Your Local Overland Park Painters Will Protect & Perfect With Our Deck Staining Service

Make sure to choose a deck stain or sealer that will repel water, resist mildew, and prevent fading in high traffic areas. Sealers and stains are either water-based or oil based. Oil-based finishes tend to hold their color a bit longer, but water-based finishes tend to be more durable and last longer. When it comes to deck staining, there are four major categories of sealants and stains, listed in order below. Each contains increasing amounts of pigment. The more pigment you apply, the less wood grain and texture are visible, but the better protection you are providing for your wood.

Clear water repellant often provides basic protection, including waterproofing, minimal UV protection, and sometime mildew growth prevention. Because these are clear or natural-look finishes, there is minimal amount of UV protection and the underlying wood will begin to gray within a few months. Performance ranges from 6 months to up to 2 years.

Toner or tinted water repellant is very similar to a clear sealant, except additional pigment or color is added. This provides additional protection against sun damage, further delaying the graying of the wood. In addition, the color can help to restore the original look of the wood even if a small amount of fading has occurred.

Semi-transparent stains contain additional pigment, providing subtle color while still showing the grain and texture of wood. These provide additional protection against water and sun damage, usually lasting for 3 to 4 years.

Solid stain provides the most amount of pigment or color, and, therefore, the best protection for wood. However, it also hides the wood grain, only allowing some of the texture of the wood to show through. Because of the excellent hiding properties, solid color stain is often used for heavily weathered wood, covering up damaged wood fibers. There are often more color choices in this category, so an attractive alternative would be to select complimentary colors for the horizontal boards or railings and the vertical balusters or spindles. Performance is often 5 years or more, depending on the level of direct exposure to sun and weather, and the amount of foot traffic encountered.