how to choose a stain color
There are a couple different factors that come into play when choosing a stain color for your fence or deck. Choosing the right color will not only help compliment your home’s existing features, but can also change the level of protection you get from your stain.
Before we can discuss colors, we need to discuss stain transparency, as stain color and transparency go hand in hand. There are four different options when it comes to stain transparency: Transparent, semi-transparent, semi-solid, and solid. Of these four options, the first three can be purchased in a penetrating oil-based stain. Penetrating oil based stains, just as the name suggests, penetrate into the wood, and seal it from within. As opposed to water based stains, that form a film over the wood, locking in moisture and leading to cracking and peeling, oil based stains soak into the wood like a sponge, and will never chip, crack or peel.
Transparent stains are a clear stain/sealer that contain zero pigments. These stains act as sealer, without changing the color of your structure. Transparent stains are great if you are looking to keep the natural color of the wood, while still protecting the structure from moisture. The issue with transparent stains is their lack of pigments. The pigments in a stain are what provide the UV protection for a wood structure. You will notice after applying transparent stains, that the wood will still turn gray overtime. Without pigments in the stain, the sun is still able to reach the surface of the wood, which in time causes the wood to turn gray, through a process called photo chemical degradation.
In order to combat these harmful UV rays, you need a stain with a UV inhibitor, which leads us to the next stain transparency, semi-transparent.
Semi-transparent stain is a stain that contains pigments needed for UV protection, but still shows the natural wood grain of the structure. These stains are the best of both worlds for a lot of structures. As opposed to a transparent stain that only protects from moisture damage, semi-transparent stains offer both moisture and UV protection. If you are looking for a stain that will preserve the natural wood grain, while also adding beautiful color to your structure, a semi-transparent stain is the way to go. These stains come in rich beautiful colors such as pecan, redwood, mahogany, walnut, chestnut and so on. These colors add a beautiful vibrance to your structure, while still allowing the character of the wood to be seen. Semi-transparent stains are our most popular stain, due to their rich colors, long lasting protection, and their ability to show off the woods natural grain.
The third option you have when choosing stain transparency is a semi-solid stain. Semi-solid stains are closer to paint in their appearance. They hide more of the grain than a semi-transparent stain, but still allow slight notes of the natural wood to show through. These stains are great for older fences, that might have a few blemishes, or discoloration, as well as fences that might have new boards intermingled with older weather boards. If you were to apply a semi-transparent stain to a fence that has both new boards and weathered boards, the new boards would stand out. Where as with a semi-solid stain, you achieve a much more uniform look when working with mismatched boards or older fences. Semi-Solid stains typically come in darker tones, such as chocolate, black, slate, and sable.
The last option for transparency in a stain is a solid stain. Solid stains are very similar to paint, in that they form a film over the wood, as opposed to penetrating the wood like the three stains mentioned above. These stains hide all of the natural look of the structure, and do not allow any of the wood grain to show through. We do not typically recommend solid stains, or paint, for fences or decks, as they have a tendency to chip, crack and peel as the structure moves with nature, and can potentially lock moisture into the wood, causing it to rot from within over time.
When it comes to choosing a stain color, first decide what transparency you feel is best for your structure.
Do you enjoy the natural look of the wood, but want protection from the sun and moisture? Go with a semi transparent stain, in a natural color such as pecan, cedar, or redwood.
Is your fence showing some age? Perhaps you have replaced some boards recently, and want a stain that will give your fence a uniform look. Go with a semi-solid stain in a rich color such as Sable, chocolate, or Black.
Feel free to reach out to us with any questions regarding our stains, and the colors/transparencies that we offer.
