Wood Deck

Wood Deck Stain Application Guidelines

Believe it or not one of the biggest problems with deck staining is caused by the over application of the coating. Most do it yourselfers and even some painting contractors make the mistake of believing that by putting more coating on that the end result will be better. Sadly many of them find out too late that this is just not so and can actually cause havoc for decks.

Most deck staining products are designed to actually penetrate the surface of the timber and so by putting too much of the staining product on can result in a deck surface that is overly waxy, sticky or slippery. The over application of stains causes the coating to buildup and interferes with the ability of the stain to dry properly.

Application Methods

Clear Coatings can be applied by a variety of methods including brush, spray, roller and pad. Brushing is considered to be the best technique for detailed work such as spindles and railings. But, for large horizontal deck surfaces, spray application is the quickest and easiest way to go. The spray application evens out the finish and eliminates drips and lap marks. Pads are also well suited to coat decks. Individual boards should be coated along their entire length to prevent lap marking. Paint rollers are more suitable for applying siding finishes than for deck coatings and they can be used successfully to apply clear finishes and water repellants to decks. As for most exterior coatings it is vital that deck finishes be applied under proper weather conditions.

Wood deck Stain Application Guidelines

Before use, mix all cans together to insure you have a uniform color. Even if you are using a standard factory mixed color you should not eliminate this step. You need to be assured that you are starting out with the same color and even factory mixed colors can vary from batch to batch. By adding new material at intervals like this any small color differences will not be noticed if there is a small difference in color between batches. Before applying stain, test on a sample piece of wood from your deck or in an out of the way place, to verify the color and look you want. The wood coating should saturate all checks or splits. All exposed ends should be coated several times until all wood pores are saturated.

One-time Deck Stain

Staining or deck coating is not permanent and it is possible that after some days, these stains get old and start peeling off. In such cases, it becomes necessary that the deck must be stained with new stainers. One-time deck stain remover is a product which removes other old sealers, coatings, deck stains, etc. The stain removes these materials and cleanses the deck in the best ways. Proper preparation of the wood surface is necessary for effective use of One-time deck stain. One-time deck stain removes past applications of stain, sealer, and coatings. It also soaks into the wood and when cured by sunlight and will last as long as 7 years. The product is considered to be a leader in the wood protection industry.

Care and Maintenance

Stained wood surfaces may need to be retreated every 2-3 years or earlier depending on weather exposure. A close inspection of treated surfaces should be done annually.

Wood Deck