Lebanon, TN Wood Stain Company

The parts of your property that provide outdoor living space, privacy, and aesthetic appeal are worth protecting. Your fence, deck, pergola, cedar shakes, and other wooden structures on your property need to be protected in order to last as long as possible. Staining and sealing your fence, deck, cedar-sided home, pergola, or wooden outdoor structure is crucial to extend its lifespan and to improve its appearance.

You are probably anxious to get your new deck or fence looking the best it can while also ensuring that it's protected. Although there are different recommendations for when a fence or deck should be stained, a general guideline does exist. If the wood has a moisture level below 13%, the fence or deck is able to be stained. If rain is in the forecast, it is best to wait for dry weather. Schedule staining when there are a few days without precipitation. The professionals at Stain & Seal Experts can help you get the timing right for your specific project.

There are no temperature or sunlight restrictions for the oil-based penetrating stains created and used by Stain & Seal Experts. Keep in mind that the wood must be dry, with a moisture level under 13%. Generally, it is fine to stain a fence or deck any time of the year in most parts of the country.

If you have an idea in mind about how you'd like your fence or deck to look, you can share your goals with us and we will be happy to help you choose the best option. We always recommend that you choose the stain that gives your fence or deck the look you are hoping to achieve while also ensuring its protection.

If there are existing wooden structures on your property, you might want to consider choosing a stain that complements those existing colors. It's important to remember that varying light can affect the appearance of colors. Similarly to how a paint color inside a house can look different at various times during the day, your fence or deck stain can appear slightly different in various lighting situations as well.

If you live in a community with HOA regulations, you might need to take this into account since some require particular colors of stain or need advanced approval for stains.

Darker colors generally require less maintenance than lighter or natural shades. Dark stains and black stains have become popular for creating a bold look and often produce a great contrast against homes or other structures, with the added benefit of requiring less maintenance.

It's helpful to consider and include the cost of staining and sealing to be part of your investment in a fence or deck. The cost of staining is affected by different factors and can vary, but we are able to provide a general guide to pricing.

To have a fence stained, the cost typically ranges from $0.70 - $1.25 per square foot for most projects. Since decks tend to have more details than fences, they are priced in a different way. Floors range from $3.00 - $5.00 per square foot, steps range from $25.00 - $40.00 each, deck railings range from $10.00 - $20.00 per linear foot. Posts, beams, and undersides of the deck are an additional investment that can be determined for your specific situation.

A 3-year warranty on the stain and a 1-year warranty on the workmanship is included in the service from Stain & Seal Experts. Extra services, such as trimming the grass around the fence or deck, moving furniture, or removing lighting or decor from fences or decks are available for an extra charge. Some additional factors that can affect cost include obstacles, pools, large landscaping, and ease of access. Contact us to receive an accurate estimate for your project.

Taking preparation steps into consideration can save time and extra cost. Our first recommendation is that homeowners ensure a contractor is able to access the wooden structure with ease. Consider trimming back large landscaping from fence or deck lines will allow your contractor to access all parts of your fence or deck.

Remove all furniture from decks, along with ornamental items or decor, such as hanging or potted plants, patio lighting (if it is against the fence or in the way of a deck structure), and outdoor rugs. Mowing the grass and weeding around the base of all structures is helpful. Also, your contractor would appreciate that you turn off any scheduled sprinkler use.

Cleaning stained decks and fences several times a year is recommended. Using a leaf blower or broom, focus on removing dirt and debris that will affect the wood if it were to stay there for too long. A soft wash with gentle cleaning chemicals is recommended to freshen up your wooden structures, which will also kill any organic growth that your fence or deck might accumulate once a year.

Applying a maintenance coat of stain to your fence every three years will keep it looking its best. For decking, the same maintenance routine can be done on the schedule of every two years for horizontal surfaces and high-traffic areas and every four years for vertical surfaces such as railings or spindles. Maintenance may be needed sooner for lightly pigmented colors or natural tones compared with heavily pigmented and darker stains which tend to last longer between applications.

Staining your older fence or deck is a great solution to improve the look of your home and save your structure. Older structures are almost always able to be cleaned and restored. If your fence or deck is not very old, a basic wash will usually do the job to get it ready for staining and sealing. If your fence or deck is a bit older, a full restoration might be necessary before staining. Full fence restoration includes a professional cleaning and a wood brightener application. For decks, the wood will most likely need to be sanded after the cleaning process has been completed and before the staining begins. Staining, sealing, or restoring an older fence or deck rather than building a new one is a great cost-effective solution to improving the appearance of your wooden fence or deck.