How to stain wood deck?

Question

Tips to stain my wood deck?

Franklinrawley · Answer

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.

AmAtHome · Answer

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.

Canadianlady · Answer

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 · Answer

Thomson's WaterSeal is a good one

Ginny · Answer

I have always used Minwax products with excellent results.

Vimarhonor · Answer

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 · Answer

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 · Answer

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 · Answer

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 · Answer

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 · Answer

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 · Answer

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 · Answer

Thanks for all the great advice and suggestions.

problem solved

Ann|The Apple Street Cottage · Answer

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

Kim |Exquisitely Unremarkable · Answer

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.