Deck Care
Finishes
During warm months, many home maintenance projects take us outside. One summer project we spend a lot of time talking about is Deck Care & Maintenance. This article addresses some of the more popular choices and their attributes.
Penetrating Deck Stains: Penetrating stains work best for decks. Deck stains have various additives that give them superior performance compared to standard semi-transparent stains:
- Alkyd resin base dries harder and is more scuff resistant than standard linseed oil base.
- Ultra Violet Light Absorbers act as a sunscreen for the wood and are sometimes added to help maintain the integrity of the wood longer.
- Water Repellents, such as wax, are added to prevent water from destroying the wood, an important consideration for your deck, which will take a beating from the rain.
Daly's Deckstain is formulated utilizing the above additives, plus a mildewcide to help slow down the growth of those pesky black spots that appear on your deck. It is available in 8 popular colors plus Clear, and can be custom blended to meet most color needs. This product requires only 1 coat, and is the superior deck stain on the market.
Floor Paints: These paints are made specifically for walking surfaces. They usually have the added protection of urethane resins for maximum scuff resistance. However, they are not appropriate for decks! Unless you paint the deck boards on all sides, floor paints will surely peel, because moisture will come through the bottom and sides of the boards and actually push the paint off!
Solid Stains: This is a finish choice of many, however, we feel that while excellent for house siding, a solid stain is not appropriate for decks! Solid stains are quite soft, and will wear off quickly. Solid coatings, such as stain or paint, sit too much on the surface, and tend to wear off in an unsightly manner because they are prone to blistering and peeling.
Water Proofers: Consisting mainly of wax and a very small amount of resin these products are not very effective, especially after the wax dissipates. With no resin or ultra light absorbent for protection, the wood will gray quickly.
Ask Robin
Robin Daly answers your decorating questions; if you have a decor problem just email her at robin@dalyspaint.com and she'll respond to you personally. Robin also makes house calls!
Aack! I am in the middle of an extensive remodel of my 50's house; we are adding a much needed family room off the kitchen plus a master suite. Not only are we living in the house while this is happening, but my contractor just informed me that I need to have all my finish materials chosen sooner than I thought! I am getting stressed to the point that I don't even know where to start looking, and he wants to start painting next week. What is the best way to approach this project?
Ruth F.K., Bryant
Ruth -
I would start by sitting down with your contractor and negotiating a time-line for when he needs to have each item installed. For example, all painting occurs on the first week of the month, carpet installed 2nd week, etc. This gives you a general idea of the timing, but it's flexible too. You can then work backwards from there to determine when you need to have your materials ordered in time for the installation dates. Planning ahead now will save you a lot of stressful last minute running around, and your choices will be better with the opportunity of careful planning.
While painting may happen before anything else is installed, it's actually one of the LAST things you choose in the whole decorating scheme of things. Why? We can make paint almost any color, but you are more limited in color choices for materials like carpet and tile. A general rule-of-thumb: choose those things that are hardest to change first. In your case it would be in this order: Cabinetry, tile and countertops, carpeting, paint.
We have 4 great people on staff that can even help you through this process; Kim or Randy in our Bellevue store (425-454-3093) and Nedra or Richard (206-633-4200) in Seattle. They will be happy to set-up an appointment with you!
Tips & Tricks
Deck Cleaners
Deck cleaners save you a lot of labor. There are generally three types:
- Strippers
- Washes
- Brighteners
Strippers - If your deck was previously painted with either a floor paint or solid stain, you will need to strip it before you can use a deck stain. An excellent alternative to sanding is a product called STRIPEX. This powerful gel saves a lot of time and effort by dissolving old coatings, which are then hosed off. This product is biodegradable, but it is always a good idea to cover plants and shrubs before hand.
Washes - For periodic cleaning and to prepare the surface for a new coat of stain, washes are economical and labor saving. Daly's Deck and House Cleaner, designed to remove dirt and mildew, should be part of a regular maintenance program.
Wood Brightener - For use on weathered pieces, wood brighteners will refresh the look of the wood and remove water damage marks. Daly's Wood Brightener works on bare, weathered wood, or a freshly stripped piece. Note: Surfaces should be cleaned prior to using brighteners.
*For more decorating solutions and ideas don't forget to check out Robin Daly & Christian Ursino's column, The Design Files in the "Seattle at Home" section of the Saturday Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
Also, don't miss Robin Daly's blog at tintedperspective.blogspot.com.
What topics would you like covered in this newsletter? Email me your questions or ideas at robin@dalyspaint.com. I write this newsletter about once a month, but I'm ALWAYS happy to answer your questions personally. Check out my blog at tintedperspective.blogspot.com.
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