SOLID completely hides the wood grain. If your deck has stains or
other aesthetic damage, try a solid. It will cover most blemishes and
offers higher UV protection fo r the wood. Life span: at least 5 years.
i n d o o r s
color
AGAINST THE GRAIN
come in four opacities—which one you choose
depends on your taste and your deck’s age.
CLEAR (or “natural”) only barely changes the wood color.
“ If you have new or expensive wood, you probably want to
see the grain, so use a clear stain,” says Wilson. Life span: 1-2 years.
TINTED gives just a hint of color, so expect the natural tone of the
wood to come through and alter the stain. This subtle hue shift is the
best option for outdoor color first-timers. Life span: 2-3 years.
SEMITRANSPARENT will show the wood grain but has heavier
pigmentation. “ If your deck is older and you’ve replaced a board or
two, use this to make it more uniform,” he says. Life span: 3-5 years.
d e c k
r e v i v a l
Owners of old decks,
take heart: H G TV host
Jeff Wilson says solid
deck stain will change
almost any aging
outdoor structure from
ragged to remarkable.
Here are his top three
age-concealing tips.
S A M E T R IC K To pick a
colored stain, test it as
you would paint. Try the
stain on a couple of
inconspicuous square
feet of your deck, says
Wilson. If you don’t like
it, use deck stripper to
remove it, rather than
sanding, which creates
unevenness in the deck.
C H E A T S H E E T
“Remember the color
wheel from grade
school,” W ilson says.
Find the most dominant,
unchanging color in your
backyard— probably your
home’s exterior—and
choose its complement
for a stain. Tan siding
begs for a smoky blue
counterpoint.
W O O D M A T T E R S
Every wood has a natural
cast to it. Pressed pine,
commonly used for
decks, is green when
unfinished. If the natural
color bothers you, try a
semitransparent or solid
stain to cover it, says
Wilson. O r match the
stain to the wood: a
green-tinted stain for
pine, for example. ®
46
MAY
2010
B E T T E R H O M E S A N D G A R D E N S
PHOTO: (DECK) MICHAEL JENSEN; (PORTRAIT) SHERRI JAMES
