This post was updated on April 4, 2025
Hi, I am Scott Paul, a leading exterior restoration contractor and business owner with over 30 years of experience in new deck staining and prep. My tips for staining a new deck are based on my extensive hands-on experience as a wood and deck restoration contractor. I’ve tested and worked with a wide range of products, so I can guide you toward the top choices that will ensure the best results for your deck.See here for more info about me.
Staining a New Deck in 2026
DeckStainHelp.com has earned its reputation as the go-to website for all things related to exterior wood surface restoration. One important tip I always recommend is waiting at least 3 months before staining new wood surfaces. This allows the wood to naturally weather and create a porous surface that holds the stain more effectively. Keep in mind that the waiting period can vary depending on the stain brand and the type of wood, so always check the manufacturer’s guidelines for the best results. Our top new wood deck stains are the Armstrong Clark and the Restore-A-Deck Wood Stains.
I encourage customer interaction on our site, so feel free to participate in our open discussion in the comment area.
See our Deck Stain Facts section, which contains over 150 simple Q&A articles that answer all your questions about deck staining.
My Pro Tips for How to Stain New Decks
-
- How Long Should We Wait to Stain New Wood?
- Staining New Smooth Decking
- How to Prep and Stain New Decking
- Review the Best Stains for New Decks
- Watch My Video on How To Stain New Decks
- Ask me for Help on Staining New Wood
1. How Long Should You Wait to Stain a New Deck?
Over the past 12+ years, we have had numerous questions on the site, but none was asked more than “What stain or prep is needed for my new deck”? Homeowners believe it is okay to stain new wood immediately or before installing the deck. This is incorrect for most wood types and stain brands.
In this article, I will cover the required prep and the waiting period before applying a stain for the first time.
Staining New Decks
2. Staining New Smooth Decking
New smooth decking boards are not porous enough for most stains to penetrate properly. This is mainly due to:
- Mill glaze when cut
- High moisture content
- Chemicals in Pressure-Treated Wood
Most wood stains have difficulty penetrating the wood cells when applied to new wood. This results in an uneven application and premature stain failure by quickly fading or peeling. Remember, the deeper the stain soaks into the wood, the longer the life of the stain.
3. How To Prep and Stain New Smooth Wood:
- Install wood and let weather for 1-12 months. This varies depending on the stain brand. Read and follow the manufacturer’s directions.
- After waiting, you should use a wood cleaner and a wood brightener. This will remove the dirt, UV graying, and mill glaze.
- Let the wood dry for a few days after the cleaning.
- Apply only one Coat of the stain! Even after the waiting period, new wood is still not very absorbent. Overapplying the stain will not give long-lasting results. You want to achieve one even coat that soaks into the wood.
- Be prepared to apply a maintenance coat in 12-18 months.
Once you get through the first couple of years, your deck stain will perform much better as the wood will allow more stain and deeper penetration into the wood.
My Pro TIP: Do not sand new wood. This will smooth the wood, reducing the stain’s ability to penetrate the wood.
Rough Sawn Wood
New Rough or Rough Sawn Wood?
Rough-sawn wood is not used for horizontal decking surfaces but rather vertical surfaces such as fencing, wood siding, etc. This side of the wood is very absorbent and does not have a mill glaze. As long as the wood has a low moisture content, it can be stained right away.
4. Review Best Deck Stains for New Wood
Stain Brands Best for New Wood?
In our opinion, certain brands of stains will work better on new wood. Over the years, we have tried numerous stains on new wood, and we have found that stains that contain paraffin (non-drying oil) will penetrate into newer wood better, provide better coverage, and can be applied sooner.
My Pro TIP: If you do not want to wait 4-12 months for the wood to weather, we suggest one of these brands for new wood.
Armstrong Clark Wood Stain – Waiting period of 2-3 months
Restore-A-Deck Wood Stain –Â Waiting period of 3 months
Timber Oil Brand – Waiting period of about 1-2Â months
If choosing one of these brands, you must still prep the wood to remove mill glaze by cleaning and brightening it.
