Bethlehem, Northampton and Lehigh Counties
Wood staining in Bethlehem, PA.
North of the river, in the Central Bethlehem Historic District, painted porches are meant to stay painted. Stain belongs on decks kept out of the street's view, and on the newer houses in the townships.
Wood staining for Bethlehem homes
Stain has a narrower place on the city's oldest houses than many owners expect. The review board for the Central Bethlehem Historic District, around the Moravian core north of the river, generally discourages a stained or natural-wood porch on a painted historic house, and it favors wood tongue-and-groove porch flooring kept up by regular repainting.
There is still plenty for stain to do, mostly where the street cannot see it. The same guidelines discourage decks that are visually prominent from the streetscape, so in the district a deck belongs behind the house, and stain is its natural finish. Beyond the city line, about two-thirds of the homes in Bethlehem and Hanover townships have been built since 1980, and their decks sit outside the city's historic districts altogether.
Bethlehem
Gentle washing, painted porches and decks out of view
The board's guidelines are as specific about cleaning as about finishes. They encourage hand washing with a mild detergent, hand scraping and hand sanding, and they discourage high-pressure water, which drives water into joints and raises the grain. That advice is written for historic wood, but a deck reacts the same way: blasted clean, its softer wood tears out between the growth rings and the stain soaks in unevenly.
South of the river, the South Bethlehem Historic Conservation District, and Mount Airy on the West Side, answer to a separate Historic Conservation Commission; whether it weighs in on a porch finish is a question for the city. Mount Airy's large houses date mostly from 1910 to 1930, and a porch of that age is likely to carry decades of paint, so switching it to stain would mean taking every coat off.
Worth knowing
Stain color counts too
In the Central Bethlehem Historic District, paint colors and even luster are reviewed on work visible from a public way. A stain color on any wood the street can see belongs in the same conversation.
Porch floors that stay painted
Where a porch keeps its paint, the floor wants a coating formulated to resist abrasion rather than wall paint, with the end grain along the outer edge sealed first.
Township decks
Decks in Bethlehem and Hanover townships are outside the city's review. There the choice comes down to sun, shade and the finish already on the boards.
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, Bethlehem.
Can a deck behind our house in the Historic District be stained?
Usually. The guidelines object to decks that are visually prominent from the streetscape, not to decks as such, and stain suits one behind the house. If part of it can be seen from a public way, it falls under the board's review of exterior changes, so check with the city first.
Why does the city discourage stained porches when stain protects wood?
On a painted historic house, a stained porch changes how the building reads from the street, and paint, kept up, protects porch wood well; the guidelines call regular repainting one of the best ways to preserve wood porch features. Stain earns its place on wood that was meant to show, such as a deck.
Our Bethlehem Township deck was power washed and now feels fuzzy. Can it still be stained?
Yes, once it is dry and the raised fibers are dealt with. High pressure tears up the softer wood between the growth rings; a light sanding takes the fuzz back, or it soaks up stain and darkens unevenly. The city's preservation guidelines warn against high-pressure washing on historic wood for much the same reason.
More in Bethlehem
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.