Happy June, What a glorious weekend, I think summer and warm days are finally here. What better way to enjoy the sun than on your deck

solidwoodstainsEarlier this week I wrote about solid stains and said I would write a follow up in two weeks regarding the newly advertised national service companies Deck Daddy and Deck Helmet as well as new stain products Rustoleum’s Deck Restore and Behr’s Deck Over. Well, some of my customers wrote back and said they couldnt wait and was asked for the information in advance as they are planning their restoration project now that the weather is finally warm. Here is the article for all:
My dad always told me “If all you have is a hammer everything looks like a nail!” There is no truer application to this quote than with these products and this email.

There has been three traditional options to protect your deck, now there are 4. Traditionally you could apply either:
1. A clear seal which lasts for a year. This is ideal for newer decks, customers that are short term minded, cost conscious and don’t mind annual maintenance prefer this method. The product is clear so any stain or imperfection will show through.
2. A semi transparent stain which lasts up to 3 years. Semi transparent stains are ideal for customers who have seasoned decks that clean up well with low pressure washing. Customers who select this product want to see the grain of the wood and desire a natural wood color. Semi transparent stains will hide some stains and imperfections. Customers who select a semi transparent stain want their deck to look better longer and want less maintenance but still realize their deck requires annual maintenance cleaning to keep mold and algae from resting and eating into the stain.
3. The last traditional way is a solid stain. Solid stains can be applied to newer or older decks, they cover up all the grain of the deck and will last up to 5 years. Solid stains will cover up any ills of previous treatments of the deck. You can change colors.
In the last 2 years Ive seen heavily advertised solid stain brands Deck Renewal, and Deck Over. Both of these products play off of the third traditional maintenance option of a solid stain.

My company has applied both Deck Restore and Deck Over. Their down side is after these products are applied you can’t change colors, you cant redo it again. They are unproven permanent solution to tearing down your deck.

The idea of Deck Over, or Deck Restore have a valid purpose for their existence which is for decks that are deeply cracked, have an existing solid stain, the owner doesn’t want to invest the money on a new deck and also wants another 5-10 years of use out of their existing deck these products are perfect. These products are 4 to 10 times the thickness of standard solid deck stain. The theory is that the stain is so thick it will fill in every crack and crevasse of your deck resulting in a smooth uniform finish. Keep in mind these products cannot be sprayed so labor is higher as they have to be applied by brush and rollers.

Companies say that this method turns your wood deck into a “composite deck”. That’s like me saying that I painted my first car a 1983 Cadillac Sedan Deville, now it’s a 2014 Honda Accord. If you have a wood deck before, after the treatment, you will have a wood deck with thick paint on it.

Reality: My company looks at over 5,000 decks every year. Many of the customers believe their dreary deck is in far worse shape than it really is. After a low pressure wash and sanding, they recognize my technicians as the saviors they are, bringing back to life what was thought to be dead. Out of all the decks we look at my liberal guess is that 2% actually need replacement or the products listed above, 98% require just be cleaned up, sanded and protected for years of future enjoyment.
Remember what my dad told me? If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

Deck Daddy and Deck Helmet offer one solution to all your concerns, a proprietary version to Deck Over or Deck Restore. They do not recommend sealing your deck or applying a semi transparent stain or even a solid stain because they don’t do it! I have never heard anything bad about their services, in fact, I’m sure they all do a good work all over the country. My fear and concern is that some deck owners are being sold a bill of goods, they are not presented with all their options so they may not be doing what is what they truly desire or what is best for their deck.

My recommendation: I’d hire a professional deck restoration company and have them inspect and clean the deck before deciding to use a Restore or Deck Over product, it will have to be cleaned anyways prior to a treatment application. After the cleaning you will see the true condition of your deck and be able to make a sound decision, knowing all your options for your decks future.