Why is it essential to stain a wood deck?

Staining a wood deck is essential for several reasons. First, it helps to protect the wood from the elements, such as rain, snow, and sun. The stain acts as a barrier that keeps water from penetrating the wood, which can cause it to rot or warp. Staining can also help protect the wood from UV rays, which can cause it to fade or turn grey over time.

Staining a wood deck can also enhance its aesthetic appeal. Different types of stains come in different colours and finishes, allowing you to customise the look of your deck to suit your taste.

Another essential reason to stain a wood deck is that it can help to prevent splinters. Over time, the surface of a wood deck can become rough and uneven, making it difficult to walk on without getting splinters. Staining a wood deck can help to smooth out the surface and make it more comfortable to walk on.

Overall staining a wooden deck is critical to keep it protected, looking nice, and safe to walk upon.

Best Deck Stain

This deck stain writeup is several years in the making. My house is in a wet climate. Wood preservation is of utmost importance. My deck has been through a lot. Corners were cut when construction workers built the deck, deck sealants failed, and the weather took its toll on the wood. Bottom line, build it right and use Restore A Deck stain.

Build Issues

My deck was built by the construction crew who built my home. They are not specialists in building decks. They used interior non-galvanized finishing nails to nail down the boards to my deck. They built the deck’s flat portion with the least expensive bargain wood. As a result, the nails rust, and water made its way into the interior of the inferior wood. The water penetration into the wood caused rotting.

Weather

In 2012, an ice storm ravaged my city. The ice made its way into the wood like it does every winter and split it, allowing more water penetration. During this time, some of the wood started to fail. The weight of ice and snow caused one of the boards to break when I stood upon it.

Deck Rebuild

In 2013, I rebuilt the flat portions of the deck. The overall superstructure of the deck was in great shape. I selected cedar boards the same length as my deck (no need to merge boards). Cedar is much better than the original wood.

The project was a lesson on how to build a deck. I learned that you build the deck from the outer edge towards the house after the fact. It worked out because of the spacing used between the boards. The overall spacing between boards avoided cutting a board along the length. Working at night allowed me to keep my regular hours at my company, and the temperature was great for working.

Eventually, I completed the project, and the effort paid off with a great-looking deck. I built the deck with the correct type of wood, thousands of deck screws, and proper gapping between the boards to allow drainage. I stained the deck after building it. One mistake I made was using Thompson’s Water Seal. Buyer, beware this sealant wears away after one year.

Linseed Oil

Linseed oil is an excellent preservative. It works well on wood. The oil seeps into the deck and polymerises as it reacts with the oxygen in the air. The oil works well on a wood deck in areas less prone to constant wet weather. Linseed oil protected my deck exceedingly well but lasted only one year in a wet environment.

Solution: Restore A Deck

In 2022, after much research and prior years of work, I settled upon Restore A Deck stain. This stain is highly recommended and water-based, so you can apply it to the deck shortly after washing and cleaning. This deck stain comes at a $60 (USD) cost and is rated to last several years. We shall see. Stay tuned for more updates.