How to Choose the Best Stain for Your Deck

Do you have a wooden deck or porch? If so, you may need to stain or restain it. 

You want your deck to be an asset to your home and enhance its beauty while making your outdoor space enjoyable to spend time in. Unfortunately choosing the wrong color can make it a total eyesore. The selection of colors available can be daunting from natural browns and grays to bold colors there are so many to choose from. How do you go about choosing the right type and color?

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If you can relate, then keep reading. We’re reviewing how to choose the best stain for your deck or porch.

Why Stain Your Deck?

You may be wondering why it’s important to stain your wooden deck? 

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First, a stain will protect the wood from the natural elements and normal wear and tear. Second, it enhances the aesthetics of the wood, making it a beautiful space for you to enjoy.

How to Choose a Stain Color?

When choosing a stain color, you’ll want to pick a color that compliments the exterior color pallet of your home. This means everything including your landscaping, outdoor furnishings, the siding of your home, trim, and roofing.

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If you’re having trouble knowing what will coordinate, follow color wheel rules. Think of your outdoor color scheme as made of three colors - the dominant color, secondary, and accent colors. Generally, 60% of the space should be made up of the primary color, while 30% should be the secondary color, and 10% should be the accent color.

Also, the placement of your deck may be a factor to consider when choosing a color. Does it act as an extension of your indoor flooring? If so, pick a stain that matches or at least coordinates with the wood colors inside your home.

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When in doubt you could go with the same shade as your trim since you know it’s already a good accent color. Or if you like a look that’s more monochromatic, go with the color of the siding of your home.

Another important factor to be mindful of is maintenance. Typically more natural and neutral-colored stains tend to age well and don’t need to be restrained as often as more bold colors.

Olympic has a handy stain visualizer, to help point you in the right direction.

What Wood Factors Affect Stain Color?

You’ll not only want to consider the exterior color pallet when selecting a stain color, but you’ll also need to be mindful of some other details that’ll impact the look of the color.

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Be sure to consider the type of wood your deck is constructed of, as not all woods take stain equally. Look at the natural color of the wood and its undertones. Does it have warmer or cooler undertones? Either way, those tones will come through in the stain, so you’ll want to pick a stain that works with those undertones rather than against them.

Also, take a look at the grain of the wood. Do you want to celebrate it or downplay it? Wood stains can either enhance or diminish the natural grain.

Jessica Nelson Design

Be mindful of the type of wood, and also the age of the wood. Newer woods can handle lighter stains well, but also a wide range of tones. But older woods typically need a darker stain, since it’s already weathered and worn. If you’re working with wood that has already been stained you’re going to have to think about how a new stain will look over it. 

What Are the Stain Opacity Options?

There are four types of stain opacity – clear, semi-transparent, semi-solid, and solid.

Clear stains, also known as natural stains, are good to use if you want to maintain the natural look of the wood. If you’ve used a brand new and expensive type of wood then you may want to go with a clear stain. You’ll need to reapply it every one or two years.

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Semi-Transparent stains last about two to three years and offer protection with just a hint of color, allowing the natural wood grain to show through.

Semi-Solid stains offer a heavier application of color but still allow the wood underneath to be visible. You may want to use a semi-solid stain if you’re working with a deck that’s aged a bit.

It will help make your deck look more regular if you’ve had to replace any boards.

Solid stains act like solid paint and will fully hide the wood grain. You may want to use this type of stain on an older deck to hide imperfections. It also has a higher level of UV resistance so is good for sunny climates. Solid stains typically last five years.

What About Acrylic vs. Oil Stains?

Another factor you’ll need to think about is which type of stain to use – acrylic or oil-based.

Andrew Mikhael Architect

Oil-based stains are the traditional stain type. They penetrate the wood and protect it from within. It typically fades as it starts to age, which makes it best for longevity. They are best used on new raw wood in order to absorb and properly seal.

The drawbacks of oil stains are that they are high in VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) which are toxins that are harmful to the environment. They do not last as long as acrylic stains and will need to be reapplied every year or two.

Acrylic stains are newer, water-based stains and create a coat on top of the wood. They usually cost more than oil but are more environmentally friendly, last longer, and dry faster. They have better UV resistance and retain their color.

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High-quality acrylic stains are durable, long-lasting, and easier to maintain. While lower-quality or poorly applied acrylic stains will chip away, like paint. If chipping and peeling occur, in order to restrain your deck, you’ll need to sand down the wood first and then re-stain it. 

In many cases a good quality acrylic stain is a better option, however, it will also depend on the type of wood you have. A more oily wood like cedar will benefit from an oil-based stain, while pine works well with acrylic stains.

No matter which type of stain you choose you’ll need to be sure the wood is prepped well before application. If the wood is not prepped the stain will fail.

How Do You Test Wood Stains?

Before you settle on a stain type or color you have to test it. Just like how you would test a swatch of paint on a wall. Ideally, you’ll have a spare piece of wood that matches your deck you can test it on. If not find a hidden spot on your deck or porch to test stains.

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When testing, wait for it to dry completely and look at it at different angles and different times of day. Like paint colors, stains will look different when dry and in different types of lighting. To remove a test color use a deck stripper, rather than sanding the wood.

In the end, the right stain will depend on your priorities and circumstances. This will include the wood type, your environment, the age of the wood, your budget, and what you’d like to invest in long-term maintenance.

Ready to stain your deck or porch, but still unsure what will work best for you? Not to worry we can help! AHG Interiors is a full-service interior design serving the New York Metro area and the Catskills. We’re experts in design inside and out and will create the outdoor space you’ve always wanted. Can’t wait to get started? Get in touch today.