Painting and staining exterior surfaces

In the last post we talked about cleaning, stripping and preparing a deck for a semi-transparent stain. But what do you do when your deck is just not good enough to stain with a semi-transparent or you like the look of a painted deck?

The answer is solid color stain. Solid color stain will give you the look, feel and color of a paint but without the peeling and chipping that comes with painting an outdoor wood or concrete surface.

Solid color stain masks the grain of the wood but allows the texture to show through and is suitable for previously stained or new wood surfaces.

To prepare for solid color stain, the deck must be clean and free of mold and mildew. So a good cleaning with a bleach and water solution is a good starting point. If any areas are peeling or chipping they should be sanded smooth prior to staining.

Solid color stain comes in many color choices, so , come in to Gleco and we will help you choose a color that co-ordinates with your existing colors.

Solid color stain can be brushed or rolled on. If you are doing a wood siding, you can also spray but back-rolling is recommended.

It is best to stain in the morning or afternoon so that you are not staining in direct sunlight. This will cause lap lines due to the stain drying too fast in the sunlight.

We carry several types of solid stain, so depending on your project, we will gladly recommend the type that is best for you. All of these stains are latex and will clean up with soap and water.