How to Prepare a Deck Before Staining?
Josh Richards • Nov 18, 2022
Preparing a Deck Before Staining
Before staining the deck, it's necessary to prepare it first. Following the best practice is key to getting the best station to stain the deck and protect the wood for long. We have listed some basic steps to do that job. Let's directly dive into that.
Gather the Tools and Supplies
There are several tools and supplies you may require to prepare the deck for staining:
Check the weather
Both preparing and staining require at least 24 hours to dry. Check the weather forecast and choose a day with no rainy days before, during, and after the deck preparing job. It’s also good to find the best time to stain the exterior wood. Doing the job at the right time ensure to give you the best results. We suggest staining the exterior wood when the temperature is between 50 to 90 degrees.
Clear & clean the deck
Remove any furniture, mat, lamps, etc., from the deck and keep everything in a safe place, such as a shed, garage, or basement. Preparing and staining is a long task. It may require several days to complete the job. Once you've removed everything from the deck, it's time clean the station. Use a broom or cleaning brush to remove debris and dirt from the wood. Make sure nothing remains stuck in the gaps between the board.
Inspect the wood
Check if the deck has any loose boards. Check underneath the deck as well. If the wood requires repairing or replacing, work on that before starting the real work. Check if any nails or screws are coming out of the board for older woods. Use the hammer or drill to fix the issue.
Cover nearby plants and walls
Cover nearby plants, shrubs, and flowers with a drop cloth. It's always better to water the plants before covering them. Also, wet the cloth over the plants. Protect nearby walls with protective sheets so no chemicals could get into the walls.
Apply Chemicals
Eco cleaner (new wood) wood cleaner (old wood)
Pour the cleaner into a bucket or tray and use a roller or pump-up sprayer to apply it all over the board. A pump-up sprayer can cost you up to $20. Leave the cleaner on the wood for up to fifteen minutes.
Make sure to apply the cleaner evenly all over the wood. We also suggest wearing safety glasses and rubber gloves to protect your eyes and hands from dangerous materials.
Rinse the cleaner
Rinse the cleaner using a cleaner with a pressure washer or hose. You may also use a brush to scrub the wood.
After applying the cleaner, you will start seeing a breakdown of dirt, grime, oil, rust, and other substances. Once the deposits are fully broken down, you may scrub the deck with a brush or broom.
Sand down rough spots
After rinsing the deck, let it dry out. You want to sand just before you stain. then it's time to give the entire deck a neat and smooth feel. Use an orbital sander or a sanding block around 60-80 grit. Carefully work on uneven edges, nail holes, and other parts.
Don't attempt smoothing the board too much. It could reduce the size of the board and may weaken its strength. Over sanding may also close the pores, making the stain not set in the wood.
Let it dry
Let the deck dry for 24 hours. Avoid walking on the wood during the drying phases. Also, make sure you don't wet the wood during this process.
Apply Wood Staining
Now that the deck is ready, it's time to apply the stain. Before staining, it's better to run a dryness check on the wood. Pour some water on a small wood part. If the water soaks within 30 seconds, you're good to go or you can buy a moisture meter at your local hardware store for about $25. The moisture meter will tell you exactly what percentage the wood is at. You want it to be at 12% - 18%. Else, give it more time to dry. Once you're certain the deck is ready to stain, continue with the next step - staining your deck.
The basic staining steps include:
The Bottom Line
Preparing the deck is as crucial as staining. The better you prepare the staining station, the better you may stain it, and the better results you'll get. Staining or preparing to stain the deck isn't as easy as it may sound. We have a team of experts giving you a piece of good advice and offering the service that helps you get the results you want.
For more information, feel free to call us at 4072224058 or send us your query.
FAQs
Why is deck preparation?
Deck preparation is the process of removing debris, mold, mildew, and algae. It cleans the surface, opens closed pores, removes any coating the wood already has, and prepares the wood for staining.
What if I don't prepare the wood before staining?
If you don't prepare the deck before staining, the stain won't stay long on the wood surface and would ruin the entire project.
Do I need a professional's help to prepare the deck?
It's always better to hire an expert for the entire project: preparation & staining. Preparing the deck for staining involves a long process. The process also includes some chemicals that could harm your body and the things around the staining station. For that, we highly recommend hiring a staining team who could do the job with less pain in a few hours.