Staining a Deck

Clear deck stains allow the color of the wood decking to show through, but need to be reapplied every year or two. Solid stains or paints can hide uneven wood grains and stains, however they wear poorly and should be applied annually.

Opaque or semi-transparent deck stains include some level of tint, however allow the deck wood grain to still show through. These types of stains have oils that penetrate into the wood decking and thus last longer before re-application is required. In addition, they fade, versus crack and peel, as is the case with solid stains and paints.

Deck Stain Preparation Deck stain preparation involves cleaning the deck surface, repairing sections of damaged decking, sinking all nails that may have popped up, and in some cases sanding the entire deck. To clean a deck surface it is best to apply a special deck cleaner solution that you spray onto the deck using a garden sprayer. These types of solutions are designed to remove mold and mildew as well as other types of dirt and stains.

After applying the deck cleaner solution, allow it to sit on the surface of the deck for 5-10 minutes then simply rinse it off with water. You may also want to use a broom to help clean hard spots. Use of a power washer can damage the wood grains of deck boards and thus is not recommended.

Next check the deck boards for any rot or loose nails. Replace the rotted deck boards and re-sink the deck nails. You may also want to apply new deck nails adjacent to the popped nails.

If cleaning the deck does not remove all of the stains, or the deck previously had a solid stain, paint or deck water sealer on it that has peeled, then you may have to sand the entire deck. Use an orbital floor sander to sand the bulk of the deck. A small palm sander can also help in corners or along the edges of the deck.

Applying Deck Stain Once the deck has been prepared for stain, it is now time to apply the deck stain. I find it best to use a thin napped roller or Lamb’s wool pad, along with a 4 inch and a 2 inch wide brush to apply the stain. The 4 inch brush is helpful for working the applied stain into the deck boards, and the 2 inch brush is helpful for getting into tight spaces. You can also use a sprayer to apply stain, however the roller or pad method works fairly fast, and I am not so sure it is worth the setup and clean up time of using a sprayer.

When staining a wood deck it is important to keep it going. You do not want to stop in the middle of the process. If you do you will end up seeing lap lines. In addition, you should only do 3 or 4 boards at a time.

Also, after applying stain to a new small section of the deck (e.g. 1 to 2 feet of linear deck board surface), back brush the area to help the deck stain blend in with the previously stained deck section. Again, this will help to get a solid blend of the stain. Back brushing is very important to do when using a roller, as a roller tends not to push the stain into the deck as well as a pad. In addition, a roller has the tendency to not apply the deck stain evenly.

So to conclude, if you follow the three key steps in staining a deck as I have outlined you should be able to restore your deck surface to its original and beautiful look.