As a Painting Contractor I receive calls every year from people looking to have their decks re-stained.
By the time I get the call, many of these potential clients are exasperated from trying to find someone (anyone) to handle this deck maintenance for them. There seems to be a shortage of an available workforce willing and/or able to fill this void, which has helped create the perfect storm of neglected deck maintenance. But, there are other factors involved…
THERE IS A LOT OF WORK AVAILABLE
I see Deck Staining as a potential market niche waiting to be filled. There is at present abundant work and the promise of return customers. However, it comes with…baggage.
The Industry-wide move towards “environmentally friendly” deck stains (ie., water-based stains), have left us with stains that only last about two years. A tough sell for the customer who paid to have it refinished this year, knowing they will have to do it again in two years, and then again in another two years. It is a sobering thought when considering the life the deck. Not only that, but these modern deck stains don’t just need to be re-stained… they usually need to be scraped before they can be re-stained.
Are wooden decks destined to be seen as a relic of bygone times, or exclusively on the homes of those who can afford to maintain them?
IS LOW-MAINTENANCE BETTER?
The outlook of homeowners has changed over recent decades. The average homeowner now wants a product that requires little to no maintenance. It seems to come down to: cost, a busy schedule, lack of necessary skills to maintain their home, rising cost of lumber, ongoing maintenance, having other priorities, and effective marketing campaigns.
Wooden homes of the past have given way to products like Aluminum siding, Vinyl siding, Cement Board, and most recently “Smart Siding” (ahem). There has been a shift in products available for Residential Decking as well.
Wooden decks have gradually declined in popularity, in favor of lower-maintenance Plastic and Composites. Homeowners like Composite Decks, and Builders like installing them. Many clients have shown excitement about switching to Composites, and I have sometimes agreed with them. One things is for sure: Composite Decking are here to stay (at least for a while).
THE LOW-DOWN ON COMPOSITES
Nothing is perfect, and that is true of Composites. Composites have a life expectancy of about 25-30 years – about the same as a Cedar or Redwood Deck.
While it is true they require little maintenance during that time, there have been some known problems, such as: warping and sagging, UV damage, delaminating, dark colors being much warmer than wooden decks (sometimes 10-15 degrees hotter than wooden counterparts), can be slippery when wet, and unable to repair damaged areas. There is no large scale method to recycle Composite decks, because the wood and plastic cannot be separated, so the majority of them will end up in a landfill. Some of these problems have been addressed, while others are inherent to the materials.
GOT WOOD?
There are times and places where wood decks are simply not appropriate, for example: areas that are in extreme shade, excessively moist areas that don’t dry out, and of course when the customer is adamant about having Composite. But most of the time, I prefer Wood Decks.
I like the way wood decks look, and I like the way they feel under foot. Real wood lends authenticity, naturalism and rustic charm to a home and landscape that cannot be replicated with Composites. Wood is a renewable resource that adds organic interest, and intrinsic value to a property. It can be refurbished, repaired and repurposed when the deck has reached the end of its life.
There are many varieties to choose from: Treated Pine (generally speaking has a15-20 year life expectancy with routine maintenance), Cedar (25-40 years w/ maint.) and Redwood(30 years w/ maint.), and others. There are also exotic hardwoods, like Ipe that have a service life expectancy (without being treated in any way) of 40+ years.
PAINTERS SHOULD KNOW BETTER
Clients who choose to build a wooden deck, will want to know how to care for their investment. More often than not, they will look to their Painting Contractor, and to the local paint store for answers and services. As Residential House Painters, we will be expected to know and be able to offer options regarding the care and maintenance of their favorite backyard hangout.
Will we advise them to skip the stain, and just replace the deck when it rots out? Will we start them off with an Oil Based Semi-Transparent stain, and educate them about how they can gradually move into an Oil Based Semi-Solid, and eventually into an Oil Based Solid-Stain as the deck ages?
