Are You Tricking, or Treating the Wood on Your Deck?
Walk down any home improvement or hardware store paint aisle, and chances are you'll be astonished at how many choices there are for deck stains.
Water-based or oil? Solid or Semi-transparent? Acrylic or no acrylic?
How do you make sense of it all? Good news is, you don't have to. Let Deck Rescue handle it for you!
Generally speaking, water-based materials are the go-to product nowadays. The EPA mandated multiple changes to the industry in the past decade, leading coatings' companies to place more research and emphasis on waterborne materials.
Deck Rescue primarily uses water-based products on their decks, and has been doing so for 25 years. They are less toxic to humans, pets and plant life and due to modern technology tend to outlast their oil-based counterparts.
But, Deck Rescue takes it one step further: In the semi-transparent line they prefer to use only Wolman products. Wolman semi-transparents, unlike many other stains on the market, contain no acrylic. Acrylic is what gives your deck more of a "painted" look, which is fine if you are opting for solid stain.
But, if you want the natural wood grain to show through the stain, you need to avoid acyrlic-based semi-transparent stains and toners. Wolman utilizes "hybrid" technology, with an emulsified oil formula that is low-odor and cleans up with soap & water.
The type of stain you choose (semi-transparent or solid) is also heavily dependent on the age of your deck. Once a deck reaches 12 - 15 years old, it typically will not hold a semi-transparent color very long. You may see extensive fading after one year.
Thus, for older decks you'll find us recommending solid stain for maximum color retention. You'll lose the look of the wood grain, but at that age you need to be focused on maximizing the life of your investment. It becomes less about appearance and more about preservation.