Toronto Wood Siding Staining & Painting Services

The main difference between staining and painting is how both products adhere to the wood. Paints sit on top of the wood, providing a protective film which covers the wood. This means that as the paint weathers, it will start to peel and flake off. Stains on the other hand tend to penetrate the wood and prevent water and UV from entering and damaging the wood. As stains age, they fade or very lightly flake unlike paint.

A: Solid stains are best suited for when you want a specific colour (they can be tinted in many colours just like paint), when the wood is ugly, old or has previous coatings. Solid stains can go over top most other stains without looking stupid and do not require excessive prep-work. They can also be applied to bare wood surfaces without needing to be primed (unlike paint). Another reason that homeowners choose solid stains is because they do not peel as they weather; instead they fade or lightly flake like other stains.

​

Transparent stains are sometimes also called natural stains or even called sealer. These stains protect siding from water but do not to alter the natural colour and appearance of their wood. With that being said, most transparent or natural stains still add a slight pigment and give the wood a "wet" look. Transparent stains work by penetrating the wood and preventing water from absorbing into the wood.  However, due to the stain having minimal pigmentation, it does not protect the wood against UV rays. As such, you will notice that the wood will patina over time (the wood greys out from the UV).

​

Semi-transparent stains are similar to natural stains except they can be tinted to achieve different colours while also showing the natural wood grain. The additional benefit of the added colour is that the pigment protects the wood from the sun's UV rays.

A: In Toronto, when possible, we always recommend using oil-based stains for exterior deck staining. They last longer, look more natural, don't peel and can usually be easily recoated (this depends on the product). Oil stains penetrate the wood and as such they fade instead of peel as they age.

Water-based products usually form a film overtop the wood and as such, peel when they age. Recoating is difficult because the film prevents other stains from penetrating. In addition, the stain does not adhere well it itself which makes it difficult to recoat even using the same product.

A: This depends on what the existing coating was and what you intend to apply. In general, you can apply a paint over a solid-stain (you must prime first) but you CANNOT apply a stain over paint (paint will prevent the stain from penetrating the wood).

Solid-stains can usually be applied overtop previous stains without having to remove the prior coating. That is because the new solid-stain products are "hybrid" and partially behave like a paint. That means they penetrate but can also adhere to a surface without penetrating. However, you should avoid applying a solid-stain over previously painted surfaces.

In general, existing coatings need to be removed prior to applying a natural or semi-transparent stain. That is because natural & semitransparent stains work by penetrating the wood and existing coatings could prevent the penetration. However, some products such as Cutek Extreme Wood Oil could be reapplied without stripping if the wood was previously coated with Cutek.

Paints can be applied over top of existing stains or paints as long as the surface is properly prepped (sanded and primed). That is because paints don't need to penetrate and can sit over top of the existing surface.

A:  In Toronto's climate, stains & paints on vertical surfaces should last 5+ years depending on the conditions they are exposed to. Horizontal surfaces (especially walking surfaces) should be regularly maintained and have a maintenance coat applied every 2 years. Toronto & the GTA experience has a harsh climate (sunny summers & wet winters). which makes frequent maintenance unavoidable. The name of the game is to reduce the overall lifecycle cost and there is no product which will last forever.

A: We offer a 2 year warranty on exterior painting jobs. However, this does NOT include horizontal surfaces such as decks and hand rails. These areas take a beating and it is unpredictable how they weather.

A: When unprotected wood is exposed to UV, it begins to develop a patina (the fibers turn grey). Some people like the natural patina whereas others find it unsightly. The patina can be sanded off or restored using a deck revive solution. Natural stains do not prevent the patina from developing because there is no pigment in the stain. Semi-transparent stains and solid-stains can protect the wood from UV and prevent greying.

A: Solid stains are best suited for when you want a specific colour (they can be tinted in many colours just like paint), when the wood is ugly, old or has previous coatings. Solid stains can go over top most other stains without looking stupid and do not require excessive prep-work. They can also be applied to bare wood surfaces without needing to be primed (unlike paint). Another reason that homeowners choose solid stains is because they do not peel as they weather; instead they fade or lightly flake like other stains. Solid stains are very easy to maintain. They do not peel like paint and do not require intensive prep to recoat. When the product begins to weather, all you need to do is clean the surface, lightly sand it and then apply the solid stain.

A: Transparent stains are best used when you have nice wood and would like to highlight natural look of the wood grain while providing water protection. Some instances where transparent stains are used are on cedar decks or exotic decks or on front doors with high grade wood. Using a transparent stain is a pricey way of protecting your deck/fence/door.  Due to the wood grains being visible, a larger amount of prep-work is required to make the finish product look beautiful. This is especially true if there is an old coating which needs to be stripped. However, new surfaces that are bare and clean do not require a ton of prep. Transparent stains need to be frequently recoated due to the lack of UV protection (lack of pigmentation). As such, they patina (grey) quickly and need to be recoated to restore their natural look. The only product we recommend for transparent stains is Cutek Extreme be cause it can simply be washed with a cleaner and then directly recoated. If you use a different product, you may have to do more intensive prep just to maintain the surfaces. With that being said, the process for applying natural stains is the same as that for semi-transparent stains. The only difference is that you have to be even more thorough.

A: Semi-transparent stains are used in similar situations to natural stains. They are perfect when you have nice wood, want to highlight the grains AND want to add a colour to the wood. The pigment in semi-transparent stains help them provide additional UV protection when compared to natural stains.