Protecting Your Outdoor Wood Structures

Many of us in the greater metro Atlanta area are looking forward to spring and summer when we can spend more time outside enjoying outdoor activities. But we know that there will be some preparation required to get ready for that. For instance, more home owners are staying in there homes longer than ever before and may not have thought about the maintenance required for there deck and fence.

Anyone who has lived with the heat and humidity during the Georgia summers know that the effect it can have on untreated outdoor wood can be significant. So making sure your wood has been stained and sealed will make a difference in whether you will be looking at old grey weathered wood that has cracked and split or enjoy the rich and pleasing look of a properly stained deck or fence.

But before you rush out to buy that stain or sealer know the facts about what you will be putting on your wood and how long the investment you make in the material will last.

Forget water based products. They do not last in the environment here in Georgia. If you go ahead and use a water based product, then sit back and be ready to watch it peel of and crack in year two. So unless you want to be doing this every year, then read on.

Protecting your wood properly will require the application of an oil based penetrating stain that is designed to soak into the wood and repel water which sits in unprotected wood and creates mold and mildew and freezes in the winter casusing the wood to warp, crack and split. Oil based penetrating stains stop this from occuring by protecting the wood from the sun's harmful U.V. rays and coating the wood with a mildewicide that stops that ugly green and black film from forming on the wood. Repelling water and preventing it from entering the cellular structure of the wood is a key feature of this type of stain.

Oil pentetrating stain can be applied by the home owner, but be careful when you ask for it at your local big box store as it is likely the person working in that department will not know what it is and may tell you it does not exsist. This is due to the fact it is mainly applied by professionals. They use a spray rig that applies the stain under pressure for maximum penetration and ease of application.

Beware which one of these stains you buy as it may requires a lot of back brushing and if you are not quick enough then  you will have a streaky project that will not be very pleasing to the eye. Georgia Wood Defender stains do not require any back brushing and can be applied by brush or sprayer.

Do the research and find out what a pro would use that would allow them to guarantee thier work. That is the product you want. If not use a water based stain and enjoy your annual trip to your big box store and the cost associated with a yearly application. Don't like any of the above options, then you must love the color grey.