FAQs for Painting Contractors

Should i paint or stain my deck

Wood decks are typically finished with either a semi-transparent stain, semi-translucent stain, or solid color stain. People often confuse solid color stain with paint, as both fully cover the wood's natural color. However, stain penetrates the wood more deeply than paint and, especially with the first few coats, still allows the texture of the wood grain to show through.

How to remove stain from deck

Deck stain can be stripped, however it is an extremely labor intensive process that uses caustic chemical strippers. Decks should only be stripped when absolutely necessary. Some people, including some contractors, will try to strip a deck using high pressure power-washing, but this is extremely hard on the wood and will shorten the life of the wood.