This post was updated on November 5, 2022
It Rained Shortly After Staining my Deck
We continue to appreciate your input, so feel free to leave a comment below if it rained on your deck shortly after the stain was applied. Any pictures of your deck stain project will help.
Rain on Deck Stain Issues
It is best to never stain any exterior wood when inclement weather is forecasted, especially rain. Most deck stain brands will warn against the application of their product within 12-24 hours of rain being forecast. But as we all know sometimes the weather is not so predictable. So what do you do if it does rain shortly after staining?
You cannot do much until it stops raining once it starts. After the rain has passed and the deck has dried take a closer look. It really depends on how hard it rained and for how long. A light drizzle most likely won’t hurt anything but a good downpour can be a different story. The type and brand of stain can make a difference as well. Some stains can handle rain shortly after being applied better than others.
Rain on Deck Stain Issues?
Look for little pockets, blotches, or white spots normally the size of a dime. Any of these can indicate some damage from the rain. Read the instructions on the stain can for recoating or adding a second coat. Once you are within the time frame recommended for a second coat try applying the stain in an inconspicuous spot to see if it fixes the rain damage.
If a light recoat does not fix the problem you can also try using a mix of wood cleaner and a pressure washer to see if you can wash the spots out without harming the stain. Or you can try lightly sanding the rain spots and recoating. Care must be taken though not to over-apply the stain as this can cause other issues like flaking and peeling. If you are unable to fix the problem with washing or sanding and recoating, you may have to strip off the stain with a deck stain stripper and start over again.
Popular Rain on Deck Stain Questions:
Will rain ruin a newly stained deck?
Answer: Yes, if the stain has not fully dried or cured, it may permanently damage the deck stain.
How long does deck stain need to dry before rain?
Answer: This varies based on stain brand, type of stain, and weather conditions. The average is 4-12 hours but can be longer.
What if it rains 12 hours after staining deck?
Answer: 90% of the time there would be no issues.
What if it rains 24 hours after staining deck?
Answer: Rarely do we see any issues but there is always the possibility f the weather was cold or if the stain was over-applied.
Note on Help with Rain on your Deck Stain
-Before asking a question if rain harmed your deck, wait until the rain stops and the water fully dries off the deck or wood. Make sure to post pictures.
Deck Stain Help & Questions
Stain Reviews & Comparisons
As an article and comment contributor to the site, Scott has been around the pressure washing industry since attending college. In 1993 he started his first company called Oakland Pressure Wash specializing in exterior pressure washing and deck staining. That company evolved into OPW L.L.C. shortly thereafter concentrating more on exterior wood and deck restoration. Scott and his Deck Cleaning Michigan company have restored over 10,000 decks in the Metro Detroit area since the early years. He has become an authority in the deck restoration industry and has contributed to numerous wood restoration forums and informative sites.
All the products he suggests through this site are sold through online sites and in retail stores, allowing the consumer to choose their own means of purchase. Scott’s eCommerce sites do sell many top brands he endorses and if you appreciate any of the help he has offered then feel free to purchase from one of them.
Sorry, forgot to add photo.
Hi Scott. First of all, thanks for all the valuable advice you provide. I’ve had my deck restained, and it looks great, EXCEPT:
there are darker areas around the perimeter, where a hand brush was used. (Photo attached.)
How do you recommend we fix that? Do we need to sand and redo? If so, do we still need to use brightener? The deck was cleaned thoroughly, stripped, cleaned again, then treated with brightener, before stain was applied. Hoping a sanding will suffice.
Thank you.
You will not be able to spot fix this and have it blend. The entire flooring would have to be stripped and brightened and then restained.
Thanks for your help. A thorough sanding is not sufficient? Reluctand to use stripper/brightener because the outer deck, railings and gazebo are fine. Don’t want runoff from stripper to ruin those.
Thanks again.
You could sand the entire floor.
https://www.deckstainhelp.com/how-to-sand-your-wood-deck/
Thank you for your help. That’s what we’ll do.
I’m using Arborcoat over oil primer on cedar shake siding. How long until it’s rain ready? I’m in Maine and it rains so often that I’m grabbing every chance I get to finish. The primer is all dry for several days but I have areas that still need 2 coats of finish.
