Deck and Patio Staining Specialist
We are the Canadian Specialists in Staining and Painting Decks
Decks and patios are made up of rails, steps, deck floors, lattice, skirt boards, posts, pergolas, trellises, benches and have many different shapes and sizes.
They are a highly visible and an essential area of your home and business. As the outdoor living space of your home and business, it is important to have them looking good. The Canadian climate is very hard in these areas, so painting and staining are more important than just making them look good.
The successful staining or painting of decks centers on the selection of the right products for the surface, proper preparation, and regular maintenance.
Our deck staining and painting services start with:
1) Selecting the right product for your deck:
Stains come in two types solids and semi- transparent. Solid stain resembles paint and is opaque and semi-transparent shows wood grain. In most cases it is a matter of personal choice and desired outcomes as to which product suits the job.
Stain comparison: Solid vs Semi-transparent
Solid Stains
- Opaque (Shows texture not grain)
- can be applied over semi-transparent
- Alkyd, acrylic or emulsion base
- Self Priming
- Life Span 2-5 years before recoat
- easy application similar to paint
Semi-transparent Stains
- Shows wood grain
- Cannot be applied over solid stain
- Alkyd or emulsion base
- Alkyd for new wood or a recoat
- Self Priming
- Life span 1-2 years before a recoat
- Requires more expertise in application
There are paints available to coat deck surfaces such as polyurethane, floor emulsions, acrylics and alkyds however these are the least favoured products. The issue is that when they fail they peel and require extensive time consuming scraping. For the most part they are only used if the previously existing coating is paint.
2) Preparing the Surfaces for the stain or paint
Proper preparation enhances the look of your deck areas.
- Washing (power washing and hand washing)
- Scraping
- Priming (all stains are self-priming)
- Sanding
- Caulking
3. Application of the product:
Solid stains can be applied by brushing, rolling or spraying. Semi-transparent needs to be brushed although there are accepted methods of rolling combined with a brushed finish that is commonly used.
4. Maintenance:
Decks are high maintenance items and in order to keep them looking good, you will re-coat more often than other exterior surfaces. Like the rest of your home, they are totally exposed to the weather. In Canada, the weather is very tough on all outside surfaces. However unlike other exterior surfaces of the home rain and snow sit on them, they are walked on, shoveled off, have heavy items sit and dragged across them, have plants grown on them, and a whole lot more activity in general. The bottom line is they need a lot of TLC.
In order to keep them looking good, they need maintenance.
Our suggested maintenance program:
- Every 1-2 years clean and recoat deck floors, steps, and the tops of your rails
- Every 3-5 years clean and recoat rails, posts, skirts, and other areas of the deck
