Sealing vs staining: what is the difference?

Sealing protects. Staining colors. Most of the time, on a quality job, both happen with the same product.

A standalone sealer is a clear product that protects the wood or concrete from water and UV damage without changing the color. It is right when you want the natural color of the surface preserved and you only need protection.

A standalone stain colors the surface without much protection. The stain seeps in and changes how the surface looks, but on its own it does not block water or UV. By itself, stain is rarely the right choice on an outdoor project.

Stain and seal as a combined product, which is what we use on wood projects, does both jobs at once. The Expert Stain and Seal product line we use on decks and fences colors the wood and protects it in a single application. On concrete we use a stain to color and then a separate sealer over the top, because concrete chemistry calls for two distinct products.

The short version: on a quality job, you almost always want both functions, whether they come from one product or two.