Best Water-Based Deck Stain  for New Wood | The Easiest Applying Deck Stain for New Wood | Best Oil-Based Deck Stain for New Wood |
Months to Weather New Wood: 3 months for both semi-transparent and solid stain colors. | Months to Weather New Wood: 2-3 months for transparent and semi-transparent colors. 12 months for semi-solid. | Months to Weather New Wood:Â 4 - 12 months for all TWP Series and Colors. |
| 
| 
|
From: $47.99 *Free Shipping | From: $65.99 *Free Shipping | From: $58.99 *Free Shipping |
| ; | ; | ; |
5. Watch My Video on New Wood Deck Staining
6. Questions on New Deck Staining
Are you still unsure of how to stain a new deck? Please ask below if you still have questions about when to stain a new deck and how to do it. I am glad to assist you.
Installed a new 40 x 12 cedar deck with aluminum spindles March 2017. South Dakota Weather. It was covered with snow over the winter for weeks. Do you recommend Clean, Brighten and then Seal/Stain or do you recommend sanding also? Please advise?
PS: Your website is very helpful. Thank you in advance.
Yes, but you may need to sand off the oxidixed wood fibers after the prep. Cannot tell until you do the cleaning and brightening.
Your directions clearly state to only use 1 coat of stain, yet your reviews of the top 3 stains you recommend (TWP, RAD, Defy, etc) say that you used 2 coats. Which is it? Or does it depend on the situation? New deck vs old, brands vary, etc?
Only one coat on new wood. Older wood typically needs two coats but best to always follow the directions on the stain can you are suing.
I have a newly assembled potting bench from cedar boards purchased at Lowe’s. It has been outside covered for 2months. My son just recently sanded the surfaces….the wood is very dry. I am going to apply a TWP 1500 stain. Do you think I should still wait for wood to age and expose it the the elements for a few more months? Wish I would have read your reviews before sanding.
Yes you should wait.
I live in central NC and just had my deck surface redone with pressure treated wood. From your site, I see that I should wait at least 4 months to let the wood dry out which puts me in the September/October time frame to stain. My deck gets full sun so my question is can I still put my patio furniture on the deck during that waiting period or will it cause discoloration under where the furniture sits? I see one commenter said that his deck did discolor from a rug and patio furniture but on a different comment it says you can put the furniture back on during the waiting period. I would like to be able to use my new deck during the waiting period but do not want to discolor it if the furniture will do that.
I installed new deck boards last August and want to stain now. I have big differences in surface color where I had an outdoor carpet and a piece of furniture as you can see in the photo. I wanted to use a semi transparent stain but am afraid it will look really bad. Any ideas on how to handle this?
It looks like there is a stain coating on there already?
No. The very light circle area is where I had a piece of furniture all winter. The ‘mid light’ area is where an outdoor carpet was for the fall and the darker area was always uncovered. I was surprised at how different the amount of weathering was. I used a deck wash but it did not change anything. Wondering if I have to sand the dark areas before I stain or would some type of brighter work?
Brightener will not even this out. Try sanding and then brightener after.
Thank you. Will give that a shot next
I am in Sydney Australia and just finished building my deck with Merbau. I have heard to weather the wood for 6 weeks before staining. Is that the case for Merbau
It is not dependent on the wood type as to how long to weather but the stain brand you are using.
after stripping my wood deck do i use the brghtener first and then sand or the other way around
If you are sanding, do that first and then brighten the wood. Rinse well when done.
I have a new tight-knot Cedar Deck, installed in Nov 2017. I really want to keep the natural look so I am leaning towards a clear sealant. I am in NW Washington ST, It gets a lot of sun and tree material on it. Do you have a brand recommendation for UV protection in a clear stain?
Clear = No UV protection from graying. See this for more info: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/clear-deck-sealers/
I have a dock about one and a half yrs old. Builder used hem-fir wood. Live in the Seattle area. Suggested stain?
Restore-A-Deck Wood Stain or TWP 100 Series.
