# Second coat of stain is tacky



## nurselaurenc (Jun 7, 2011)

We stained our decks and stairs with oil based Preserva wood stain last summer. It turned out nice, but needed to apply a second coat after winter due to shovel scratches and fading. So we applied a thin second coat and it dried tacky in some areas, but not others. Will it continue to dry, or is it ruined?? DIY is a nightmare sometimes


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## jsheridan (Jan 30, 2011)

Lauren, what did the Preserva originally call for, was it one coat, two coat, or two coat wet on wet? What's happening is the tacky areas are not absorbing into the wood, ie, the deck is sealed. I'm more concerned about the areas where it isn't tacky, where it appears the wood isn't sealed. It will eventually dry and lose it's higher sheen, but if it's fresh you might try rubbing it down with some thinner to help it along. It also may flake off. Read the can and be sure that the product was applied properly initially.


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## nurselaurenc (Jun 7, 2011)

The product originally called for one coat, which we did. It stated to apply a thin second coat if appeared dry or faded color, which it was. The areas of higher traffic are the areas that it isn't tacky, but appears sealed.
So another question is, can we put a second coat on a freshly stained deck we just did so that the colors match?


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## jsheridan (Jan 30, 2011)

I did a quick review of Preserva product site. They seem to stress highly not to over apply, and wiping any "puddles" after about twenty minutes standing time. As someone who works with coatings for a living, I don't find their application instructions very definitive or committal as to recommended coats or maintenance procedure. To test if an area is truly sealed, place some drops of water on them and see if they bead up or are absorbed into the surface and wetting the wood. In all honesty, we can all sit here and speculate as to what caused it and how to fix it, but I would just call Preserva, explain your situation and ask them how to correct for it. Go right to the horse's mouth.


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## nurselaurenc (Jun 7, 2011)

Thanks so much, appreciate the help.


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## housepaintingny (Jul 25, 2009)

Most oil base deck stains are only a one coat application and a second coat is only to be applied wet on wet or only after the first coat has worn off or has been stripped off. JSheridan pretty much summed it up as to what's happing with your deck. Over application.


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