In fact, this is true of all exterior wood features, including gazebos, decks, fences ... you must either stain it or paint it, and you need to understand the differences between them to decide ...
Use an orbital sander with 80-grit sandpaper on any areas of the deck with old paint or finish that's peeling or chipped. If ...
Is it better to paint a deck or stain it? Decking paint is a bit more durable than decking stain, but it's also much more of a faff when you do need to replace the paint. These are the other key pros ...
Frequent reformulations for performance and emissions also mean the paint or stain you loved last time ... in lead-safe practices. And if your deck is older than 2004 and its finish is flaking ...