Deck Staining is Easy and Economical
PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--With summer fast approaching, your wooden deck will soon be the focal point of your socializing. Is your deck company-ready? If not, this is the time to do something about it.
“Sales of stain go through the roof around Memorial Day, as people scramble to get their decks in shape,” says Debbie Zimmer, spokesperson for the Paint Quality Institute. “Fortunately, staining a deck is an inexpensive and relatively simple project that virtually anyone can do in a weekend.”
Assuming that your deck doesn’t need repairs, the first step is to remove any loose paint or stain that may be present. This can be done in one of two ways: either by scraping and sanding, or by treating the surface with a commercial deck conditioner followed by careful power washing with plain water.
The prep work can be even easier if the deck has no loose paint or stain. Just clean the surface with a commercial product, or to save money, make your own cleaning solution by mixing a cup of household bleach and a splash of soap with a gallon of warm water. After scrubbing the surface clean, rinse it very thoroughly using a garden hose.
If, after cleaning, you still have areas with stubborn mildew, apply a solution of three parts water to one part bleach, allow the solution to sit on the affected surface for 20 minutes, then scrub off the mildew and rinse the surface clean.
Once the surface preparation is complete, it’s time to decide on the stain you will use. Deck stains come in both solvent-based and water-based formulations, but water-based stains offer significant advantages: They have better resistance to weathering, dry more quickly, are relatively odor-free, and clean up with plain soap and water. As a result, they are the far more popular choice today.
Another consideration: Whether to use a clear deck finish or a pigmented stain. This decision may be dictated by the condition and color of the wood on your deck, but durability is another important concern. Clear wood finishes provide only limited protection from the sun’s UV rays, so they need to be re-applied every 12 months or so; pigmented stains afford more UV protection, so they last longer.
There are two types of pigmented stains. “Semi-transparent” coatings help protect the wood without hiding its grain or texture, while “solid-color” stains show texture but not the grain. The former need to be reapplied every 12 to 18 months, but solid-color stains can last three to five years, so if you want to stretch out your application cycle, go with a solid-color finish.
“Whatever type of stain you use on your deck, you should always, always use a top quality product there,” says Zimmer. “Consider the stress that a deck is exposed to – not only is there standing water, and snow and ice in many parts of the country, but decks are subjected to foot traffic, abrasion from patio furniture, and direct sun. You need a great coating to stand up to that abuse.”
Top quality 100% acrylic latex stains – either semi-transparent or solid-color -- are perhaps the best option when restoring a deck. They’re tough and durable, and many of these stains contain extra ingredients to help prevent mildew.
Deck stains can be applied with spray equipment, a long-handled roller, or by brush. However, spray or roller application should be followed by “back brushing” (going back in and brushing the stain while it’s still wet so that it better penetrates the wood).
Whatever type of stain you use, it’s best to get the project started soon. Remember, company is on the way!
For more information on paints and stains, visit www.paintquality.com or blog.paintquality.com.
About the Paint Quality Institute (SM)
The Paint Quality Institute (SM) was formed by Rohm and Haas Company (now a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company (“Dow”)) in 1989 to educate people on the advantages of using quality interior and exterior paints and coatings. The Paint Quality Institute's goal is to provide information on the virtues of quality paint as well as color trends and decorating with paint through a variety of vehicles, including television appearances, newspaper and magazine articles, and instructional literature. Please be sure to visit the Paint Quality Institute at www.paintquality.com
About Dow
Dow (NYSE: DOW) combines the power of science and technology with the “Human Element” to passionately innovate what is essential to human progress. The Company connects chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help address many of the world’s most challenging problems such as the need for clean water, renewable energy generation and conservation, and increasing agricultural productivity. Dow’s diversified industry-leading portfolio of specialty chemical, advanced materials, agrosciences and plastics businesses delivers a broad range of technology-based products and solutions to customers in approximately 160 countries and in high growth sectors such as electronics, water, energy, coatings and agriculture. In 2010, Dow had annual sales of $53.7 billion and employed approximately 50,000 people worldwide. The Company’s more than 5,000 products are manufactured at 188 sites in 35 countries across the globe. References to “Dow” or the “Company” mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. More information about Dow can be found at www.dow.com.
Union Carbide Corporation is a chemicals and polymers company that has been a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company since 2001.
Rohm and Haas Company is a premier specialty materials company and has been a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company since 2009.
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