STAINING YOUR DECK – HOW TO SELECT THE RIGHT DECK STAIN

Have you gone to the store to buy stain for your deck only to be completely overwhelmed by all the options?  Water-Based versus Oil-Based?  Clear, Transparent, Semi-Transparent, Solid, Resurfacer…WHAT???  You try to ask the store associate and they are not that helpful.  I understand how confusing it all can be.

I managed deck coatings for a major paint company for a few years and I thought it was complex.  It honestly took me awhile to learn everything and I was working with deck coatings every day.

My goal with this post and the next few is to try and demystify everything involved with staining your deck.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ALL THE DIFFERENT STAINS?

CLEAR – Clears are exactly what they sound like.  A clear coating that does not change the color of your deck wood.  Clears are great when you have a deck with a higher quality wood that has a beautiful color or grain that you do not want covered up.  The original beauty of the wood can shine through.  You may be thinking why even put a clear on?  The reason you would coat your deck with a clear is because they are formulated to have water repellents and UV inhibitors to keep your deck looking beautiful longer.  More specifically these added features help prevent the wood from cracking, warping, cupping and graying quickly.  Regularly protecting your deck will keep it looking newer for years.

TONER / TRANSPARENT / TRANSLUCENT – The next stain has multiple names, depending on the brand.  I do not know why there are so many different names, but they all provide the same look.  Transparent stains provide a hint of color allowing the main beauty of the wood and grain to shine through.  Transparent stains are great when you want a slightly different color of wood but really want it to look natural.  If your deck is built from a less expensive wood that you want to look richer, then transparent stains are right for you.  There are usually only a few color options for transparent stains and they often match popular wood colors.  Transparent stains also have water repellents and UV inhibitors in them to keep your deck looking beautiful longer.

SEMI-TRANSPARENT STAIN – Semi-transparent stains have more pigment in them than transparent stains but less pigment than solid stains.  With semi-transparent stains, some of the wood grain can still be seen, but not as clearly as with a clear or a transparent stain.  Semi-transparent stains are great for decks that are not brand new but still in pretty good condition.  There are also many more color options for semi-transparent stains so you can often try to match the deck to your house or select a color that complements it nicely.  Semi-transparent stains also have water repellents in them to keep your deck looking beautiful.  The semi-transparent stains may have a little UV inhibitor added to them, but this becomes less necessary the more pigment the deck stain has.

SOLID STAINS – Solid stains have a lot of pigment in them, completely covering the wood grain but not the wood texture.  Solid stains look like paint on a deck, but they are specifically formulated for decks.  Deck stains are formulated to be able to withstand foot traffic on them, whereas paint is formulated only for vertical surfaces.  Solid stains are ideal for lightly worn decks that have a bit of wear and minimal cracking.  Solid stains also usually have water repellents in them to protect your deck from the rain.  It’s important to note that these features differentiate solid stains from standard exterior paint and are the main reason you should not use a standard exterior paint for a deck.

RESURFACERS – This is a newer category for deck coatings and one that people do not have a lot of knowledge on.  I worked on the first deck resurfacer ever developed so I particularly understand this category better than most.  Resurfacers are solid in color, meaning that they have as much pigment in them as the solid stains and you will not see the wood grain and may not see the wood texture either.  They also are designed to be thicker coatings to help fill the cracks and create an even look to decks that have cupped and warped over the years.  There are really two levels of resurfacers.  A thinner one for moderately worn wood.  These will fill light cracks 1/8″ or smaller.  And a thicker one for heavily worn wood.  This one will fill cracks up to 1/4″.  The thicker type is very thick and you will not see the wood grain or texture of the wood at all, but it will take a deck that looks really worn out and help make it look like a newer deck.  Because the coating is so thick there is a texture to it that people do not always love, however you will not see the cracks, cupping, or warping of the deck boards anymore.

OIL- OR WATER-BASED STAINS

Another choice you may need to make when selecting a deck stain, is to decide whether you want to purchase an oil- or water-based stain.  In some states, you will not have to decide between the two types of stains.  Some states have stricter VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) rules, so you may only find water-based stains.  It is easier to meet strict VOC requirements with water-based stains.

OIL-BASED STAINS – are just as they sound, they have a base that is oil.  Oil-based stains often have a little richer look than water based stains, enhancing the look of the wood a little more.  They also are a little better at penetrating into the wood than water-based stains.  Over time they are more likely to fade and wear away in a more even fashion than water-based stains.  Another benefit of oil-based stains is that they can be used on new wood decks.  With water-based stains you need to let the wood weather for 6 months before applying.

