Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I re-oil my hardwood deck?
Yearly, depending on how much sun or shade 'hits' your hardwood deck.
The sun areas will fade faster and the shaded areas will mildew faster.
How often should I restain my deck?
Every 2 to 3 years, depending on how much sun or shade 'hits' the deck.
The sun areas will fade faster and the shaded areas will mildew faster.
What is the cost for washing & staining my deck?
Every job depends of layers of materials, condition of wood, height of deck, etc.
After seeing your specific job, we will provide a written estimate before leaving.
How long does an average washing & staining job take?
Obviously, it depends on the size of the job.
The average job takes anywhere from 6 to 8 hours.
How could I make my deck look 'custom' ?
We have several options. We can choose from using multiple colors.
You may have more options after we see your deck.
Are you able to repair 'bad' wood?
Yes & no. We can do board and rail replacement,
but anything major will be referred out to our extensive subcontractors.
Common terms, ingredients and descriptions
Oil based stains
:There are only a few types of oils commonly used in stains. They are linseed, tung, or
parrafinnic. It is important when comparing products to know exactly which are in what.
Definitions follow
Water (Latex) based stains
Generally inexpensive, readily available at ‘Marts’ and the super box home improvement centers like Lowe’s and Home Depot.
More like a paint than anything else.
Typically sold in solid or semi-transparent (also called semi-solid) shades.<BR>-
Easy soap and water clean up.
Film former.
Stripping is very difficult at best and in many cases not 100% possible. This makes maintenance problematic.
Fails like paint (flakes, peels, etc) and needs to be continually maintained.
Shows wear patterns in high traffic areas.
Clear Finishes
Generally a bad choice unless the gray, weathered look is the desired effect.
Clear products generally have zero or very little UV protection.
Clear products generally have a failure rate of 1 year or less in the Georgia climate.
Acrylic Finishes
Very strong. Essentially encasing the wood in a thin layer of plastic.
Very hard to remove if ever necessary.
Maintenance, as with any film former, is continual and sometimes difficult.
Good for extreme environments like boat docks, etc.
Commonly used in two-tone deck job applications because of the super durability.
Typically a very appealing finish with brilliant colors and a silky smooth texture.
Generally labor intensive to apply correctly. Flood Spa & Deck, for example is a two step process with meticulous attention to detail required. Be prepared to pay extra for this. If the price seems cheap, beware and inexperienced contractor.
Linseed or Tung oils
A natural vegetable based oil.
Sometimes also called a ‘long oil alkyd’.
Commonly used in the formulation of certain lesser expensive stains and sealers. Examples are Behr, Superdeck, and Thompson’s.
Full of natural sugars. In layman’s terms it is “Mildew food”.
Depending on the product, failure rates tend to run at approximately 1 year or less.
It is a film former and as such, needs to be stripped each time maintenance is required.
Because stripping is required for proper maintenance, maintenance is more expensive.
Great for indoor and fine furniture. Poor choice for outdoor living.
Parrafinnic oils
Don’t confuse this with the word paraffin.
This is not wax.
Parrafinnic oils are derivatives of crude oil. As such, they do not contain the natural sugars such as linseed or tung and are not mildew food.
Products containing this type of oil are generally considered at the top of the scale in quality.
Not generally available in box stores or marts. These are specialty finishes.
Maintenance is generally inexpensive as these type of products are not film formers.
Because they are not film formers, they do not need to be stripped for maintenance.
In the event one wanted to change to a different product altogether, these types of oil stains are strippable with ease.
VOC content is important. Quality products like Ready Seal and Wood Tux are VOC compliant.
Parrafin
While we are on the subject, parrafin is indeed wax.
Putting a wax job on the car is a fine and grand thing to do. Putting it on your deck is a waste of money and time.
Although not so much anymore, it used to be widely popular as a water proofer.
Thompson’s is the most common name associated with parrafin products.
Very fast failure rate. Generally within 6 months.
Solid Content
The amount of solids versus oils or other ingredients is commonly called solid content.
The higher the number, the more solids and less fillers (generally solvents) are in the product.
Lower filler content is generally good as it reduces the VOC content and makes the product EPA compliant and environmentally friendlier.
Quality products will have very high numbers, such as the 87% solid content in Ready Seal.
Silicone or silicone ‘enhancement
Recently there has been a surge towards silicone enhanced products. Some companies are making incredible claims of up to 25 years protection with just one application. Here are some things you need to know about silicone.
Some silicone products and the installation of them could easily be described as a wood petrification process more than a protection process.
Silicone products are film formers. They need to be stripped for proper maintenance when they fail.
Silicone is permanent.
Once it enters the wood, it cannot be stripped.
Because it cannot be stripped, once you install a silicone product, you are stuck with that product forever.
Because it cannot be stripped, maintenance is at best, problematic. You will be forced to apply a new coating on top of an old failed one, thus setting the stage for faster failure rates and poor looking results.
Oil based stains that wash up with water
This is a great one by Behr products.
Water clean up is a clear indicator that a product is water (latex) based. If it is oil based, but water based, how can it be either? Give up? Us too. It is neither and quite frankly we don’t quite know what to make of it. We can’t call them liars, but we can sure be skeptical of the game.
The best answer that we can use is that it is a marketing strategy aimed at luring the consumer in with fast clean up, low price, and an easy finish. We are not likely to agree with much of that except the low price.
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