I installed a new deck last May.How long should I wait to stain.
As the article states above, you are good to prep and stain now since it has been a year.
I just had new steps installed to my deck. I understand that i should wait for 4-12 months to stain, but can i go ahead and put a water sealer on it or should that wait as well?
Don’t use a sealer. You cannot stain over a sealer and the wood needs to weather.
Can I put patio furniture my new redwood deck during the waiting period prior to staining …
Yes.
I want my new redwood deck to look like it just rained. Shiny and bright. I intend to clean it with Restore a Deck Cleaner and Brightener. I would like advice. Should I stain it with a specific Conditioner, Stain, or Varnish? I see no articles on varnish. How long does varnish last on partial sunlight exposure?
You cannot make a deck stain shiny. It will blister and peel and ruin your deck. You can go for a wet look with a penetrating stain (no shine).
See here about varnish or polyurethanes and why it does not work: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/apply-polyurethane-to-a-deck/
Getting ready to stain a new deck for the first time. The deck is approximately 8 months old. We will be cleaning it (unless otherwise recommended, planning on using Behr premium all in one wood cleaner) and keep seeing mixed review on which stain to use. One painter uses Cabot, consumersearch.com recommends Behr premium waterproofing wood stain and sealer for semi-transparent. Now I’m seeing your website and don’t know which way to go.
Behr is horrible and Cabot is average. Use a quality semi-transparent stain like TWP or Armstrong Clark.
I have a screened in deck that was finished 8 months ago. Hasn’t been stained yet. I was hoping to match the floor with the 230 early American minwax stain and the rails and pillars a white stain. Do you have any suggestions? I was thinking of Armstrong Clark. Is there a better option?
Armstrong Clark would work well for the floor but you cannot match a minwax interior stain. For the solid stain white, use Flood Solid stains.
I made a major boo boo and need help. So I waited 18 months after my cedar deck was installed and used the Restore A Deck cleaner and brightener and it looked great at first. When it was all dried thogh, I found there was a lot of tiny grey hairs that didn’t come off with the scrubbing.
And I don’t know where I read wrong (or maybe my brain just doesn’t work because I have a new born and a toddler) and sanded the hairs off with 120grit and then stained a section of deck and stairs. Only after that did I realize the Armstrong Clark Semi Transparent stain I have says max 80 grit sanding and now that I’m reading this page again I see that I’m not supposed to sand new wood period.
Well as expected, the stain absorbed some, but not very well and there is a film of stain sitting on top of the wood and hasn’t curd fully. It is still a bit greasy after 3 days.
So I’m wondering what my options are now. For the unstained portions of deck, I figure I need to go back and sand that at 80 grit now before I stain it. Should I spray it with water after sanding; does that open up the pores at all?
And I’ve been using a scrub brush and mineral spirits to remove the film on the stained boards. I’m wondering what I do after that? I’m really trying to avoid stripping it as I have painted combface trim risers and powder coated aluminum railing posts that I don’t want damage.
Do I let it sit for a year with what little stain did absorb and go back and sand it at 80 grit then? Or just clean and brighten and then restain after a year?
The deck is cedar and I am located in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. The deck gets morning and early afternoon sun. Shade from mid afternoon onward.
Thanks in advance for your help
Use a stain stripper to remove the AC. Brighten all the wood again after. The fuzzies are oxidation fibers from sitting unstained for 18 months. Buff those off. See here:https://www.deckstainhelp.com/wood-fuzzies-furring-on-deck/
Thanks!
And what about the unstained portion of the deck that I sanded to 120grit. Should I just re-sand with 80 grit? Should I do another clean and brighten?
Thanks again.
Yes on both.
Hi, one more question. So I am trying to get the deck done this weekend while my family is out of town and I don’t have enough of the restore-a-deck cleaner and brightener left over. Unfortunately I live in Canada and can’t seem to find it locally. Is there another brand of cleaner and brightener you can recommend? And stripper brand too?
Thanks so much!
Sorry but no idea as to what is sold locally in Canada.
