House staining: How it works and why you should consider it
Want to give your home a new layer of shine and make it stand out in the neighborhood? House staining might be what you are looking for. This technique not only accentuates the appearance of a house but also helps it endure natural wearing away. Here’s what you need to know about house staining and why you should opt for it.
Why house staining is needed
Throughout the year, your house experiences a range of different environmental factors due to changing seasons. Sometimes, it has to brave the summer heat and, sometimes, it has to withstand heavy rain. These differing weather conditions can eventually lead to the original paint or stain breaking down, giving room to external factors to decay the house’s exterior. This, in turn, can make the house walls look dull on the outside and can even damage them.
For preventing this from happening, you should go for house staining periodically. When you stain a house, you essentially apply a new polish to its exterior in a way that doesn’t overpower the inherent feel of the exterior.
Staining vs painting
There are some notable discrepancies between staining a house and painting it. While stain retains the original texture of the exterior by being absorbed into it, paint covers the exterior instead and forms a distinct texture of its own. Stains create a thinner layer compared to paints which helps wood exterior contract/expand with changing environmental factors.
Due to its absorbent nature, stain has a relatively shorter lifespan than paint before its effect wears away. However, you can expect stains with high amount of pigment to last for as long as 7 years.
Types of stain
There are broadly four types of stain available: clear toner, semitransparent, semi-solid, and solid color. The thickness of the stain and its color intensity increases as we move from clear toner to solid color.
Besides this, there’s another distinction as different stains also contain different base ingredients. There are water-based (acrylic), oil-based (alkyd), and oil-modified (hybrid of acrylic and alkyd options) stains available in the market. You may also notice stains labeled as either ‘film’ or ‘penetrating’. The ‘film’ stains offer more protection and less preservation of original exterior texture whereas ‘penetrating’ stains are the opposite.
How to pick the right type of stain
Choosing which stain type to pick can be tricky if you do not understand the pros and cons of a particular stain. There are a few major pointers that let you identify the right stain for your house. These include how vivid you want the stain to look, how closely you want the stain to retain the feel of the original exterior, and how long you want the stain to last. You should take note of these factors before making a call.
For instance, those who are looking for a vivid color and a durable sheen on their house exterior should go for a water-based, solid color stain. It contains the most color pigment, comes in a variety of colors and lasts for several years before needing a renewal.
Get your house staining needs covered
At Gold Coast Home Cleaning & Services, we offer house staining alongside a range of other solutions, from a simple house clean-up to arranging a moving out. We are currently available across Greenwich, Stamford, Darien, Norwalk, and New Canaan in Connecticut and in Rye, New York. Contact us now via our website to book a home service.
