Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I stain my fence?

Staining your wooden outdoor structures has many benefits such as:

-Beautify - Restoring and staining your outdoor structures will remove the old weathered gray, adding curb appeal and enhancing the natural beauty of your wood structures or outdoor spaces.

-Preserve & Protect - Restoring and staining your outdoor structures prevents against warping & splitting and safeguards the wood against UV sun damage, dirt, fungi, other environmental factors which extends the life for years to come.

-Lower Maintenance - Restoring and staining your outdoor structure will have a lower cost of maintenance as stain protects against contaminates and other environmental factors which ultimately lead to repairs. Staining on decks also make it easier to clean foot traffic, BBQ & kitchen spills and the dreaded tree pollen & seed pods.

-Increase Value - Lets face it, home repairs are expensive. The combination of having a better visual appeal, extending the life of the fence and less maintenance will increase the value of your largest investment.

Why should I stain my deck?

In addition to the previously listed reasons: "Beautify, Preserve & Protect, Lower maintenance, Increase value", there are additional reasons why one should restore & stain their deck.

-Susceptible to Rot - Horizontal surfaces of decks are susceptible to water and water penetration allowing  subsequent rotting or splitting. Mold, mildew, lichens and moss growth can trap additional water against the wood causing additional damage on these horizontal surfaces.

-Hazardous Surface - Fungi on walking surfaces become slippery when wet, creating a hazard for you, your family and pets. This can also create a legal liability issue if people were to be injured on your property.

Should I replace my fence instead of Restoring & Staining?

Depending on the services performed, restoring and staining can save you considerably over completely replacing your fence. This also doesn't take into consideration a new fence would not beautified or preserved and would be subjected to the harsh Texas weather.

Why did my unstained fence turn gray in the sun?

Wood is photo-reactive like your skin, once UV from sunlight reaches the wood fibers it reacts and becomes bleached. This creates a layer of decomposed wood which will eventually flake off causing deterioration of your fence.

Do you only stain fences & decks?

The Stain Pros will stain all outdoor wooden structures including Arbors, Pergolas, Patio Covers, Gazebo's, Garage Doors & Shutters.

Do you require all existing stain to be stripped before re-staining?

It depends. Existing latex and oil stains which have failed will need to be stripped before staining. Stains in good condition can sometimes have a maintenance coat applied without a full strip.

However, if changing stain types from water based to a penetrating oil, the wood will need to be completely stripped. This will ensure a clean surface for the new stain to properly penetrate.

My fence is black & green in shady areas. What is this and can you remove?

-Black and greenish areas is caused by fungi growing on the wood. These are mold, mildew, lichens and moss growth usually in shaded areas or areas which stay moist. We have cleansers which will kill the fungi and remove them from the wood fibers. Staining with a will preserve your fence and help prevent the return of fungi.

What is Mill Glaze & how do you get rid of it?

Mill Glaze is a glossy finish on the surface on new timber created in the milling process. This happened when hot saw blades and planers create friction cutting the wood. The high temperatures cause sugars & oils in the wood form a glaze on the surface. This glaze on the surface prevents the penetration of both water and oil-based stains and adhesion of film forming stains. Mill glaze is present on nearly all pressure treated pine and cedar lumber. So don’t let wood new appearance fool you, neglecting to properly remove mill glaze will result in spotty appearance, flaking, peeling and premature failure of the stain.

This mill glaze removed by applying appropriate wood cleaners and light pressure washing to remove cleansers and any residual sawdust. This cleaning also opens the wood pores to and allows the stain to better penetrate the wood.

My deck has sticky "sap" secreting from the wood. Can you fix this?

Sometimes pressure treated lumber will excrete "pitch" especially in Texas heat. Removing the pitch is temporary and will return with the heat regardless of stains or sealers. However, we can usually correct this issue without replacing the deck board.

Can you stain my older Trex or Composite Decking

The answer is YES! Don't trust just anyone to restore and stain your composite deck. The Stain Pros has the expertise to restore your composite deck to like new.

Eventually first and second generation composite decking will require cleaning and staining or replacement. Our process removes mildew stains, faded & dull finish. Our process will beautify your composite deck and increasing the lifespan for years to come.  And like regular wood, the condition will determine if a semi-transparent or solid stain can be used.

What stains do you provide?

We provide professional grade water based Alkyd/Oil Hybrid Penetrating Stain and Oil Based Penetrating Stains not typically found in the big box stores.

The brands we recommend are Flood Pro Series, Sherwin-Williams SuperDeck, Benjamin Moore Arborcoat, Sikkens, Wood Defender, Stain & Seal Expert (SSE), Messmer's, Penofin, Armstrong Clark, Ready Seal & Cabot.

Should I choose a water based or oil-based stain?

-Water Based Stains

Water-based stains come in a wide variety of opaqueness (transparencies) such as transparent, semi-transparent, semi-solid and solid.

Because of the variety of transparencies, you can choose to show the beauty of the grain, or choose a heavy coat for worn wood.

Generally water-based stains will last longer than and won't fade like oil-based stains.

Depending on conditions, owners can apply a maintenance coat as long as the stain is in good condition and it has not failed.

Since water-based stains don't penetrate as deep as oil, it has better coverage per square foot.

-Oil Based Stains

Oil-based stains have excellent aesthetics especially on cedar, redwood and exotic hardwoods.

Since most oil-based stains are transparent or semi-transparent they show more wood grain enhancing the natural beauty of the wood.

These penetrating stains go deeper into the wood fibers than water based stains which hydrate and preserve the wood.

Depending on conditions, oil-based stains can last about 4-5 years, but most owners choose to reapply about every 3 years.

Since oil stains are not film forming, a maintenance coat can be reapplied without stripping. This saves time, money and extends the protection of your outdoor structures.

Oil stains do require more stain per square foot than water based stains.

Should I choose a Semi-Transparent, Semi-Solid or Solid Stain?

-Transparent & Semi-Transparent stains have excellent aesthetics especially on cedar, redwood and exotic hardwoods.

Since transparent and semi-transparent stains contain less solids, they will also have less UV protection than semi-solid and solid stains.

-Semi-Solid and Solid stains work better on older wood which is worn, checked or deteriorating. These stains will better cover up these deficiencies and help protects the wood against further deteriorating. These are also better for poor quality wood such as pressure treated pine.

Since semi-solid and solid stains contain more solids they will also have more UV protection than transparent and semi-transparent stains.

How do I pick a color?

The type of wood will affect final color. Cedar is a darker porous wood and will take more stain than the lighter color of pressure treated pine. Redwood on the other hand has a red tint to the wood.

The condition of the wood can also affect the color. Older worn wood will appear darker with penetrating stains, or it may need darker colors to cover any deficiencies.

The amount of sun & shade can affect the appearance as darker colors may appear too dark in shady areas.

The style of your house can be a deciding factor on your color. You may choose a light or medium brown for a traditional house. For a modern home you may choose a gray or black as a contrast.

Proudly Serving: Leander, Cedar Park, Liberty Hill, Georgetown, Round Rock