How Often Should You Stain a Deck?
If you live in a southern region, you know that deck season is almost in full swing. You’re firing up the grill, stirring up some fresh, southern lemonade, and getting those tiki torches hammered in.
As a homeowner, your house is your absolute pride and joy. You probably even have a wallet-sized photo to share with the people in your life (insert laugh track). But the truth is that your home is where everyone gathers to take a load off, fill their bellies and find community. To keep that home functional, knowing how to properly maintain its best features (especially your deck) is essential.
When to stain a new deck
To restore deck wood, you need to know the basics of a classic wood stain, how to pressure wash and how to work with treated lumber. Deck maintenance goes beyond using some deck cleaner and power washing it.
Staining pressure treated wood
Pressure-treated wood is a reliable, convenient medium to work with. Providing support for your home's structures outdoors, pressure-treated wood looks incredible, and when stained, can look even better.
Customizing pressure-treated wood begins by selecting a stain that sticks out to you. Oil-based stains are preferred since they soaked deep into the wood, offering a water barrier and extending the life of the wood. You can prep the surface by cleaning it and making sure it’s completely dry before you attempt the staining process.
Performing a moisture test will determine if more drying time is needed. To test your drying stage, you can drip some water on the wood to see if it beads. If it does, the wood is doing its job by repelling water. At this time, you can mix your stain, or shake the can, test it and apply at least one coat.
When to stain kiln-dried or store bought lumber
Kiln-dried wood comes prepared for immediate staining. You’ll see a stamp or tag on the word itself that says ADAT or KDAT, indicating that the pressure-treated wood has been treated with some type of water repellent. In this case, you can get started on your project immediately.
Staining “green lumber”
Green lumber is a little tricky. Freshly sawn, and common in more rural areas, green lumber might be your preferred choice if you’re a backwoods woodworking fan. While air drying the wood, you may need to be mindful of fungi and insect overwhelm since the moisture content of the wood is still very high.
Refrain from stacking green lumber and use a fungicide to protect the word from decaying mold and mildew. You’ll need to make sure that the green lumber is completely dry before you attempt to stain it, otherwise, you may lose the lumber to the microscopic mycorrhizae and accompanying bug friends.
How often you should stain older decks
The joys of being a homeowner are endless. There’s nothing that compares to having a place to settle in and truly call your own. It’s the soundboard of family memories, through the special moments, and the tough ones. And keeping up with its maintenance ensures a happy, long life for your home’s structure.
The average time before you need to re-stain a deck
In a typical scenario, homeowners stain their decks again every 2 to 3 years. If you keep up with deck maintenance throughout the seasons, you will extend the lifespan of your deck and create a wider gap between how often you’ll need to re-stain.
Signs that your deck needs a new stain
There are a few key signs to look out for that are signals that it’s time to re-stain. If the deck's appearance looks worn thin, uneven, and flaky, it is time to re-stain. Your previous coating is beginning to become patchy, and getting to it before the winter season is crucial.
Your deck should also be excellent at repelling water. If you pour a little bit of water on the deck and its beading, you’re in great shape. If it begins to soak into the wood, your deck is at risk. You can check the integrity of the wood by keeping an eye out for splintering, rotten boards, or splitting.
How your climate affects deck stains
Climate affects everything. The more humid, wet, rainy, or snowy days, the faster your deck's lifespan will decline. Weatherproofing your deck as best as you can prior to the rainy or snowy season helps maintain the integrity of the wood, and keeps your deck prepped to enjoy in the clearer days to come.
When should you paint your deck?
When the days dwindle down to a temperature between 60 and 85, with cool nights ahead, it’s prime time to paint. You’ll need to keep an eye out on the weather as you’ll need four days of dry weather to prepare, apply and finish painting your deck. It’s a big job for one person, and it doesn’t hurt to have a little extra support on your side.
How to tell that your deck needs new paint
It might be tough to tell exactly when it’s time to lay a fresh coat of paint on the deck. You’ll notice, just like staining, that flaking, peeling paint and cracked boards and you may even notice that the wood is looking a little on the dry and old side.
Hire Old Crow Painting for deck staining and painting projects!
Your home is your sanctuary. It’s where you go to escape the outside world, rest, and enjoy life‘s most meaningful moments.
Taking on a project like staining or painting alone can be overwhelming, and if done incorrectly can be a complete disaster. Connect with us on our website for a free quote. Let’s get your deck looking and functioning beautifully for the breezy nights ahead!