Welcome to Deck Staining.org!

Have you ever tried to use a search engine on the internet to find out what the best deck stain is? Is it difficult to get simple straightforward answers? We aim to fix that here. If you want to read then keep reading. If you want immediate professional advice on your specific deck then jump straight to the Ask Earthpaint tool above. 

Staining a deck can be a complex and expensive endeavor. We have created this site to help simplify deck staining. We all want non-hazardous / high quality methods that have been proven through the test of time. Ultimately, professional advice is required on a project by project basis. This needs to be done by someone who has experience and knows how to narrow things down to the most important factors. The best place to do that is on the Ask Earthpaint tool, as mentioned, but this site can offer some simple, general answers in an easy to find way.

A FEW BASIC THINGS TO LOOK FOR: Natural deck staining is generally the best way to stain a deck so that is what we focus on here primarily. Penetrating oils almost always blow away conventional water based deck stains. Don't be fooled by "the water beads up!" trick. The only time that matters is if the wood is being "waterproofed" which isn't the same as repelling water. Water repellents wear away and leave no protection behind, requiring frequent maintenance. Sometimes a water repellent is best but only in certain cases. More often a water proof coating is required. That is where expert advice comes in.

Cheap deck stains are cheap because of a reason. We live in a world where poison is cheap. Soda can be less expensive than water! Just like corn syrup has found its way into nearly all our foods, petrochemicals have found their way into most of our deck stains. Like reading the label on food, read the label on the deck stain.  Look at the solids content in a deck stain. That gives a basic indication for how much resin and nourishment is being provided. Look at the data sheets and find the ingredients. If it has benzene or other carcinogens in it, for God’s sake, stay away from it! 

VOC IS NOT A MEASURE OF TOXICITY. This is another misleading thing. VOC or volatile organic compound, is a measurement of how solvents affect the atmosphere, ground level ozone and smog in particular; not human, fish, pet or plant toxicity. Some VOC are ok while others are very, very bad. There are many zero voc coatings that are extremely toxic. This again, is an area where expert advice is helpful but in general if it is a non-toxic or bio based VOC there may be a use for it in small amounts. 

For exterior wood a little bit of citrus or corn solvent can be a great sustainable way to improve a deck stain. Mineral Spirits is just cheap filler that is not sustainable. When crude oil runs out, mineral spirits will probably run out too. Water isn't a great solvent for deck stain performance however it is voc exempt and nice to work with. Acetone is voc exempt and even allowed in food but it's horrible to work with if you are staining a deck. Judging a coating by VOC is usually misleading to consumers.

Even though a natural deck stain is generally the king, there is a time and a place for different methods. For instance, some people have chemical sensitivities, other people may need an industrial application (for instance Rainforest Sealer has been used on many wooden bridges) and others may require an odorless deck stain. We will explore the common issues and provide the best known solutions taking health and the earth into consideration of course.