Andreas Mann spent a week of vacation painstakingly preparing and painting his north Edmonton deck two years ago.
He uses a product with a four-year warranty, so this fall he was surprised to notice that the stain was already flaking off. By spring, the large chunks were gone and it was clear that the deck would need to be re-stained.
“It’s devastating because it’s not just the paint and the money you’re putting in — it’s your free time, it’s your labor, it’s your sweat,” Mann said.
Mann complained to the store where he bought the stain and the company that made it. The manufacturer offered him some compensation, but he refused to sign a release form that included a confidentiality clause.
Many deck stain companies say their products will last four years or more, but many Canadians are seeing their stains peel prematurely.
Multiple professional painters told CBC News that stains can last three to four years, but only if the wood is properly prepared and the stain is applied at the right time.
Much of the stain Andreas Mann painted on his deck has peeled off. (David Bayer/CBC)
“It’s not about the money”
Mann trained as a professional painter in Germany, so he knew the steps to take before and after painting his deck.
After pressure-washing the wood, he let it dry for a few days before sanding it with two grades of sandpaper. His wife used a vacuum cleaner to make sure all the dust and debris was gone before painting.
Mann applied two coats of Olympic Maximum Stain + Sealant because one didn’t sit well on the wood, he said.
In the months that followed, he protected his deck from the elements. He mopped up the water if there was excessive rain and swept the snow with a broom to avoid scraping the stain with a shovel.
After discovering the extent of the damage from the stain this spring, Mann complained to the Lowe’s store where he had purchased the product.
Through Lowe’s, a representative of the stain company, PPG, contacted Mann. After some back and forth, the company offered to refund him the bucket with the stain he used, as well as money to cover paint remover, cleaner, and a bucket with another stain.
Andreas Mann and his cat stand on their dirty deck. (Submitted by Andreas Mann)
Before receiving a check, however, Mann was asked to sign a release form, which he shared with CBC News.
The form said PPG Canada would pay Mann $485.46, not as an “admission of any liability” but “to settle the claim amicably to avoid litigation.”
Both sides will agree to keep the agreement “highly confidential” and refrain from sharing it with anyone, it said.
Mann said he didn’t sign the form because he wanted to share his experience so others could learn from it.
“It’s not about the money anymore,” he said.
Mann was also frustrated with some of PPG’s suggestions: that he only had to use one coat of stain, that his ground-level deck didn’t have enough room for airflow underneath, and that the proper way to stain his deck was to paint all six sides of the tree.
He wished the company had sent someone to his home to inspect the deck in person and compensate him for his labor.
The company stands aside
The filler used by Mann is guaranteed for four years of satisfaction on decks when applied and maintained according to label directions, Mark Silvey, director of corporate communications for PPG, said in an emailed statement.
Application guidelines say users should paint when no rain is expected for eight hours and when the temperature is at least 2C and will remain warmer than that for 24 hours, the instructions said.
Users should also apply a thin layer and avoid staining in direct sunlight, they add.
Silvey said the company’s technical services team is available by phone to help customers with questions.
How to prevent premature peeling
Two Red Seal painters in Edmonton told CBC News that deck stains should last three to four years, but many homeowners see them fail sooner due to insufficient prep work, painting at the wrong time or using the wrong products.
David Ebert of King Coatings said preparation is the most important part of the painting process.
David Ebert, a Red Seal painter who owns King Coatings, works on a peel deck. (Madeline Cummings/CBC)
He uses a moisture reader to make sure the wood is dry enough to stain—it contains between 12 and 15 percent moisture—and he doesn’t like pressure washing because it tends to soak water into the wood.
If pressure-washed first, Ebert recommends letting the deck dry for four days.
After sanding—usually first with 60-grit paper, then with 120-grit paper—he either vacuums the dust or uses a compressor and air gun to blow away the debris.
Ebert recommends applying the stain at a temperature between 15 and 24 degrees and ideally out of direct sunlight.
“If the wood isn’t dry enough and people do it in the hot sun, that also makes the stain evaporate a little faster,” he said.
Mike Pratt of Precision Cut Painting recommends researching stains and choosing a good quality one with positive reviews.
He also suggests using a paint brush — not a regular paint brush — and reading all instructions on the stain label.
The label on the stain Mann used said it could be applied eight hours after rain, but both Ebert and Pratt recommend waiting longer until the wood is completely dry before painting.
Ebert said cedar tends to hold up better than pressure-treated wood, and that on Edmonton decks, oil-based stains seem to last longer than water-based ones.
His final recommendation: use a tarp to protect your deck from moisture in the winter.
“It gives it a much longer life,” he said.
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