Deck Finish

Showdown: Staining Vs. Painting Vs. Natural. The Best Deck Finish.

Once you’ve made the choice to upgrade your outdoor living space with a deck, you’ll have to decide whether you want to add any finishing touches to the project. Most often, homeowners choose to paint or stain their deck. In this blog post, we outline the advantages and disadvantages of the most popular deck finish options.

Staining

Advantages:

• It’s less slippery, especially when wet
• It will highlight the natural beauty of your wood grain rather than simply covering it up.
• Stain can protect your deck from moisture and rotting.
• It can keep mold, fungus and mildew at bay much easier.
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 Disadvantages:

• Stain doesn’t last as long as several coats of paint; expect to re-stain roughly once a year.
• It also doesn’t hide existing stains as well; paint may be the better option if your deck is starting to look a bit deteriorated.
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Painting

Advantages:

• It’s long-lasting, so if you apply several coats, your paint job can last for up to 10 years!
• You can choose any color under the sun.
• It will hide deterioration much better than a stain.
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Disadvantages

• It’s more or less permanent. If you paint your deck, expect to repaint it in the future, as staining will not be an option.
• Paint hides the natural aesthetic and unique features of your wooden deck.
• Over time, paint has the potential to crack and peel if moisture becomes trapped.
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Natural Deck Finish

If you would prefer to skip the inconvenience of painting and staining, you still have some options! You’ll want to rule out getting a wooden deck, however. Natural wood simply needs some sort of additional finish to last as long as possible. Composite decking, on the other hand, doesn’t require much maintenance at all! Your composite deck will look squeaky clean for years to come with some light cleaning throughout the year!

Trust Excel Fencing and Decking for Your 2021 Deck Build

Excel Fencing and Decking is proud to meet the needs of every customer, whether searching for chain link fencing or repairs to composite decking. Excel is a full-service fencing and decking company working throughout the greater Baltimore area since 1998. Excel carries top brands including Trex, Azek, Shoreline Vinyl Systems, and Wolf PVC Decking. Reach out to Excel with any questions you may have regarding any fence, deck, or remodeling projects. Call directly at 410-803-9499 or fill out the contact form and one of Excel’s representatives will contact you promptly.