Wood Deck Paint Inspiration Ideas

Wood Deck

Inspiration for Painting or Staining Your Outdoor Wood Deck

You’ve got an outdoor wood deck or gazebo (or both) that needs to be refreshed with some new paint or stain. While you could hire someone to do this for you, you decide it’ll be cheaper if you do it yourself. But what color do you choose and how do you complete the job?

Painting or staining your outdoor centerpiece can be a big endeavor. There are many things to consider to ensure it sparkles and fits the aesthetic of your home.

Let’s get rid of the guesswork with Benjamin Moore’s outdoor deck painting and staining products. Benjamin Moore offers the products and professional expertise for deck paint ideas that fit your budget and lifestyle.

Selecting the Perfect Outdoor Deck Paint or Stain Colour

This goes without saying: choose a paint or stain that you like, a colour that inspires you. To help guide your thinking, consider popular deck colours, the browns, blues, reds, and grays. See what colour speaks to you and if you’re still having trouble deciding, speak to one of our experts for outdoor deck paint colour ideas.

Consider the outdoor aesthetic you’re trying to achieve with the new colour. If you like a classic look, go with a brown colour. Browns like Benjamin Moore’s Mahogany, Fallen Leaf, or Marsh Brown will give your deck a warm and inviting natural look. Dark browns can add a rich, elegant tone to your outdoor space, and light browns can create a relaxing look for a casual experience.

Neutral blue colours foster a soothing coastal vibe reminiscent of a beach. If you’re not 100% sold on blue, Benjamin Moore’s Smoke colour is based in blue, but with a touch of gray. This touch of gray redefines the blue to create a soft and sleek colour that may remind you of your favorite vacation spot.

Red may be the perfect colour for your outdoor space if you’re aiming for a rustic aesthetic. If the landscape around your property has a lot of greenery, a red deck or gazebo complements the surroundings. When you add a hint of brown to the red colour, you get a beautiful hue that will balance your outdoor space. Boston Brick from Benjamin Moore is a brownish-red colour, and Dinner Party is a great option if you’re looking for more red tones. There are so many deck paint colour ideas to choose from.

If you’re going for a modern look, gray is a popular colour. Gray decks deliver a sophisticated, chic feel to your outdoor space. Benjamin Moore’s Coventry Gray or Edgecomb Gray can give your deck or gazebo a subtle neutral look. Gray pairs well with black, white, red, and yellow furniture.

Want to see what the new paint job will look like even before you pick up a brush? Benjamin Moore offers a personal colour viewer. Snap a photo of your outdoor space, and try different colours until you find one that suits you! It’s the perfect way you try out some outdoor deck paint colour ideas without making a mess or choosing something you later don’t like.

Once you’ve worked through your wood deck paint ideas and have chosen your colour, you may consider testing the colour on a small tucked away area before completing the entire project.

You can also stop in at any of our Vancouver Benjamin Moore stores to speak with a professional about your outdoor deck or gazebo. Our team is dedicated to helping you create the best outdoor experience on your budget with Benjamin Moore paint for decks and stain solutions.

Painting vs. Staining: What You Need to Know

Deciding to paint or stain your deck can leave you feeling overwhelmed or confused. The biggest difference between paint and stain? Paint sits on top of the surface, whereas stain seeps into the wood. If you’re painting, be sure to appropriately prime your surface! This base coat seals the wood and can help resist mildew even before it appears.

Starting with a primer will help ensure a smooth paint application. The wide selection of Fresh Start Premium Exterior Primers from Benjamin Moore will give your surface a high-quality finish once your project is complete.

Here are 5 questions you need to answer before making your final decision between paint or stain.

Do You Want To See the Wood Grain?

If you want to see the wood grain, stain is your best friend. If you enjoy nature or want your deck to blend into the foliage, choose a stain. Stains accentuate the colours and textures of your deck’s surface by seeping into the wood. For an extra layer of protection, you can apply the ARBORCOAT Exterior Oil Primer before staining to prepare the deck surface and seal any pores. Staining your deck showcases the natural grain and texture of the wood. Check out “Selecting the Best Stain” for more detail on choosing the perfect stain.

