Don’t you love spending quality time on your deck? Recent trends in home development encourage homeowners to experiment with their outdoor decor. It is lovely how you can beautify your living space and enhance the value of your home at the same time.
However, having a deck requires constant care. One thing to do is to stain it frequently. Perhaps you already know this but are unsure when it is the right time to stain your deck.
Well, it is advised to wait for three to twelve months before attempting to stain a new deck. Since there is high moisture in freshly cut wood, it may be best to delay the application of the stain. People still get confused about this as some enthusiasts would recommend staining the wood right away.
Let’s learn why it is crucial to stain your deck, and when is it the best time to do so.
Table of Contents
Importance of Staining Your Deck
Ultimately, you will have to stain your wooden deck. Throughout the year, the wooden deck faces rain, sunshine, snow, and sleet. Therefore, you must take care of it.
Therefore, giving the deck an extra layer of protection is vital to help it withstand the weather conditions. Otherwise, there will be irreversible wear and tear to it. Staining is beneficial because:
- It gives a personality to your outdoor living space.
- It prevents damage caused to the color by sun rays.
- It acts as an insulating layer that doesn’t permit the absorption of moisture within the wood.
- It reduces the likely proliferation of mold and mildew on the structure.
- It protects the aesthetical elements of the structure.
- It lasts longer than paint, which may wear out quickly on walking surfaces.
How Long Do You Have to Wait?
Now you know why you need to protect your outdoor space. The next step is to choose between two options which determine how you go about staining the deck:
- Do it with minimal delay.
- Or wait for a year to let the wood dry down a bit.
Technically, you should wait for about three to twelve months before staining the deck. However, if there is some time constraint boggling you down, you may choose to do otherwise.
Wood is often pressure treated to eliminate chances of decay or pest damage. When this is done, the fibers soak up the chemicals used to treat it. Since the wood is not dry, there may be issues in the application of the stain.
The fibers may outright refuse to allow the penetration of the wood stain. This situation may affect the longevity of the wood stain, which is undesirable.
The deck should ideally be stained only when its moisture level is below 15 percent. You can arrange for a moisture meter to determine the reading. However, if you can’t get a meter and want a quick fix, you could do one thing.
Try spilling water on the wood, if the wood soaks it up, you’re good to go. Otherwise, you have to wait a bit more.
Never Compromise on the Quality of the Wood Stain
When looking for a wood stain, ensure that you don’t latch on to the cheapest option. You should exercise your right to know what you are buying by doing research and reading reviews. Only buy a wood stain if you’re confident it will do what it claims.
The perfect deck stain should give your deck a natural appearance without causing damage to the wood. Luckily, there is a wide variety of shades that you can choose from when it comes to this stain. Let the criteria of quality, price, and reviews guide your preference.
Opting for an inferior wood stain will frustrate you as it will come off in no time, and you will have to stain the deck again.
Preparation
According to HomeAdvisor, a 500-square-foot-deck takes about 2 gallons of stain to give satisfactory results. So, you should arrange for a top-notch wood deck stain according to the size of your deck.
Some homeowners can’t bear leaving their wooden decks to the mercy of the climate. Staining the deck right away is not recommended. However, if you must do it, then do ensure that you do not compromise on cleaning the wood surface thoroughly.
After using a wood deck cleaner, consider neutralizing the surface with a brightener. Doing so will remove the mill glaze. Once done, use your professional wood stain, which has a thin viscosity to stain the structure.
Most stain manufacturers would recommend to let your deck dry before applying the stain. Over the months, the wood may begin to appear grey. Don’t fret too much about it. You can use a professional wood cleaner to eliminate the grey wood cells from the deck.
Follow it with the application of a wood brightener and leave it to dry for a day or two. Once all of this is done, just apply the stain you’ve chosen for your deck.
Final Thoughts
Your outdoor living space deserves to be a gorgeous extension of your home. The upkeep of this area depends on how well you preserve the wooden surface. Whatever you do, don’t forget to focus on the quality of the stain you get for this job because, trust us, nothing is more agonizing than a bad stain job.
