With recent barrage of advertising from Behr’s Deck Over, Rustoleum’s Deck Restore on TV as well as radio commercials from brand new contractors like Deck Daddy and Deck Helmet, I thought this is the perfect opportunity to write about solid stains, their benefits and pitfalls.
There is a lot to digest on the subject so I’m breaking it into three emails. This week will set the groundwork and provide basic background on solid stains, part two will discuss products and warranty’s part three will discuss different services, options and horror stories.
Why would people want a solid stain?
1. Your deck is old, uneven, warn.
2. You have an existing solid stain.
3. You are mandated by your HOA.
4. You like the look of a solid floor as opposed to seeing the grain of the wood
Benefits of using a solid stain
Even appearance Can change colors without chemical stripping Less maintenance- still requires annual cleaning but looks better longer, if the deck starts to peel Easy to touch up (be aware of fading)- Although touch up is much easier with solids, decks fade under UV sun light over time, the touch up paint may be darker than the surrounding areas on your deck. Board replacements and deck repairs are much easier to blend in with existing older wood when the protection application will be a solid stain. Covers up bad pressure washing jobs and bad stain jobs
Disadvantage of using a solid stain
Once you use a solid stain you cannot go back to a semitransparent or translucent stain. So bye, bye grain of the wood.
Pitfalls—What causes solid stains to fail?
1. Does your deck breathe? If your deck is close to the ground it may very well not receive proper ventilation. Without proper ventilation, your deck does not dry, if you deck does not dry then the solid stain will not adhere to the deck surface and will fail.
2. Use a deck stain, not an exterior paint- deck stains are more resilient they are made to walk on and withstand the heat and the constant UV beat down.
3. What about when there is an existing solid stain? Your deck should be pressure washed and sanded to remove the failing paint- remember no matter how many coats of solid stain have been applied to the deck the one that matters most is the only one touching the deck. If it fails, then all the other coats will fail as well.
4. Moisture in the wood is a killer to the end result of your solid stain. If the wood’s moisture content is too high when the stain is applied, the trapped moisture will still try to escape. The result of this escape attempt is bubbling and eventual failure of the solid stain. Ensure, the moisture content is right by utilizing a moisture meter.
5. Don’t apply a solid stain on new, wet wood. Allow the deck to dry out and breathe before first application.
6. What if my deck gets a lot of shade? You will know this because you will see algae (green) growth. To be honest, the stain will fail there. That said, it is not the end of the world just plan on touching up that small area annually.
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