Paint or Stain... Which one is best for your Deck?

If you want to know “is it better to paint or stain a deck” then you need to answer this one question…

Are you ok to have a deck that bubbles and peels?

Well that’s exactly what could happen if you paint your deck instead of staining it…

Not sure you believe me? 

Well let’s see if I can shed some light on the situation…

Why painting your deck is a bad idea…

Did you know that whenever you paint timber that is outside and exposed to the harsh sun and rain, that you need to paint every surface of the timber or it won’t be protected?

That’s the case if you want  to paint your deck or your fence…

It’s true…

Here’s what happens if you paint your deck…

You can only paint the top surface and possibly the sides of your deck but the bottom is left unprotected. Now you’d think that the bottom is ok because it’s not exposed to the weather.

But here’s the thing…

When it rains, the water will fall between the boards and pool on the ground below the deck. When the weather starts to heat up a little bit, moisture will form on the bottom surface of your decking boards.

That water will soak up from the bottom and work it’s way to the top surface, right under your perfect paint job…

And you know the thing about paint? 

It doesn’t absorb into timber, it only sits on the surface like a film…

So when that water starts to soak up from the bottom, there’s nothing to stop it from making its way to the surface so you end up with your paint bubbling and peeling and leaving an ugly mess…

Some painters will argue that a quality paint will last longer that a stain or oil but think about this…

The same painters will also tell you that once you paint your deck it’s extremely hard to remove the paint. So lets say your painted deck lasts a couple years longer than a stain or oil before it cracks and peels.

And one things for sure, no matter what you put on your deck, it will eventually fade and peel then need to be removed and done again. Nothing lasts for ever…

How do you then remove or patch a painted deck when the paint starts to peel off?

It’s extremely difficult to get the paint off or even stop the paint from bubbling and peeling…

A stain or oil on the other hand, can easily be removed with a sander or chemical scrub…

And if you give your deck a fresh coat of oil every year, it’ll last a lot longer and still be easy to sand off when the time comes to do it again.

What happens when your paint starts to fade?

You can give it a fresh coat of paint…

But keep in mind, every coat of paint you put on your deck, the thicker the coating is and the harder it will be to remove.

Why you should use a stain or oil instead…

Now let’s look at what happens when you use an oil or stain to protect your deck…

Deck oils and stains actually get absorbed into the surface of your decking boards.

They don’t penetrate the timber very deep but they do absorb into the surface. Which means they aren’t sitting on the top of the board like a film…

So when the water soaks up through the exposed bottom, it won’t be able to get all the way to the surface and cause your deck coating to bubble and peel…

So that’s why it’s better to use a stain or oil instead of paint on your deck…

There is one thing you need to know before you stain your deck…

If you apply the oil or stain the wrong way on your decking, it will act just like paint and peel off…

More is not better. 

You only want to apply as much oil as your deck can absorb and no more. If you put down too much oil or stain, it’ll form a film just like paint and at first it’ll look great…

But after a couple of months of walking on it…

And after the sun and rain beat down on it…

Your perfect deck will start to peel and fade…

But you’re in luck because there’s an easy way to avoid this. There’s a technique that I call the “Brush on, Brush off Technique”…

The first step of this technique is to throw away the lambswool applicator and your paint roller. These two applicators put the stain down way too heavy. 

You wanna be using this special applicator called a DeckBrush Applicator…

Why is this so special?

Well, because it allows you to apply only as much stain as your deck can absorb and then remove any extra sitting on the surface.

So, don't paint your deck, you'll thank me in the future...

Sincerely,

Jason – The Brush on , Brush off King…