While beautiful, oil-based stains can feel more difficult to work with.  To clean them up you need to use mineral spirits; water and soap will not clean your tools covered in an oil-based stain.  Plus, they normally take longer to dry and cure.  This means you will not be able to use or return furniture to your deck as quickly as if you used a water-based stain.

Oil-based stains also are combustible.  You need to keep these products away from heat, open flame and sparks.  Spontaneous combustion of rags covered in oil-based stain can occur.  Rags need to be laid flat (not on top of each other or in a pile to dry) or they should be soaked in water and stored in an air-tight container.  It may not seem possible, but people have had fires start outside their home or in their garage because the oil soaked rags spontaneously combusted.

WATER-BASED STAINS – Water-based stains or acrylic stains have a base that is water.  Water-based coatings tend to have lower VOCs and are easier for people to work with and to clean up afterwards.  Water-based coatings can be cleaned using soap and water.  They also dry and cure faster.  This means if you need to apply another coat of stain you can do it in a shorter amount of time.  Also, since it cures faster you will be able to walk on the surface and return your furniture to the deck sooner than you can with oil-based stains.

I personally prefer working with water-based stains and that is what I would recommend for most homeowners.

SELECTING A BRAND

There are a large range of brands to choose from so I will help by letting you know which brands I think are the best.  I will list these in alphabetical order (so as not to bias you based on the brands I worked on, which are on this list, are my favorites and what I would purchase):  Behr Premium, Benjamin Moore, Cabot, Rust-Oleum (RockSolid & Wolman).

These brands’ stains are more durable, flexible, and weather-resistant (even if some of the other brands claim they are better).  In addition, these brands tend to be more expensive.  What are you truly getting for that extra cost you wonder?

First, you will get a better resin system.  Resin is what gives paint its adhesive properties and may have additional features that make the stain more durable and flexible.  You will also get better waterproofing features.  The less expensive stains often use waxes to provide waterproofing protection.  Wax is ok, but it wears down quickly and will not continue to provide long term protection in areas where there is a lot of traffic.  These days there are chemical additives that are hydrophobic (meaning they repel water) that are added to the higher priced stains.  Another feature that is different depending on the quality of stain are the UV protection additives.  The more expensive stains will use better quality additives that will help keep your wood from graying as quickly.

So, while these brands may seem more expensive initially, you will be better off in the long run because your coating will be more durable and protect your deck keeping it looking beautiful longer.

SELECTING THE PERFECT COLOR

So now you have picked the brand and type of stain you want for your deck, it is now time to pick the color.  This piece is often really confusing for people.  There are usually displays around the stains, but sometimes they do not show all the colors available.  Most of the brands offer 50+ colors to choose from which also can be overwhelming.  On top of that the big box stores like Home Depot, Lowes, and Menards tend to have a color match option as well.  Unfortunately, this is not well advertised and not every stain offers this, but it is something for you to consider as well.  With color match, you can bring in the color that you want, they will put it under a machine that will analyze the color and you can match your deck coating to that color.

My suggestion for selecting the right color for your deck is to get the brochure for the brand of stain you are looking to purchase.  Inside that brochure will be color chips of all the colors that are offered for each stain type.  Take that brochure home and check out the color chips outside on your deck.  Look at it in the shade, in the sun, in different forecasts, and up next to your house.  This will be the best way to really decide which color is best for you.

HOW MUCH STAIN DO I NEED

In my experience, this seems to be the hardest part for homeowners.  Often, they do not buy enough deck stain and either have to go back to the store to buy more or try to stretch the stain they have and do not put down enough coating.  Before purchasing your stain, you should measure the length and width of your deck.  Multiply these together and you have the square footage of your deck.  If you have railings or lattice it is not a bad idea to measure these as well, because you will need plenty of stain for these as well.

When you get to the store to purchase your stain, check the back of the label for the coverage range of the stain.  A lot of these ranges are based on theoretical calculations so I recommend using the lowest coverage number when trying to determine how many containers of stain you will need for your project.  So, if the coverage range for a gallon of stain is 200 – 300 sq. ft., I would consider that the gallon can cover 200 sq. ft. as people often put the stain on thick and rougher wood will really soak up more stain.  That means if you have a deck that is 450 sq. ft. you would need to purchase 3 gallons.  (Math:  450/200 = 2.25 gallons…round up to the nearest gallon makes it 3 gallons).

STAY TUNED FOR MORE INFORMATION ON DECK STAINING

I hope this helps demystify selecting a deck stain a little for you.

This series will continue with two more posts “STAINING YOUR DECK – ALL THE TOOLS YOU NEED” and “STAINING YOUR DECK – HOW TO PROPERLY PREPARE AND STAIN YOUR DECK”

If you still have any questions, please leave a comment below and I will do my best to answer.  HAPPY STAINING! 🙂