Is there an advantage to a tinted sealer versus a clear sealer?
The primary function of a sealer is to protect against the negative effects of rain and to deter the growth of mold and mildew (primarily North facing decks where it does not receive enough sunlight to kill them off). There is an added advantage to having a color tint in your sealer. If you are not crazy about having a grey deck, you will need to purchase a tinted color sealer. Clear sealers, although effective against rain and mildew, will not stop against the greying effect of the sun. Do I need to seal my deck and so with what? Yes. If you elect not to seal your deck it will age prematurely and will not last as long as a properly maintained deck. A properly maintained deck in our climate should last 30 years. As for what type of sealer, we highly recommend to use cost as an indicator. There are definitely reasons why a gallon of Brand X costs $15.00 while Brand Y costs $40.00. Lower cost doesn’t necessarily mean better value but it definitely could mean lower performance. Brand name
