Exterior Stain
A freshly-stained deck can transform your backyard, adding colour – and curb appeal – to your home.
What is Opacity?
A stain’s opacity is the degree to which it reveals the natural grain of the wood. ARBORCOAT comes in five opacities – From clear to solid – each offering a level of colour that reveals more or less of the wood.
Opacity 101
When it comes to the impact stain will have on your deck’s design, understanding opacity is key. Opacity is the degree to which you can see the natural grain of wood, achieved by using one of the following…
Translucent (K326)
Enriches the beauty of wood with a touch of colour and allows the grain and texture to show through. Available in six ready-mix wood-inspired colours
Semi Transparent (K328)
Allows some of the wood grain and texture to show through with a bit more colour.
Semi Solid (K329)
Provides a barrier with more colour while covering most imperfections
Solid (K640)
Covers a majority of imperfections while lightly allowing the texture of the wood to show through.
Wood Matters
Wood remains the most common choice for decks. More expensive hardwoods such as mahogany or ipe offer gorgeous grain and texture that shine through when using a more transparent stain like Translucent or Semi Transparent. Softer, less expensive woods, including pressure treated southern yellow pine or cedar, benefit from Semi Solid and Solid stains’ innate weather barrier.
Wood alternatives known as “composite decking” are also a popular choice. While often sold as maintenance-free, composite decks demand protection from colour fading as well as from the elements-just like their wood counterparts; ARBORCOAT Solid Deck & Siding Stain provides excellent colour retention for those popular decking choices.
