Should I paint or stain my deck?
Short answer
Stain is usually the better choice for deck floors. Penetrating stains soak into the wood and wear away gradually instead of peeling, which makes recoating easy. Paint and solid stains give more color and hide worn wood, but on walking surfaces they tend to peel and need scraping before recoating.Good compromise
Many homeowners use a semi-transparent stain on the deck floor and a solid stain or paint on railings, posts and skirting, where there's no foot traffic.
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Open Color StudioUpdated September 2026. Always follow the directions on your product's label; manufacturer instructions come first.