I just had a new deck built. They actually finished it today. It is pressure treated wood. The wood is already splitting. The builder said it is already drying, and I need to stain it. I know wood is going to split, but is it normal for the wood to split so soon? He said it should be okay as long as I stain it.
You have to wait and prep. Yes, it is normal for exterior wood to split and staining would not prevent this.
How long do you waite with wood rx sealer or stain
Not sure. Best to ask them.
I replaced my covered porch floor last September 2017…and to this date I have not stained or applied anything since laying the floor. I used a common deck wood, treated for an “above water” exposure. Since our home is “country” , having a 10ft x 32 ft covered porch floor we added “country railings and stiles.
We plan a color scheme of white for the stiles and bottom rails, and white for the pillars.
The top rail, treated floor and steps will be stained with a toast color, then sealed.
Any thoughts as to prepping and materials best for “long-lasting”? So far we have reviewed Flood products only.
We live in Somerset, WI which is just across the St Croix river and Minneapolis, MN. (Brrr)
Thnx
George Maurer
For the white, you can use the Flood Solid Color Deck Stains. You are doing your horizontals wrong though. You cannot stain the wood and then seal over the stain. This is exterior wood so you need a penetrating semi-transparent stain. No sealer can be applied over a stain on outside wood. https://www.deckstainhelp.com/the-5-best-deck-stain-reviews-and-ratings/
We varnished our posts around our decking with yaught varnish and this turned very ugly with black spotting. We want to varnish not stain the posts which surrounds the decking. We have sanded and removed the varnish and black mildew and want to revarnish but are now worried “what do you suggest”?
You cannot use varnish on outside wood: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/apply-polyurethane-to-a-deck/
I have a pressure treated wood deck that is 2 yrs old and never been sealed or stained. What shoukd I use for pretreatment and what yo use for semi transarentbstain.
Prep with Restore A Deck Cleaning/Brightening Kits ans stain with the Restore A Deck Wood Stain or TWP stains.
I have a pressure treated deck I built in July last year. I have not prepped or treated it yet. I know I need to use a cleaner and a brightener before staining. My question is for the TWP products. What is the difference between the TWP100 series stain and the TWP1500 series stain. Also which would be better for my deck. I live in NE Oklahoma where the winters are mild and the summers are scorchers.
Thanks.
I’d like my new deck to be cool underfoot when the sun is hot. Which stain and sealer is best to keep my deck from burning my feet?
Lighter colors will retain less heat but it is impossible to have it cool to the touch in high sun/heat. TWP Honeytone is an example.
I was told to look at the pigmentation formula. If it contains black it will be hotter. Anecdotally, I have a brown stain that feels less hot (no black) than a lighter yellowish cedar color stain that had 3 parts black in the formula.
Strange. Maybe the yellow pigment is absorbing the heat?
Deck Stain Team…What are your thoughts on NewDeck Infrared Reflective Wood Stain. Reduction in surface heat product.
Never heard of it or seen it. Let us know if you try it out.
Best clear coat product for outside deck new wood used oil based stain then sanded afterwards for the look I wanted need great clear coat now that will last and not turn yellow or mess up in 6 months in Colorado..
Clear with no tint = little to no UV protection. It will gray in months. Better to use a semi-transparent stain like Armstrong Clark or TWP.
What is the best clear coat product to use please and thanks
Which product is best for restaining a wooden fence – water based or oil based? pros and cons of both please?
Either is fine. Both have positives and negative. See this for tips: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/deck-stains/
Need advice and suggestions for new pressure treated pine deck in central North Carolina. The deck was built last July 17 and has not been stained or sealed due to waiting for the wood to dry. Although the deck receives full sun for the majority of the day, by mid fall (3 months) the deck began to show signs of mold/mildew. We loved the natural look of the new boards when they were first installed, especially when wet. Therefore we intend to use a semi transparent stain in a cedar or honey tone. . My concern now is how to achieve this result since the boards have mildewed/molded, lightened considerably and appear gray in places. Is this normal? I am attaching photos for suggestions on how to make boards look new again. Also, can you please suggest stain and stain color. In addition, the deck is connected to house that has new cedar siding stained with a semi-transparent cedar tone stain with no signs of mold or discoloration. Any information, advice and suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Hello,
For the prep to remove the gray and mildew, use the Restore A Deck Cleaner Kit. Once prepped, try Restore A Deck Wood Stain in Natural or TWP 100 Series in Honeytone.
