Q: How Do I Stain My Wooden Porch Or Deck?
A: Your porch and deck are great places to relax, entertain neighbors and enjoy meals with friends. There’s a lot you can do to enhance your outdoor spaces with wood stain to make them even more welcoming places for you to spend your time. Learn 3 quick staining tips and an 8-step process for the best way to stain your deck to achieve the perfect stain finish.
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Choosing the Right Stain
3 Quick Tips
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If you want to make your deck floor the focal point, stain your floor boards a shade or two lighter than your home’s base color.
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Interested in creating a holistic feel to your home's exterior? Maintain your home's outside appearance by staining your railings the same hue as your roof.
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For worn or weathered wood or concrete, use Olympic® Rescue It! Max Resurfacer & Primer & Sealant to hide imperfections. With over 140 color choices, you can find the color you want to match your home’s exterior.
Steps 1 - 2
Prepping Your Deck
1. Sweep debris from deck.
2. Remove dirt and contaminants with a deck cleaner:
Olympic Premium Deck Cleaner is applied at full strength with a deck care sprayer or a plastic pump-style garden sprayer and hose.
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Always test a small, hidden area, rinse and let dry before using this product.
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Spray the affected area liberally and allow to stand for five to 10 minutes. No scrubbing necessary.
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Thoroughly rinse treated surface and surrounding areas with water to neutralize cleaning action.
For wood that was previously stained, dark cedar and redwood, we recommend Olympic Premium Deck Brightener & Wash. It is a gentler cleaner for these more sensitive surfaces.
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Please refer to the Product Label, Technical Data Sheet (TDS) or Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for safety and detailed application instructions.
Olympic Staining Tip
Always test a small, hidden area, using the same number of coats you will be using on the deck and let it dry so that you can be sure to get the wood stain color you want.
Steps 3 - 5
Staining Your Deck
Using a brush, roller, or both:
3. Stain your railings before your floor boards.
4. For darker wood stains, work from the top down and protect your surface from drips.
5. Use the right number of coats for the stain transparency:
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For clear, toner, semi-transparent and semi-solid stains, apply one thin coat with a high-quality brush, roller, paint pad, or spray.
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For solid stains, apply two thin coats of deck stain with a brush, roller, or paint pad. To avoid lap marks, apply to a few boards at a time, keeping a wet edge.
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Please refer to the Product Label, Technical Data Sheet (TDS) or Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for safety and detailed application instructions.
Steps 6 - 8
Staining Your Deck
6. For best results, backbrush into the surface to work finish into the wood and ensure the coating is even.
7. Treat all areas of the wood, including joints, edges and ends.
8. Let dry before walking on the surface or replacing furniture.
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Buy Deck Stain Online
Please refer to the Product Label, Technical Data Sheet (TDS) or Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for safety and detailed application instructions.
