Exterior Wood Stains

One of the most common projects many homeowners do today is re-staining their deck or fence. There are several choices in selecting the type of material to use on exterior wood. In all cases, a product with a little color will perform better than a completely clear product. An easy way to explain this is if you went to the beach and put baby oil on one arm and a sunscreen on the other, which arm would get a sunburn?

Transparent Stains allow most of the wood grain to show through the finish. These products include: Superdeck, Porterdeck, Sikkens SRD and DEK Finish.

SemiTransparent Deck Stains will be more opaque and thus hide most of the wood grain. We can custom tint a wide range of colors with these products. Some SemiTransparent stains are not made for use on decks because they may not be hard enough and also may have a slight tendency to “chalk”. Those types are made to be used on fences, log homes, and wood siding.

Solid Color Decking Stains will appear like a painted surface. Like paint, they will be more likely to peel over time. We do not recommend applying standard siding solid colors stains to decks as they do not have the hardness to stand up over foot traffic; however, they are fine for fences, barns, etc. These finishes should be used only on decks that have adequate air flow under them and are at least 2 feet off the ground.

Deck Care: Surface Preparation

Surface preparation is the key to a longer lasting job. All wood surfaces should be cleaned and allowed to dry thoroughly before applying most all finishes.

• The very best way to prepare a deck is to sand the wood. This really removes the dead wood cells and opens the grain to allow deeper penetration of the finish. Use a pole sander and 60 - 80 grit sandpaper.

• There are several options in cleaning: Always wet surface first.

  Mix a solution of 4 oz. TSP, 1 quart of bleach, 3 qts. Water.
  Let solution sit for 15 minutes while scrubbing. Do not let cleaner dry on surface before rinsing it off.
  If using a power washer, do not exceed 500 psi.
  Let surface dry thoroughly before recoating. Normally 3 - 5 days.

Deck Care: Application Techniques

• Never apply products in direct sunlight, if so, it can cause lap marks, future peeling, etc.
• Most all finishes can only be applied to completely dry surfaces.
• Best method is by using a brush as it “forces” the product into the wood.
• Transparent finishes may be applied by a garden type pump up sprayer. Not all sprayers will work, but we do carry several that will.
• Do not allow transparent finishes to puddle, wipe off excess material that does not penetrate into the wood. Leaving excess on the surface can cause long dry times, sticky surface, promote mildew.
• Use of high pressure paint sprayers will dramatically increase the amount of material required.

Deck Care: Common Questions

Can I paint my deck?
We do not recommend painting decks due to the high possibility that the paint will peel as moisture is pulled up through the boards. A possible alternative is to use a solid color stain that will produce a “painted” look.

Why should I sand the deck?
Wood has a cellular structure and as it ages, the top level of wood cells die. For the best adhesion and penetration, they should be removed. A comparison could be made to our skin getting sunburned and flaking off.