Please don’t be fooled by some inexperienced contractors who use only oil based stains. New laws by the EPA went into effect several years ago in relation to alkyd (oil) based products. New regulations that significantly reduce the allowable content of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in most paints and stains took effect 5 years ago. Yes, we still have an oil based stain, but the EPA has taken most of the solvents out of the stain that are essential for wood restoration. Manufactures are now making water based stains much better , and in our opinion, some water based products exceed the performance of the new oil based products. We have found that the “new” oil based stains will not properly adhere to some decks, especially newer decks. The drying time is very long and the overall appearance is not that of the old oil based stains.