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SKILL SET
By Matt Weber
To give a wood deck the best protection and to keep it looking good, you should maintain it with a quality stain/sealer. Here are some tried-and-true stain application tips we’ve learned over the years. DRY IT FIRST For newly constructed decks, it’s a good idea to let the wood weather before staining. For decks built with treated lumber, the waterborne preservative leaves moisture in the wood. This is why fresh PT lumber often arrives wet from the supplier, and the moisture can block penetration of stains and paints. For best performance of stain coatings, most stain/sealers recommend that treated wood dry 4 to 8 weeks prior to application after the decking is installed. Drying time depends on how much time has elapsed since chemical treatment, the wood’s exposure to the sun, ambient weather and temperature.
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Home Improvement and Repair | The Deck, Patio & Landscape Issue
PROTECT YOUR DECK
For decks built with exotic hardwood, the dense wood needs time to weather because the natural oils can block stain from penetrating. After construction, let the sun, wind and rain break down the surface of the wood, so the oils dry out and the stain will be more easily absorbed. The more the wood weathers, the easier it will be to stain the hardwood.
HERE ARE SOME TRIED-AND-TRUE STAIN APPLICATION TIPS WE’VE LEARNED OVER THE YEARS.
