How to Decide if You Should Paint or Stain Your Deck

Painting or staining your deck doesn’t seem like an urgent situation to most people. But when you stop to consider how much time you actually spend out there. Some people devote more time to relaxing on their deck than in their living room when the weather permits. In fact, most homeowners spend major amounts of time on their outdoor decks or porches. It is a place to enjoy barbecues, birthday parties and just spending lazy evening sunsets with your family & friends.

But no one wants to spend time on a broken down, unsteady, ugly porch or deck. Environment affects everything so it is important to keep your deck looking fresh, clean, and inviting.

Deck Staining

If you want your newly coated surface to last, then choosing the appropriate stain for your particular deck is another huge key to success. Stain highlights the warmth and beauty of the wood’s natural graining. It’s ideal if you are looking for a more rustic or natural look.

When selecting a stain, you have three options:

Solid stain: More like paint, its opaque nature allows solid stains to completely cover the wood’s natural graining
Semi-transparent stain: With its slight hue, semi-transparent stain allows some of the wood’s graining to show through
Clear stain: Completely transparent, it allows wood graining to shine through. If you have a beautiful wood you want to highlight, such as cedar, choose a clear stain

It is also important to know the specific types of stain finishes & their specified life spans. When it comes to staining, the solid stain will always wear longer and outlasts semi-transparent or transparent stains. When it comes to the three, the easiest way to think of them is as good, better, and best.

Not only does stain give your deck a natural beauty, but it also retains moisture and prevents future wood rot. If you live in a rainy region, staining is more beneficial than painting your deck. Also, with its matte finish, stained decks are also less slippery than a glossy painted deck after a rainstorm.

Deck Painting

With paint, finishes are divided into categories of flat, satin, semi-gloss, and gloss selections. Gloss will always hold up the best and last the longest. It provides incredible protection for repelling rain and sunlight and will outlast all of the other sheens. It is also the most washable of the four finishes.

Semi-gloss also provides a lot of protection for wood, just not at the highest level. Next in line is satin, followed by flat, which much like a transparent stain, will need to be applied much more frequently.

Whereas stain seeps into the wood, paint completely covers the grain, giving your deck a clean, crisp look. If your deck is older, paint can hide its imperfections (think cracks and other flaws) much better than a stain and can give it the look of a brand-new deck.

Although you are concealing the wood grain, you can still get a natural look with paint by choosing an organic color scheme, including taupes, browns, sandy hues, and shades of green that echo the great outdoors.

For more modern homes, paint gives your deck a more streamlined, minimalist look because of its uniform application, whereas stains let a wood’s nuances and variations shine through. And with paints, you also have more color options. You can even select a paint that complements your home’s siding and trim.

When selecting paint, you have two options:

Oil-based paint: These types of paints protect from moisture and typically last longer. Their durable nature allows them to hold up against daily wear and tear better than latex. Oil-based paints typically adhere to surfaces easily and offer a smooth finish.

Latex paint: Latex paints hold up against UV fading and are best used in locations with higher temperatures. These types of paints resist cracking and chipping, emit less odor, and have a shorter dry time than oil-based paints.

Conclusion:

Have trouble deciding which coating to use? This is where CertaPro Painters of Ogden/Layton UT comes into play. We are experts when it comes to deck staining and painting. We can come to you and do an overall inspection of your deck and give you the most advantageous options to make your deck look brand new.

Not only can we handle the painting and/or staining, but we will also handle the pressure washing your deck needs prior to the application. We can also handle any small carpentry projects that your deck needs to restore its natural beauty. We are also happy to paint or stain your arbor, trellis, or pergola. We are your exterior painting or staining professionals, ready to help in any way we can.

Are you ready to start your deck painting or staining project? Call CertaPro Painters of Ogden/Layton UT at 801-747-1027 or go online to request an estimate today!