Staining Your Charleston Deck The Right Way

Last week we were contracted to refinish and stain a front porch in Charleston SC. This was porch was done previously with latex stain multiple times. When decks and porches get stained too often, or before they are ready, with a new oil/latex stain they build up a film that not only looks bad but will block the grain giving it more of a solid appearance.

Righting the Wrong

After seeing this porch for the first time I knew the old coating had to come off. There are basically two choices when removing an existing coating. Either chemically strip or sand it completely off. Since chemically stripping latex stain is near impossible I chose to sand it off.

We used our Festool RO90 sander coupled with a dust extractor and 40 grit paper to remove the old latex stain. After removing the built up coating we went over the entire porch with 100 grit paper to remove some of the scratches caused by the removal process.

Choosing the Right Stain

The most important part of this job was choosing the right stain that will look nice and not build a film next time it’s re-coated. These types of stains are commonly referred to as a non-film forming stain.

Basically, there are three main types of semi-transparent stain.

• New Lower VOC Oil Stains
• Latex Stains
• And What I Call -Old School Oils

The only type of stain I sell to my customers are the old school oils such as TWP. They have higher VOC’s than the newer stains which allows them to penetrate deep into the wood. They are also able to be re-coated with without the need to strip them every three years because they do not build a film, which is exactly what I look for in a good semi-transparent stain.

Close up of the
oil caked on latex stain

Applying the Stain

TWP and most other non-film forming stains need to be applied “wet on wet.” That means you allow the first coat to soak in for a little bit then go over it again before it’s fully dried. If there are areas that haven’t soaked in after 30mins use a rag to wipe it off. This commonly happens on knots because they tend to be harder and don’t absorb as much stain.

Long-term Maintenance

The beauty of this system is the ease in which you can maintain it. If after three years it starts to look dull and worn after a good cleaning you can simply reapply the stain. There will never be a need to use strippers that won’t work and your deck or porch will look great, be protected, and cost less to maintenance down the road.

Give Us a Call!

Call Paragon Painting, for all your staining needs. We will always use the best products on the market and give you a detailed painting quote with a fair price. We service the entire Charleston, SC area including:

Summerville, Mt Pleasant, Moncks Corner, Folly Beach, Ladson, North Charleston, Hanahan, James Island, Sullivans Island, and beyond. We are the exterior and interior house painting experts,  call us at 843-695-9450