Deck Staining, how long will it look good?


  How can you tell if your deck needs to be resealed, re-stained or restored?

  If you live in New England then you know first hand how much the climate affects the conditions of the exterior surfaces of your home. Below freezing winter temperatures, pelting May rain, and scorching summer heat have become worthy adversaries in the fight to maintain our properties.

  One of the surfaces that is most affected by the New England climate is our decks. As inches and inches and sometimes feet of snow sit on our decks the extreme cold temperatures slowly destroy the protective characteristics of the sealer on your deck. Doesn’t it figure that the place we most often gather with our friends and loved ones is the place that is most difficult to maintain?

  Over the years innovative product manufacturers have developed composite materials that homeowners can have installed that will hold up to the New England climate. These products are expensive to purchase and costly to install. Another down fall of these types of products is that they do not have the esthetic appeal as “real” wood products. While good old pressure treated decking provides us with the visual appeal that we have all grown to love, it is much, much more difficult to maintain if one is not aware of some high quality sealers available to consumers today.

  So, how can you tell if your deck needs some love? All you have to do is complete a quick evaluation of the surfaces. No, you do not have to be a professional to affectively complete this evaluation. All you need to do is identify certain characteristics of a distressed deck. From peeling to cracking, warping, and splintering; not keeping up with your deck can prove to be very costly down the road when your boards dry out, buckle, crack, and splinter.

  Obviously one of the most recognizable issues is the peeling of your deck stain or paint. Most of our customers think that peeling is the first steps towards replacing their deck. We actually enjoy giving them the good news that there are much more damaging conditions than peeling. Peeling is what we call the perfect warning sign. The bad news is that in most cases once a deck has received a solid sealer on its surfaces, it is difficult at best to provide our customers with a solution to the problem as ALL of this failing stain would need to be stripped completely before any new product can be applied.

  So what is a “solid sealer”? The amount of pigments that are added to any type of paint or stain determines if it is a solid product or not. Many homeowners and painters alike have made the decision to use this type of product to protect their decks simply because they have not been educated on different types of products that are available and in some cases much better for the project at hand. Another one of the reasons that these products have been used is because homeowners have grown tired of the natural wood look and would like to add color to the deck.

  The application of a solid product to a deck especially in New England has never been a great idea. Solid decking products are susceptible to peeling due to the amount of “solids” or pigments that make up the stain or paint. A deck sealed with this type of product will always peel.

  At Progressive Painting Services we offer our customers both color and longevity. We offer our customers over 200 colors for their deck staining .

  The same innovation that has given us the composite decking materials has also given us the perfect deck sealing product called semi-transparent stain. Semi-transparent stain consists of very little pigment or solids. There is just enough pigment in this product to provide for over 200 colors and at the same time not enough that the product can peel.

  Progressive Painting Services is pleased, honored, and proud to offer our customers a true deck  restoration.  We understand that this is where your family gathers in celebration, relaxation, or simply to enjoy the  wonderful  weather. We can educate you as to what steps you may need to take to assure that as you are using your deck you can rest assured that it looks just as wonderful as you feel as you spend time with your family and friends.