Can you paint a deck? Of course you can, but it is not always the best choice. Paint forms a thick coating on the surface that’s more prone to peeling from the swelling and expansion of deck boards. So what about staining? Well wood decks need to be stained once every few years to protect it from the elements.

Paint doesn’t respond well to water puddling on deck flooring and railing tops. Those areas are usually the first to start peeling. The thick coating of paint may also trap moisture in timber, resulting in wood rot sometimes.

Removing peeling paint from a deck regularly involves more scraping and sanding than stain, and in case you decide to change from paint to deck stain, it would be necessary to get rid of all the peeling paint prior to staining.

Paint can also hide the woods texture. This may be a plus for older decks in rough shape, where you’d want to conceal imperfections, but stain is usually thin enough to preserve the natural appearance of wood grain.

Most deck stain is thinner than paint and seeps to the wood grain instead of layering on top, allowing the timber to expand without compromising the coating.

In the ideal conditions, it’s possible to get a painted deck to last many years, but that all is dependent upon the way the deck was prepped, sun exposure, climate, moisture, and other factors. Deck stain typically has to be redone every three to four years, however, the prep work is usually simpler than having to manage peeling paint.

Solid Deck Stain vs. Paint

Solid deck stain forms a film on the surface just as paint does, but both aren’t the same, even though both coatings seem similar. The consistency of strong deck stain is thicker compared to all other stain finishes. Solid stain peels, but not as much as paint. Strong stain lasts more than all other stain finishes because the thicker coating provides better UV protection, and the stain does not trap moisture underneath.

Another distinction is solid stain won’t completely conceal the natural beauty of your deck planks like two coats of paint will. You can also go with semi-solid, or semi-transparent stain, to reveal more of the pure grain through the stain. One benefit of using paint stain is there are a lot more colour selections available. Deck stain, like strong, are often confined to a little colour brochure.

Best Deck Stain and Paint

Sherwin Williams Super Deck, previously Deckscapes, is a great stain. The waterborne version in the solid finish is very thin and brushes into wood very nicely. Most stain colours cover in two coats.

If you have to paint your deck, then Duration from Sherwin Williams is most likely one of the better choices. The paint expands using wood to prevent blistering and peeling. The satin finish is also very glossy and simpler to keep up. Before painting a deck, the surface needs to be carefully power washed and allowed to dry for many days. The surface should also be sanded. Implementing a bonding primer is also vital, followed by 2 coats of paint.

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