With the right splash of color, your deck can become an integral part of your home’s visual personality. And nothing gives new life to your backyard like a new hue on your favorite outdoor sitting area.
But which deck paint colors should the deck stainers use for your home? And what do you need to consider when weighing all the different tones, finishes, sheens, and paint types?
This guide covers five tips for choosing the right deck paint colors to match your home. And with it, you’ll be one step closer to turning your deck from a distraction into one of the best parts of your backyard.
Table of Contents
- 1. Find a Color That Complements Your Home
- 2. Take Into Account Traffic
- 3. Consider the Material Type
- 4. Don’t Forget the Finish
- 5. Be Sure to Test Before Jumping In
- Frequently Asked Questions
1. Find a Color That Complements Your Home
Your deck is an extension of your home. As such, you should be coloring it with hues that match the styles of your house as well.
Here are a few things to consider when finding the right color to complement your home.
- Playoff of Your Exterior – Take your siding, trim, and other exterior elements into account. You can match these accents or playoff them with complementary shades.
- Consider Extending Colors from the Inside – If your deck is attached to your home, you may want to extend interior themes onto your outdoor seating area too.
- Don’t Forget the Landscape – Want to draw attention to your vibrant surrounding flowers? Choose a more muted tone. For less colorful backyards, a brighter deck color may provide more visual appeal. And don’t forget to play off other landscape elements like mulch, pebbles, fountains, and grill areas.
2. Take Into Account Traffic
Your deck isn’t just a design piece. It also plays a functional role. And that means wear and tear is another factor you’ll have to consider.
For high traffic zones, look for hardier paints and stains to better withstand the test of time. Darker deck paint colors are also a better option since they’ll show dirt and much less than lighter hues.
You’ll also want to think about more textured paints and stains in these areas. That way, there’s a lower risk of falling in wetter weather or dewy mornings.
3. Consider the Material Type
Your deck paint color options are going to depend on the material your deck is made from.
As a general rule, wood decks offer a wider variety of colors. On top of that, changing colors is a bit easier as the paint and stain is simpler to remove.
On the other hand, with brick and concrete, you’re usually stuck with your chosen paint color since removal is challenging.
Beyond that, the type of wood you choose is going to affect the final color. For instance, a more porous wood will soak up the stain, resulting in a deeper, darker end color. You’ll want to take that into account when weighing your deck paint colors.
4. Don’t Forget the Finish
The color of your paint or stain is one thing. But it’s not the only factor that affects the final look. You’ll also want to think about the type of finish you’re after.
Below are some of the most common finishes.
- Clear Stains (no tint): Also known as deck water sealer that allows the grain to show through.
- Transparent Stains (slight tint): These stains have no pigment, leaving your wood grain in its natural state.
- Semi-Transparent Stains (light hide with more tint but still seeing the wood grain): Popular amongst homeowners and known as an opaque stain that allows some color tinting to make the grain patterns visible.
- Solid Stains (no wood grain and like paint): Solid are those that don’t seep into the deck wood but rather sit on top of the desk surface while covering the grain-like paint.
It is essential to consider what is on your deck first, as you can never go back to a thinner opacity once you add a thicker stain like a solid. If you want to recoat your deck in the same Opacity, the stain needs to be the same color or darker to ensure it won’t be streaky or off in appearance.
HBP Painting Contractors, professional deck stainers, use TWP Semi-Transparent stain on most decks.
5. Be Sure to Test Before Jumping In
All too many homeowners have settled on a perfect deck paint color only to find their final look doesn’t come close to what they imagined. When choosing options, the material type, the porousness of surfaces, Opacity, and more all factor into how your deck will look at the end of the project.
That’s why it’s so important to test your colors before jumping headfirst into painting or staining.
Before getting started, find a small, inconspicuous area of your deck to try out the color and finish you’ve decided on. Be sure to find a sample section that gets a similar amount of light, too, as that’ll impact the finish too.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are a few of the most frequently asked questions about choosing the right deck paint/stain color for your home.
How Do I Match Deck Stain to My House?
Completely matching a stain to your house’s exterior can be challenging since there are so many factors involved that affect the color. Factors like:
- Wood type
- Wood age
- Amount of sunlight exposure
- Stain Opacity and texture
- Traffic levels
As a result, it can take a lot of tedious blending and restaining to get a match. That’s why so many homeowners use a deck stain professional to handle the job for them.
For the best DIY results, be sure to bring a piece of your home’s exterior with you while shopping for the proper stain. It would be best if you also were prepared to add layer after layer to darken your deck and lighten it with mineral spirits.
How Do I Pick a Deck Stain Color?
Picking the right stain color for your deck can be tricky.
But the more factors you consider, the better your result will be.
You’ll want to:
- Find a color that complements your home and your landscape
- Take traffic levels into account
- Consider the material type (wood vs. brick or concrete)
- Decide on the proper finish and sheen
- Test your color out before applying it to the whole deck
Don’t worry however, the professional deck stainers you hire will have plenty of samples to share with you.
What Is the Most Popular Deck Stain Color?
There are plenty of options for deck stain colors out there, and many stain types (from semi-transparent to semi-solid) can be tinted with a wide range of hues.
Some of the most popular include:
- Cedar – A classic for a reason; this medium tone is undoubtedly one of the most popular colors.
- Honey – For lighter colors, honey tones are some of the most common. They’re especially great in sunshine-heavy zones.
- Brown – These darker tones are great for accenting your backyard and drawing the eye. Perfect for contrasts with your home exterior too.
- Redwood – Lighter surrounding colors will highlight this stain color. But be aware that this stain will fade to iron-grey after weathering.
Where Can I Deck Stainers Near St. Charles?
Choosing the right color paint or stain for your deck is only the first step of the process.
Once you have, you still need to apply your stain evenly and skillfully to ensure the best result. And it can take a lot of time, effort, and experience to do it well. That’s why many homeowners decide to hire professional deck stainers to tackle the job instead.
And if you’re looking for the best deck stainers near St. Charles, that’s where HBP Painting Contractors comes in.
HBP Painting Contractors have served St. Charles and surrounding residents the highest quality deck staining and painting services for over three decades. And over the years, we’ve learned that the only way to get gorgeous results consistently is by using the right paint technicians, materials, and techniques.
It’s why we:
- Only use vetted, experienced painters employed by HBP—never subcontracted.
- Proudly use only the best deck stains by Sherwin-Williams and TWP.
- Only invest and use the top-of-the-industry equipment on every deck we paint or stain.
- Always follow a proven 6-step quality assurance process that ensures exceptional workmanship and superior durability to last for years.
We are your trusted painting professionals. And we take our craft seriously, no matter the job. It’s our dedication to outstanding quality and service that’s earned us 5 out of 5 stars on Google, Facebook, and the Better Business Bureau.
So if you’re looking for deck stainers near St. Charles to get the job done right the first time, we’d love to help.
Get in touch today for your free consultation and estimate.
