Sico ProLuxe Stain Guide: Which Finish to Use and How to Apply It

This guide is for homeowners and contractors choosing a Sico ProLuxe finish for decks, siding, log homes, fences, doors or windows. ProLuxe is the Sico exterior wood line that was sold earlier as Sikkens, and the range has a lot of similar-looking cans.

Below you will find a comparison of the eight ProLuxe products we stock, how to match them to your project, how to prepare and apply them from Sico's technical data sheets (TDS), and when to recoat. Figures are from Sico's data sheets unless stated.

How to choose a ProLuxe finish

Start with the surface. Horizontal surfaces with foot traffic need a deck finish. Vertical surfaces like siding, logs and trim can use the Log & Siding or ProLuxe 1 and 23 systems. Then decide between see-through (translucent) and opaque (solid) colour.

Note: Sico's product page for Premium Deck describes it as an alkyd, high-solids, two-coat translucent satin finish with four colours. We could not find a published data sheet with its coverage, solids or VOC, so we don't list them here. Ask our team before you buy.

Deck choices

SRD RE is the one-coat option and is not a primer. It comes in nine colours, including Ebony and Fog Grey. Premium Deck is the two-coat translucent choice. If you want to hide the grain, Premium Solid Stain is a water-based acrylic/alkyd that is tinted to colour from a light or deep base.

Siding, log homes and trim

You have two routes. The ProLuxe 1 plus ProLuxe 23 system is one coat of ProLuxe 1, then two of ProLuxe 23. Log & Siding is a single product applied in two coats. ProLuxe 23 is not a stand-alone stain and goes over ProLuxe 1.

Doors and windows

Door & Window Wood Finish is clear and cannot be tinted. The TDS lists it as satin and calls for three coats. We also have a few 946 mL cans of the older Door & Window Gloss, which Sico has discontinued. Once those are gone, satin is the only option.

Surface preparation

Most failures come from skipping prep. The data sheets for the translucent finishes agree on the basics:

1. Remove previous coatings, dirt, mildew and oil. For new work, ProLuxe is applied to bare wood.
2. Wet the wood with clean water, apply a TSP, bleach and water solution, and scrub for 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Power-wash at 500 to 800 psi.
4. Let the wood dry 48 hours, until moisture content is 18% or lower. The Door & Window sheet allows 48 to 72 hours.
5. Sand with 80 to 120 grit along the grain. For horizontal surfaces, the SRD sheet says 60 to 80 grit.
6. Remove the dust and finish within four weeks (vertical surfaces). The Solid Stain sheet says one week on horizontal surfaces.

Premium Solid Stain's prep starts with sanding or scraping loose coatings, then follows the same wash, rinse and dry steps. It can go over previously coated wood.

Application

1. Check the weather. Application range is 10 to 32 °C, with 20 °C plus or minus 5 °C ideal. Relative humidity should be between 15% and 55% ideally and never above 85%.
2. Stir well. Do not thin any ProLuxe finish.
3. Apply with a natural bristle brush, which is the preferred tool. A 10 mm roller or airless spray also works, but back-brush right away. Solid Stain's preferred brush is nylon-polyester.
4. Work with the grain and keep a wet edge.
5. Recoat after 24 hours with the alkyd finishes, or 4 to 6 hours with Solid Stain. SRD RE and Maintenance RE are single coats.
6. Keep rain off for 48 hours. Full cure is 7 days.

Spray settings differ by product. SRD RE, ProLuxe 1 and Door & Window use a 0.011 to 0.015 in. tip at 700 to 800 psi. Log & Siding uses 0.011 to 0.013 in. at 1,200 to 1,700 psi. Solid Stain uses 0.015 to 0.019 in. at 1,200 to 1,600 psi.

Cleanup and safety

Clean tools with mineral spirits right after use, or lukewarm soapy water for Solid Stain. Used rags can catch fire. The SRD sheet says to store them in a sealed, water-filled metal container.

Canadian season timing

The 10 °C minimum is what limits the season. It applies to the air and the surface, so cold nights and early-morning dew matter. The Maintenance RE sheet asks for a surface at least 3 °C above the dew point. All sheets say to avoid application if rain or frost is expected within 48 hours.

Plan the wash and dry time as part of the job. Wood needs about two days to dry after power-washing, and drying times double above 50% humidity. That is why a long, damp spell in spring or fall can push a project back a week or more. Pick a stretch of settled weather rather than a single sunny day.

Common mistakes

• Using a vertical finish on a deck. ProLuxe 1, 23 and Log & Siding are not for horizontal foot-traffic surfaces.
• Applying over an old coating. For new work, remove it first.
• Skipping the dry time. Wood above 18% moisture is outside the data sheet limits.
• Thinning the product. The sheets say not to.
• Using Maintenance RE on new or raw wood. It is for existing 23 Top Coat or Log & Siding finishes only.
• Mismatched colours. Use the same colour of ProLuxe 1 and ProLuxe 23.

Maintenance and recoating

Recoat when the finish is visibly wearing, before the wood greys. Sico gives these maximum intervals for SRD RE, ProLuxe 1, Log & Siding and Door & Window: 2 to 3 years on south and west exposures, and 3 to 4 years on north and east exposures. Premium Solid Stain is 2 to 3 years on decks and 5 to 8 years on siding.

Wait for the full cure before washing: 7 days for SRD RE, or at least 14 days for Solid Stain. Then clean and prepare the surface as above before the maintenance coat. For existing 23 Top Coat or Log & Siding finishes, Maintenance RE is a clear one-coat option. Not sure which product fits? Ask our team.

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