Tips for Painting Your Deck Vs. Staining It

Here in Northeast Florida, the elements can really take a toll on the wood surfaces around your home. Your deck, dock, and fence are exposed to intense sunlight and UV rays that will fade wood and weaken the natural substance that holds together wood fibers. Humidity and heavy rains overwhelm wood with moisture, causing it to warp and crack as it then expands and contracts with changing temperatures. Wood that is unprotected or neglected is highly susceptible to these dangers, and will turn gray and eventually rot. The best thing you can do is protect the wood with a fresh application of stain or paint. Our tips can help you choose what is right for your fence, deck, trellis, or other wood surface.

Staining Tips:
A good quality stain will soak into the wood and fill the tiny gaps that would otherwise become filled with moisture from rain or humidity. The stain will penetrate the wood grain and seal it, making a barrier against moisture.
If the stain is tinted, it will shield the wood from UV rays, and the more pigment a stain has, the more protection it will provide.
Stain also does not chip or peel, so though it will fade as time goes by, your deck won’t become riddled with pesky peeling paint.
Stain is available in clear, semi-transparent, semi-solid, and solid color, so you can find the perfect look for your property.

Painting Tips:
The high solids content in paint helps to form a thick, opaque film on the wood’s surface that shields it from UV rays, resists moisture, and hides imperfections.
If you choose to paint your deck, we recommend a high quality water-based latex porch and floor paint, which will do a better job than oil-based paint in flexing with the wood as it expands and contracts with the elements.
Remember that even the highest quality paint jobs will eventually begin to peel. Even the best paint jobs will not last too long in the intense Florida climate of high heat and humidity and heavy rainfall.

Now that summer is here, you want to enjoy your deck, dock, and patio even more than ever. Do-it-yourself painting and staining projects are time-consuming chores, and hard, hot work that most homeowners do not want to take on. Instead, find a great painting company and trust the work to the skilled painting technicians.

The Painting Craftsmen is the best painting company Jacksonville FL homeowners rely on for all their painting and staining needs. Painting is our passion, and it shows – just ask our hundreds of clients throughout Jacksonville, San Marco, Ortega, Avondale, along the Beaches and beyond. We specialize in getting your deck ready for you to enjoy, so if you have rotten boards that need to be replaced, or if the surfaces need intense pressure washing and sanding, we are the professional deck refinishers for you. Call on the best deck refinishing company in town!