Thanks!
Sorry, but we will not use Arborcoat due to its many issues, so we do not have the experience to answer this correctly.
Hi Scott,
We had a new deck built with cedar wood and the contractor applied the first coat of stain yesterday. Forecast looked good, but we had an unexpected rain last night. Based on my reviews of your site, it looks like we need to make sure it is totally dry before applying second coat but not sure how long to wait and do we need to be concerned about water spots that may come through? We also need to sand out a few overlap spots. Contractor was not overly experienced with staining so looking for advice.
We used Pittsburgh Paramount – Luxury Finish + Sealant; Satin – Semi-Transparent. The rain beaded up nicely on the deck but now unsure if we need to do any type of prep before we give it a second coat of stain. Thanks for your help.
You cannot stain new wood right away and most brands only want one coat for new wood:
https://www.deckstainhelp.com/how-long-should-you-wait-to-stain-a-new-deck/
It is probably going to peel as it never soaked into the wood. Do not add more. You should sand it off and start over after proper weatering and prep.
I’m confused by your response. I’ve never heard of not staining new wood right away??? The stain soaked in and seemed dry before the rain.
It is common knowledge that all new wood has to weather and be prepped before staining the first time. In your pictures, the stain did not soak in but dried on top of the wood. This leads to premature failure and peeling.
Hi Scott – what grade of sandpaper do you recommend. We’re doing a little research and it looks like it will involve a 2-step sanding process?
https://www.deckstainhelp.com/how-to-sand-your-wood-deck/
Hi Scott
I stained my decking brown 4 days ago and it rained about 12 hours later and I noticed that the rain water on it was brown. I swept all the water off and when it’s dry it’s fine but as soon as it gets wet the water turns brown again! I can’t let my dogs walk across it and they get wet brown paws. What can I do please?
Many thanks in advance for your advice
Pat
What stain did you use?
HI Scott,
I plan on painting a shed with Cabot Solid Color acrylic stain and sealer. I had the medium base (1808) tinted to match previous color. I’ve had luck using deck satin on vertical surfaces. Shed is 18 years old and in good shape. Looking to freshen it up. I don’t have a lot of free time to do projects like most of us. My question is on any given day this week rain is predicted in the afternoon/early evenings. Temperatures mid 80’s to low 90’s. It seems dry time would be 4-5 hours maybe 6 before rain is predicted. Is this enough time or do you think I’ll run into problems. Project is in the Dutchess county.
I’d appreciate any advice.
Be Well
Tom
It should be okay if you have 4-5 hours of drying with a solid acrylic and vertical wood.
Will the morning dew mess up my deck stain if it hasn’t dried completely
I used Valspar solid with the primer built in.
It’s been 5 hours since I finished it and it’s still wet 🤦♀️
There is no way to know until it fully cures and dries. You have to deteremine after. Anything else would be a guess.
I used Thompson’s WaterSeal Clear Wood Sealer on my deck and started 10am yesterday and finished around 12pm. It’s now expected to rain this afternoon around 4 or 6 pm. That would be about 30 hrs. The can said to allow 48hrs. Will I still be ok?
No idea. You have to inspect it after the rain stops and the water dries off to see if damaged or not. Probably okay.
Hi. I just had my deck stained with Benjamin Moore Arborcoat. The contractor filled in holes and knots with some sort of wood filler/ epoxy. It has rained almost every day since the work was done. I checked the deck today and noticed that the filled in holes are mushy and the stain has bubbled. Will the areas eventually harden?
Probably not but give it time to let it fully dry and cure before removing it and starting over.
hi, i cleaned and prepared my deck and then it rained before i stained. do i need to re-clean and re-apply more wash/prep before applying stain?
No, just let it dry.
Hi Scott, I used Thompson’s wasterseal stain and sealer all in one semi-transparent for a deck. After 12 hours rain started. Is that a problem? Here were pictures from the rain.
Looks fine. You would be able to visibly see if you had an issue. White spots.
Thanks. What does white spots look like?
White water spots.