Or, will we start them down the path of Water-Based disappointment?
Confusion and disinformation surrounds Deck Stains like news from a bad politician. It extends from the manufacturer, to the supplier, to the tradesman, and to the homeowner. The Marketing Strategy seems to be to tell the customer that “Our Stain is the next big thing” and “Ours is better than the other guys”, but fails to explain why theirs is better. In reality most of the modern deck stains are pretty much the same.
Here it is: If it sits sit on top of the wood, it will fail. The way it will fail is to peel. It is inevitable. The thicker the build, the worse it will look when it fails, and the more difficult to refurbish.
WATER BASED STAINS:
GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, BAD FOR DECKS.
Water-based deck stains are “film-forming”, meaning the stain sits “on” the wood (unlike the “penetrating” oil-based deck stains of yesterday that sit “in” the wood). Film-forming stains form an obvious film, that (when peeling) can be picked up and flexed somewhat like a rubber band. No such film is formed with oil based stains.
Because of the nature of decks, and of deck boards, it is not possible to fully seal all six sides of every stick of lumber. Moisture always find a way into the wood through nail holes, splits, cracks, and etc… This moisture is then wicked through the capillaries, in the same way a tree moves water from the roots to the leaves. Once water is in the wood, it eventually needs to find a way out… this causes film-forming stains to be pushed off the surface. This action is sped-up when you have snow and rain sitting for long periods of time, and when you have shovels and boots scraping at the surface.
Water Based Semi-Transparent stains fail less dramatically when compared to Water Based Solid Stains- which tend to peel in large flakes. The painter will have to “fix” this surface before it can be re-stained. One might ask if these modern stains create more problems than they solve? There are ongoing class action lawsuits involving major paint manufacturers of some of these stains, addressing this very issue.
OIL BASED STAINS – MADE WITH DINOSAUR EXTRACT!
In the past most wooden decks were stained with oil-based stains (otherwise know as “penetrating” stains). Oil-based deck stains are being gradually phased out industry-wide. If they haven’t been phased out in your area yet, the writing is on the wall. Environmental concerns, government regulations, consumer demand, and marketing at retail levels, have sped up the deletion of what is (in my opinion) the only suitable finish for exterior horizontal surfaces.
*Note- this rule does not apply to siding, as water does not collect and sit on the surface. Latex stains are superior to traditional oil based stains for wood siding: They have better color retention and remain flexible.
Oil Based Deck Stains don’t peel, because they are penetrating, and for that reason they are very easy to maintain: simply clean and re-stain. They look good, even when they were ready to be re-stained (because they fade away rather than peel away).
These stains, are easy to apply (with a natural bristle deck brush), they are durable, they look good, and they are available in custom colors. Oil is also naturally water-repellant. However, they can be prone to Mildew blooms when used in shady locations, as Mildew feeds on oils.
Oil Based Deck Stains have an expected lifespan (under optimal circumstances) of: 1-2 years for Semi-Transparent, 3 years for Semi Solid, and 3-5 years for a Solid Oil Based Deck Stain.
WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF DECK MAINTENANCE?
When possible, as far as I have a choice, I only used Oil Based Stains on decks. Now I am asking… “ What I will do when I can no longer obtain the stain I use and trust?”. I have had to explain to long-time customers that I am having difficulty sourcing the stain to maintain their decks, and price increases have driven costs higher. One product was entirely discontinued this year, with no substitute available.
I predict we will be asked with more frequency to fix a badly peeling deck as this shift towards Water Based stains leaves us with few other options. How will we answer that call this year, and in upcoming years?
Do we offer to strip the peeling deck, and re-stain in Oil Based stain, knowing that the stain may not be available in the future? Do we run for the hills as fast possible, and throw a slower painter in our wake? Or, do we simply scrape the peeling deck, re-stain it with the same Water Based stuff, and offer a tail-light warranty as we drive away?
