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How Long Should you Wait to Stain a New Deck
Tips on How Long to Wait to Stain A New Deck
New rough sawn cedar wood
These new deck staining tips are relevant and will work for all exterior, new smooth wood, such as decks, cedar framed homes, log cabins, wood fences, and other wood structures.
Staining a New Deck Tip #1: Rough sawn wood is already porous and can be stained right away as long as it is clean and the wood is dry. If you are unsure of the difference between the two, please post a picture in the comment area of your new wood with some basic info about your project.
Weathering the New Wood Deck
With almost all scenarios, new exterior wood and decks will need to weather and be prepped prior to applying a deck stain. It is suggested to weather new smooth wood for 3 months or longer. This will vary though based on the brand and type of stain being used and could be anywhere between 1-12 months. One confusing aspect of this is that many homeowners believe you weather the wood to reduce the moisture content of the wood. While this is important, it is not the main reason you will need to weather the wood. Decks and other exterior smooth wood will need to weather or season to make the wood more porous. The porosity of the wood is the main issue that deck and other wood stains will have when dealing with the new wood. The stain does need to soak into the wood and if it cannot, it will dry on top of the wood and this can lead to premature failure of the stain. The stain can also dry very blotchy if the wood is not porous enough for the stain to soak in.
Staining a New Deck Tip #2: Kiln-dried wood and KDAT wood still needs to weather prior to stain application. Since the moisture content is minimal or non-existent, you typically will need to weather about 1/2 the time of what normal wood would be. 1-2 months is normal.
Prepping the New Wood Deck
After the weathering process, it is vital that you prep the wood. When wood is left exposed to sunlight, the UV radiation will turn the wood slightly gray or white. This oxidation of the wood will need to be removed. At the same time, the new smooth wood has mill glaze on the wood and that will need to come off. Using a Wood or deck cleaner will remove the mill glaze, oxidation, and any dirt. After this is removed, follow up with an exterior wood brightener for your final prep.
Do not sand new wood unless needed to remove fuzzies (See Tip #3 Below). This will smooth the wood, reducing the stain’s ability to penetrate into the wood. If sanding is needed, sand with 60-80 grit paper and use the brightener after the sanding to help open the pores of the wood. Rinse well with a pressure washer when done.
Staining a New Deck Tip #3: The longer you weather new wood, the greater the chance you will have the “fuzzies”. This potential issue is directly related to how much the wood has oxidized. For example, a new deck that has weathered for 12 months will have substantially more oxidation that needs to be removed compared to one that has weathered for 3-4 months.
Staining a New Deck Tip #4: Be prepared to apply a maintenance coat in 12-18 months to your newly stained deck. The first time staining new wood typically does not last as long as the second or repeated coatings.
Woodard Renovations 