Can You Put Semi Transparent Stain Over Solid Stain – In a recent Sherwin-Williams product training course, an instructor had the wise comment, “homeowners expect clear, translucent, or even semi-solid stains to perform as solid stains.” This is a good reminder to our team that not everyone understands how much sun, rain and traffic affect your deck than the exterior parts of your home.
Today, your deck is probably one of the most tangible wooden elements of your home’s exterior. Your soffits and trim are probably vinyl or aluminum. Curb and siding is usually hardboard or some other fiber cement product, and your siding can be made of the same material or a wood fiber resin composite like MiraTec, or perhaps a plastic like PVC. These products tolerate paint very well and are usually painted in solid colors and are resistant to the UV rays of the sun. Because this surface is vertically oriented, the water flows quickly. Painting your siding and trim can provide years of beauty and protection.
Can You Put Semi Transparent Stain Over Solid Stain
Decks are a very different situation for a number of reasons. Wood is a natural product that ages quickly, has a horizontal surface, causes waterlogging and is more exposed to UV rays. Even with pressure treatment, wood will dry out, crack, shrink and lose color. Walk along the old pier on the beach and you will see this. Most of us don’t let our decks deteriorate, but the same process happens in our homes. Modern stains provide good UV protection and will slow down this process, but there is no stain on the market that can prevent it. A good comparison is sunscreen. Try a solid sunscreen like SPF 50, it blocks most of the rays, but you can still get burned. Semi-solid is like SPF 30, translucent SPF 15 and SPF 8. It’s not an exact science, but you get the idea. Applying a clear stain protects the deck better than nothing, but wood will naturally continue to age. Areas in direct sunlight will also fade the stain. Solid works better than translucent and translucent lasts longer than clear, but stains like wood over time. The solution is just like your home, you have to maintain it. In this case, you must remove the stain and apply again.
Valspar Cottage Gray Semi Transparent Exterior Wood Stain And Sealer (1 Gallon) In The Exterior Stains Department At Lowes.com
Since your deck is a horizontal surface, it will be subject to more wear and tear. Traffic, moisture, mold/algae and sunlight will all take their toll on your deck. Just think about your deck with your upholstery. Water is not as easy as in the sides or trimming. Water sits on your deck and eats away at the wood and acts as a magnifying glass for sunlight, adding to the damage. You will also get tannins from leaves, dirt, algae, fungi and other materials on flat surfaces. Left for a while, they penetrate the stain and affect the wood. Again, the chemical nature of the stain adds durability, but no product will last forever. A solid stain can last for years in the right conditions and you can expect 2-3 years of a translucent stain. We have seen bad weather in places that get direct sun every day.
Stained decks, no matter how transparent, require maintenance. You can’t just let the leaves pile up for a month and then expect them to look clean once they come out. Wash often with a mild dish soap or for more serious stains and dirt, use an eco-friendly product like Simple Green.
So, what should I consider when burning a deck? Tough stains will last longer than other stains. The downside is that it doesn’t show the natural beauty of the wood grain. Semi-solid will last longer than semi-transparent, but you’ll lose more grain. And the same goes for translucent vs.
The colors you choose and how you use the deck also affect the look. Your deck is different from your hardwood floor. The stain penetrates the wood, and unlike your floor, you don’t have multiple layers of polyurethane protecting the surface. When you slide the chair on the wooden floor, the hard polymer coating prevents scratches. On your deck, the stain has added color and water/UV protection, but doesn’t have the hard finish to protect your furniture from marks or scratches. And since the deck is usually stained a shade darker than natural wood, you’ll see the marks easily.
Arborcoat® Waterborne Semi Solid Stain
The last element to consider is how the product is applied. Brush & Level follows a strict protocol when staining decks, whether old or new wood. If the deck has been previously stained, we will remove the old stain before cleaning. We want you to get the best possible results, and returning your deck to raw wood is the best way to achieve that goal. The next step is cleaning with special chemicals made by paint manufacturers to remove stains, algae, mold and other contaminants. It won’t remove all the color, but it does a good job of cleaning and preparing the wood for stain. If your wood is newer than this process also removes the factory glaze that prevents the penetration of stains. These two steps are more than the pressure washing that painters usually do before applying the product, but they give superior results. We prefer this process over sanding because it is more cost effective and cleans between boards.
In general, there are many things to consider when staining a deck. You have to weigh the pros and cons of each type of stain and it is very important to prepare the deck properly to achieve longer lasting results. Once the stain is applied, maintenance is key to the longevity of all your hard work. If you have any questions about deck staining or want to learn more about our process, don’t hesitate to contact us! We offer free estimates. We understand how important a deck is to your home. A deck is usually the best outdoor space for social gatherings, such as cooking or relaxing outside after a day at work. With this, it is very important that your deck looks great.
Along with choosing the color you want to use in the deck, you also choose the opacity to use. Clear, toner, semi-transparent, semi-solid, solid…it can be a bit overwhelming! Luckily, we’re here to break it down as much as possible to help you with your decision. For reference in this post, “thin” stain refers to a sealer, toner, or clear that is usually oil-based and related to natural wood. Semi-hard and hard stains are heavier, usually latex-based, and are called “thick” stains. If you haven’t read our article on latex anti-stain oils, check it out here!
Generally, the newer the deck, the thinner the stain should be. A light stain will preserve the natural look of the wood, which is what new homeowners want. Each time the deck is re-applied, the wood will retain some of the old stain due to the oil properties of the stain, allowing it to soak into the wood. Then, as the deck ages and holds more stain than before, it’s time to whittle down the list to heavier, longer-lasting (but less natural) stains that aren’t affected by stain residue.
Deck Stains For Pool Decks? Deckstainhelp.com Experts Answer
If you prefer to read about each opacity individually, below is an in-depth explanation of each spot opacity, followed by a quick walkthrough. Above are the thinnest stains with no added color, and further down are the heavier options with more pigment.
The sealer is 100% transparent with no added color and only protects the wood from water. If you recently built a new deck and don’t want to add color, but still want to keep it, this is the way to go. The only indication for wear with sealant is that the water will no longer “run” over the deck like it would on a waxed car.
Toner is simply a sealer with color added to enhance the natural tone of the wood. Toner is also most commonly used on new wood or decks that have not been previously stained. Any damage to the wood will be visible in the toner / advanced penetrating oil, so this is best used on new decks.
A transparent stain enhances the natural texture of the wood by adding color. If you choose translucent and don’t like it, you have the option to switch to a solid stain (any color) in the future. Transparent spots (in addition to the two previously mentioned spots) will simply fade over time, as opposed to peeling or flaking as hard spots. Any damage to the wood will be visible in the translucent stain, so it is better to use it on newer decks.
Olympic Maximum 1 Gal. Cedar Natural Tone Semi Transparent Exterior Stain And Sealant In One Low Voc 79551a 01
Semi-solid is the least used of some other opacities, but still worth mentioning. This option is similar to translucent stain in that it allows some of the wood grain to show through (less than translucent), but it is a bit heavier.
Behr semi transparent stain, semi transparent exterior stain, semi transparent oil stain, semi transparent vs solid stain, armstrong semi transparent stain, valspar semi transparent stain, semi transparent fence stain, lowes semi transparent stain, semi transparent concrete stain, solid stain over semi transparent, cabot semi transparent stain, semi transparent deck stain
