7 Tips for Staining Your Wood Deck
Whether you decide to stain your wood deck yourself or to hire a painting contractor for your deck finishing, there are important steps to take to ensure that your stain lasts for as long as possible despite regular wear and tear and weather damage. Make the deck of your Genoa home a hot spot for family get-togethers or cookouts with friends by taking the following bits of advice into consideration.
Test Your Stain
Before you stain your entire deck or hire a painting contractor to do it, apply the stain of your choice to a small segment of the deck to determine if you enjoy the finished outcome.
Inspect Your Deck
Your deck should be thoroughly examined prior to deck staining. Check for broken screws, exposed nails, and broken or warped wood. Replace or repair the damaged wood before your scheduled deck staining.
Clean the Deck Completely
After repairing damaged portions of your deck, cleaning your deck is the next step to prepare for deck staining. Wash your deck, and remove all dirt, algae, mold, and mildew. Sodium percarbonate wood cleaners, or oxygen bleach wood cleaners, are effective, and they are safe to use near vegetation. If you have old stain build-up, try a stain stripper. If the stain persists even after using a stain stripper, a palm sander should remove it. Regardless of how you clean your deck, make sure to remove all of the cleaning chemicals completely by rinsing the deck with water. Chemical residue that is left on the deck can break up the new stain after it’s applied. Do not stain your deck until at least 24 hours after cleaning and rinsing it.
Keep A Paint Brush Handy
If you plan to stain the deck yourself, keeping a paint brush on hand is wise whether you use a roller or a sprayer to apply the stain. A paint brush will allow you to work the stain into the wood better than a roller or a sprayer will.
Be Careful With Handrail Staining
Many painting contractors will stain handrails before staining decks so that splatter from the handrails does not discolor the newly stained decks, and staining the handrails first allows contractors to step freely on decks without disrupting the fresh stain.
Monitor The Weather
Most wood stains take a while to dry completely, usually 24 to 48 hours. Additionally, climate and weather contribute heavily to the drying time of the stain. Check the forecast frequently, and if rain is expected within two days of the deck staining, wait until the weather conditions improve and the deck dries to apply the stain.
Take Care Of Your Deck
To make the fresh stain last longer, wash your deck periodically to remove dirt and debris. Some Genoa homeowners use wood brightener to reverse the deck’s graying or loss of color.
As long as your deck repels water effectively, deck refinishing isn’t required. If your deck has been worn down by rain, sunlight, mold, or foot traffic, then a reputable Genoa painting contractor at Mastercraft Painting & Decorating, Inc. can assist you with your deck staining.
