How Often Should I Stain My Deck?
The frequency of how often you should stain your deck depends on the type of sealer or stain you use.
Transparent Sealers and Toners – Re-stain every 1-2 Years
Solid Stains every 2-4 Years
Factors That Affect the Life Span of Your Stain
- Newly pressure treated wood is full of preservatives and stains are not able to fully penetrate the wood pores. The stain will not last as long. It is recommended that you wait 6 months prior to staining a newly constructed deck.
- The fibers on older aged wood become weaker over time and wears away taking the stain with the loose fibers. Heavily damaged boards should be replaced prior to staining.
- Decks in heavy sun will fade and become sun damaged quicker than a deck in the shade. Shaded decks tend to mildew, also negatively affecting the life of the stain.
- Heavy foot and pet traffic creates friction that wears away the stain and wood fibers decreasing the life of the stain.
- Excessive water from a roof valley that overflows onto the deck with each rain, for example, will have negative affect on the life of the stain
The life span of a stained deck will vary widely based on the number and severity of the factors listed above. In severe cases, the stain may not last a year and re-staining may be needed more often. Ideally, quality deck stains should last close to 5 years, but because a deck often has several of the negative factors above, they tend to be the most problematic structures to coat. We highly recommend solid stains as they protect your wood from elements such as the sun, and water much better than clear sealers/toners. Solid stains are also much easier and cost-effective to maintain. A deck coated with solid stain can often be refreshed by recoating the deck floor and the top of the handrails only with minimum labor while adding years of life to your deck. To schedule an appointment for a deck staining, please click here.
Category: Misc
The post How Often Should I Stain My Deck? appeared first on Express Yourself Paint.
