Is This the Most Expensive Deck Stain on the Market? PPG ProLuxe® (Formerly Sikkens) Review — $120 a Gallon

I'm Caleb at Rock's Painting in the Tri-Cities. I stain a lot of decks, and most of the time I'm reaching for the same proven penetrating oils I've written about before — TWP, Cabot®, Ready Seal. They're great products. They're also all matte. Every deck in your neighborhood, whatever it's stained with, has basically the same flat, dry-looking finish.

This post is about the exception. A customer in Piney Flats wanted something different, and we delivered the one product on the market that actually is different: a two-coat, furniture-grade deck finish with real sheen, in a Mahogany so rich the photos honestly don't do it justice. It's also the most expensive deck stain I know of, and the most demanding one I've ever applied. Here's the honest version of both halves.

What Is PPG ProLuxe® (And Why Painters Still Call It Sikkens)

If you've been around wood finishes for a while, you know the name Sikkens — the Dutch brand that built its reputation on rich, translucent, film-building wood coatings. PPG took over the Sikkens wood-finishes line in North America years ago, so the can on the shelf now says PPG ProLuxe®. Same product family. Ask any painter about "ProLuxe" and half of us will still say "oh, the Sikkens stuff."

The product we used here is ProLuxe® Premium Deck Wood Finish — formerly known as Sikkens Cetol DEK Finish. And it's important to understand what makes it categorically different from nearly every other deck stain you can buy:

• It's a film-building finish, not a penetrating oil. Products like TWP and Cabot® soak into the wood and leave it looking like wood. ProLuxe® builds a translucent alkyd film on the wood — closer to a furniture finish than a typical deck stain.
• It's a two-coat system. Penetrating oils are one coat. This is two full coats, minimum, on every surface.
• It has sheen. The label says satin. On the deck, I'll call it what it looks like: semi-gloss. Essentially everything else in the deck aisle is matte.

$120 a Gallon: Is This Really the Most Expensive Deck Stain on the Market?

It's $120 a gallon, all day long. There may be some boutique product somewhere that costs more, but nothing I can buy at a real paint counter does. Here's how that stacks up against the deck stains I actually use and have priced for Tri-Cities jobs:

So yes — double to triple the material cost of everything else in the category. And as you'll see below, the material is the cheap part of a ProLuxe® job. The labor is where this product really separates itself.

The Piney Flats Project

This deck belongs to a modern, dark-sided home in Piney Flats, TN — about ten minutes outside Johnson City, with rolling East Tennessee farmland in every direction. A covered porch and open deck in regular pressure-treated pine. That last part matters: this is not exotic hardwood. It's the same lumber on half the decks in the Tri-Cities.

The color is Mahogany, and on pine it does something I've never seen another deck stain do: it makes ordinary lumber look like the inside of a multi-million-dollar cabin. That's not marketing talk — that's me standing on the finished deck thinking it. You can take regular pine and give it a whole new identity with this product. That's the trade you're making when you pay for it.

The Hardest Deck Product I've Ever Applied

Let me be straight about this, because it's the part every glossy product photo leaves out: this is hands-down the most difficult product I've ever applied to a deck. It is not for the beginner, and it is not for someone who cuts corners. The finish is unforgiving — every shortcut you take will be visible in it. Here's what the job actually involves.

Sand Everything to 80-Grit First

Before the first drop goes on, the deck gets sanded down with 80-grit. A penetrating oil will forgive a rougher surface because it soaks in. A film-builder like ProLuxe® sits on top, which means the surface underneath has to be right. Sanding an entire deck — boards, railings, posts — is a serious labor line-item before you've opened a can.

You Can't Rag It Off — Every Bit Gets Brushed

With a product like Ready Seal you can wipe and move fast. ProLuxe® doesn't work that way. You really can't rag it off — every single bit of it gets brushed on, keeping a wet edge the whole time. On a matte penetrating stain, a lap mark mostly disappears. On a semi-gloss film, a lap mark or a heavy spot is there forever, announcing itself every time the sun hits it. The prep was strenuous; the application demands full attention from the first board to the last.

Two Coats — Technically More Than Double the Labor

ProLuxe® Premium Deck Wood Finish is a two-coat system. Right there, you've doubled the labor of a standard one-coat stain job. But it's technically more than double, because on this project we also put a coat on the underside of the deck boards. Sealing the bottom face helps the boards take on moisture evenly instead of cupping against a sealed top face. It's the kind of step nobody sees in the after photos — and exactly the kind of step this product punishes you for skipping.

The Dry-Window Problem in East Tennessee

Here's the constraint that makes this product genuinely hard to schedule around here: it needs an extended period with no moisture on it while it cures. In East Tennessee — where we get rain year-round, summer humidity regularly tops 80%, and a clear evening still drops dew on every horizontal surface by morning — finding that window is extremely difficult. We plan deck work around weather windows on every job, but ProLuxe® turns that from a preference into a hard requirement. One surprise thunderstorm on an uncured coat is not a small problem on a product like this.

The Payoff: A Sheen Nothing Else on the Market Has

So why would anyone pay for all of that? Because of what it looks like when it's done.

Every other deck stain I use dries matte. ProLuxe® has actual sheen — the can says satin, my eyes say semi-gloss — and combined with the depth of the Mahogany color, the result doesn't look like a stained deck. It looks like furniture. The boards literally reflect the house. This is one of the prettiest decks I've ever done, and I'll say it again: the pictures don't do it justice. The richness of this color in person is something else.

