Emmaus, Lehigh County
Wood staining in Emmaus, PA.
A borough whose busiest building decade was the 1950s, set against South Mountain, with newer decks in the townships around it. Shade, slope and age decide how the wood is treated.
Wood staining for Emmaus homes
The 1950s added more homes to the borough than any other decade, and more than half of today's houses were standing by 1960. Exterior wood on a house of that age is often younger than the house itself, a porch floor relaid or a deck added a generation later, so its age and finish history are judged on their own.
The borough borders South Mountain, and much of Upper Milford Township next door lies on it; more than four in ten Upper Milford homes were built between 1970 and 1999. A deck on a mountainside lot can sit in shade much of the day, and shaded wood stays damp longer after rain, grows mildew sooner and needs more drying time before stain will soak in evenly.
Emmaus
South Mountain shade, and old oak
Shade cuts both ways on a deck. Boards under trees keep their color longer than boards in full sun, because sunlight is what breaks a finish down, but they hold moisture, collect leaves in the gaps and grow mildew that has to be cleaned off completely before refinishing. Clearing the gaps so water drains and air moves under the boards does as much for a shaded deck as the stain does.
One of the oldest buildings in the borough, the Shelter House, was raised around 1734 from oak and chestnut logs. Oak is one of the tannin-rich woods that turn blue-black where steel wool or a steel brush leaves traces of iron, and that matters indoors too: an oak door, rail or stair tread in a prewar house is cleaned with synthetic pads, never steel wool, before new stain goes on.
Worth knowing
Decks of the 2000s next door
About a third of Lower Macungie Township's homes went up between 2000 and 2009. A deck from that decade may still carry its first finish, or several coats that have begun to build into a film.
Slopes and high sides
On a sloping lot on the mountain, the downhill side of a deck can stand well above the ground. Its posts, beams and stair stringers need the same cleaning and stain as the boards.
Color in steady shade
A deck in steady shade can carry a deeper color than one in full sun, since it heats less and fades more slowly.
The work
How the work goes
The same care on every job, in every town. The full guide to wood staining.
The walkthrough
Randy looks at the wood with you: what finish is on it now, how it has weathered, which boards take the full sun. The walkthrough is complimentary, and so is the written estimate.
Cleaning
Dirt, mildew and loose gray fibers come off with a cleaner and gentle washing; too much pressure furs and gouges the soft grain. On cedar, redwood and oak, no steel wool or steel brushes, which leave dark iron stains in the wood.
Old film removed
Where solid stain or paint has peeled on a deck, the loose film is stripped or sanded away. A penetrating stain cannot soak through an old film, and a new film over a failing one peels with it.
Drying
The wood dries fully before any stain goes on, usually a couple of dry days after washing, longer in shade. Stain on damp wood soaks in unevenly and fails sooner.
Brushed in by hand
Penetrating stain goes on by brush, a few boards at a time with a wet edge to avoid lap marks, out of hot sun where possible. The wood gets only what it will absorb, and any excess left on the surface is wiped off.
Recoating
A penetrating finish is renewed with a cleaning and a fresh coat, no stripping. Shaded parts of a deck can go longer between coats than the boards in full sun.
Questions
Wood staining, Emmaus.
Our deck in Upper Milford is under trees and stays green. Is it worth staining?
Yes, once it is clean and dry. The green is mildew or algae, and it has to come off completely; then the deck needs more dry days than a sunny one before stain goes on. The upside of the shade is a finish that lasts longer than it would in full sun.
Can the oak stair in our 1930s Emmaus house be stained darker?
Darker, yes; lighter is harder. Stain can take clean, bare wood darker, but going lighter means sanding back to fresh wood. The old finish comes off first either way, and nothing made of steel touches the oak, because iron reacts with its tannins and leaves dark marks.
The 1803 House is on the National Register. Does that affect the houses near it?
No. The 1803 House and the Shelter House are listed individually, and listing puts no limits on how a private owner uses a property, let alone a neighbor's. Local rules are a separate matter, so ask the borough before rebuilding a porch or changing an exterior.
More in Emmaus
Other services here.
- Level 5 drywall finishA skim coat over the entire surface, for walls that hold up under raking light and dark paint.
- Skim coatingRough, patched or uneven walls resurfaced smooth, often after wallpaper comes down.
- Plaster repairCracked, loose and failing plaster in older homes, repaired and made sound.
- Interior paintingWalls, ceilings, trim, doors and millwork, prepared properly and finished clean.
- Exterior paintingSiding, trim, porches, stucco and brick, prepared to stand up to Pennsylvania weather.
- Drywall installation & repairNew drywall hung, taped and finished; cracks, holes and water damage repaired invisibly.
- Drywall texture matching & removalTexture matched so repairs disappear, applied where you want it, or taken off for a smooth wall.
- Popcorn ceiling removalOld acoustic texture taken down and the ceiling finished smooth.
- Wallpaper removalOld wallpaper and wall linings stripped without tearing up the wall beneath.
Consultation
Request a private consultation.
Private walkthrough & written estimate, complimentary. Tell us a little about the house and the rooms, and Randy will be in touch to arrange a time.
- Hours
- Monday – Friday8:30 AM – 5:30 PMSaturday10 AM – 3 PMSundayClosed
- Service area
- Easton, Bethlehem, Allentown and the greater Lehigh Valley; Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
Fully insured — proof on request. Residential and commercial.