When it comes to giving your deck some definition, there are at least two choices available to you: painting and staining. But which one should you choose? A lot of professional deck builders recommend staining instead of painting decks.
If the color of your deck starts to wear off, it only means one thing. It means that its stain or paint is deteriorating. If you’re suffering from this dilemma, don’t worry. You’re actually one with thousands of deck owners out there.
Why Decks Starts to Deteriorate
As much as we want our decks to last us a lifetime, that’s not possible. Decks have to be re-stained every other year, especially if it is exposed to the elements outside. The stain that was first applied to it will fade in time, more so if your deck is receiving high traffic at all times.
If you want your deck to last for a long time, staining is your best option. Compared to paint, stains won’t peel off or fade as fast. To ensure longevity, use a clear or semi-transparent stain on your deck.
Why Painting Isn’t Recommended
There’s no keeping you from painting your deck because paints can actually add the hue that you want to your home. However, the problem with that is the fact that most of the surfaces of decks are horizontal. As such, the paint you apply on it just lays there. As it does, it will hold water.
Water is the enemy of a lot of things, but most especially wood. If water or moisture is trapped inside the wood, especially the ones without a sealer, then the wood will deteriorate faster than expected. You will eventually notice chipping and peeling paint, which will soon lead to wood rotting.
If you use high-quality stains and sealers instead, moisture will be forced out of the wood while the compound penetrates through it. They will actually make your wood stronger, durable, and resistant to the weather. The stain crack, chip, or peel like paint would, even if the wood starts to shrink or swell. The darker the stain is, the more protected is your deck from moisture or fading.
How to Apply Deck Stain
Staining the deck is fairly easy but it is one type of job that’s best performed by a professional if you want to do it right the first time. Find the experts in deck staining and hire them to help you out. They’re the best people for the job because they own tools and equipment that would completely clean your deck before applying the stain. That’s actually the first step before doing anything else.
It may seem easy to use a pressure washer to clean your deck but it’s not. You have to know the right amount of pressure that would remove dirt without damaging the wood. Too much pressure could cause the wood to splinter and you certainly don’t want that to happen. If you choose to hire a professional deck builder, then you’ll get the best possible results at all times.
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