Paint completely covers the wood, giving your deck a uniform look. You won’t see the wood grain or texture peeking through. It has a thicker consistency, so you will likely need fewer coats. Choosing paint will allow you to choose from a wide selection of sheens and finishes. You can choose a flat, matte finish, a glossy finish, or something in between. Over time, you’ll find that the paint will peel or crack.

How Important is Colour Variety?

If you’re looking for a wide selection of colours, paint is your go-to choice. You can choose a bold paint colour that suits your personality and brightens your outdoor space. You also have the option to match your deck colour to your home’s interior or a colour to complement your outdoor space.

If you want to showcase a minimalistic or modern look, paint may be a good option for you. If you’re not sold on using stain, but still want a natural colour, you can also choose a paint with a natural wood colour.

Stains are typically offered in natural wood colours (think clear, browns, reds, grays). Even though your colour selection doesn’t encompass every colour under the sun, stains are still versatile and can tie together your outdoor space with subtle colour. You can still choose Benjamin Moore stain colours that complement your outdoor surroundings, just not a neon yellow.

How Much Time Do You Want to Spend?

Applying stain is pretty straightforward. You’ll need a sprayer or roller to apply it. Stain dries quickly, and you may want to apply a second coat. In terms of maintenance, you’ll need to reapply stain every 2-3 years to keep the wood looking fresh.

Painting your deck will probably take longer than staining. You’ll need a brush or a roller, although using a roller to apply the paint will be faster. In terms of maintenance, you may be able to wait up to 10 years before repainting. It’s a low-maintenance solution with the perfect finish to your home.

Do You Want To See Cracks and Imperfections?

Since paint covers the surface of the wood, it fills gaps and cracks. If you’re trying to hide any imperfections in the wood and give your deck a brand-new look, choose paint. For older, weathered decks, paint may be the better choice.

Stain won’t hide all the flaws in the wood because it seeps in. If you have a newer deck, stain will highlight the wood’s natural appearance, perfections and all. But there are some stain variations you can choose from that can give you the look you want:

Translucent Stain- You can select from a wider variety of colours and the stain will give you the most visibility to the wood beneath.
Semi-Transparent Stain- This option offers a light pigmentation so the wood carries a hint of colour on its stained surface.
Solid Stain- You can bring colour to your wood deck or gazebo with a solid stain that does not fully penetrate the wood as other stain options would. This requires careful application as if it is laid on too thick, it can crack or peel just like paint.
Semi-Solid Stain- With the same rich colour that a semi-transparent stain provides, this type of stain will also hide more of the wood grains and imperfections while still allowing the texture to show through.

What’s Your Budget?

Stain is often cheaper than paint. However, if you need to reapply stain every 2-3 years, it may become costly. Depending on the size of your deck, purchasing enough paint to fully coat the deck can also be expensive. Be sure to assess which outdoor deck paint ideas work best for you.

Selecting the Best Exterior Stain

Stains are great because they seep into the wood and showcase the wood’s natural colour, grain, and texture. You can choose exactly how much of the natural colour shows through. Here are a few important considerations before you choose your stain.

Base

Stains can be water-based or oil-based. Water-based stain is a solvent-free environmentally friendly solution with a 2-3 hour dry time. However, it doesn’t seep into wood very well, can be expensive, and doesn’t wear well over time. In contrast, oil-based paint or stain requires a 48 hour dry time. It’s often cheaper than water-based stain, and seeps into the wood grain better.

Opacity

How much of the wood finish do you want to see? If you want to see the natural wood’s full beauty, a clear stain will do the trick. As mentioned above, there are also translucent, semi transparent, semi solid, and solid options. This selection of exterior stain ranges from seeing all the wood’s beauty to fully covering the majority of the wood’s imperfections, but still allowing some of the wood to show through.

Wood Type

The colour of the stain may look different once it’s applied to the wood. Consider the hardness and undertones of your deck’s wood. Expensive hardwoods like mahogany often shine more with a transparent stain. Soft wood may be better suited with solid stains. Benjamin Moore recommends stopping in to speak with an expert team member to help determine which stain will look the best for your deck’s wood type.

