There is nothing like a beautiful deck for enjoying your home. George Borlodan, owner of Borlodan Painting from Templeton, CA has some tips for not only making your deck beautiful, but for adding those special personal touches that make a deck truly yours.
Before adding the deck furniture, special lighting, and planters, the deck needs to be protected from the sun, rain, changes in temperature that might affect wood, foot traffic and a variety of other family living situations a deck might experience.
The question is, “What is the best way to protect the deck and still keep it a beautiful and comfortable space for the family?
The right kind of paint or stain both protect a deck, including railing and stairs, from sun and weather. And each has pros and cons.
Pros and cons of painting
The great things about painting the deck are:
- Paint is easy to maintain. Once painted with the right paint, a paint job can last for a long time.
- Unlimited color choices come with painting. You can match the deck to the house color, choose a complimentary color, get a little wild!
- Paint hides flaws, such as discolorations in the wood or weathered spots on an older deck.
Some of the downside considerations of painting include:
- As the wood on the deck naturally contracts and expands, paint may begin to chip and peel.
- Paint conceals wood and if you have used beautifully grained wood, you might want to reconsider painting.
- Once you paint the deck, you are pretty much going to have to continue to paint it. It’s expensive and time consuming to go from paint to stain.
Pros and cons of stain
Stain allows the wood grain to show. If you’ve invested in a beautifully grained wood, you might be reluctant to paint over it. Solid stains can create a darker look and can cover a woods natural look close to how paint does.
- Semitransparent stains offer a touch of color while allowing the wood’s natural characteristics to show-off.
- Clear wood preserve that contains UV protection is a good choice for showing off rich, natural woods like redwood or cedar.
- Staining your deck allows you to choose how much of the wood’s natural characteristics you want to show-off.
- Quality stains penetrate the wood and seal it, preventing moisture damage and rot.
- Stain is generally less slippery than paint and that can be a safety concern.
The downsides of stain include:
- Stain usually doesn’t last as long as paint. A quality professional job that is done by the Templeton painters will last longer, but re-staining will still be more frequent than repainting.
- Stain doesn’t hide flaws in the wood.
- Some top-quality wood, such as tropical hardwoods, require special oil-based penetrating stains, or a clear wood preservative.
Consider a combination of paint and stain
The variations in color and texture that can be achieved by using a combination of paint and stain can give you deck a truly personalized and dramatic look. Painting the deck floor and straining the railing, or the other way around, creates a unique and personal look.
Work with the experts
Your deck is an investment in your home, your lifestyle, and in the value of your home. Working with the professionals from Templeton’s Borlodan Painting is going to give you a number of benefits:
- You can choose from a range of the best quality paint or stain.
- The preparation work will be done correctly.
- The painting or staining will be done correctly.
- The care instructions you receive will be the right instructions.
- The crew arrives with everything needed to do the job, protect your property while they are working, and clean up after themselves when they are done.
- The job will be done to your satisfaction and won’t be considered finished until you are happy.
Call today for a free estimate and to have your questions answered.
