# What is the best way to apply stain to a deck?



## slickshift (Aug 25, 2005)

flashme18 said:


> 1) cleaning decks..what is best way to clean a stained or unstained deck?


Depends...usually it's a cleaner applied by pump sprayer (or a sacrificial electric pump if the quantity of decks warrants it..or just a bucket and deck scrubber for the one DIY a summer type jobs), scrub with a deck scrubber, and powerwashed off

Sometimes for mold/mildew this needs to be preceded by a Jomax (or other mildecide) mix with the same process

Sometimes, depending on how it ends up looking, and what finish is going on, it needs to be followed up by a Deck/Wood brightener, using the same process

So yes, many decks end up being powerwashed 3 times



flashme18 said:


> 2)best way to apply oil or water based stains


For oils a big fat stainer brush is still the best way








The handle comes off and ou can put it on a pole
So, basically you do the Deck Dance with a Bestt Liebco fatty on the end of your Wooster Sherlock Posi-lock 4-8 footer
For water-based usually a good big thick nylon-poly


flashme18 said:


> 3) how long should you wait between cleaning and staining?


Until it's dry
Could be a day or two, could be a week
3 days is the standard reply
However, a moisture meter is worth every penny
The stain companies will have the specs for each product
(usually at less than 18% or 15%...something like that)


flashme18 said:


> 4)how long should you wait between staining and sealing if the stain doesnt also act as a sealer?


Your product TDS will tell you
Usually overnight


flashme18 said:


> 6)when powerwashing how do you prevent streaking? ive only powerwashed a few times and if you dont keep a steady distance you can leave streaks.


You must be very, good
It's a technique that I couldn't put in writing
The closest thing I can think of is like spraying paint...or even sanding
maybe both really....

Unfortunately, there are many who think that it's the tool that does the work
But the tool is only as good as how it is handled
And I've seen some pretty horrid damage done by inexperienced PWers



flashme18 said:


> I plan on hopefully staining a fair amount of decks over the summer and want to get a good feel for how to do them properly again.


I would be remiss not to mention here, that if you are planning to do other people's decks, you really, really, really, need to purchase and maintain liability insurance
Even and experienced PWer can mess up a deck, or part of a house, etc...

Good luck


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## flashme18 (Jul 22, 2007)

$500,000 insurance is required in my state. thanks for all the advice


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## davefr (Apr 15, 2008)

flashme18 said:


> i was taught do apply stain with rags back in the day. I havent stained a deck in a long time. I have only sealed them recently.
> 
> I plan on hopefully staining a fair amount of decks over the summer and want to get a good feel for how to do them properly again.
> 
> ...


1. Jomax, bleach, water + garden sprayer + scrub brush.
2. Apply it thin using a good brush. Work in shade only.
3. 4 days
4. Get a good semi-transparent oil based stain that serves as a sealer. Reapply every 3 years.
5. Never use a pressure washer on wood!! (see #1)
6. See #5


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## boman47k (Aug 25, 2006)

I like Cabot's wash and brightener to help balance the ph. Read the directions! Some scrubbing and rinse with low pressure. Keep sprayer same distance from one end of deck to the other to help prevent streaking. Don't let the mixture dry before rinsing. Mist it every now and then to keep it wet until you can rinse it. There are many products out there to do this. I hope to learn more about this myself. Can be dine with water hose, but it is a lot slower. Actually, I would think a water broom on a hose would be fine for flat services if the whole are is accessible. I would let the chemicals work and use 40 degree tip and if the pw is not adjustable, just move the wand up and down until you get the result you need and rinse *all* mixture off. Rinse, rinse, then rinse some more the surronding area before, during, and after. And remember, you are working with chemicals. Respect them.
I don't mean to sound as if I have done a lot of deck cleaning/stripping, but I have done a few and have research it to some extent as I want to do more of it. BY the way, ins rates here are higher than for painting.


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