When it comes to creating a beautiful and functional outdoor space, you may have a hard time deciding between painting vs staining your deck. While both offer a range of advantages and disadvantages, the option that will work best will depend on your unique situation. At Dunbar Painting, their team can take care of all your deck painting or staining needs.
Why Should You Paint or Solid Colour Stain a Deck?
If you like the look of paint or if your deck currently has paint that is in good condition and you want to maintain it, painting or using a solid colour stain on your deck might be the best option for you. While paint provides the most protection, it is important to keep in mind that there is a higher than normal frequency of maintenance for painting wood that is walked on, as it will eventually start to peel which can be a lot of work to fix.
Why Should You Semi-Transparent Stain a Deck?
If you are wanting easier maintenance in the long run, using semi-transparent stain on your deck will be best for you. New decks and existing stained decks will require some extra work the first time the wood is stained because it will need to be completely sanded to the point that the stain absorbs properly. After that, the deck will need to be scuff sanded and recoated with stain every few years. Over time, deck stain will fade, making it easier to recoat; however, if the stain reaches a point well beyond fading, restaining the deck will become more challenging.
How to Know Which Option Works Best for You
Before deciding if you should paint or stain your deck, you should take the following into consideration:
What was Previously Done?
If the deck was previously painted and the paint is still in good condition, repainting the deck is the best option; however, if the paint is in bad condition, it will better to strip the deck and stain it. If the deck was previously stained and the stain is in good condition, the best option would be to recoat the deck, but, if the stain is in bad condition, the deck will need to be stripped before it can be restained. If the deck has never been stained or painted, staining is usually the best option.
What Looks Best?
Consider whether you prefer the solid colour of paint or having the natural aspects of the wood show through the stain. It is also a good idea to think about what will look best with other parts of your house.
How Often will the Deck be Maintained?
If you are likely to forget about maintaining the deck, staining will be the best choice because it does not peel when it gets old like paint does.
How Much do You Want to Spend?
While painting when the deck’s current paint is in good condition tends to be cheaper, repairing old paint is more expensive than repairing old stain.
If you would like to learn more about whether you should paint or stain your deck, or if you are interested in one of their services, please contact Dunbar Painting at 604-788-3382 or by filling out a contact form on their website.