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Tips For Staining Your Deck In The Fall
Sam Lutz • November 10, 2015
With winter approaching, now is the time to fortify your deck against cold wet weather. Luckily, fall is a fabulous time of year to stain your deck, because cooler outdoor temperatures make the job easier and more pleasant.
If you're not familiar with the deck staining process, the tips in this post can help you complete this project on your own.
Materials
- Deck cleaner
- Garden hose
- Orbital sander
- Broom
- Tarps
- Stain
- Paintbrush
- Rags
Process
- Check the weather reports. Wait for a three-day stretch of time without rain and with low humidity. For best results, pick a day when the skies will be overcast (direct sunlight can cause problems as the stain dries). Temperatures outside will ideally be about 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Tip: If you wish to do this project at a time when it's very hot or cold outside, check the container of stain before getting started to ensure that outdoor temperatures are acceptable.
- Clean the deck with deck cleaner, following the instructions on the container for best results. Do this the day before you get started and make sure the deck is fully dry when you start to stain.
- Make any necessary repairs. Use wood filler to fill scratches or gouges that may have developed in the wood. Rotten boards that feel soft need to be replaced with treated lumber. For a tutorial on how to replace rotten boards on a deck, take a look at this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQG6Lg47-Xk
- Lightly sand the deck with an orbital sander, then sweep away the saw dust.
- Cover the bushes and landscaping in the area around the deck with tarps.
- Apply the stain to the deck with a paint brush. This may sound low-tech, but using a paint sprayer can result in wasted stain and an uneven finish. Tip: Wipe up puddles with rags as you go. Don't allow the stain to pool in any one spot on the deck.
- Apply a second or third coat as needed until the stain is uniform and even. Tip: Don't let the stain dry between coats. Stain is designed to repel liquid, so once the stain has dried, the wood will no longer absorb the second and third coats of stain.
This project should be done every couple of years or when the stain starts to wear away in high-traffic areas, whichever comes first.
Resources
If you want to know more about staining your deck in fall, there's a lot of good literature out there that can help guide you through the process. Here are some good tutorials:
And of course, the staff here at Ace Paint and Unfinished Furniture
would like to be a resource for you as well. Come in any time for the materials and for free advice. We're happy to help you find the right stain for your deck and we're also happy to help answer any questions you may have about the process.
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