Here in New Zealand the choice of coatings to protect your wooden house, decks and fences has basically been between traditional stains and paints.
Paints provide a protective coating which sits on top of the wood and completely covers any wood grain patterns. Whereas traditional stains soak into the wood, allowing the wood grain to be visible but providing less protection to the wood and the finish which requires recoating often.
Solid Stains are widely available and are very popular in the American market due to the great advantages they provide. ZAR Solid Stain in now available in New Zealand. ZAR Solid Stain was formulated in the USA in the late 1970s and, as such, has a proven track record over several decades.
Solid Stains, such as ZAR stain, provide a combination of the benefits of paints and traditional stains, without many of the drawbacks. Unlike most paints and stains on the market, ZAR stain is also GUARANTEED to last, with a 15 guarantee for weatherboards and fences and a 5 year guarantee for decks.
Stains have a flat finish as they soak into the wood whereas paints have a variety of finish options with varying sheens. Solid Stain shows all of that beautiful wood grain since it does soak in and has the flat finish. Paint provides more coverage for grain and other imperfections as it sits on top of the wood.
A Solid Stain accentuates the beautiful wood grain as it soaks into the wood. It provides a more opaque finish than traditional stains thus covering any imperfections in the wood and providing a much greater protection from UV and the elements than the traditional stain does. The more opaque your stain is, the more durable it will be and the more protection it will provide to the surface beneath it.
The high UV protection provided by Solid Stain also means that it needs to be recoated much less often than a traditional stain. Ultraviolet light has a greatly damaging effect on wood, causing the wooden boards to warp and crack.
In addition to this, once a stain wears down and the sunlight gets through to the wood it breaks down the lignin that holds the wood fibres together. This leaves a grey surface that can’t hold a finish. Water is then able to get into the boards, rotting them and potentially compromising the structures beneath them. The higher protection provided by a Solid Stain will eliminate this problem.
Paint provides a barrier for your wood, as Solid Stain does, however the Solid Stain has the added benefit of being more breathable thus allowing natural airflow moisture through the wood.
Another great advantage that a Solid Stain such as ZAR has over traditional stains is that it is a multi-surface coating. This means that in addition to wooden surfaces it can be applied to masonry, metal, fibre-cement, composite decking etc.
Finally, and of great importance to any homeowner who wants to save money and/or time spent on home maintenance, the extended lifespan of a Solid Stain will save you a huge amount of time and money over the upcoming years – see details here : SAVE WITH SOLID STAIN
To find out more about Solid Stains and see the results of a Solid Stain makeover, visit our website zar.co.nz