We stained on Monday. It is now Thurs and I’ve noticed white spots where water from my plants have occurred. the water is pooling and doesn’t seem to be evaporating. Will these white spots go away? Does this mean every time it rains we will have spots all over the deck. Thanks or any advice you can give.
That is most likley mineral deposits from the water. They should ipe off and go away over time.
Thank you for your quick response.
hey! So I power washed and sanded my deck. Rinsed it off with the hose. Leaves are falling here in Ny and its starting to get cold. Can I Paint on the oil primer two coats and then wait until the spring to put on the Arborcoat waterbased solid stain in the Spring?
No. Do it all in the Spring after cleaning the deck again.
I power washed rails/ privacy feature deck and let it dry 48 hr. now it looks like rain might start in a about 12 hrs, chance increasing over next 2 days. I only have upright wood to stain as deck floor is composite. it’s water base semi trans.should I chance. my time is limited to have time. n (tried in may, power washed then rained forever and then got too hot forever). live in midwest and cold weather weather next . it might be 3-4 wks before I will have time to stain again. will I need to re prep again?
It depends on the stain brand and how fast it dries. If you wait more than 2 weeks, you should redo the prep.
Thank you . It’s behr semi Do you think I can chance it if the rain is supposed to start about 10 to 12 hours from now?
Hard to say. Their stain is poor so it may not cure correctly before the rain. We would switch brands first to avoid issues down the road: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/behr-deck-stain-review/
Hi Scott, I put on my first coat of Behr’s solid wood stain yesterday and finished around 2pm. I woke to very chilly temps, 36 degrees and dew all over the deck. After it dries out, can I put plastic over it and apply a second coat tomorrow, or do I have to wait longer due to the dew? I was hoping to apply a second coast this afternoon, or is this too soon?
Don’t cover it. Just wait until it warms up later and the dew burns off. You can apply this afternoon.
Great! 🙂 Thank you. But then is it okay to be staining in direct sun, even if the temps won’t be going up higher than 64 degrees?
Should be no issues.
Thank you again Scott!
I pressured washed my deck, let it dry and then used Flood CWF-UV Clear. Temperature was in the low 60’s. Roughly 24 hours after application, I noticed the deck was still wet and unfortunately it started to rain heavily. What do you suggest?
Let it dry out after the rain and then assess any issues.
Is it safe to apply more stain if needed after it thoroughly dries?
No. More is not better. You may need to remove all and start over.
I stripped, sanded, and brightened my 256 PT deck, and finished 2 days ago. I planned to stain it tomorrow with TWP 1500 – Cedartone. The original weather forecast was that it would be clear for 48 hours. Now the forecast has changed, and rain is expected about 36 hours after staining. Should I hold off or go ahead and stain the deck.
Thanks,
Nick
Yes, you can stain.
Thank you for the quick response.
I sanded our deck and put the first coat of Cabot Deck Correct on it yesterday. About 4 hours after application some unexpected rain came in. It rained pretty steady for a few hours but never seemed to be a heavy driving rain. Most areas seem to be fine but there are some white marks and just one board that has some bubbles as shown in the picture. Do you think the rest of the deck will be ok to put the second coat on after everything thoroughly dries and I can just sand and start over on the board with the bubbles? Any idea of what causes the white spots? Thanks in advance for your advice!
Hard to say what will happen in the future as this stain brand and type is prone to peeling anyhow. The while looks like sap leeching out.
Hey! Thanks for doing this. I am sure we are fine, but just wanted confirmation that everything is good, so I don’t drive myself crazy. I did 2 coats of Behr premium waterproof 100% acrylic which says rain resistant in 4 hours. After a forecast of no rain, we had a random really hard 1 hour rain about 22 hours after 2nd coat was applied. The first pic is about 3 hours after the second coat (no rain) and the second pic with more shade is 24 hours after the heavy rain (50 hours after 2nd coat). Thanks for your help!
You will be fine.
Thank you, sir!
Welcome!
We had some dew drip down from an overhang the night we stained and found this the next morning. We used Messmer’s UV+. Should we try and add more stain to these spots, sand the boards down and stain them again, or something else? Thanks!
