Deck Stains, Sealers, And Translucent, Semi-Solid and Opaque Materials
If you want to apply some kind of material to your deck for a routine upgrade, you have quite a few options. These choices can be a little confusing, so let’s help to break this down.
You have deck sealers, and you have deck stains. When it comes to stains, you have completely translucent products, and you have semi-solid and solid or opaque designs. How do all of these choices measure up?
Translucent Deck Stains
These types of deck stains are not likely to change the appearance of your wooden deck. What they will do is, in most cases, provide some protection from damaging UV rays by penetrating deep into the wood and offering a new exterior covering, the same way that many semi-transparent or semi-solid products do.
Semi-Transparent and Semi-Solid
Typically, semi-transparent stains will only slightly change the tone or color of the wood, without hiding the natural grain.
Semi-solid, on the other hand, is more likely to obscure the natural grain more, but not completely. Here, though, it depends on the particular product, so it’s a good idea to take a look at catalog pictures or other resources to see just how transparent or opaque a particular stain is.
Solid Stain Options
Solid stain is a lot more like paint, in that it covers the deck and the natural veneer or surface of the wood.
All of these options come in oil-based or water-based forms. In general, oil-based stains have more VOCs or volatile organic compounds and require more ventilation and safety precautions, where the water-based stains are more natural, but may not be as long-lasting.
Deck Sealers or Sealants
The primary job of a deck sealer is to keep out moisture. With this in mind, it may provide a little UV protection, too, but it’s usually more of a coating than something that soaks deep into the wood like a stain. That means transparent stains often offer more protection from UV rays, and while they may be more expensive than sealers, they may also provide better results long-term. However, again, it depends on product specs. This is just a general survey of how labels and formulations differ, because there are so many different products on the shelf.
That’s a little bit about how these products stack up. Check out the web site for more details. We help homeowners and property owners to make the right choices about how to maintain an outdoor deck surface over time. Part of that is getting the best products, and applying the right techniques for long-term use.