Notes:
The high pigment content of oil based stain will not peel like waterborne deck stains will, but they can sit on the surface more than an Oil Semi Transparent stain will. However, they don’t form a membrane, and you won’t see them fail in the same way that Water Based Stains fail. You may see some slight “chipping” of the Solid Oil Stain but rarely (if ever) will you see a catastrophic failure which are so common WB stains… and they won’t need to be scraped the same way a Water Based Solid does before refinishing. You could never shovel a WB Solid in winter as it would cause peeling, but I shovel my back deck every year over Semi-Solid Oil and have no problems with peeling.
I like Cabot’s oil stains – I use them on my own deck.
Since this is a Deck Staining article… a Semi Transparent Stain would add some color, and last longer, and might be worth considering once a deck starts aging and not looking great anymore. When the deck starts looking really bad move to a semi-solid, etc…
Semi Solid camouflages a deck that has weathered/aged wood, better than a semi-transparent oil based stain for many many years, the natural next step (if you didn’t want to fork out the money just yet for a new composite deck) would be to transition to a Semi-solid, or even a solid oil based deck stain.
Clear stains require more effort than I’m willing to commit to, and homeowners should also be aware of the commitment peel that clears require: ”Clear Every Year” as the saying goes!
“solids” in the stain what protects the wood from UV damage. The higher the solid, the better it protects the wood from UV damage, and the longer it lasts. For that reason a solid stain (which looks painted) will protect better against UV, and last longer, than a semi transparent stain. I am speaking here of Oil based deck stains only, as I do not feel waterborne deck stains are worthy of recommending.
Once a water-based deck stain has been used, waterbased stain must continue to be used for the lifespan of the deck, unless the previous coating is completely removed. If the deck is peeling off in sheets, and only lasted about two years, it is highly probably that it is a water-based deck stain- this is a normal maintenance timeframe for that product, and the reason I cannot recommend it.
Exotic hardwoods would be my first choice of decking material as, but is not within my budgetary constraints, nor is lit likely in the grasp of the everyday-man. Not to mention they have some harvesting limitations for most of those woods. I think we will start seeing them with increasing frequency on higher end homes, however, so it is worth noting some care options, which typically requires an annual clear oil applied to top and end grain of each board.
Mildew (the common problem for decks) thrives in moist, dark environments. It is a living organism, so it is important not to just clean the surface, but to prevent it from returning. Products that contain bleach are effecting at eradicating mildew because it lowers the alkalinity, creating a hostile environment, effectively killing the spore.
I will sometimes add bleach+Jomax (downstream) with a pressure washer, let sit for 15 minutes, and then rinse with clean water. Jomax is a bleach “activator” and surfactant. It’s claim is that is makes bleach safe to use around plantlike. (note – avoid spraying Jomax mixture on windows, as it leaves stubborn water spots that are harmless, but that clients seem to strongly dislike). I typically handle this mildew treatment and deck cleaning on days when it has been raining and the decks are pre-wet, and the surrounding plantlike has been thoroughly watered.
Oil stains are more susceptible to mildew blooms, because the mildew feeds on the oils in the stain. Adding a mildewcide to the stain helps mitigate this somewhat, but oil stains are not aways suitable for areas in deep shade, and places that do not dry out (like on the North side of a house, under a heavy tree canopy, where there is no wind movement or direct sun, and etc…).
Composites make sense for many people and situations. For example, area of high humidity and shade, a composite will fare better than wood that never dried out, although treating for mildew will still be necessary on an annual or semi-annual basis.
Water-based stains are more resistant to mildew blooms, but they have the problems referred to throughout the entire article – namely that they will peel, and peeling is compounded when the wood cannot dry out properly.
*Composite decking can also have problems with mildew- it is not exclusive to wooden decks, if the environment is suitable for mildew to grow. Excessive mildew on composite decks can become slippery, and have been known to cause permanent discoloration in lighter colors.