MISTAKES TO AVOID WHEN STAINING WOOD DECKS

Between the BBQ, the patio furniture and family get-togethers, decks handle more traffic than any other wood surface around our homes. The deck is the centerpiece of an outdoor entertainment space, but it’s easy to make mistakes that can keep decks from standing up to the summer sun, weather and foot traffic.

The experts at Sansin, a wood-protection company that focuses on eco-friendly solutions, offers these Mistakes To Avoid to ensure wooden decks are properly designed and protected.

• Not considering design impact. Excessive moisture is much more problematic for a deck than UV exposure. Wetting causes the wood to swell and then shrink while drying.

From this natural expansion and retraction, little cracks will form as the wood cycles through these extreme conditions. This can cause the wood to discolor and the coatings to wear prematurely. Consider designing landscape, sprinklers and roof drainage to avoid excessive wetting on the deck. This can help reduce these extremes and extend maintenance cycles.

• Choosing a coating that sits on top of the wood. Where some film-forming deck coatings may easily peel or flake, waterborne finishes (like Sansin’s Dec) penetrate the wood tissue, protecting the wood from deep within. Penetrating stain/sealers repel water, while at the same time allowing the

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