Keep Your Deck Looking Beautiful Longer

A newly stained deck can be gorgeous on your home, but by the following Spring it can lose its luster. Mother Nature can take its toll on decks leaving homeowners discouraged when the next year rolls around. Don’t put all that effort into beautifying your deck only to be disappointed in a few short months. Take the appropriate steps to help your deck stain last longer for a more beautiful deck this year and next.
“There are two keys to making any deck or siding stain last longer - selecting a high quality finish and good preparation,” says Pat Coughlin, manager, brand development at The Flood Company, makers of CWF-UV(r). “Preparation clears the wood of dirt, mill glaze on the lumber, old waxy finishes and even natural chemicals in the wood that prevent stains from penetrating, causing them to fail too soon.”
According to Coughlin, a good finish must be able to penetrate into the wood pores in order to create a long-lasting bond that won’t peel or flake after being baked in the sun, rained upon and exposed to temperature changes.

Coughlin offers the
following tips for a healthy                                                      spring cleaning for your deck:
• Use a wood preparation product as the first step before staining a deck. Sometimes it is difficult to see with the naked eye whether wood pores are open and ready to accept a finish. A wood preparation product, such as Flood’s PenePrepTM, is designed to open wood pores and enhance the penetration of wood finishes, achieving maximum uniformity, adhesion and promoting longer lasting results. Simply apply the product, let it soak in the wood, scrub and rinse. The wood is then fresh and ready to be stained.

• Select a stain or finish that contains pigment. The more pigment contained in a stain, the longer it will last. Solid color stains will last longer than semi-transparent stains and semi-transparent will last longer than clears. Solid color stains are opaque but allow the natural characteristics of the wood to show through. Semi-transparent stains add color and allow the beauty of the grain detail to show.

• Find a stain that is guaranteed to last on vertical and horizontal surfaces. Most stains can claim long-lasting results on vertical surfaces but do not have the durability to withstand foot traffic, sliding furniture and the added abuse from weather that horizontal surfaces are subject to. A quality stain will guarantee results on vertical and horizontal surfaces. Flood’s Semi-Transparent Deck & Siding Stain is guaranteed against peeling and fading for three years on decks and five years on siding and its Solid Color Deck & Siding Stain is guaranteed against peeling on decks for five years and siding for 15 years.

• Select deck colors to accent your home. Be creative when selecting stain colors for your deck. Manufacturers are offering more variety than ever before. Consider two-tone looks with accent colors on railings and steps. Try out a variety of solid and semi-transparent colors before making a purchase with the Virtual Deck Stainer at www.floodco.com. The Virtual Deck Stainer allows you to mix and match 51 different colors on a virtual house and deck - before investing time and money.

For more information or to receive a free wood care guide, call the experts at The Flood Company, 1-800-321-3444

11 Virginia Rd., White Plains, NY 10603 914 328 1992
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