Today, wood is used in all manner of home improvement projects. It can help to add freshness and vigor to a piece of wood that otherwise looked dull and dour. However, over time, wood can begin to lose its look and its character. That can massively impact the quality of the wood and how it appears aesthetically. This is especially true with decking – fresh, modern-looking decking can begin to look dour and dull pretty quickly.
With that in mind, you might consider using wood staining. For example, if you stain a deck, it can help to add life and energy to the wood once again. If you are considering deck staining, here are some of the pros and cons that can come from doing so.
The benefits of staining a deck
For one, you can find that the deck tends to look much nicer as the wood’s original grain and texture come through. With other preservation methods, you are essentially covering the unicity of the wood itself instead leaving a flat, dull-looking texture.
By using staining, you can make sure that you are left with visible grain and texture within the wood. This makes the wood look more natural and adds an extra layer of aesthetic charm to the wood itself.
Unlike wood that was painted, stained wood will not peel. Instead, it will simply begin to fade over time. This is beneficial as you can simply re-stain the wood, but with paint that peels, you can find it much harder to get the same finish. Most of the time, it only needs a scuff sanding to be recoated.
Another big benefit of wood staining on a deck is that it shows the quality of the wood. If you have invested in high-quality wood for your decking, you want that look to shine.
Wooden decking looks fine even with a slight fade; compare that to peeling, which never looks good, and you can see why so many choose to go for staining over painting.
The challenges of staining a deck
The main issue with staining is that it does not last long. You should expect that if a stain lasts 3-5 years, it has done well. This is not a big deal if you are staining the wood yourself, as it simply takes you a bit of time to reapply. If you are paying someone to do the staining job for you, though, that can become a pretty expensive reoccurring project.
Another factor is that some wood types do not take too well to staining. For example, you might find that some wood types simply do not handle the staining effect. This can make it look quite rough. The best thing to do is to find out what kind of wood you have been using and then speak with the staining company to find out their opinion on that kind of wood.
Generally, though, staining a deck is a useful way to help change the look of your exterior. When applied properly, this can improve the look of an entire piece of decking. Just make sure it is the right kind of wood and that you are committed to reapplication as time goes on.
