Being a homeowner isn’t an easy task. They have to worry about looking upon every corner of the house. The deck isn’t an exception. If you’re a homeowner & thinking about when is the best time to stain a deck, this article is for you.
Deck staining isn’t something you can do whenever you want. Perfect timing is the key to the perfect stained deck. You’ll have to wait for the right weather condition before executing this staining process. Follow this article to know what is the best time to stain your deck.
Table of Contents
When Is The Best Time To Stain A Deck?
Spring is the best season for deck staining for many reasons. You can’t stain your deck in the monsoon season (with ease) because of heavy rainfall. If you try to do it, you’ll have to worry about the timing of the rain. Basically, you’ll have to make sure that your area won’t have rainfall for at least 48 hours.
Summer is not the perfect time for deck staining, either. Direct sunlight can cause a gray effect on a stained deck if not covered properly. So, you’ll have to prevent the stained deck from direct sunlight if you want to perform the staining process in the summer.
However, spring doesn’t have any of these problems. That’s why you can stain your deck any time, just keeping the temperature knowledge in mind. Yes, you’ll have to be cautious even if you do this job in the spring. Try doing this work while the surrounding temperature is about 50 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
What Is Deck Staining?
Deck staining is a layer of coating that prevents the wood from being damaged by insects & rotting. You can have two types of stain in the market, such as Water-Based Stain & Oil-Based Stain. While doing this staining job, try matching the stain type with the previously treated stain. For example, an oil-based stain should go over old oil-based stains & a water-based stain to go over old water-based stains.
Why Should You Stain A Deck?
Apart from knowing the best time to stain a deck, you should also know why staining the deck is necessary. Stay tuned as I’ll be explaining the advantages & disadvantages of a stained deck to help you decide whether you should stain the deck or not.
Advantages Of Staining A Deck:
Unlike an ordinary deck, a stained deck prevents damages from insects, rotting & UV rays. Also, it offers reduced maintenance. As long as the stains stay on the wood, you won’t have to worry about deep cleaning or washing. Besides these advantages, the staining also enhances the beauty of the wooden deck. The wood’s color, grain & texture will be visible even though you coat your deck with stains.
Disadvantages Of Staining A Deck:
Deck staining might be a great choice for most homeowners because of the added advantages. But it also has some disadvantages. Remember that you’ll have to stain your deck every couple of years (3 to 5 years). Besides this constant maintenance, some wood can’t even cope with a clear wood stain well, such as – the tropical hardwoods.
Precautions When Staining A Deck
Maintaining the precautions is advisable to everyone. It’s not any different with deck staining too. Follow these precautions mentioned below to do the staining job flawlessly:
Collect Your Safety Gear First
You don’t want to inhale toxic substances of stain, do you? If not, then carry your safety gear to be safe. Wear goggles, gloves & a mask while doing this staining job. You can even wear long pants & and boots to be extra safe.
Study About The Previous Staining Treatment
If the wood was treated with oil-based stain previously, don’t try to stain it with a water-based stain. However, you can overlap oil-based stain with water-based stain if you want to. For the best possible result, use a water-based stain on the old water-based stain & oil-based stains on the old oil-based stains.
Keep An Eye On The Weather
Don’t forget to check your local weather map to know whether you’ll have rain for the next 48 hours. Don’t start the staining project unless you’re sure of dry weather for at least 48 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions – FAQ
What Season Is The Best Time To Stain A Deck?
Deck staining requires perfect timing. Spring is the best time to stain a deck. You can even do this in the summer by preventing direct sunlight towards the stained deck. Besides all of these, always try to stain the deck when the temperature sits between 50 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
Is Wood Decking Better Than Composite Decking?
No, composite decking is better than wood decking for many reasons. No matter how good your wood decking is, it will eventually splinter. However, it won’t happen with composite decking. But this quality comes with a huge price gap. For example – wood decking costs around $140 to $170, whereas composite decking costs around $220 to $240 per square meter.
How Do I Know When It’s Time To Paint Or Stain My Deck?
It would be best if you always stained your deck once every one to three years. Do it even though you don’t notice anything wrong with the deck. However, if you want a proper sign of your deck screaming for staining or painting, then look for the patchy, flaky, or worn thin finish on your deck.
Conclusion
I hope this article was helpful enough to satisfy your queries regarding the perfect timing of wood staining. Wood staining is a time-consuming task for sure. On top of that, you’ve to worry about the weather too.
If you’re not a big DIY work fan, it’s better to leave this staining job to the professionals. They’ll take care of everything from beginning to end & you won’t have to worry about anything rather paying them.
Author Bio
