With the wetter season of the year typically ending in November, Florida winters are typically dry and mild. However, this year might be different, thanks to El Niño which is proven to increase the chance of rain. After a season of intense sun and heat, exterior wooden surfaces can break down from the harsh elements, making any type of moisture wood’s worst nightmare.

Our team at Supershade South is eager to help you properly prepare your exterior wood surfaces for winter with Benjamin Moore ARBORCOAT® Exterior Stain. We’re you’re premier Benjamin Moore paint store near Fort Lauderdale, and our team is here to help you choose the best solution for your exterior wood surfaces.

First Things First: Prepare Your Wood Surface

It’s important to note that before you apply any type of wood protective treatment, you should thoroughly clean the surface so that it is free from any debris, dust, moss, or surface grime. Wood stain and finishes simply will not adhere to a dirty surface.

We’d like to share with you a few tips that will help you complete this process.

• It’s important to select the proper tools: The best way to clean your wood surface is with a pressure washer or bleach and water solution and some light sanding.
• Any surface mold and mildew must be removed with a bleach solution: If you are not using a power washer or your power washer does not have a reservoir for cleaning solutions, you can do this by hand with a scrub brush.
• If you are using a power washer, choose the correct washer tip: For cleaning wood, use a green or yellow tip. When you begin to spay, be sure you hold the tip between 4 and 6 inches away from the wood to prevent damage. While spraying, be sure to avoid spraying against the grain as this could result in streaks which could be highly noticeable when you apply the stain and finish.
• Let your wood surface thoroughly dry before you begin to apply the stain and finish.
• Use a coarse-grit sandpaper to reduce the grit of closing up the wood’s pores and allow the stain to penetrate into the wood.

Choosing Benjamin Moore ARBORCOAT® Exterior Stain for Ultimate Color

Exterior stains are a necessity to ensure your exterior wood surfaces look their best, resist fading, cracking, and warping caused by the sun, moisture, and day-to-day use. An exterior stain will penetrate deep into the wood’s pores, ensuring superior color and strength.

Benjamin Moore ARBORCOAT® Exterior Stain is self-priming in most circumstances and is suitable for a variety of wood surfaces. It offers superior UV protection and resists blistering, peeling, stains, and scuffs. It has superior touch-up and re-coat properties and provides a mildew-resistant coating. This superior stain is available in a variety of hues.

The assortment of Benjamin Moore ARBORCOAT® Exterior Stain offers a range of opacity from clear to solid, directly influenced by the quantity of pigment used in the stain. Stains come in Translucent, Semi-Transparent, Semi-Solid, and Solid transparencies and are engineered to provide protection yet not entirely hide the wood's innate color and texture.

As the degree of opacity increases towards solid, the visibility of the grain reduces through the finish. Solid stains have the ability to entirely conceal the grain of the wood and the protection they provide is directly proportional to opacity—the higher the opacity, the more durable the protection over time.

Benjamin Moore ARBORCOAT® Exterior Stain comes in semi-transparent and semi-solid finishes available in both oil and waterborne finishes. Oil-based stains are more durable and longer-lasting and penetrate more deeply into the wood than waterborne stains. However, waterborne stains can be easier to apply and to clean than oil-based stains.

We’re More than Just A Paint Store Near Fort Lauderdale, FL

Supershade South has served Fort Lauderdale and surrounding communities for over two decades. We are your premier source for professional design solutions including Hunter Douglas window treatments and Benjamin Moore paint and stains. Our experienced design team can show you our products and help you make informed decisions.

When you are ready to refinish your exterior wood surfaces, vist our showroom in Fort Lauderdale, Florida or contact us online! One of our team members will reach out to help you find the perfect solution for your space.

At Supershade South, we are proud to serve Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Hollywood, Plantation, Wilton Manors, Lauderdale by the Sea, and Victoria Park, Florida. We look forward to working with you!