For more about staining, check out these ideas and inspirations that can help spark creativity.

How to Stain a Deck

Once you’ve got your paint or stain selected, it’s time to get to work!

When it comes to deck staining, you should:

Evaluate if your deck needs to be stained: Spray some water on the deck. If the wood absorbs the water, it’s time to stain. Check for nails or screws sticking out, and hammer them in place until the surface is flat. Check for rotting wood. Replace any parts as needed.
Remove dirt before you begin: You need the surface of the wood to be completely clean, so you can remove any dirt and debris thoroughly with a scrub brush.
Test the deck stain: Apply stain to a small section of the deck to ensure you like the colour and finish. But you don’t need to purchase a full can of stain to test it on your deck. Look for stain testers that are inexpensive so you can try out a few that you like before making the final decision. Better to be safe than sorry!
Apply an even coat of stain: Using a brush or roller, follow the wood grain to apply the stain. Once the wood stops absorbing the stain, don’t apply any more. If you apply too much stain, use a cloth and wipe away the excess or use a brush or roller to move the stain to a new area.

Not Recommended:

Applying a second coat of stain while the first coat is still wet: If you apply more stain while the first coat is still wet, the final result will appear rough instead of smooth and glossy. Be patient and wait for the first coat to dry completely.
Staining when the wood is too hot, wet, or cold: A good rule of thumb is to stain during early fall, ideally September or October. Staining is most successful when it’s 50-90 degrees Fahrenheit with no wind or rain in the forecast. The ideal staining environment is shady and dry.

How to Stain a Gazebo

If you have a gazebo, the staining process is pretty similar to deck staining. There are a few tips that will give you the best results to keep your gazebo stunning all year long. These include:

Remove dirt before you begin: Removing dirt will help ensure a smooth finish. If dirt is trapped under the stain, you’ll be able to see it. If your gazebo has window screens, you may consider removing them before staining to prevent stain from dripping on the screen. Use a stiff brush or pressure washer to remove dirt and grime. Inspect the gazebo for any defects. If there are nails or staples, use a hammer to achieve a flat surface. If there are rough edges, sand those down until the surface is flat. Applying stain to a flat surface will help deliver a perfect coating and finish.
Apply wood brightener while the wood is wet: Wood brighteners lighten the wood surface by opening wood pores and making the surface more acidic. Brightener also removes discolouration and accentuates that wood grain. Wait until the wood brightener is completely dry before applying the stain. Work from the top of the gazebo and move down.
Maintain the stain once complete: Re-apply stain every 2-3 years to keep your gazebo looking fresh. If you notice any damaged areas, try to repair them as soon as possible to maintain the gazebo’s longevity.

Not Recommended:

Applying too much pressure with the pressure washer: Excessive pressure can damage the wood, so be careful with your pressure washer settings before you apply it to the wood. Be gentle.
Applying too much stain: Adding too much stain can add more drying time, but it can also appear clumpy and uneven once dry. Overapplying stain can leave you with unsightly peeling and cracking.

Selecting a Wood Finish to Complement Your Outdoor Space

Whether you’re looking for a classic, rustic, or modern look, here are some popular wood finishes that will give your outdoor space the perfect touch.

Cedar: Cedar is a common wood finish that naturally resists decay and rot. However, cedar can be an expensive wood. It’s an environmentally friendly wood choice with a classic and beautiful finish. If you want to splurge on your deck, consider cedar.
Teak: Teak has stellar longevity. It’s naturally protected from water damage and decay, and can last for decades. Teak decks are often used on boats because of its anti-slip qualities. Be sure not to apply high pressure or harsh detergents on teak. These will damage the teak and may lead to extensive and unwanted maintenance.
Redwood: Redwood is a soft wood with a red tint. It’s a stable wood with natural resistance to weathering and insects. If you’d like to maintain the red colour, prepare yourself for extensive maintenance. Since redwood is soft, your deck is likely to scratch or dent easily.

Consult with a Benjamin Moore paint specialist for outdoor paint ideas and staining options that will make your deck or gazebo look fantastic all year long.