How to stain treated Pine on my retaining walls?

[Katetaxicabs]

I’m seeking advice on the best product to stain my retaining walls black. I prefer a very dark shade, as my aim is to minimize visual clutter, highlight my cypress posts, and make the greenery and colorful flowers stand out against the backdrop.

Eventually, I plan to paint the shed black as well.

Which product should I use? I am conscious of the risks associated with sealing timber and understand that it needs to breathe, so I am looking for a stain that doesn’t contain oil or water. 

Also, how should I prepare my older timber walls before applying the stain?

Thank you kindly.

[Jason]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Katetaxicabs. We're really pleased to have you join us and look forward to reading about more of your projects and plans for around the house and garden. Feel free to post whenever you need a hand or have a project to share. 

I'm sure our resident Bunnings D.I.Y. expert @EricL will be happy to recommend products for you as soon as possible. You're right to be cautious as we often see people who have painted retaining walls struggle to keep them looking good as the hydrostatic pressure can blow the paint coating off reasonably quickly. 

Many thanks,

Jason

[EricL]

Hello @Katetaxicabs 

Thanks for sharing your question about stain treating your retaining walls. I suggest having a look at this in-depth discussion - How best to colour AND protect treated pine retaining walls? by @heykrazi. You'll notice that they are after a dark coloured finish on their retaining wall as well.  

There was mention of Black Japan Timber & Deck Stain and Wood Shield along with Porter's Palm Beach Black as possible cover for the retaining wall. There was also a discussion regarding moisture being trapped behind the retaining wall and how to prepare your retaining wall for painting.

My best advice is to make sure that your retaining wall is totally dry before you apply any form of stain or paint on it.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

[Katetaxicabs]

Thank you @EricL and @Jason 

I've read that thread and I am looking at Palm Beach Black. I do however still need to figure out how to prepare my retaining walls, especially the ones in the second picture as they are much older (not sure how old exactly  they were here when we bought the place). Any suggestions? 

 

[EricL]

Hello @Katetaxicabs 

I suggest going with the recommendations made in the discussion and that is to use 30 Seconds 5L Outdoor Cleaner Concentrate in combination with a scrub brush and washing the surface with a pressure washer. If the stains are stubborn, I suggest a second application of the outdoor cleaner.

Please make sure to give the outdoor cleaner enough time to soak in and activate. Washing it off too soon will neutralize its effectivity.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric