Poolside parties and backyard cookouts with friends are easier to host when you have a well-maintained deck. Through its years of use, homeowners need to do their due diligence and keep their decks in great condition through regular inspections and repairs.

The frequency in which you need to stain your deck depends on how often you use it, the weather conditions in your area, and the quality of your original staining work. Here are some pointers on deck maintenance.

Choices in Stain Types

Taking a trip into your local home improvement store will bombard you with a wide assortment of stain types, colors, and grades. You’ll see terms like transparent, semitransparent, semisolid, and wonder which one is the best for your deck.

At Noble Roofing, we are good at protecting decks. We know how to build some amazing ones too. Here are the most common types of stains and how often you need to use them. The average time to reapply a deck stain is 2-3 years, but the time can be shorter or longer depending on the type of stain your choose and other tangential factors.

• Transparent: This type of stain is “see through” and more commonly used for new decks because the original color of new wood is attractive. These soak into your natural wooden deck boards and protect them from outdoor weather conditions and normal foot traffic. The drawback to this type of stain is that it wears down the most quickly. Therefore, this type of stain will need to be reapplied the most often.
• Semitransparent: This is a semi-see through stain that still allows you to see the natural deck’s color but gives it a little bit of “help” with pigment. This is good for slightly older decks that have lost a bit of their original luster.
• Solid: This type of stain looks and functions like paint but it can protect your deck against rain, hail, and other extreme weather. This type of stain needs to be reapplied the least frequently of all, and since it takes away from the natural beauty of wood, should be reserved to decks with old, faded wood. Homeowners who simply don’t want to be bothered with frequent staining can also use this type without any issues as well.

Other Factors That Determine Frequency

• Sealing: You can reduce the need to stain by using a waterproof seal that protects your deck against the sun about two times a year. This can double the time required before you re-stain. The sun is incredibly powerful and wears on outdoor elements. By protecting your deck with its own long-term “sunblock”, you can extend the life of your deck’s stain.
• Humidity: Fungus and mold from humid conditions are also an issue. Keep your decks clean with power washing to reduce the impact of this type of infestation.
• Deck Usage: If you have a party every weekend with a lot of people on your deck, you can expect to stain it more frequently than if you use it once in a while. More foot traffic wears away at the stain and sealing and naturally require a more frequent application.

Or… You Can Wait 15 Years With Continental.

Staining and sealing are great options that are often chosen by homeowners because of the convenience of them being DIY jobs. But imagine the time you can save when you simply install an attractive deck membrane from Continental! Their products come with a 15-year warranty so they often last the whole period of time you stay at your residence. Ask us about this awesome application and how it can save you hours upon hours of maintenance!

Deck Replacement & Repair in Northern Virginia

Whether you’re looking for better form or function, or simply feel that a new deck is in order, trust Noble Roofing, the preferred choice for all home improvement projects in Centreville VA and its surrounding cities.

Give us call at (703) 404-0505 to speak with our experts. You can also request a free estimate through our online request form today.