Should you pressure wash your deck before staining?

There is a common misconception that just pressure washing a deck prior to staining is all you need to do in order to prep your deck for stain. Pressure washing can help, but if you want your stain to last, using a good deck cleaner and brightener on the deck prior to pressure washing will provide you the best result.

How long should you wait to stain a deck after power washing?

The short answer is 48 hours. You should wait at least two days after pressure washing your deck before you consider staining it, to give time for it to dry. Now let's talk about specifics. Cleaning your deck is an all important first step in the staining process.

What is the best way to clean a deck before staining?

Can I stain my deck without cleaning it?

The correct answer is – not if you want the deck stain to last as long as it should. The number one reason a deck stain fails prematurely is that the wood surface was not prepped correctly.

Should I pressure wash my deck before sealing?

Pressure washing is the best way to prepare your deck for sealing. After you've pressure washed your deck, you'll need to wait for it to completely dry. Sometimes, this can take as long as 48-hours.

How To Clean And Stain A Deck

Should you power wash or sand a deck first?

DO sand your deck before sealing. It can take up to 48 hours for the deck to fully dry. At that point, lightly sand the surface to remove splintery or fuzzy patches caused by pressure-washing the deck. A pole sander with 80-grit sandpaper will suffice; a power sander is overkill.

How do you prepare wood before staining?

Sand Thoroughly

The best way to stain wood is to prepare the wood surface by sanding it with a sanding block or orbital sander. Sandpaper with a lower grit number will make wood rougher, allowing more stain to absorb and creating a darker color.

How do you clean weathered wood before staining?

Wet the wood surface and apply the BEHR PREMIUM^® All-in-One Wood Cleaner with a pump sprayer. Wait 15 minutes then scrub the wet surface with a stiff bristled brush. Rinse the wood surface thoroughly. Once the surface has completely dried, you're ready to coat with a BEHR stain or finish product.

Can you power wash a stained deck?

Pressure washing is a great way to remove these deep stains that are otherwise pretty difficult to get rid of, especially for South American hardwood decks (Tigerwood, Camaru, or Ipe). Otherwise, a garden hose will generally be your best bet.

How do you clean pressure treated wood before staining?

Wash the Wood

Allow it to dry before staining. Wash the pressure-treated wood with a deck cleaner, scrubbing the wood surface with a brush while wet. Use a pressure washer if the wood has tough stains. Allow the wet cleaner to soak into the wood for about 10 minutes or to manufacturer's directions.

Does power washing damage a deck?

If you have timber deck boards, a power washer's pressure may cause splintering and damage to the timber fibers. If the timber surface already has some splintering, pressure washing will only exacerbate the issue.

How many coats of stain should you put on a deck?

We always recommend two coats of stain for any wood project, but you should only apply as much stain as the wood can absorb. Extremely dense hardwoods may only be able to absorb one coat of wood stain. The general rule of thumb is to apply only as much as the wood can absorb.

What if it rains after I stain my deck?

If it rains within 48 hours of applying a treatment, the water will soak into the wood, and try and displace the stain. This can cause a blotchy, flaky look, rather than a smooth, even, coat. If it rains immediately after you've stained the wood, the stain will peel and flake off.

What happens if you don't clean deck before staining?

But don't just slap a coat of stain on in a hurry — you'll need to clean your deck before staining it. If you stain a deck without cleaning and prepping it first, the results will look blotchy, uneven, and, well, amateur. Any time you save skipping the cleaning stage, you'll spend twice over repairing the botched job.

Can you stain an old weathered deck?

Instead, the best deck stain for weathered wood will have at least some pigment. A semi-transparent stain will impart a little color to the deck wood while still allowing the grain to show through. If you need to replace boards in the decking, you could opt for a solid stain.

Is it too late to stain my deck?

The effects that can occur due to a lack of treatment are aesthetic in nature. After 6 months, the wood will start to lose its color and will begin to fade. Ultimately it will fade to grey or silver.

Is it better to stain wood with a brush or rag?

The best way to apply stain is with a lint free rag and wiping it into the grain of the wood. Using a lint free rag is the best way to apply wood stain because it is great for controlling the amount of stain that is applied and for removing any excess stain.

Can you stain over stain without sanding?

Can you restain wood without sanding? While some light sanding may be advised for almost all stain projects, it is possible to avoid heavy sanding and stripping of existing stain. Using a gel stain means that you can avoid the heavy sanding and stripping usually required by traditional staining projects.

Should you sand your deck before staining?

Sand the Deck

If you plan to stain the deck, sand the surface before application to make the wood better absorb the coating. Use an orbital sander to remove any old gloss and smooth out any rough areas on decking boards. You may need to use a sanding sponge on the railings or balustrades.

Can you use a pressure washer surface cleaner on a wood deck?

Surface Cleaning Your Deck

High-pressure surface cleaners can easily remove dirt and debris from the surface layer of your deck. Power washing is one of the fastest ways to clean a wood deck, but it's important to be careful, as you can ruin your deck without taking the proper precautions.

Do I need to sand my deck after power washing?

Deck sanding – this task is essential when it comes to the maintenance of your deck, especially after cleaning it or before staining/sealing it.

Can you power wash a deck after it rains?

Power Wash Your Own Home In The Rain

If you are the one doing the power washing, you can still do it if you take a few safety precautions. You will want to make sure no part of your equipment is spent in standing water. If you can actually keep the equipment engine dry during the entire process, then it is safer.