Outdoor Deck Staining
Cleaning, brightening, and two coats of semi-transparent stain to bring the deck back and protect it from sun and rain.
The deck was gray and splotchy. We wanted color and UV protection without hiding the grain. So we cleaned it, applied a brightener, and put down two coats of semi-transparent oil-based stain.
First pass was a deck cleaner and a stiff brush; then we rinsed and let it dry. The brightener brought the wood back to a consistent tone. After another rinse and a couple of dry days, we rolled and brushed the first coat of stain, waited 24 hours, and applied the second. We did the railings with a brush for control.
A year in, the color has held and water still beads. We’ll re-coat in another year or two depending on wear. Doing it in July gave us long dry times and no frost risk.