is trashed. We gave up because we knew it was bigger than we could handle at the time.

We are planning for next summer to flip the boards (they come up easily due to the screws we used), plane 1/16" off the surface, and start over!

2 questions - Does this seem reasonable and what product is recommended for staining? Sikkens, Messmers, Penofin all come up in searches.

Yes, we know we will need to clean the deck regularly and likely re-stain every 2 years. And we will also be screening in the north side of the porch shown here where we get moisture issues.We're ready for that now.

Thanks!