Thank you for replying so quickly and for the recommendations. Do you think the Restore A Deck cleaner Kit will remove the gray and mildew or will we need to sand as well. We have a pressure washer; should that be used with the cleaner? I was able to locate a TWP distributor that is only 30 minutes away, but they do not have Restore A Deck Cleaner Kit. The sales person said we could get a similar cleaning kit at Lowe’s or Sherwin Williams Super Deck Revive. Do you know anything about Revive? We want are deck to look the natural honey it did when new. I’m fearful of trying a product that will make the wood too light. Also, this question is out of curiosity, is it normal for premium pressure treated pine to discolor and mildew so quickly? Do you think our wood looks like it’s in bad condition?
The kit with pressure washing should remove the gray and mildew. We never use any brands from Lowes or SW. Yes, untreated wood will gray and mildew. Nothing you can do to prevent his.
I am a little disappointed you suggest not to sand a new deck before finishing. I built my deck last year so it has been unfinished over the winter. I notice there has been some splintering of the wood surface and thought sanding before staining would be a way to prevent splinters in bare feet.
Sanding can reduce the stains ability to soak into the wood grain. If you need to sand, just lightly hand sand.
Puting up a new pergola with kiln dried #1 grade yellowwood, can kiln dries wood be stainned inmediately as i want to stain pieces before I assemble. im going to precut and drill pieces and then moeve to area
Hello, see this for tips on your wood type: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/staining-a-new-kdat-deck/
I have a ruff sawn white cedar pergola that was built last fall. The wood was a little older. So I want to stain it this spring or summer. Which product do you recommend for mid Western Michigan weather that will last the longest. I think semi transparent. When you say light cleaning for before staining prep, what exactly does that mean? Thank you
Use a deck cleaner and lightly pressure wash for prep. Brighten the wood after. Stain with Restore A Deck Wood Stain or TWP 100 Series.
I put down a new pressure treated wood deck last year and applied Ben Moore arbor coat natural after about 4 months. Unfortunately the can did it mention using a cleaner and I applied the stain direct. Needless to say this resulted in an unever look which did inprove a bit over the winter and it started to gray a bit. At this point what should my move be ? I was thinking using a cleaner then a brightner then possibly applying another satin. Would it be a bad move to switch stain types as the arbor coat was darker that what I was expecting. Thanks.
You will need to remove the Arborcoat as you cannot apply over it. Strip and or sand. Brighten after. Once prepped, you can switch.
What stain remover would you recommend ? I was looking at the defy product but there is a comment on their site that says it will not remove bm Arbor coat which concerns me.
Nothing actually will strip the Arborcoat fully. You will get some off but power sanding will be required as well. You could skip the stripping and go straight into sanding.
Thanks. Even the Benjamin Moore products won’t strip their own stain off. This product really is troublesome.
We agree. The BM Arborcoat is a poor product: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/tag/benjamin-moore-arborcoat/
I live in Denver – we have 11% humidity mostly. Does this play a part in the waiting time for new wood? was thinking semi transparent / oil based. My major concern is UV weathering not really mold or other. Canadian white cedar and this is a barrel sauna not deck.
Humidity level does not matter. Try the TWP 100 series after the wait and prep.
can i leave the wood natural
It will gray and not be protected from UV, water, etc. if you do not add a coating to the wood.
First, amazing site. You really know what you are doing!
Cedar deck, (screened in porch) mostly shady, in western PA. It’s about 6 months old. I bought twp 1501 semi transparent natural cedar. What other options would be ok ?
