deck staining tips

Update on Deck Stains for 2022 Please read this article and post any questions you have in the comment area below. Our newly enhanced website now offers the ability to upload and post pictures of your exterior wood or deck. Deck stains have not changed much in the past few years. Many brands have gone away from oil-based stains to water-based, but you are still able to use oil-based stains in all US States and Canada. We currently restore about 300-400 decks annually, and our favorites are the penetrating semi-transparent and semi-solids. We have been getting great feedback here at www.deckstainhelp.com from all the consumers who have been looking for better stain alternatives for their deck restoration. Our most popular…

Staining a New Deck in 2022 DeckStainHelp.com has become the Internet’s go-to website for all things exterior wood surface restoration-related. We recommend you wait 3+ months to stain new wood surfaces to allow the wood to weather, creating an ideal porous surface that will hold the stain better. The waiting period does vary based on the stain brand and type of wood. Our top stains for new wood are the Armstrong Clark and the Restore-A-Deck Wood Stains. We encourage customer interaction on our site, so feel free to participate in our open discussion. How Long Should you Wait to Stain a New Deck? Over the past 10+ years, we have had numerous questions asked on the site, but none was…

Tips on Restoring Your Deck in One Day In recent years there have been a few new deck and wood stains coming to the market that allow the ability to prep and stain your deck all on the same day. As contractors in the deck restoration business, this allows us to save money and more importantly time by completing everything on the same day. No need to wait days or even weeks for the wood to dry or the rainy weather to cooperate. This frees up a lot of time for the average homeowner as the task of redoing the deck or exterior wood does not take up multiple weekends. Here are the 3 basic restoration steps on prepping and…

Search Deck Staining Facts Use our search to find deck staining and prepping facts.   The Top Deck Staining Questions & Answers In 1993 we started restoring exterior wood and decks and that led us to start DeckStainHelp.com which has become the internet’s largest resource for all things deck restoration related. Our deck restoration business restored over 10,000 decks and during that time, we have tried nearly every brand of deck stain and deck sealant on the market. DeckStainHelp.com was started 10 years ago as a way to help consumers find and use better prep and stain products and give customized help towards each individual deck or wood restoration project out there.  There have been currently over 74,000 Deck Stain…

Deck Staining Tips 2022 We have been restoring decks in the midwest for over 25+ years now and have used numerous different methods, applicators, sprayers, staining pads, and brushes when it comes to applying a deck stain. We average around 500 deck restorations in a year and when dealing with a shortened season and constant weather-related issues, we have to be as efficient as possible when applying a deck stain so we can get as many done in a day as possible. On average it will take a 2 man crew 1-2 hours to stain a 500 sq foot deck when using the proper tools and techniques. Following these tips, any residential homeowner will be able to stain a deck…

Tips for staining a deck yourself Deck staining is a very important process that improves the appearance of your deck and helps to protect it from the elements. A good quality stain can help your deck last for a much longer period of time than if left untreated. There are many different reasons you would want to stain or re-stain your deck, but it might be too expensive for you to hire a professional company, or you may just enjoy taking on DIY projects. Whatever the reason, if you are looking for tips on how to stain a deck on your own, this article aims to provide you with tips on how to complete a stained deck yourself  – to…

Why Choose a Two-Toned Deck? Two-toned decks are becoming more popular every year. With a solid color (opaque) deck stain on the verticals and a semi-transparent stain on the horizontal, two-toned decks look great and can ease the maintenance down the road. If you have any questions or have done a two-toned deck restoration, please post the pictures below in the comment area with some tips on what you used and how you prepped the wood. There are several visual and maintenance advantages of having a two-toned deck. Here are a few of the main reasons consumers have been switching to the two-toned look. The ability to color match the railings and vertical wood to blend with the color of the house by using…

Deck Stain Drying Time? In general, most deck stains will dry between 1-12 hours but not all deck stain types and brands are manufactured the same and will lead to different drying times. The weather, age/type of the wood, coats applied, and application method also play a major role as to how fast a deck stain will dry.  We will breakdown the different scenarios and offer tips on applying so your stain dries as fast a possible so you can walk on your new stain, before the rainstorm comes in, or the cold of night ruins your coating before it has a chance to dry fully. Water-Based Deck Stain Drying Time A water-based deck stain will dry much faster than…

A question we hear often at DeckStainHelp.com is, “What’s the difference between using deck stain and regular house paint?” The key to answering this question starts with understanding the difference between stain and paint. Is it Better to Paint or Stain a Deck? If you’re comparing stain to house paint, it’s absolutely better to use stain on your wood deck. House paint is designed specifically for vertical surfaces, such as walls and trim, not horizontal ones like the surfaces of your deck. House paint is much thicker, and when applied to a deck, it will wear and peel. Meanwhile, staining is a more budget-friendly option that is easy to apply and shows off the natural look of the wood. However,…

The Best Way Stain a Wood Deck How Long Does it Take to Stain a Deck is a popular question here on DeckStainHelp.com. Deck Stains and Deck Sealers typically come in 5 different types. Clear Deck Sealers, Transparent Deck Stains, Semi-Transparent Deck Stains, Semi-Solid Deck Stains, and Solid Color Deck Stains. All of these stain types are applied differently and take different amounts of effort or time to finish the deck staining project In this article about How Long Does it Take to Stain a Deck, we will breakdown the main difference between the stain types and which of them is the fastest to apply. We are going to use the same test deck stats for each different type of…

How to Apply A Deck Stain in 2022 Exterior wood deck restoration can be a yearly or every two-year chore for most homeowners. It is understood that you will need to maintain and treat your deck so it is protected from the elements and looks beautiful for many years to come. One popular question we have here at DeckStainHelp.com is “What is the Best Way to Apply a Deck Stain?” The issue with this common question is that most types of stains are applied differently and may require different application methods. We are going to break down the different types of deck stains and sealers and offer advice based on our 25+ years in the deck restoration business as to…

How Often to Reapply a Deck or Wood Stain? This is one of the most popular wood or deck staining questions we have on DeckStainHelp.com. Exterior deck and wood maintenance are key to improve the appearance and protect the wood so it lasts for many years. A quality wood or deck stain can last up to 3 years on a deck and 5 years on a vertical surface but they do not last forever. This article aims to provide you with tips on when to reapply your deck stain for different types of surfaces and different types of stains or coatings. Wood Staining Maintenance Tip: It is always best to reapply a deck stain prior to full failure. In many…