How to stain wood deck?

Betty Shafer
by Betty Shafer

Tips to stain my wood deck?


  21 answers
  • Franklinrawley Franklinrawley on Jun 30, 2018

    first I would use a pressure washer and get rid of any problems the old stains might be causing. believe it or not, this will get basic wood to rise and most of it will be about the same color to start a new stain. Might want to try a cedar or a stain with a medium color to help blend any differences.

    • Betty Shafer Betty Shafer on Jul 01, 2018

      Thank you, I had only hand scrubbed it and the stain I used came off after the first winter.


  • AmAtHome AmAtHome on Jun 30, 2018

    Get cleaner made for decks, and use a stiff brush and mop. Or pressure wash lightly. There are lots of stains that can be colored and semi-transparent or solid.

    • Betty Shafer Betty Shafer on Jul 01, 2018

      Thank you, I had only hand scrubbed it, and the stain I used came off after the first winter.

  • Canadianlady Canadianlady on Mar 11, 2017

    Whatever method you decide to use, don't forget to use some type of water resistant wood seal on your deck every couple of years. It will significantly prolong the life of the deck.

  • Shoshana Shoshana on May 24, 2018

    Thomson's WaterSeal is a good one

  • Ginny Ginny on May 24, 2018

    I have always used Minwax products with excellent results.

  • Vimarhonor Vimarhonor on May 24, 2018

    Meticulous preparation efforts are important to a sucessfully finish.

    In my experience-I find the Sikkens to be the best for wood toned seals and have also had great sucess with Behr transparent and solid stains. I cant emphasize the proper prep and cleaning enough. Behr and Valspar have excellent customer support if any question or problems, and have provided replacement product when a product failure has occurred.

  • William William on May 24, 2018

    Any good top brand UV deck stain will work. Cabot, Olympic, Behr (not the deck over product), Thompson's, Sikkens. Sherman Williams Super Deck.

  • Mogie Mogie on May 24, 2018

    First decide if oil based or water based is right for your situation:


    Water-Based Stain Advantages:

    • Dry quickly
    • Keep its color for a longer period of time
    • Provides a richer hue of color
    • No harmful odor or fumes, not flammable
    • Breathable stain
    • Easier cleanup (only requires soap and water)
    • Extremely mildew and mold resistant

    Oil-Based Stain Advantages:

    • Requires more time to dry which allows for a more even finish
    • Penetrates wood deeper
    • Extremely durable
    • Thicker seal for wood

    Less long-term maintenance

  • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Nov 26, 2014
    I've been using the line of deck stains from Penofin for over 15 years, my ipe deck is over 16 years old and still looks brand new. Ipe is a great long wearing hardwood. If your deck has a mixture of new and old boards a more heavily pigmented stain will give you more uniform looks.
  • Deb K Deb K on Mar 02, 2023

    Hi Betty, here is a step by step for you to follow, hope it helps you.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBXnfLe3lzs

  • Gillian Weaver Gillian Weaver on Mar 07, 2023

    After you pressure wash the wood and remove all the old stain. Try lightly sanding the deck with an orbital sander. Then decide if you want a water based or oil based stain. Once the wood is dry, apply the stain with a long handled roller on a windless day. Once the stain is dry, use a clear polyurethane of the same type as the stain (oil based on oil based, water on water.

  • Johnavallance82 Johnavallance82 on Mar 13, 2023

    Clean off all moss etc. and stains. Lt it dry. Then starting at the furthest point and work back and forth across the boards with the stain preserver until you are done. Do not leave it half done. complete the whole thing otherwise it will show where you stopped!

  • Betty Shafer Betty Shafer on Mar 13, 2023

    Thanks for all the great advice and suggestions.

    problem solved

  • After cleaning it, tape off everything else and spray it. You can also use a roller on the floor.

  • We just stained our new deck. We power washed it, let it dry, then on a weekend when we knew we'd have several days of dry weather in a row, we stained. We used a brush, sprayers tend to overspray and get stain everywhere.

  • Deb K Deb K on May 19, 2023

    Hi Betty, hope this helps you out.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFpe63BBN78

  • Johnavallance82 Johnavallance82 on Jul 12, 2023

    Start at farthest corner and work backwards.

  • Johnavallance82 Johnavallance82 on Jul 14, 2023

    What you need is a stain that will sink in to the Timber deck, and not a colour that will sit on the top! A Preservative might be your answer!

  • Betsy Betsy on Sep 05, 2023

    Hi Betty: Well, it depends on if it's a new or old deck. Here are some sites that should help:


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBXnfLe3lzs


    https://www.homedepot.com/c/ah/how-to-stain-a-deck/9ba683603be9fa5395fab90de38c905


    If it's a new deck, then check this site:


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDefb5TXNYI

  • Annie Annie on Sep 22, 2023

    This video should help you out! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk-zeb5KIaM

  • Johnavallance82 Johnavallance82 on Sep 22, 2023

    Start at far corner and work backwards. Do it all in one go. Maybe use a broom or brush to spreed it!