Why Staining Your Fence and Deck is Essential
You may not always think of your deck as an integral part of your home, but you actually should pay as much attention to it as you do to the rest. The way you ‘deck out’ your deck and fence provides an opportunity for you to unleash your creativity and showcase a beautiful outdoor space to your visitors. But in order to get those features into great shape, staining your deck and fence are important to bring out their aesthetic quality.
If you spend a lot of time on your deck, barbecuing or enjoying drinks with your friends and family, then you would want it to not only look good, but also feel confident that your deck is sturdy and uncompromised. Luckily, staining takes care of both the concerns, and this is something we’re going to discuss.
This article covers the major reasons why you should strongly consider staining your fence and deck, and why it is essential for their overall upkeep and maintenance.
1. Staining Protects the Deck and Fence
Decks are usually made from different types of wood, including cedar, mahogany, teak, hardwood, etc. They are also made from aluminum and composite materials nowadays, but wood decks continue to be the most popular, due to their longer lifespan and aesthetic quality. Similarly, fences are also made from wood.
While these materials are highly durable and can have a long life, they won’t be able to brave through the changing seasons, year after year, without some maintenance. As the weather changes from extreme cold to heat and back, your deck and fence bear the brunt and can eventually submit to rotting, expansion, or contraction.
These effects tend to weaken the material and make it dangerous for you to stand on your deck, and can cause slats of your fence to break or peel. For instance, if they are made from a type of wood that expands in summers, it may weaken the bolts, screws, or adhesives that are used to hold it in place. As a result, there might be a higher risk of the deck collapsing, especially when more than two people stand on it.
If this unfortunate scenario takes place, you might be looking at thousands of dollars of repairs, or you may have to get a new deck and fence altogether. However, there are things you can do to prevent this from happening. If you stain your deck and fence proactively and in a timely manner, it will protect the wood from moisture that can seep in due to rain or snowfall, keeping them from rotting. Moreover, the material will also stay in place rather than deforming due to extreme temperatures. This will protect the structural integrity of your deck and fence, which will also give you peace of mind.
2. Staining Adds Beauty to Your Deck and Fence
Not only does staining protect your deck and fencing from weather damage, but it also adds a touch of beauty to them. And luckily, there are a ton of natural wood colour options to choose from. So, you can match the colour of your deck and fence to the flooring inside your home, or you can have it contrast from the interior design of your home. You can even have the deck and fence painted in different tones. Let your creativity flourish!
Therefore, staining your deck and fence is a much more efficient option, because you manage to weatherproof the material and also create something eye-catching as well. It provides a simple, elegant, and natural look to your deck and fence that no paint is able to do.
3. Staining is More Beneficial Than Painting
When it comes to wood decks and fencing, you do have the option between choosing to paint them or stain them. However, as we mentioned before, staining does help to protect your deck and fence from damage and also manages to retain the wood’s natural appearance. While on the other hand, painting does little to protect them and it can fade away or chip off very easily, causing your deck and fence to look old and untidy more quickly.
Moreover, painting your deck and fence can take a lot more time and manpower to complete, whereas staining can be done much quicker and with less people on the job. So, you can confidently deduce that staining is the better option out of the two. However, we always encourage homeowners to weigh all the pros and cons of both and choose what might work best for your vision of the final appearance and functionality of your outdoor space.
4. Staining Adds Years to Your Deck and Fence
Another huge benefit from staining your deck and fence is the ability to enjoy them much longer than expected before the need for repair or replacements occur. Typically, wooden decks last anywhere between 10 and 20 years, but if you get it stained, you can add another 5-10 years to its lifespan. Not only that, staining also protects the fibers present inside the material, thus making them immune to damage caused by the sun, rain, or snow – increasing the lifespan of their appearance as well.
Staining your deck and fence as a regular preventative maintenance item is a cheap and cost-effective way to prolong their lifespan. Plus, staining is also cheaper than paint, so you have an affordable way to beautify your deck and fence as well. Give The Paint Guys a call for a no obligation quote today!