When you are planning to stain your deck, it is extremely important to properly prepare your deck in order to get the best possible results. The preparation required to stain the deck is totally dependent on the state of affairs of your wooden deck. For a new wood deck, you will need the slightest preparation, as compared to the old or damaged wood, which will need extra steps in order to ensure the best results at the time of applying wood stains. Whether you are working on a new deck or an old or damaged deck, the first step in the preparation of a deck for stain commences with an inspection, which should only take a few minutes. The results of the inspection will ascertain or establish whether a quick power wash is required or something more involved.
Step By Step Process To Prep & Stain A New Deck
If you Prep a deck for stain before it starts raining, it will make the job last for a longer period of time, so check the weather first in your area. The majority of the stains require dry wood as well as a 24-hour window of dry weather to fully cure. Keep all your tools as well as materials ready, in case of having a short fair-weather window. High temperatures (above 90 degrees Fahrenheit) should be avoided when you are going to start your stain prep. If in case it’s too hot, the cleaner may dry too quickly which in turn may cause uneven penetration. Temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit increase the drying time. Humidity isn’t a cause of concern, however, it will take a longer time duration for your deck to dry. The ideal temperature when you are going to prep a deck for stain is betwixt 50 and 89 degrees Fahrenheit on a low humidity day.
Tools & Materials Needed
- Scrub Brushes
- Sandpaper
- Paint Prep & Cleanup
- Drop Cloths
- Deck Screws
- Safety Glasses & Sunglasses
- Paint Thinners
- Pressure Treated Lumber
Step 1: Examine Your Deck's Condition
Putting or spreading the stain over damaged wood will neither improve the look of the deck nor safeguard the deck from the elements. Before cleaning it, it is essential to perform a thorough inspection in order to make sure that there is no damaged wood and be absolutely certain that the structure is sound.
- For an old or damaged deck, examine the surface for popping nails or broken screws. Check for any broken or warped deck boards. Replace any nails, deck screws, as well as wood boards as needed before cleaning.?
- Look for any part of the deck that is in direct contact with the ground or connected to the house, such as joists and beams. These areas are vulnerable or prone to water damage. Tighten any loose screws and replace the screws that are rusted.
- Then, examine the rotting wood on the deck, with the help of an awl or screwdriver. Have a thorough investigation around the posts having direct contact with the ground or foundation blocks. The softwood needs to be replaced before staining.
- Check for the framing material (the ledger) that affixes the deck to the house. The flashing needs to be in good shape with no holes or rust. The ledger should be fixed with lag screws, not nails.?
Step 2: Test The Stain
For a new and unstained deck or already known type of stain that was used on your deck, you can proceed to clean a deck before staining. However, if you don't know whether the stain on your deck is water-based or oil-based, then you have to perform a quick test. Water-based stains need to be removed before applying a new finish, while oil-based stains can be painted again after using a deck cleaner. To test the stain, go through the following steps:
- Spread a little amount of deck stripper to a small area on your deck. Let it sit for nearly 15 minutes, before wiping it off with the help of a cleaning rag.
- If in case the stain comes off, then the stain is water-based. Go through the directions on the deck stripper carefully in order to remove the stain from the deck.
- If the stain does not come off, then the stain is oil-based.
Step 3: Clear And Sweep
Take off all your patio furniture as well as potted plants from the deck. Protect any landscape plants from the wood cleaner using plastic sheeting and spray from the hose or pressure washer. Sweep the deck rigorously in order to get rid of all leaves and other debris. Immediately after removing the dirt from the surface, prepare the cleaning solution.
Step 4: Apply Cleaner
- Mix the cleaner as per the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Spread cleaner to the wood deck with the help of a roller or pump sprayer. Put on protective equipment in order to avoid contact with skin and eyes.
- Allow the cleaner to sit for nearly 15 minutes. Cover the deck's surface with mist, if required, with the help of a garden hose in order to keep it wet while the cleaner rinses into the wood.
- During the time the deck is wet, examine for mill glaze (water beading showing that the surface is not porous). If in case mill glaze exists, you can sand smoothly, or scrub the area as long as the water is easily soaked up into the wood.
- While the deck is wet, examine for black spots that might point out mold or mildew. If in case you find mold or mildew, deal with it using an appropriate product.
- After 15 minutes, with the help of a scrub brush, work the cleaner into the surface. Scrub rigorously in order to get rid of all residue.
Step 5: Rinse
- Rinse the surface with the help of a garden hose. Or, with the help of a power washer outfitted with a 45-degree tip set at 1200 to 1400 psi. Stay 8 to 12 inches away from the surface of the deck and go along the grain of the wood.
- Allow the deck to entirely dry. As soon as it's dry, use a sander on any areas of new wood in order to get rid of any remaining residue.
- With the help of a leaf blower or broom, sweep up any wood dust particles.
Step 6: Stain The Deck
As soon as your deck is clean, & you have get rid of all the mold/mildew, as well as splinter, and all previous coatings are eliminated, now you can apply or spread the deck stain. Now, as you know how to prep a deck for stain, spread a coat of your new stain on the surface of the deck. After the stain dries, spread a transparent stain sealer and permit it to cure.