Staining a Wood Deck

Staining a Wood Deck

Cleaning and staining a wood deck isn’t difficult–it just takes hard work. The exciting part about staining a deck is that there are so many color options now—60 different colors are offered by Behr. These are the pigmented and semi-pigmented stains, the ones that have the higher Rating for Wear. The more pigment in the stain, the longer the Wear Rating. A clear stain, which will not affect the color of the wood, lasts the shortest amount of time. Semi-transparent stains are rated for longer wear, and fully-pigmented the longest. Typically a deck is bleached out by sun, rain and wind and needs color added back to some degree. The good news is that there are so many colors available that most approximate original wood. Many homeowners choose a color that is complimentary to their house color.

Here’s how Appleby does decks:

First we inspect the deck for loose and/or rotten boards. If we can, we will tighten the screws in the deck for you and replace boards if needed. The homeowner can also hire an independent contractor or do the work themselves to save money on this phase.

Next we clean the deck. We use a mild detergent, our scrubbing machines and brushes, our hot-water extractors and good-old elbow grease to clean the boards, the rails and the balustrades (the vertical wood that holds up the banisters).

Third, we let it dry thoroughly. This is important because the stain is an oil-based product and the wood needs to be dry before the stain is applied to allow for maximum penetration.

Finally, we apply the stain. We like to apply one to two coats, depending on the absorbency of the wood. More than two coats of stain are not recommended by the stain manufacturer as the excess pigment may chip or peel off.

As evident by the Before and After pics, the result produces a warm, rich feeling while protecting the wood deck for years to come.

If you have any questions about staining decks, please feel free to call Appleby Cleaning and Restoration at (925) 866-1333.