Choosing a stain color
Pick the stain on your own wood, in daylight
A color on a small chip never looks like it does on a whole deck. We brush two or three samples on a hidden board and look at them morning and afternoon.
The same stain looks different on new cedar, an old fir deck and a log wall. We tell you what each does on your wood.
Samples brushed on your own wood
Looked at in morning and afternoon light
A color sheet to hand to your HOA, if it asks
How color reads
What each finish looks like on wood
A solid color hides the grain, like a thin paint. The estimate says which one you chose.
Natural and clear
Warms the wood and shows nearly all the grain.
Cedar and cinnamon tones
A real color with the grain still visible.
Weathered gray
Quiet, and common on fences.