You cannot spot fix this and you will need to add some gutters or it will continue. To fix, remove all and start over. Strip and brighten to remove.
Is it better to use a brush vs a roller ti stain your deck?
I want to know your opinion. Personally I am liking a brush😎
We like brushes or stain pads but it does speed on the stain brand and type of stain.
Hi, I put a first coat of stain on a deck yesterday when it wasn’t calling for rain. The forecast has now changed with a 70% chance of thunderstorm tomorrow, starting about 48 hours after I finished. I was going to put on 2nd coat today but then it will only be about 36 hours before it might get rained on. Thinking I should hold off on the 2nd coat, hope the first holds up well, and then do a 2nd when there is less likelihood of rain. Does that sound right? Can I do the 2nd coat several days after the first?
This depends on the brand and type of stain being used as they do not all have the same instructions.?
Live in SC where we have quick hard rains every other day to relieve the heat. Can I use a oil based stain and cover the deck with a large tarp to protect it? I am in a timeframe to get this done. I could put up bases to hold the center of the tarp up so the center isn’t weighted down.
Thank you
Laurie Jones
No, it needs airflow and sun to properly cure and dry.
Hired a company to paint house and stain deck. They pressure washed, sanded, then stained with Cabot Australian Timber Oil. It rained two hours later. Water pooled on the wood. It looks awful, splotchy and scaly. The pics show it several days after staining was done. Contractor thinks “more stain”, I had to stop them and ask them to go get educated before doing anything. That’s what I’m trying to do here…
What an awesome resource to be able to ask the opinion of others to figure out what to do, thank you!
Adding more will not fix it. Remove and start over.
One more question if I may, could something else have caused this condition or is it rain water for sure? Thank you in advance.
It is rain.
Sorry to ask more questions… the contractor had the crew pressure wash the stain off the wood instead of sanding. The wood looks “fuzzy” and I see lines in the wood from the pressure washing…
How deep of doo-doo am I in?
Post some pics.
Pics
We would definitely sand it or buff it before staining: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/wood-fuzzies-furring-on-deck/
Hey Scott – I just stained my deck w Cabot Australian. It was starting to cure last night. Rained this morning and feels wet to touch and coloring looks as though I just applied the stain. Assuming i’ll Have to re do but is there a chance after it dries it will cure and be okay?
thnx Steve
Just wait a few days for it to fully dry and cure and then assess if any damage or not. Most likely okay.
Hey Scott – thnx! It diaries and seems to have cured although there are a couple of washed out/ faded spots. Can I spot stain the areas washed out or just give the entire deck a second coat? Thanks again for your help
It probably will not blend if you spot apply. Adding more does not always work as well and can create issues with over-application.
We hired a local handyman to paint our deck. Trying to beat the rain, he waited only 24 hours before painting. It then rained 12 hours after he finished. He used a Sherwin-Williams product. There also seems to be sap bubbling up, as well. What should we do next? Can these spots be sanded and recoated?
Sap seeping out has nothing to do with the rain. Try scraping and sanding those areas and recoating.
Hi! What an amazing resource! Thank you so much!
We stained our new cedar deck a few days ago with Olympic Semi Transparent Semi Solid Atlas Cedar Oil Stain and it rained about 12 hours after… we attempted to tarp and dry the rain as it happened… then it rained again about 12 hours after that…
Now that it’s dry it looks like there are some dry spots near the knots in the wood… do you think I should apply another coat of the stain?
Thanks!
It looks good and the rain did not harm it. The knots always stain lighter in color and that is normal as well.
