It is important that your new deck be dry before finishing. New wood fresh from the lumber yard has , most often, set out in the winter rain and will take time to dry. Treated wood needs time to sit before being stained and opinions differ on how long you should wait. If you are doing the finishing yourself perhaps a contractor friend has a moisture meter and you can take a reading and rule out any doubts about whether the wood is dry or holding moisture.
Clean and prep the wood even if it is new since new wood has a mill glaze. Prepping the wood properly will ensure maximum stain performance.I recommend using a biodegradable deck wash to remove mold and mildew from composite decking and the mill glaze from unstained pressure-treated wood. You can use a pump-sprayer to spray the cleaner or a hose-connect cleaner can be attached to a garden hose without the need of a sprayer.
If using a pressure washer also use a cleaner since the cleaners do 90% of the work. Before washing wet the deck and surrounding vegetation, rinse the deck area and vegetation with clean water after washing. Wait a few days until the deck re-dries before staining.
Do your staining on a cooler day and preferably not in the heat of mid summer.
Don't sand your new deck , sanding your new wood will hinder absorbtion/penetration of the stain into the wood
The type of stain you choose depends on the appearance and durability you want to achieve. Choose a penetrating non-film forming stain. The pigment will enhance the color and prolong the graying. It does not matter though if it is water based or oil a long as it penetrates properly. Oil based stains will penetrate better and will have less chance of peeling. However, they can be more prone to mildew then water base stains.
The better the stain penetrates the better it will perform from wear and tear. More is not better. New wood is not very absorbent and too much stain will just dry on top of the wood instead of penetrating into the wood. In most cases you will only need one coat on new wood. Use a stain that is tinted. The tint is vital in absorbing the UV rays. This keeps the wood looking natural, prolonging the graying .
While offering the least UV protection, clear stains provide an optimum view of natural wood grain.
Choose a high quality product, avoid Behr or low quality D.I.Y . products with forever guarentees. Almost all finishes have a life of about 2 years or so on a horizontal surface.
When using more than 1 gallon or pail, it is best to mix (box) them all together first to ensure even color.
Remenber to use plastic or poly as covering for plants, concrete and pavement because stain easily soaks through canvas type coverings, Stains on these substrates are tough if not impossible to remove.
Do verticals (railings, fencing, trellis, etc.) first and do the horizontals last. Use cardboard at the base of the posts and dropcloths or carboard under the rails to catch any excess. Go back and look/wipe drips from the bottom edges of vertical boards
Use the tool that matches your experience and will guarantee a professional job. A roller and brush system can cover a major area and wll be the ideal combination to control the quality of the job. If brushing do single boards from end to end to avoid lap marks or if using a roller do two boards and then back brush the length of the area just completed. Back brushing is not a second coat but you back brush to even out the stain you just applied.
If you spray take precautions to not only wear a respirator but seal/tape/plastic/ cover the areas of your house ( windows, plants and even neighbour's vechiles) that you want to remain stain-free. A sprayer in the wrong hands is a terrible thing.
Follow manufacturerers recommendations and allow the stain to dry before you or your pets walk over the freshly stained deck.
Lift your barbecue or deck furniture back onto you newly finished deck. Avoid wheel maks/grooves through your new finish.
Your pets can get ill if their foot-pads come in contact with stains. Not only are their pads absorbent but your animal self-cleans using its tongue and will ingest the stain.
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