Spring brings a much-needed breath of fresh air for our bodies, minds and even our indoor and outdoor living spaces. The snow, ice and salt that comes with winter weather is hard on our outdoor living spaces and leads to damage and drabiness. Even if you live in a warm climate, sun, wind and general use can leave your outdoor spaces in need of sprucing. Painting or staining is one of the easiest ways your customers can refresh and update their outdoor spaces each year and can be an excellent way to boost your sales.

Prepping Customers for Prep Work

Before a customer can break out the brushes, they must prep the space. Remind them to clean the item or area they’re working on thoroughly, removing tree sap, winter salt, leaves, dirt, bird droppings and any other grime. Power-washing easily removes all types of residues or you could consider stocking deck and wood cleaners made for these types of projects. If you stock cleaning supplies, incorporate these into displays with stains to emphasize the importance of cleaning and prep work. Wood fillers that correct damaged pieces, eliminate scuffs and fill in nicks are another easy add-on.

Asking the Right Questions

Most decks need to be stained every three to five years, sometimes more often if the deck receives a lot of direct sunlight or sees frequent foot traffic. When selling stain, ask your customers questions about where their deck is located and its exposure to the elements so that you can recommend the right product. Read through the label instructions with the customer so they understand the process and know the optimal outside temperature to stain. This is also a time when you can recommend add-ons like brushes, rollers or pans that work well with that product.

Other Outdoor Spaces That Need a Refresh

It’s not just decks that need a yearly facelift. Here are some other outdoor living items that would benefit from yearly maintenance.

Playsets
Your customers have probably been wishing they could tell their kids to “just go play outside” all winter, and now you have a chance to show them how. Playsets should be stained or sealed every year to prevent the wood from causing splinters and other injuries while kids play.

Fencing
Wood fences need a new coat of stain and sealer every two to three years to keep the wood from getting damaged and keep the fence looking new. Painted fences may need a fresh coat every year depending on how the paint weathers and wears.

Outdoor Furniture
From dog houses and Adirondack chairs to picnic tables and pool loungers, customers have other items that could benefit from a fresh coat of paint and sealer each year. Painting these types of items also lets customers play with color and update their outdoor decor schemes.