Pine “Wickets” and Tigerwood Decking

[Christopher Marty]

Hello, everyone!  First time post-er, here, and I apologize for any incredibly amateur questions.

I’m re-doing my deck with some beautiful Tigerwood lumber from Advantage Lumber, and I’m hoping to somewhat match the finish and coloration of that wood (which will be used for the decking, the stair treads, and the railings), on horizontal pine “wickets.”

The pine is kiln-dried and green, ground contact.  The “wickets” will be strung horizontally between the vertical support posts, and while I know there won’t be any way to truly make them match, I’m seeking advice for how to get them into the wheelhouse as far as coloration and satin finish goes.

I hope this doesn’t come across as the dumbest question of all time, and I’m not looking to win any awards on this project, just to find a bit of aesthetic balance and to not have to do constant maintenance on the “wickets.”  Once they’re installed, sanding would be mostly out of the question.

Thank you in advance for any advice that any of you can provide!

 

-Chris

[wtnhighlander]

Welcome, Chris! Glad to have you join. That decking looks beautiful. My advice on the pine wickets is to forego any attempt to stain them in hopes of a match. Even kikn dried after treatment, pressure treated pine doesn't stain well at all. I am assuming treated, since you called it kiln-dried 'green'. I suggest a good quality house paint or solid deck stain, and pure black or white should pair nicely with the decking color. If the pine wickets are NOT treated, then I most definitely suggest paint, as natural pine is not durable in outdoor applications.

Sorry, I know that isn't what you wanted to hear, but personal experience has a strong influence on my advice.

[Beechwood Chip]

I'm not familiar with "wickets" in construction, only in cricket.  I'm guessing these are the horizontal rails of the railings?  If so, they won't be in contact with the ground, So, when you say "kiln-dried and green" I guess you mean pressure treated with the green copper fungicide.

I don't know much about finishing.  If it were me, and I was determined to use pressure treated pine, I'd probably paint it rather than trying to match the color of the wood.  If you're set on trying to match the wood, maybe get a bunch of different stains and finishes and experiment on some wood from the same batch.  I suspect that the end result will depend on exactly what sort of pressure treatment your wood got, And that can vary from batch to batch.

[Coop]

Not familiar with wickets either. Wonder if it’s like lattice? 

[Beechwood Chip]

On 9/3/2025 at 10:47 PM, Coop said:

Not familiar with wickets either. Wonder if it’s like lattice? 

Well, in cricket, a wicket has verticals and horizontals.  I'm guessing that he's talking about the horizontal pieces of the railing.

[Coop]

His profile is blocked and no way of knowing his origin. So perhaps we should wait and see?

[Von]

Welcome to the forum!

[Enzo Caleb]

Not a dumb question at all, tigerwood has such a striking look, so wanting your pine wickets to blend makes sense. While you won’t get a perfect match, using a high-quality semi-transparent exterior stain in a warm reddish-brown tone will get you close. Apply a penetrating oil-based stain with UV protection, as pine tends to absorb unevenly. Pre-conditioning the pine can help minimize blotching before staining. Once sealed, a satin outdoor spar varnish or marine-grade finish will add that smooth sheen and extend durability with minimal upkeep.

[drzaius]

8 hours ago, Enzo Caleb said:

Not a dumb question at all, tigerwood has such a striking look, so wanting your pine wickets to blend makes sense. While you won’t get a perfect match, using a high-quality semi-transparent exterior stain in a warm reddish-brown tone will get you close. Apply a penetrating oil-based stain with UV protection, as pine tends to absorb unevenly. Pre-conditioning the pine can help minimize blotching before staining. Once sealed, a satin outdoor spar varnish or marine-grade finish will add that smooth sheen and extend durability with minimal upkeep.

Not trying to offend, but doing the above will just result in an ongoing maintenance headache for something that will never match the decking to begin with.