Harold Howard is the owner of Harold Howard’s Painting Service, which is based in Columbia, Maryland, and serves Howard, Baltimore, Ann Arundel, Carroll, and Hartford counties. Here, he explains how to choose the right type of paint for your deck.
Painting your deck is an important undertaking. Opaque treatments that still look like paint tend to last the longest on a wood finish. But you’ll find a few semitransparent treatments and even a clear finish or two that last nearly as long while showing off your deck’s natural wood grain. A more translucent treatment can also protect you and your family from the arsenic found in some pressure-treated wood.
Until 2004, most decks used lumber preserved with chromated copper arsenate (CCA) to fend off rot and insects. But because of concerns that arsenic, a toxin, could leach out, its use was halted. Other preservatives are now available for residential use.
Semitransparent coatings penetrate the wood and seal in arsenic, according to the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency. Opaque treatments also seal well, but they can peel or flake and may require sanding, which spreads arsenic-laden dust from CCA lumber.
What Is Available
Major brands include Ace, Behr, Benjamin Moore, Cabot, Duron, Flood, Glidden, Olympic, Sherwin-Williams, Sikkens, Thompson’s, and Wolman. You’ll also find many smaller, specialized brands. Here at Harold Howard’s Painting Service, we like to use Sherwin-Williams, Duron, and Benjamin Moore Paints.
Opaque treatments: These finishes hide the wood grain and last longest. They’re best for typical decks made of pressure-treated pine, where grain isn’t important. Also known as solid-color stains, they hold up for at least three years. On the downside, opaque finishes can build up a film, especially after several coats, which can peel, chip, and crack like paint. Refinishing with an opaque treatment is generally more extensive and lengthy than semitransparent and clear treatments.
Semitransparent treatments: These usually contain a small amount of pigment but let the wood grain show. They’re best for cedar, redwood, and other expensive woods you want to show off. Choices range from little pigment to nearly opaque. On the downside, you may need to reapply them every two to three years.
Clear treatments: These contain water repellents and may contain a little pigment, which is ideal if you value the natural look of a premium-wood deck. They may also have UV inhibitors and wood preservatives. Most don’t last longer than one year, making deck refinishing an annual chore.
The price range for all deck treatments is about $15 to $40 a gallon.
Features That Count
Deck treatments may be alkyd-based (solvent) or latex-based (water). Most alkyd-based products require cleaning with mineral spirits, but a few can be cleaned with water, like latex. Linseed oil and tung oil have largely been replaced by synthetic resins. These are described as preservatives, protectors, stabilizers, repellents, sealers, cleaners, restorers, or rejuvenators.
How to Choose a Paint For Your Deck
The best opaques still tend to outlast the best semitransparent and clear finishes. Here’s what else to consider at the store:
Look beyond the brand: Even same-brand treatments often perform differently. What’s more, a brand that worked well for you last time may not this time, since manufacturers change products frequently to address cost and performance, and to comply with government regulations.
Factor in cleanup: Water-based deck treatments are water-soluble and allow easier cleanup than most alkyd-based coatings. But some alkyd blends also clean up with water.
Save money down the road: The best treatments tend to cost the most money, but their longer life should save you money over time.
Protect yourself: While you’re shopping, be sure you have the goggles, gloves, and respirators you’ll need when scraping or sanding pressure-treated wood.