Here's the 14-second before-and-after we filmed on this project:

▶ Watch the 14-second before & after

What a ProLuxe® Deck Job Costs (Honest Numbers)

Our standard deck staining projects in the Tri-Cities typically run $1,000–$5,000 depending on size, condition, and prep. ProLuxe® changes that math:

I want to be clear that the premium isn't markup for a fancy label — it's labor you can count. Sand the whole deck. Brush two full coats onto every surface. Coat the undersides. Wait out the weather. The $120 gallon is honestly the smallest part of the difference.

Who Should — and Shouldn't — Choose ProLuxe®

ProLuxe® is the right call if:

• You want a showcase deck — the one the whole street notices — and the budget matches the ambition.
• Your deck is covered or partially covered, like this Piney Flats porch. Less direct weather means the film finish keeps looking furniture-grade longer.
• You want a rich, deep color with actual sheen, and matte simply isn't the look you're after. In that lane, this product has no real competition.
• You're hiring someone who will do all of it — sanding, undersides, brushed coats, weather planning — without cutting a single corner.

Skip it (and be happy you did) if:

• You're on a budget. A quality penetrating stain at a third of the cost still gives you excellent protection and a great-looking deck.
• You're a DIYer. I don't say this to gatekeep — it's hands-down the most difficult deck product I've ever applied, and the finish broadcasts every mistake. If you want a forgiving DIY product, Ready Seal exists for a reason.

My Verdict: Is PPG ProLuxe® Worth It?

Is PPG ProLuxe® Premium Deck Wood Finish the most expensive deck stain on the market? It's the most expensive one I can buy, at $120 a gallon — and once you add the sanding, the two brushed coats, and the undersides, it's the most expensive deck job by a wide margin too.

Is it the best deck stain on the market? For pure protection-per-dollar, no — TWP and its peers win that contest, and they're what I put on most decks. But for what it actually does — color depth and a semi-gloss sheen that nothing else in the category even attempts — it's not really competing with other deck stains. This Piney Flats project is one of the prettiest decks I've ever done, and no other product I carry could have produced it.

For the record: I bought this product at full retail price like anyone else. No sponsorship, no affiliation with PPG — this is what I genuinely think after putting it on a real deck.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most expensive deck stain on the market?

PPG ProLuxe® Premium Deck Wood Finish (formerly Sikkens Cetol DEK Finish) is the most expensive deck stain I've ever bought at $120 a gallon. There may be some boutique product somewhere that costs more, but nothing I can buy at a real paint counter does. Most quality deck stains run $35–70 per gallon.

Is PPG ProLuxe® the same as Sikkens?

Yes. The Sikkens wood-finishes line became PPG ProLuxe® in North America after PPG took it over. The can says PPG ProLuxe® now, but most painters still call it Sikkens. The premium two-coat deck product was formerly named Sikkens Cetol DEK Finish.

How much does PPG ProLuxe® deck stain cost per gallon?

About $120 a gallon, all day long. That's roughly two to three times the price of pro favorites like TWP 1500 ($45–55) or Cabot® Australian Timber Oil ($40–50).

How many coats does ProLuxe® Premium Deck Wood Finish need?

Two full coats — and on this project we also coated the underside of the deck boards. Compared to a one-coat penetrating stain, that's more than double the labor.

Can you wipe or rag off ProLuxe® deck finish, or does it have to be brushed?

You really can't rag it off the way you can with a penetrating oil like Ready Seal. Every single bit of it gets brushed on. On a finish with this much sheen, a lap mark or a heavy spot would show forever, so technique matters the whole way through.

Do you have to sand a deck before applying ProLuxe®?

Yes. The deck gets sanded down with 80-grit before the first coat goes on. That's a real labor line-item on a full-size deck, and it's a big part of why ProLuxe® jobs cost more than standard stain jobs.

Is the ProLuxe® deck finish satin or semi-gloss?

The label says satin. In person, I'd call it a semi-gloss. Either way, it has real sheen — and that's the whole point. Essentially everything else on the deck-stain market is matte. Nothing else looks like this.

How much does a professional ProLuxe® deck job cost?

In the Tri-Cities, our standard deck staining projects typically run $1,000–$5,000. A ProLuxe® deck starts upwards of $3,000, and a bigger deck can push into the $7,000–$8,000 range a whole lot easier than it would with a standard penetrating stain. The 80-grit sanding, two brushed coats, and coating the undersides of the boards are where the cost comes from.

Is PPG ProLuxe® deck stain worth it?

For pure protection-per-dollar, no — a quality penetrating oil like TWP wins that contest at a third of the price. But if you want deep color with real semi-gloss sheen, ProLuxe® has no real competition: nothing else on the deck-stain market even attempts that look. It's worth it for a showcase deck with a budget to match; skip it if you're cost-driven or DIYing.

Want This Finish on Your Deck? (Piney Flats, Johnson City & the Tri-Cities)

Rock's Painting stains decks across the Tri-Cities — Johnson City, Kingsport, Bristol, Piney Flats, and the surrounding towns. Most decks, we'll honestly steer you toward a proven penetrating stain that fits your budget. But if you've seen these photos and you want this — the Mahogany, the sheen, the furniture look on regular pine — we're one of the few crews around willing to do this product the way it demands to be done.

Request a free estimate or call (423) 207-2347. We'll look at your deck, talk honestly about whether ProLuxe® makes sense for it, and give you real numbers either way.