Stain and Seal your Wood Deck
Benefits of Staining and Sealing your Deck
Does your deck look dingy with algae growing on some parts, outlines where furniture sits for a long time or even the dreaded peeling and chipping from a sub par product being used. Hire the professionals at Blue Water Power Washing to clean, sand and stain your deck to bring life back to your outdoor living area. When properly cleaned and protected, not only will the stain and sealant last longer but it will help preserve the wood from premature rotting and splitting.
Do I need to stain and seal my wood deck?
You don't "have to" put on sunscreen, but when you sit out in the summer sun you will wish you had. You don't have to stain and seal your deck, but Blue Water Power Washing recommends doing so. Wood is an organic material that is susceptible to oxidation and UV damage from the sun. When not properly stained with a waterproofing sealer, it leaves the wood to premature aging and possible rotting that can be prevented by hiring a professional or doing it your self.
How do I stain my deck?
You could hire a professional service contractor who when requested can provide a portfolio of previous projects to showcase their work and what you can expect. If you live in the South Eastern Region of Pennsylvania, you can contact Blue Water Power Washing for your deck protection needs. If you are a home owner and want to spend a weekend or two properly preparing and staining the deck, read the next paragraph where we explain our method taught by industry leading professionals.
Deck Staining Process
For professional results we suggest a two day process, in this paragraph is Blue Water Power Washing's method for prepping and sealing. The initial start of the project is to properly prepare your surface. We first wet all wood to be cleaned and let any puddling water soak in to the wood. Next we apply a wood friendly cleaner, if not previously sealed, sodium percarbonate or a mild sodium metasilicate solution should be applied to help lift off any organic growth or dead wood fibers. If there is a current stain on the wood that the customer would like removed, we do use sodium hydroxide to strip off the existing stain. After allowing a 5-10 minute dwell time, we pressure wash board by board in a fanning motion using 1,200-1,400 psi to avoid scarring the wood. Once all the wood has been cleaned, we follow up with an Oxalic Acid solution. This helps neutralize the wood cleaner and rebalance the pH of the wood for the next step to help readily accept the stain. Oxalic Acid also aids in brightening the wood as lifting any deep metal/rusting stains.
Time to Stain and Seal your Wood Deck.
After waiting 24-48 hours of dry weather to let excess moisture escape the wood, your deck is ready to be stained, sealed and protected. (preferred 15% or less moisture level) We start by sanding all wood with a medium grit sand paper to get off any loose wood fibers and but still enough to make a smooth surface so you don't have to worry about splinters. Next we start applying thew stain. Depending on the job you can apply the stain with a sprayer and back brush, use a deck pad and similar pads for vertical work, or use a large white bristle brush. We typically go with the brush method to provide a nice even coat without risk of overspray onto unwanted surfaces to due a gust of wind. We apply the first coat, wait an hour, then follow up with the second coat. Congratulations on your newly restored deck!
What Type of Stain do you recommend?
As a homeowner doing it yourself it can be tempting to go to Home Depot or Lowes to buy their house brand products. While these will look good when you first put them on, they are subject to premature wear and tear from chipping, flaking to fading. But don't they guarantee 10 year warranty or your money back? If you read the fine print on application instructions, the conditions that need to be met to stay in warranty are extreme and difficult to adhere to 100% due to natural climate. Our preferred deck stain is produced by Deck Restoration Plus in New Jersey. They have worked on a water-borne stain that penetrates like an oil for contractors to use to deliver premium results that look good and last.
Recommended Maintenance Plan
If you hire Blue Water Power Washing, we offer maintenance plans to keep your deck protected every year going forward after hiring us for your deck staining service. After the initial service our maintenance plan includes us coming out every year around the same time as initial service, cleaning and applying a fresh coat of stain on the deck and railing to keep your deck in pristine condition at a reduced rate. (typically 30% off initial invoice/rate may vary) By using our maintenance plan this insures every year your outdoor living space will be clean and looking new just like when it was first installed, if not better. This will also help prolong the life of the wood and repel moisture from causing premature wood rot.
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