Prep
Cover up any furniture, plants, siding, doors, and other areas you don’t want to get stains on. Next, pigment can slightly vary in a deck stain. So, it’s best to take the deck stain cans and put them into 1 batch. We suggest a 5-gallon bucket to hold your stain. Once you’ve combined them into 1 bucket, use a paint stir stick to combine the stains together.
Applying Stain
Start with the highest surface first and then work your way down. For example, if you have a gazebo you plan to stain in addition to your deck then start at the top of the gazebo first. Add a drop cloth to the floor when staining a higher area. You want to avoid drips from above getting to the deck below. Any drips can give off an uneven finish. Then, we suggest moving to the tops of the railings before moving to any spindles. When moving to the floorboards, focus on 1 or 2 boards at a time. Start on the end grain and move to the edge of the board in smooth strokes. Keep the edge of the brush moist. This prevents marks leftover from overlapping stains. Finish with a heavy coat on the end grain.
More Helpful Tips
- Pigments settle at the bottom of the bucket, so make sure you use a paint stick to consistently mix your stain.
- Plan your stain day on a dry warm day and check advance days of your forecast (1-2 days) for more dry weather. Do not plan to apply deck stain on a day of rain or rain coming in the next 2 days.
- Apply deck stain when the temperature (even overnight) will be over 50 degrees.
- Let your deck dry completely before walking or placing furniture on the deck, typically 48 hours.
- Any areas on your deck in the shade will take longer to dry.
Source: tips.acehardware.com ~ Image: Canva Pro