I use ATO and the low VOC version is easier to over-apply, especially on hardwoods that don't absorb much to begin with. That is probably what happened. The usual recommendation is to wet a rag with mineral spirits and rub it on the tacky areas. You may need to do this quite vigorously. It happened to me and the mineral spirits did help.

Marty

Thanks Marty. Its been 3 days now and it finally is pretty much all dry, although still tacky in a few spots. I got lucky as it rained mid-way through, but the water beaded up and didn't seem to leave any splotches.

How long does your ATO last? My porch is covered however part of it does get a decent amount of afternoon sun. I've read previously that ATO would only last a year at most, however I did get 2 years of coverage from my Messmers.

I would expect you to do at least as well with ATO as with Messmers. My deck is Ipe. What typically happens is that the first time staining new wood the stain fades rapidly over a few months. The next stain lasts a lot longer as there is less natural oil at the surface of the wood over time so stain absorbs better. The last time I stained it I was able to go two years on an uncovered, sunny deck. The finish faded but in a uniform way so it still looked ok. I did have to wash it in the Spring with a mild bleach/soap solution to deal with mildew and dirt.

Marty