Should I Stain My Deck?

Factual Questions
1

I’ve heard the arguements “for” and “against”, and I’m still sitting on the fence.
Actually, I’ve got 3 gallons of Behr(sp) semi-transparent honey stain sitting in the garage, but it’s been raining like crazy here. (Kingston, Ontario) $37 a gallon.

Last week I power washed the whole thing, and it made it look like a brand new deck. The main deck is 60 wide by 13 deep, and sits about 5 feet of the ground, and the lower deck is 14 x 14 and sits about 3 feet of the ground.

The decking was installed in 1989, and up until I power washed it, it looked all grey, old, and black in spots, now it looks brand spankin new.

My friends tell me that once I do it, I’ll have to do it every year.
My common sense tells me by staining the deck, this will make it last longer and save me money in the long run.

We also have 6 dogs, and during the winter when we let them out the patio doors to do their business, much of the business gets dumped on the deck, so I’m also thinking by sealing the wood, it will seal out the business.

So what do you wood experts think? Am I better of staining it every year or 2, or should I just give it a good cleaning a few times a year?

Thanks
Gus

2

A solid color stain wil seal your deck and protect the wood from UV for several years given a good quality stain.

Without the stain, the wood will turn grey again pretty quickly. Each time you powerwash it you are removing some of the wood (the part that turns grey). If you’re powerwashing it several times per year, you’re going to see the effects of that eventually.

3

Boy did I misread this thread title. :eek:

4

It’s a losing battle…(trying to preserve outdoor wood) but treatments do prolong the lifespan,and have aesthetic appeal.
The more opaque the finish,the better the protection (from UV ),but in some cases,the harder to strip off when eventuality rolls around.
If the product doesn’t contain a mildewcide,one can be added;that’s where the black comes from.
Personal experience and anecdotal data indicate a three to five year schedule.

5

You don’t have to do it every year. Get a good stain and sealer. They mix a stain with less pigment for when you do need to restain, since you still have some pigment left on the deck. It needs to be for the same color though.

6

Thanks!
Gus