Sharkskin

SharkSkin is Rodda Paint’s exterior stain line for decks, railings, fences and siding, made for homeowners and contractors alike. It comes three ways. Translucent, labeled Transparent on some cans, comes ready-tinted in six wood tones and lets the grain show. Semi-Transparent is the same kind of penetrating stain tinted to the color you pick. Solid Color lays down a smooth, even satin coat that hides grain and mismatched boards. Every one of them is built for weather extremes, sun-baked summers to hard winters, and resists cracking, peeling and blistering. That matters on a Montana deck, where high-elevation sun and big temperature swings put exterior stain on a three-to-five-year recoat cycle, and a stain that peels makes every one of those recoats a scraping job.

Rodda Paint Co. has made paint in Portland, Oregon, since 1932 and calls itself the largest family-owned paint maker in the Northwest. It runs as an independent subsidiary of the Cloverdale Group and makes paints, industrial coatings and professional painting supplies for residential, commercial and industrial work. SharkSkin was designed for Northwest weather extremes, which is the same sun, snow and freeze a Montana deck lives through.

SharkSkin Translucent: wood-tone stain, ready to go

Translucent is the one to grab for a cedar deck, a fence or a rough-sawn wall you want to keep looking like wood. It’s an alkyd and oil hybrid with trans oxide pigments. The oil carries it deep into the wood, and the pigments absorb the sun’s UV to protect the fibers and hold the color against fading. The finish is light enough that the grain, texture and natural color differences show through, and it warms up the look of new lumber instead of covering it.

It comes factory-tinted in six colors, Weathered Fir, Redwood, Maple, Arbutus, Ironwood and Teak, so there is no waiting on a tint. Weathered Fir and Maple are the light ones that keep new cedar looking new, Redwood and Teak warm it up, and Arbutus and Ironwood are the dark tones that hide the grey on a deck that went a year too long between coats. It dries fast to a low sheen, repels water, resists dirt pickup and mildew, and because it’s a penetrating oil rather than a film, it doesn’t peel, blister or crack. It goes on new wood or wood that’s been stained before: decks, stair treads, wood and composite siding, fences, railings, soffits, shingles and shakes, and structural wood like glulam, CLT and trusses. On rough-sawn siding it soaks in and evens out the color the way a film finish never will, which is why it is the stain for a board-and-batten shop or a cabin wall. Plan on roughly 200 to 350 square feet per gallon on smooth wood and 100 to 250 on rough-sawn.

SharkSkin Semi-Transparent: the same protection in your color

Semi-Transparent is the same alkyd and oil hybrid, with vegetable oils for penetration and alkyd resin for weather protection, wear resistance and toughness. It starts as a clear base tinted with zero-VOC colorants, so it’s the choice when none of the six Translucent tones is quite the look you’re after. It’s lightly pigmented, fast-drying and low-sheen, and it protects against UV, water, dirt pickup, mold, mildew and algae on the surface, with the same resistance to cracking, peeling and blistering. It takes the same surfaces as the Translucent, new or previously stained.

The payoff on both penetrating stains comes at recoat time. Because the oil soaks in instead of building a film, a maintenance coat usually needs only a wash and a light sanding, and on that three-to-five-year cycle the easy recoat is the one people actually keep up with.

SharkSkin Solid Color Deck & Siding Stain

Solid Color is a waterborne stain made from acrylic and urethane resins cross-linked with linseed oil. That chemistry gives it weather protection plus scuff and mar resistance from foot traffic. It’s made for decks, patios and stair treads first, and it’s also recommended for wood, composite and cement board siding, fences, gazebos, railings, soffits, trim, stucco and masonry. Use one color across the deck, fence and house and everything matches.

It spreads to a smooth, uniform satin finish that hides imperfections, unwanted grain and color differences. That makes it the right pick for older pressure-treated boards with new replacements mixed in, because a penetrating stain would show every patch for years. Its water-repellent film blocks wind-driven rain and stays flexible as temperatures change with the seasons, and antimicrobial inhibitors guard against mold, mildew and algae on the surface of the stain. It tints to almost any exterior color and cleans up with water. The deep base carries the rich, dark colors that hide wear best on a deck, and white and neutral bases cover the lighter shades. Wash off any existing green growth before staining so it isn’t sealed under the new coat.

SharkSkin Primer/Sealer for worn and peeling surfaces

If the last deck coat peeled after a couple of winters, the usual cause is a new coat laid over a loose old finish, and a coat only holds as well as the layer under it. Primer/Sealer fixes that. It covers the existing finish and seals the edges of peeling and checked old coatings, locking them down so the top coat goes on uniform. It’s a waterborne, semi-elastomeric acrylic that penetrates cracked and weathered wood and stays flexible over the life of the finish, which cuts down on cracking and peeling in the Solid Color on top. It also primes composite and cement board siding, stucco, concrete and block.

Primer/Sealer is clear and can’t be tinted, and it goes only under a solid top coat. Never use it under Translucent, Semi-Transparent or any clear or penetrating finish, because those stains have to soak into bare wood. On a worn deck or painted siding, scrape off anything loose, apply Primer/Sealer, then top it with Solid Color.

SharkSkin at a glance

Product	Type	Color	Goes on
Translucent	Alkyd/oil, penetrating, low sheen	Six ready-made wood tones	New or previously stained wood
Semi-Transparent	Alkyd/oil, penetrating, low sheen	Clear base, tinted to order	New or previously stained wood
Solid Color	Waterborne acrylic/urethane, satin	Deep, neutral and white bases, almost any color	Wood, composite, cement board, masonry, primed paint
Primer/Sealer	Waterborne semi-elastomeric acrylic	Clear, not tintable	Under Solid Color only

Frequently Asked Questions

What colors does SharkSkin stain come in?

The Translucent comes ready-made in six wood tones: Weathered Fir, Redwood, Maple, Arbutus, Ironwood and Teak. The Semi-Transparent starts clear and gets tinted to the color you choose, and the Solid Color can match almost any exterior color. With the see-through stains, the wood underneath changes how the color reads, so brush a sample on a scrap of the same lumber before you commit.

Which SharkSkin stain is better for a deck?

It comes down to how you want the deck to wear. On good wood, a Translucent or Semi-Transparent fades gradually instead of peeling, so the deck looks tired before it looks damaged, and it comes back with a wash and a fresh coat. On older or patched boards, or where the deck has been painted, Solid Color over Primer/Sealer gives an even color and stands up to foot traffic, and it shows wear first in the traffic lanes and on the stair treads, where it can be touched up.

Can SharkSkin Translucent or Semi-Transparent go over an old solid stain or paint?

No. A penetrating stain has to soak into bare wood, and a solid coat or paint blocks it. Strip the deck down to clean, bare wood and a penetrating stain will take. If stripping isn’t worth the work, go with Solid Color over Primer/Sealer instead.

Is SharkSkin stain water-based or oil-based?

Both, depending on the product. The Solid Color and the Primer/Sealer are waterborne and wash up with water. The Translucent and Semi-Transparent are alkyd and oil hybrids and need a solvent for cleanup. Rags soaked in oil stain can heat up and catch fire on their own, so lay them out flat to dry or put them in a sealed metal can full of water.