Staining & Sealing
Deck and fence staining in Palestine and Tyler, Texas
Stain that soaks into the grain and a seal that keeps sun and water out, for decks, fences, cedar siding, beams and log homes across East Texas.
Chapter 01
What East Texas sun, rain and humidity do to bare wood
Wood outdoors is always losing an argument with the weather. UV bleaches the surface gray, moisture works into the fibers and swells them, and daily wear from boots, furniture legs and pressure washers scuffs through whatever protection is left. A deck in Palestine or Tyler takes all three at once, which is why a deck that looked fine two summers ago can feel rough and look tired now.
A fence loses the same fight a little differently. Untreated boards soak up water and dry out again, and that cycle opens the door to insects and rot. Staining puts a protective barrier into the wood. Restoring a weathered fence costs far less than tearing it out and building a new one, and it buys the fence years of extra service.
Cedar siding, exposed beams, custom wood features and log homes are their own category. Cedar carries natural oils, so the stain has to be a formulation that works with those oils and shows the grain instead of blocking it. We pick the product for the wood in front of us, not the one that happens to be on the truck.
Freshly stained deck with a pergola and porch swing under shade trees
From bare board to sealed: where the hours go
The stain is the quick part. Most of the work happens before the can opens: a walkthrough to read the wood, cleaning the surface, and any sanding or repair the boards need. Stain only goes into wood that is clean, dry and open enough to take it, and when it does, it penetrates deep into the fibers. That penetration is what makes it last, instead of sitting on top and flaking.
Whether we can stain over what is already there comes down to the assessment. Sound old stain can often be cleaned and re-coated. Peeling or heavily weathered stain usually has to be stripped first, because a new coat is only as good as what it is stuck to. A first stain on a new deck and a full restoration of a worn one are different jobs, and we scope them that way.
Then comes the finish itself. A clear sealer keeps the wood looking natural and guards against UV rays, water and mildew. A semi-solid stain gives more coverage and hides more of what age has done to the boards. Both are stain, not paint: stain soaks in and leaves the grain visible, where paint forms a surface coating that covers it.
Chapter 03
Keeping stained wood looking right after we leave
Stained wood asks for a little attention: regular cleaning, quick spill cleanup and felt pads under furniture.
An annual walk around the deck and fence catches small problems, like a worn path at the stairs or a board that stopped shedding water, before they turn into a refinishing job. Stain does need reapplying more often than paint, and that is the trade-off for keeping the natural grain. In return the wood still looks like wood.
Timing matters too. Spring and fall are the best windows in East Texas. We stay off hot summer days and hold a job if rain is expected within 48 hours, so the stain has time to set. If you are not sure whether your deck is due, the walkthrough answers that.
Lomax's Custom Painting. Fully insured. Call (903) 320-5032.
The weather window
Wood gets stained when the sky agrees
From the porches around Palestine to the decks in Tyler, the calendar decides as much as the crew does. Here is how we read it.
- Spring and fallModerate weather. This is when stain goes on and sets best in East Texas.
- Hot summer daysWe skip them. Stain that dries too fast in the heat doesn’t soak in evenly.
- Rain in the forecastNothing goes on if rain is expected within 48 hours.
Choosing the finish
Sealer, stain or paint
- Clear sealer
- The natural look. Grain and color of the wood stay out front, with protection from UV, water and mildew underneath.
- Semi-solid stain
- More coverage for boards that have aged unevenly. Still stain, still soaks in, still lets some grain through.
- Paint
- A surface coating that hides the grain. It is a different job, and we do that too, on the painting side of the house.
Not sure which fits your wood? Tell us what you have on the contact page and we will look at it on a walkthrough. The whole list of what we do is on the services page.
