How to Stain a Wood Deck

A wood deck is made vastly more beautiful by staining it. Over time a deck can become worn out and tired looking. Rain, sunshine and other weather can dramatically reduce the beauty of your deck. Wood needs to be updated, and the best way to do that is by staining your deck. To stain your deck you will need the following ingredients: 

· Pain brush

· Rags, drop cloth

· Rubber gloves

· Stain

Make sure you decide to stain your deck during a time that you are sure it will not rain, and the weather will be good. You want to apply the stain in the sun so the stain can dry and so you can see the effect of your stain. You also want to make sure you have the right color. 

Using a bristle, apply a heavy coating on the open-ended grain of your deck. You can brush two-to three boards using long and smooth strokes. You want to make sure the stain remains wet when you are brushing to avoid brush strokes in your stain. 

As a general rule it is a good idea to stain your deck one time, and then wait for it to dry. You may or may not need to apply more stain. Too much stain can bubble up and appear with lines or other markings. Sometimes too much stain can also peel or crack, requiring you to go back, sand the area that has a problem and re-stain. 

Sometimes you can use a roller to apply stain. If you do this you will have to be cautious in applying the stain. Make sure you do not drip stain onto your deck. Using your gloves will keep your hands from staining. 

Wait for three days before you use any furniture on your deck so the stain has plenty of time to dry. This will keep your deck in the best condition. You may also apply a water sealant.