Deck Staining

So as discussed in an earlier blog I will swtich the topics up every post. So now I’m writting about staining your deck.

Wood decks require maintenance because of their constant exposure to the weather. What makes the beating they get even worse is that the deck is horizontally exposed to the weather so unlike your fence, water, snow and solar ultraviolet light beat down directly on the deck’s surface all year long, and water does not run off. It is no wonder that the deck surface must be maintained every 1 to 3 years depending on the situation and products used. Also foot traffic will wear areas quicker as well. You may not notice it at first but over time a path will wear through the layer of stain. You will think to yourself oh ya I do always take that way to the pool, or that side of the stairs.

Before staining the deck surfaces must be cleaned, we use a power washer with a lower psi. Something like1500psi. And keep the spray safely away. If you get to close to the wood you will actually shave a layer off the surface will feel “fuzzy”.

So my method to stain is to start with the obvious. The highest part. If you have a pergola or hand rails start with them first then move down to the decking. This way any drips will fall on unstained wood and you can wipe it off without marking up a finish. You want to always position yourself such that you are always on the to be stain wood. Before you start pick a good brush. Like a good deck & fence contractor you get what you pay for when choosing a brush. Use a high quality natural china bristle brush nothing else. When staining, you’ll want to maintain a wet edge so as to provide a smooth blended stain appearance without dark spots from overlap. To maintain a wet edge just brush the stain into the wet area and blend by back brushing.

Once the hand rails are done proceed to the spindles if you have wooded ones. Make sure to get the corners of all underside areas and places you cannot easily see. These areas will become very visible from the outside of the deck area especially if you have an elevated deck. This attention to detail is all part of doing a good job and it’s much easier now, than touching up after the project is done.

Next is the deck surface itself. This is the largest part of the deck and the most time consuming. It can be done several ways. Some people use a sprayer which is fine however you will have to cover up anything near by. With slight wind changes over spray can easily make it ways onto the home and windows. Then there is the brush and roller method. First take the brush and stain between the boards, then use a roller to stain the top of the deck boards. The final method is using a stain pad. The pad from a speed perspective is not as fast spraying but much quicker than the brush and roller method. From a quality finish perspective its much better and safer than spraying and once you get the hang of the pad you can reach the edges between the deck boards. So that’s it pick a colour and a full free weekend and have fun! Remember if you want your deck stained by a professional call us – 519.555.0139