Beautifying Your Home's Exterior: Decks

Here in Texas we have two extremes, when it cold it’s cold and when it’s hot, well… It’s hot! Now that the colder months are approaching us you may not be interested in being out grilling or swimming. Instead, you want to stay home cozy and warm enjoying a great cup of warm coffee or hot chocolate and watching your favorite series or movies.

How often should you restain and seal your deck’s wood?

Before the weather gets colder it is important to consider when the last time your deck was stained and sealed. The experts at C&M Residential Services recommend that decks be restained and sealed every 2 to 3 years to protect the wood and ensure the longevity of your deck. 

Too Hot

To guarantee successful end results, we always suggest that the weather is not too hot or too cold. Applying the stain when the temperature is over 90 degrees, will cause the stain to dry too quickly causing it to have lap marks and have an uneven look and penetration. If this is done during the summer, it is recommended that it be done before it gets too hot, early in the morning. The temperature rising once the stain has been applied, is not a problem. 

Too Cold

Just as applying stain when it is too hot it can also be detrimental when it’s extremely cold. Cold weather will lengthen the drying time. If the weather is under freezing temperatures, this will compromise the stain’s adhesion which will fail to leave you with a beautiful summer-ready deck. 

The perfect temperature

As mentioned above, too high of a temperature will ruin the staining process just as much as extremely low temperatures. At 214Painting, we always suggest that the temperature falls between 50 and 90 degrees, it’s important to plan ahead and look at the weekly forecast to ensure that it will be a nice cloudy day, between 90 and 50 degrees. Do not stain your deck under direct sunlight, this will flash dry the stain and compromise the longevity of it. Avoid rainy days, the water will wash away the stain and high humidity will lengthen the drying process. Last but not least, avoid windy days; too much wind will be blowing leaves and debris onto your wet deck, sticking to it and leaving you with a rather unsightly deck. 

Get help

As important as choosing the right day to stain your deck is, there are other factors that come into play when it comes to restaining and sealing your decks, such as choosing the right products and procedures. If you are not sure of what you are doing, the attempt to prolong your deck’s life will fail miserably and may even leave you with a ruined deck that may in fact end up needing to be replaced altogether. To ensure satisfactory results, give the experts at 214Painting a call. With years of experience, you can count on us to go above and beyond to make your visions come to life. We offer other patio services, such as pressure washing and fence staining along with other services that will beautify your home inside and out. 

 To schedule a free estimate use our online scheduler or give us a call at 469-805-0581