The following are some excellent questions (and our answers) from one of our clients, regarding the stains we use.
Q: Are the four colors shown on your website the ones from Benjamin Moore?
A: The colors on the website and our brochure resemble the colors from Benjamin Moore. Our colors are custom made because throught the years, we have found customers wanting more brown or more red in a color, we took these comments into consideration when we created the colors. Colors look a bit different on every deck depending on the amount of sun and shade as well as the condition of the wood. I have never had a problem with a customer after the fact saying they wanted a different color because the colors are both popular and distict.
Q: What is it about that brand that you think is the best?
A: Over the years I have done extensive research and focused my research on two aspects of a stain. The percentage of solids and the quality of resins which make up the solid part of the stain. A clear seal will typically have betwen 8-11 percent solid. Brands such as Behr, Flood and Olympic, TWP and Ready Seal and big box Cabot have about 35% solid where as Specialty store Cabot, Sikkens, ABR and Benjamin Moore have between 55 and 60 percent solid. The solid ensure that there is more substance remaining on your deck rather than absorbing into the atmosphere. As far as the second part of my research, the quality resins found in both Benjamin Moore and Sikkens were superior for longevity of color and durability of the stain. (Basically the resins they use cause the deck to look better longer).
We use Benjamin Moore over Sikkens and Cabot for several reasons: When Cabot went into Lowes they diluted both their product and brand name people dont know the difference between the two products a big box and specialty store and I dont feel it is our job to defend or advocate for Cabot when there is a simpler to use a better alternative (Ben Moore). In regard to Sikkens, it looks great, but the maintence is horrendus (every year or else costly repairs in way of sanding and chemical treatment). Sikkens is also more labor intensive to apply and the product is twice as expencsive.
Q: What type of stain is it — a penetrating oil based, or something else?
A: It is a Semi transparent so you can see the grain of the wood through the stain. It is a penetrating oil so it will protect your wood from the inside out.
Q: If we had sealant put on it each year after it was stained, would that help to make the color last longer?
A: A seal will keep water from pentrating the wood, but so should the stain if it is applied every 3 years. Before you applied a sealant you would need to wash the deck prior to the sealant being applied. Think of it like waxing a car, you would want to wash it first or you will wax in the dirt. However, when you pressure wash the deck you may remove some of the stain. So it would be my reccomendation to wash it and stain it every 3 years. If you have alot of trees that turn the deck green then a light pressure washing maybe a year and a half into the three years for esthetic purposes only.
