Dyes are used on wood to enhance color and make them weather resistant. Sealants protect concrete and wood from moisture, but do not stop the movement of water through the concrete from outside. Wood sealants are a completely different beast. While staining is intended to provide beauty, the sealant is intended to provide longevity and strength.
It does this by sealing the wood (hence the name) with a transparent and impermeable substance such as polyurethane. This prevents the wood from rotting and prevents moisture from seeping through condensation, where it can gradually cause cracks. Like normal paint, solid stains hide the grain of the wood, and the best ones should last three to five years on a platform, the longest of the three types of stains. I have stained my cover with acrylic dye and a sealant, and now I want to go over it with Thompson's clear sealant.
But even the best semi-transparent stains from our tests aren't as tough as the strongest, and our data suggests that these types of stains probably only last two to three years on a terrace. To find the wood dye that best suits your needs, start with CR wood dye ratings and see the Features tab & Specifications to see which are the best for resisting cracking, fading, dirt and mold. So choose the best wood dye if you want to color the grain of your wood project instead of protecting it from exposure. Definitely, if you want to protect wood from rotting and moisture instead of giving it a color, then choosing the best wood sealant would be a good decision.
But with nothing to deflect UV rays, the wood itself will turn gray over time; imagine a house eroded with cedar shingles. These colors give color to the wood but let the grains peek out, making them a good choice for the wood you want to show off, such as western red cedar. It is best to use a very thick piece of wood for safety reasons, since fine wood is very easy to break. Behr's semi-transparent dye is formulated to protect wood from drying out and cracking under direct sunlight, keeping your deck looking great summer after summer.
Since it's not a wood you want to brag about, I would recommend buying new wood and staining and sealing it or simply priming and painting the bench and sealing it so you don't have to do it again every year.