The TWP 1500 would be a good choice. Only 1 coat. Prep with a deck cleaner and wood brightener. Another stain option would be Armstrong Clark.
First, this website is so incredibly unusual. Thank you for making it.
I have been doing a lot of research about deck stains. Just before we bought our house the previous owners painted! our front stairs and porch, and the flats/horizontals peeled badly within two years (of course). We are about to sell our house in the next few months and I don’t want to make the same problem for the new owner. We’re dealing with brand new, raw PTP. We knew we should let the wood age for a few months before we stain so we have let the new steps age over the winter.
My problem is that our house colors are grey, charcoal, and navy. Because I don’t want to pass on a problem to the buyer, I know I should choose a semi-transparent stain to avoid peeling. However, I’m having a real problem finding a high-quality semi-transparent in a color that ISN’T a red or brown based color. Are there ANY dark grey or black-ish colored stains? I’d be fine with just a very light tint to the wood, if I could get it to be a cooler tone (i.e. black/blue/grey rather than brown/honey/red/natural). So if I could find a good black, and then apply just a thin coat, I think that would work. I would like something much darker than the Defy driftwood grey (the only greyish color I’ve been able to find among your recommendations).
Do you know if anything like this exists?
No dark grays but you can get close to Black. Armstrong Clark makes a Black Walnut and so does TWP in their 1500 Series.
Hello, thank you for your article on staining a new deck. our deck is about 7 months young 😉 and we are wanting to stain it before summer gets here.
I saw that you said not to sand the wood because it will not allow the stain to penetrate. So what should we do with the rough spots that can cause splinters 😬…
I took pictures of some of the areas that I am worried about.
Thanks for your help in advance.
If you need to sand splinters, just lightly hand sand those areas. Do not power sand and use 60-80 grit paper.
But how do I do I know if I need 12 months or 4 months
You can test the moisture content with a moisture meter. The wood should be less than 12% moisture.
If the wood is less than 12% is it clear to oil and coat even in less than 4 months?
No. There is more to it than moisture. Has to weather and be prepped to remove the mill glaze and open the grain of the wood.
We have completed the installation of our 1000 sq ft bee grade redwood deck. We are starting the seasoning period. The wood has substantial moisture. It oozed out when screwing down the deck. How do we know when the deck has seasoned long enough for staining? We are looking at TWP 1500 products.
4-12 months is what TWP suggests for new wood to weather. It wil dry by then. Make sure to prep correctly first and stain only with 1 coat.
I installed a #2 PT deck last Fall. I’ve been told the wood never really dries? Will just peel! So, what’s the choice. It’s weathered the entire winter in upstate ny. Any suggestions?
It dries. Clean and brighten for prep and try Armstrong Clark wood stains.
Guys I need help. I wanted to surprise my husband by staining our new pool deck while we was away. So I used Olympic deck cleaner followed the instructions and loved the results. I let it dry and taped off the pool and surrounding areas I didn’t wait stained. I picked Olympic semi transparent cedar natural tone. At first I was loving how it looked it motivated me to finish it all. I was careful and made sure to leave a wet edge so there wouldn’t be lines but once I got to the last section the stain is so much darker then the rest. I could see a difference when I poured it out of the can. I hope in the morning it would be better but it all looks nothing like yesterday. :(. It is about 24 hours later. We r expecting rain tomorrow and I’m praying it will just wash away. What did I do wrong and what can I do now? I really just want to have a nautral look to the wood. Our deck is made with spruce. We cannot have pressure treated with the pool chlorine incase of splinter etc. Thanks. But someone please help!!!! Pics r of opposite ends of the pool. See the color difference. Ugh!!!!!!!
The only and best way to fix this is to strip it all off and start over. It does not wash away. :sad:
I figured that’s what I would end up needing to do. Just wanted to see if anyone had options. Can I ask once I strip it what would u recommend for around a pool?
Armstrong Clark would work well.