Hi, First, thank you for your article. I’ve waited till the rain dried off the deck before asking my questions. I painted using Cabot solid stain over semi- transparent which was applied 2 years ago to a deck which had been left untreated for 3 years (the deck is about 5 years old). I stained in the evening when the sun was not on the deck, weather was in the 80s, paint had just been mixed at Lowe’s, deck was properly power washed and dried, and no product was applied to the deck surface before staining. Within 2 hours of staining the deck it began to downpour. (the weather app said no rain) It rained hard for 15 minutes (as we ran around in horror trying to tarp the deck LOL). This morning the deck was wet and paint could be scratched loose with a fingernail. After baking in the 90 degree sun I tested again at 1PM. It is now very solid paint, dry to the touch, but slightly tacky if I leave my hand on the hot deck for a minute, and appears to have no bubbles or flaws. My questions; How do I know it’s fine or needs to be stripped? Am I able to apply a second coat over Cabot solid stain because the wood soaked in the first coat as fast as I could roll or hand paint it and the surface shows small splits. The pictures are from 1:00 today, they show the edge of the stain that was painted last (I’d run out of stain) and the deck’s entire surface. Thank you so much for your help.
You should be fine. Finish the first coat and then apply another coat to all wood.
Wow! Thank you for your quick response. Guess I dodged a huge problem.
Scott, I know this isn’t the right thread but you were so helpful with my rain questions, I have one more. I painted all the rails and posts with Olympic solid stain we had left from painting the house. My thought was it would match nicely however with 10 people living here it became very obvious that the flat stain holds fingerprints very very well. I want to paint in a higher gloss but Lowe’s paint counter can only suggest Cabot solid stain over the Olympic, but it is also a flat sheen. Is there a more washable option for me? Thank you
Do not put a high gloss on a deck, it will peel if you do. Leave it as a flat sheen.
Ok, I researched & noticed you recommend Restore a Deck. Would that be more washable than the Olympic stain? Would it be safe to apply another coat of R.A.D or Cabot over the existing 2 coats of the Olympic which were applied 3 days ago? The Olympic really isn’t washable & I’ve put so much work into the deck that I hate the thought of not being able to wash dirt off the rails. Thank you
None of the solid stains have a gloss and are matte with no shine so the “washability” of it will be the same. I think you would be wasting your money and time but I suppose you could test it. Try a gallon of the same color in another brand of quality solid stain. Just apply where people touch such as the top of the railing.
I took your advice and tested the Cabot solid stain in white over the existing stain. It definitely has a slight sheen in comparison to the Olympic but is not glossy (which is fine). Would you consider Cabot a quality brand? I didn’t see your recommendations till after I purchased & applied 4 gallons of the Cabot and it had rained on the newly stained deck brining me to your site. BTW, you were right, the deck is just fine 🙂
It’s okay. Not the best but not bad.
https://www.deckstainhelp.com/what-are-the-best-solid-color-deck-stains/
I forgot to mention the rails and posts are white.
We had a contractor stain our new cedar deck and he used Sherwin-Williams semi-transparent Super Deck with two coats. It’s been more than 24 hours (more like 36) and it rained this morning and now lighter areas are showing where some of the puddles were. Photos attached. Also there are marks on the steps where our dogs go up and down the steps. What should we do now?
It was not fully cured before the rain came. Give it a week or so to see if the spots go away on their own. If they do not, then you will have to remove all and start over.
Thank you. After the rain the sun came out and the deck dried. The spots appear to be gone but of course not the marks on the steps. We’re debating putting treads on the steps.
I used Cabot semi solid stain on my deck yesterday with rain in the forecast for tonight. It started raining this morning and now it’s going to rain all day. When I touch the wood it’s like the stain is wet again. Is there anything I can do?
Nothing you can do at this point.
Same happened to me…
ANY SUGGESTIONS ???
There is nothing you can do about it until the rain stops and dries off. You assess it then if it needs to be fixed or not.
From article above.
Note on Help with Rain on your Deck Stain
-Before asking a question if rain harmed your deck, wait until the rain stops and the water fully dries off the deck or wood. Make sure to post pictures.
What is the best stain/sealer for my newly built white pine shed? I’m get overwhelmed with all the information I’m reading
Try Restore A Deck semi-transparent stains.
I used Cabot correct deck stain 1st coat and it looks like it’s going to rain after 6 hours of drying time. Should I cover it with a tarp or just leave it alone
Leave it alone.
i have treated my deck of old boards with cleaner and water sealer. The i added a stain sealer on top, and it is looking good -unchanged after heavy rain. will the stain color last?
You cannot apply a deck stain over a deck sealer. It will peel shortly.
