Best Time To Stain A Deck
Finding the best time to stain your deck isn't hard. All you need to do is take into account the age of the deck, the weather, and what kind of deck stain you are going to apply. Read the rest of our Deck Staining Guide below to find out when you should stain your deck.
Best Time To Stain Your Deck
Best Time To Stain Your Deck
Check The Weather First
The weather plays a big factor into whether or whether not you can stain your deck on the weekend of your choice. To get wood stain to apply properly you need the right temperature and humidity - anything different from the idea conditions listed on the can can cause issues. We recommend you do not stain unless the deck has been dry for 24 hours and will be dry for 24 hours UNLESS you use a product recommended for staining even on damp wood, like Olympic Maximum wood stain. Additionally the temperature outside should not be 'too hot' or 'too cold' or the stain will not apply properly to the wood. Check out Olympic Maximum - a wood stain that can be applied after it rains and even in temperatures down to 50 degrees.
Best Time To Stain Your Deck
Best Time To Stain Your Deck
Staining An Old Deck
Another thing to take into account is the age of the wood you are staining. Newer wood, treated wood - both absorb moisture in different ways. If your deck is really old it may be more porous than a smooth treated younger deck and so it may absord more stain depending on the temperature of the wood. As a rule of thumb, with older decks make sure the temperature is over 50 degrees, sunny, but not hotter than around 80 degrees. Additionally, if the deck is VERY old and the wood is cracked or falling apart - instead of staining you should use a deck resurfacer. Deck resurfacers fill in the cracks on the wood and create a sort of shell around the wood of the deck itself. Check out our deck resurfacer for older wood below.