We live in Western Kentucky and are building an outdoor pergola using red cedar smooth appearance dimensional lumber from a local lumber yard. 1. Should we sand the cedar before staining? 2. Should we apply a wood conditioner first? 3. Since we want some color added, what type of stain should we use (semitransparent)? 4. Can we apply the stain right away? 5. Should we sand the wood or does it hurt to sand the ends after they have been cut?
Thanks
Hello, please read the article as it answers your questions on when to stain, how to prep, and the stain brands we would normally use for new wood. Do not sand.
Have a few new pressure treated vertical 8 x 8 support beams to treat.. 2 will be in the sun all day. Others will not be in sun. We put them up about 2 months ago and they are already cracking…Would you please tell me what I should do to prepare the beams, I would like to stain so they don’t turn gray… What is the best stain.. I would like it to penetrate the wood … I’m old :) and would really prefer NOT to mess this up and NOT to have to do it every year.. Since they are already cracking may we start this process now.. Thanks
Try the TWP Stains or Armstrong Clark.
I should clarify that the original stain is peeling away and raw wood is visible from weathering on the railings and we have early signs of mildew on deck boards.
Just should strip and brighten all down to the bare wood. Use the same brand of stain for the railings and deck.
The posts have been up for about s month, but are already cracking. Can we put the stain on now, or pretreat them with something to stop the cracking for worsening and then apply the stain.
No, you cannot pre-treat to prevent cracking before applying a stain. Cracks are normal for exterior wood. Nothing you can do to stop this. They will continue to happen even after staining.
I have a 2 yr. old cedar deck that we coated with Armstrong’s Cedar semi-transparent & railing that we coated with Defy cedar. We didn’t properly prep the wood prior to the original coating and seeing the negative effects of this now. What is the best way to proceed with re-coating the deck? Cleaner + wood brightener + single coat of stain?
This is a second-floor deck with Defy treated cedar siding below it. If cleaner runs over the side I assume that this will begin to strip the siding as well, correct?
Thanks for the help.
We live in central Kentucky in a 100 year old plus Dutch Revival house. We installed a new treated wood deck and staircase about three months ago. We want the deck structure, floor and stairs to be solid black and the slats in solid white to match the house.
What brand would you recommend?
Oil or water base?
How long is the ‘dry’ wait time for the recommended brand?
If possible, we would like to stain in the next 45-60 days.
What wood cleaner and wood brightener would you recommend before staining?
I just found your site today. Very helpful.. enjoyed it.
Do you want solid stain for both areas? If so, use Flood Solid stains. Prep with Restore A Deck Cleaner/Brightener Kits.
We appreciate your help. Have you heard of/or tested Richard’s Timber Tough #900 series, 100% acrylic sold body wood stain? We are new to this area; this brand seems to be used locally.
Sorry never heard of it.
Forgot to mention, we are looking for a semi transparent. Thanks!
Armstrong Clark or TWP 1500 Series.
Hi,
We have a new deck. Installed 8 months ago. Pressure treated decking. We are in NJ. The deck is in the sun for half of the day. Which stain would you recommend? Looking for something that will be easy to reapply in a couple years when its needed.
Thanks!
What if your wait time has been 2 years
Prep with a wood deck cleaner and a wood brightener. Stain with 2 coats of the stain. Try TWP 0r Armstrong Clark.
I live in the Bahamas and i can not find a good water sealing stain the the color i like sop i have to ship it in from the U.S. . i have let the new deck sit for 1 year to weather and i’m ready to stain now but we have entered the rainy season. i would like to order it now and have it on had so as soon as we have a few days no rain it can be applied. I was wondering how long will a can of stain last UN-opened before it goes bad?
Should last years if unopened and stored correctly.
Two weeks ago, we built a covered porch with western red cedar. We would like it to gray to match the rest of our grayed log home. What finish or preservative should we apply?
Naturally gray or stain it gray?
Aged naturally gray. But we could consider using a gray stain. What would be your answer both ways please?
You want a true clear (no tint). That means it will gray naturally. Try TWP in Clear.
For a gray stain, try Armstrong Clark in Driftwood gray.