My can of stain got water in it sitting on the porch is it still good??
No.
Our deck is Huge over 600sf not including the front porch deck and one by a pond. I have been successfully maintaining it for thirty years with CWF-UV recoating every 2-3 years. Whether they changed the formula (I suspect they did) or wether it just could not take any more stain, it needed to be stripped and sanded. It has been a grueling job for one woman with a power washer, a belt and palm sanders. I used Sherwin Williams Super Deck in semi-solid. We live in upstate NY and our area gets a lot of rain. It’s been a dance coordinating last coat sanding and putting down finish I can tell you! The job has been done in sections. Due to the windows of weather opportunities between rains and needing the boards dried before sanding, I could only manage one coat on each section. It should have had 2. Can even tell it needs 2. It just couldn’t happen not even in the week.
My question is can I safely do a second light coat in the fall four months later? Will it adhere or will it just sit on top and flake. I’m so afraid of the latter. This is my first time using a semi-solid.
It will probably have issues if you apply more, especially with the SW brand. It is not that good. Sorry.
I applied first coat to all of my wood yesterday and it looks great so far…its been about 17hrs drying but this morning it was still a little oily. I was planning to apply the 2nd coat of stain sealer today but now itsraining. My wood boards are underneathmy deck and was getting wet so i wiped them with a cloth and propted them up so rain could run down and not rest on. Is this ok? And when will i be able to apply 2nd coat?.
This all depends on the brand of stain you are suing and is the wood new?
Handyman used messmers oil for ipe deck. He said it would rain the next day but wouldn’t be a Problem. Rainingvhsrd 12 hours later. Deck seems to have oil mixing with the rain. Will deck need to be redone? He also did not wait half an hour to wipe off excess in some places he just coated and wiped is this a problem?
You cannot assess until the rain water dries off. Nothing you can do right now.
Had deck stained just over 24 hours ago. Will chlorine affect the color of used on gutters?
Yes, the chlorine will damage deck stain and bleach out the color.
If I keep the porch wet can I clean my house around it with water & bleach? Will it effect it right away or will it take days to show up? Thanks so much I never thought this would be a problem till someone said you can’t get bleach on stain decks…
It will have an immediate reaction and damage your stain.
My deck has milky places all over it after the first rain after staining
It was several days so I don’t know what could have caused it
Please help
What stain brand and type did you use? Post some pics in the comments.
This was posted as an answer to question. This is not the right answer. They asked about a porch that has a roof.
Sorry but we do not understand your comment.
How can we cleaned a stained deck
Will hit the deck work on a stained deck with black mould on it
We do not understand your question.
So I cleaned and brightened my deck but the last week has had some random light showers, so I haven’t had the 72 minimum window to let the deck dry, stain and cure before more rain comes.
I was wondering whether I could get some plastic sheeting to cover the deck and rails when I know it’s going to rain so that the deck doesn’t get soaked again and I can uncover it when it’s nice enough to allow it to continue drying or even start staining if it’s already dry at that point?
Do not cover it. Just let it dry for 48 hours after rain before staining.
Hi,
Deck stain was applied yesterday. As it’s drying, I am noticing the following:
1. some lines in a portion of the deck
2. some fuzzies and white residue – these came about during the prep, but I expected them to be gone after staining
(The person applying the stain did walk across a couple of times holding a rag wet from water, or holding the paint tray/brush with stain in it . A push mop with a rag tied around it with a string at each end was also used to wipe the floor of any excess stain. Not sure if any of this might be related)
My questions:
1. Any idea why the lines are there and how to fix it?
2. What to do about the fuzzies and white residue – Will this go away on its own in a few weeks?
Thank you.
1. Looks like roller marks maybe from grill or furniture. You cannot fix them outside of removing all stain and starting over.
2. No, it does not go away.
Hi,
1. There was actually a grill there with wheels that they moved, so that would make perfect sense. I might need to ask them to sand that section and re-stain there, will that work?
2. Could you please clarify your second response – what does not go away, the fuzzies or the white residue/spots around the knots? What caused this and how do I fix it?
