Proper Deck Maintenance Isn't Magic, But Common Sense
Every year at the State Fair, we go by the booth that publicizes five year warranty on deck floors. Many makers put wording on their paint cans that publicize long warranties. But when you read the small print, we have yet to find anyone that will back up a guaranty on a typical deck floor in Minnesota. The most amazing fine print on the warranty is from one manufacturer that provides a 3 year warranty, as long as the deck is re-coated annual!
The best stains are from Sherwin Williams, PPG, ICI, Glidden, Hirshfields, X-100, Floods, CWF, Deckscapes, Cabots, Sikens SRD, TWP, and others. They all have good products, but there are no wizardry products that last seriously longer than their competitors. The most important thing is to not put a coating on your deck that's non-compatible with the prior coating and keeping your maintenance costs as low as possible.
Consumer Reports is generally a good resource for many products , but for protecting decks their advice is not applicable to Minnesota. They like to recommend using a solid stain for best longevity, but you don't want to do that if you are inthis is completely wrong for Minnesota. In Minnesota, we experience a large amount of freeze thaw cycles. When deck boards get wet and then freeze, the water expands and pushes the coating off. If the coating is a penetrating stain that does not leave a film, there's not much to no coating to push off. ( less is better for decks ) As a semitransparent wears away, it appears more rustic. If a solid coating is applied on a horizontal surface, it'll peel and look unsightly. It doesn't look country, it looks worn out and in disrepair. The cost to make a solid stain look great again is far higher than the cost to maintain a semitransparent stain because it requires scraping and sanding.
Schoenfelder Painting is a deck sealing Minneapolis company that paints or seals over 5 hundred decks each per year. We are adept at using most any type of deck finishing system, but have developed some preferences. We strongly advise using a semi transparent stain on deck floors. It's a little harder to apply, but holds up as well as anything. The best part is that it keeps looking nice even once it starts to wear off and will not peel. Semitransparent stain is also the least costly to reapply in two years. It only needs to be washed and reapplied. Finally it looks good even after many applications, so the long term maintenance is awfully cost-effective. Semi-transparent also comes in numerous different tints.
The railings, shafts, bottom sides and skirts can be done with the same product and color. That is how I treated the deck on my home. With proper maintenance every other spring, it's great year after year. We are proud to be your provider of interior exterior painting Minneapolis.
The sole downside to semitransparent stain is that you can not use it over other preservatives or paint. If your deck was painted in the past, extra prep is necessary. In these cases, we typically sand the decks down to the bare wood using floor sanders. We remove 98% of the current stain or paint from the floor, steps and railing top. Our clients love the result. Your deck feels as new again. Sanding only costs in the region of $1.25 per square foot and does not need to be done again for 10+ years. The feeling of your well looked after deck floor, precious! So remember that if you want deck maintenance advice, we are here for you.
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