Rounded Rectangle: Here are some helpful tips for staining your new or existing wood fence or deck. Pressure treated materials are prone to warping, splitting, and cracking when not properly treated. You should use a good stain/sealer with UV protection. Follow manufacturers recommendations for application temperatures and moisture conditions of wood. For additional information please visit the Porter Paints website or the local store. Please keep in mind that staining is a task with many different techniques. The following tips have been compiled by Superior Deck and Fence through our experience. We have found these techniques work best for us. Each stain/sealer manufacturer has their own way of doing things so don’t be discouraged if you get different advise from different sources. Materials needed: 1. 4” brush suitable for the type of stain you are using. If staining a deck it is helpful to have a brush holder on a long handle. This will help you reach areas of the deck top without having to walk on the newly stained surface. 2. Newspaper, card board, or cloth tarps to protect areas of your house or other objects adjacent to your fence or deck. It is best to use something absorbent. Plastic is messy because the stain drips off or spatters and is easily tracked around if walked on. 3. Painters tape to attach paper to the house or to tape off gutters or other objects. You may want to use the type that sticks to brick for better results. 4. Mineral spirits or dish soap for clean-up. Use what is recommended by the stain manufacturer.  5. Garden sprayer type stain applicator or paint sprayer suitable for the stain you are using. You can use a roller but we do not recommend this method. We have found that when stain is rolled on it gives the surface a patchy look because of the overlap areas. This is very noticeable on a fence. If you decide to use a roller be sure to roll the boards “with the grain” to reduce the look of overlaps. 6. Old clothes, a hat, safety goggles, solvent resistant gloves, and a paint mask suitable for the stain you are using. You may consider purchasing a disposable painters suit. Stain products are difficult to remove from clothing. 7. Step ladders, buckets, additional brushes, and rags are also helpful items to have ready before you start. CAUTION: never place solvent or stain soaked rags in buckets or trash as spontaneous combustion may occur. 8. Stain, you should get enough product to complete your project and have some left over for touch ups. It never hurts to get extra product so you don’t have to run back to the store in the middle of your project. The stain manufacturer will be able to tell you how many square feet a gallon covers. When figuring square footage on decks use this equation: Length x width = sq ft of deck surface don’t forget to include the railing and the skirting each of  which will figure the same as the fence equation below. Always add a little extra for decks that are on the second level because you will have extra places to stain such as the supporting posts. To figure square footage on fences use this equation: Length x height x 2 = sq ft of fence surface. Lets get staining: First you will need to asses the project to be stained. Decks are normally stained only on the surfaces that can be seen or that will be exposed to the elements such as the deck top, entire railing, and skirting boards. For upper level decks it is up to you whether you want to stain the underside of the deck. Don’t forget to add the extra square footage should you decide to stain the underside. For fences, the entire fence needs to be stained. This includes both sides and the tops of the boards. If you are staining an existing deck or fence you must first remove all the old stain, paint, and dirt from the wood. The best way to do this is to use a pressure washer in combination with a good deck cleaning product. After the wood is cleaned you must then let it dry for a few days depending on the humidity. If you are staining a newly installed deck or fence you must wait for the wood to season for approximately two weeks. This is important for any pressure treated material so that the stain will penetrate. Cover up any areas adjacent to your project that you don’t want to get stain on. Be aware that stain ,when atomized, can travel even on a mildly breezy day. So cover windows, patio furniture, vehicles or anything else you don’t want covered with a mist of stain. Don’t forget that when staining a fence the stain will go through the fence to your neighbors side. Check to see that they don’t have anything in the way of your project. Landscaping can be held back away from surfaces using rope, string, or flattened cardboard boxes placed in between the wood and the plants. Avoid covering plants with plastic as this may kill them from the heat generated by the sun. This is a good time to remove any pets or children from the area. Also check with the neighbors to see if theirs are safe as well. Assemble all of the materials you will need in one location. Set up ladders where needed. Have ready a bucket of soapy water or container of mineral spirits for any clean-ups during the staining process. Open the stain product and stir well. If using a garden type sprayer you may thin the product as recommended by the manufacturer. This will make it easier to apply. When using this type of sprayer keep the pressure up in the tank by pumping it frequently. The lower the pressure is the more droplets you will get and the more mess you will have. Keep handy lots of rags or paper towels to wipe up stain if you get drips or overspray. Fences: When staining a fence it is best to start at one end and work around to the other using a vertical spray pattern up and down the boards. Apply enough stain to saturate the wood but avoid causing too much dripping. Use the brush to back brush the stain into the wood and get those places you missed with the sprayer. This will allow the stain to penetrate and seal. Drips, if not brushed, may become sticky and darker than the rest of the fence. It is a good idea to have someone helping you. Sometimes stain can drip through to the other side and if the other person is there to brush them out the fence will look better when you’re done. Stain the tops of the fence boards and the sides if you can see them. When staining the rails and posts be sure to get stain on all sides of them that show. You can stain right over gate hinges and latches provided you wipe them down immediately. This is sometimes easier than taping them off. Once you have gone over the entire fence go back to the beginning and check for any places you missed. Decks: Start with any supporting posts, skirting, and railing. Leave the deck top and the inside of the railing for last. When staining the railing be sure to get all sides of the rail supports, balusters, and railing cap. Do only the outside portion of the railing at this time. Keep an eye on the deck top and brush out any drips on the deck surface. You will get a mist of color on the deck top as you go but don’t worry. This will blend in fine when you do the deck top. Next, you will stain the inside of the railing and the deck top at the same time starting from the farthest point away from the stairs. The object is to work your way off the deck and down the stairs so you don’t walk on the deck surface after it is stained. When applying stain to the deck top blend the stain into what misted over when you did the outside of the railing by spraying less stain in this area and brushing over it lightly. You will get the hang of it after the first few boards. Only try to stain a small square section at a time gently overlapping the brush strokes over the previously stained wood. Don’t walk on the deck surface until it dries, this will leave foot prints in the stain. Touch-ups can be done after the surface is no longer tacky. Lastly, sit back and enjoy all your hard work. Your new project will last longer if it is kept clean and free of leaves and dirt. For decks, it is also a good idea to frequently rotate the location of objects placed on the deck to reduce surface discolorations. For fences, it is best to avoid stacking objects against the fence for long periods of time. If you have any questions, please e-mail us and we will promptly return an answer to you. © 2006 Superior Deck & Fence Co. Inc.

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Tips for staining your fence or deck...

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Wednesday October 25, 2006