Thank you
1. You cannot spot fix, you would have to remove all and start over.
2. Same are #1 with the fuzzies and white residue.
We stained our covered deck with oil based stain. It became very foggy and had tons of moisture on it. It dried in some areas but is super “shiny” in others and seems sticky still in the shiny areas. It’s now been 5 days of nice weather. What do we do….. thanks for your help!!
Remove excess stain with rags and mineral spirits. Saturate oily rags in water when done to avoid spontaneous combustion.
Is there a mineral spirits product you would recommend?
Any.
Mineral spirits didn’t work. Some parts are still “sticky” and shiny. What’s next ? Do I have to sand it? Could I put a clear sealing coat over the whole thing and then it will all just be shiny : )
You cannot top coat it. It will make it worse and it will peel. If it does not cure and dry on its own in a few weeks then you will have to remove it fully and start over.
Oh and I do plan to use one of your recommended brands when we redo next spring. Unfortunately I came across your website after the fact! Oh well! Lesson learned!!
We live in western Washington state and applied Australian Timber Oil to our deck that has not been maintained since being built about 14 years ago. We cleaned it and pressure washed it first and allowed it to dry. Of course it rained that night. The sections under the roof seemed to fair okay and are dry but the sections that got rained on are still kinda tacky. Even after drying all the way. When it rained really hard over the weekend the water seemed to seep into the stain and it created a yellow kinda film on the top that I could scrape off with my finger nail. Is there anything I can do to get rid of the sticky parts to keep excess dirt and grime from collecting over the winter? I know this is most likely a start over in the spring situation but it’d be nice if it wasn’t sticky all winter. Thanks for any advice. I’ll attach pics of the dry deck. The lighter spots are where the yellow film forms when it’s wet.
The only thing you can do is remove all and start over.
Hello, similar story to others here: I think unexpected rain might have messed up the deck seal we applied. Either that or I was a bit heavy handed in applying the deck seal.
It’s a new deck and we used Behr transparent deck seal. It rained maybe 6-8 hours after we sealed the deck. It was overnight so I couldn’t tell how hard it rained but there was water pooled on the deck the next morning.
Question is: should we pressure wash and re seal it or is it okay for the upcoming winter? What do you recommend?
Send pictures after the rainwater has dried off for help on how to fix.
Sorry I thought the pictures were loaded! Here they are.
Notice in some areas the colour is more saturated and shiny despite it feeling completely dry.
Just fix it next Spring. Strip and brighen for prep and then use a better brand of deck stain as well. The Behr is very poor.
https://www.deckstainhelp.com/the-5-best-deck-stain-reviews-and-ratings/
It rained very heavy and persistent the next day after my first water based staining. When can I apply the recommended second coat.?
That depends on the brand of stain and if you or cannot apply another coat after it has cured.
Hi Support Team
I painted my garden boxes, inside and outside with Pure 100% Linseed oil and it rained 12 hours later. A real down pour all day. It looks like the rain has washed of most of the oil. When I started we were not expecting rain for four or five days so am really upset that I have wasted my time and money in painting the boxes with oil. So what happens now.? Do I have to wait for them to dry to recoat.? The stain was applied to garden boxes not decking so is the procedure the same as decking..
Strip it and redo it with a proper wood stain, not straight oil. Use TWP or Armstrong Clark stains.
I live in Australia so not familiar with the TWP or Armstrong Clark stains. As they are garden boxes and I will be planting vegie and herb plants in them, so are these stains food safe or will they leach into the soil and contaminate whatever plants are sown in them. I am new to garden boxes so not sure what to use to waterproof the inside of the boxes. Have read that Linseed or tung oil is best for this purpose any info would be gratefully appreciated.
Had a contractor come out to stain my decks and fence. He used Thompson’s Water Seal on the fence and Cabot’s Australian Timber Oil on the decks. Started to rain as he was finishing up and now have some white bubbly patches on fence and decks looks unevenly stained. Does he need to come back out to reapply?
You will have to redo fully. Start over.
Like, restain everything all over again?
As in you will have to remove the coatings first and then restain.
Oh, no.😓 Thanks for your help @ Deck Stain Help!