How to Stain a Porch & Deck
Has your wood deck or porch seen better days? Ace makes it easy to bring it back to life with a brand new finish - we're right in your neighborhood with the stain, applicators and everything else you need to get the job done right.
Cordovan Brown Solid Stain
What You'll Need:
- Cabot Solid Color Decking Stain
- Bonding primer
- Craftsman® pressure washer
- Roller covers and frames
- Paintbrushes
- Paint tray and liner
- Extension handle
- Painter's tape
- Paint scraper
- Wire brush
- Sanding sponge
- Drop cloths
Start off by giving the wood a good scrubbing with a Craftsman® pressure washer to remove any loose paint and dirt.
Helpful Tip:
Just remember, the higher the PSI (pounds per square inch) .rating, the more powerful your pressure washer will be.
Use a fan tip and test it out on a small area first to get the hang of it and make sure you're not damaging the wood.
Next, go over the wood with a scraper and wire brush to remove any remaining loose paint and sand down any rough surfaces to make them smooth. Drive in any loose nails with a hammer while you're at it and replace any boards that are damaged or rotten. When you're done, give the whole area a good sweeping and tape off any surfaces, like siding on adjacent walls, that you don't want accidentally spattered with stain.
Helpful Tip:
Cover walls with plastic drop cloths for added protection against splatters.
Now you're ready to get started on your new finish. First, apply a bonding primer to bridge the bare wood with areas that still have paint. Once that dries, spot-prime the bare wood sections with your Cabot® Solid Color Decking Stain to help give your final coat even coverage.
Next, cut in around the edges of the perimeter with a brush, and then use a roller to apply the stain, rolling with the grain of the wood and creating nice, even coverage back and forth. Apply to small sections at a time (1-3 boards); start at one edge of board and work end-to-end, following through to the end of the boards to avoid lap lines. Acrylic deck stains will tend to be thicker, so you'll really have to work it in while avoiding any roping (ridges of paint that result from pressing the roller too hard).
Helpful Tip:
On an enclosed porch, don't forget to work your way back to the exit point - you don't want to literally paint yourself in to a corner!
As with any exterior painting, apply your new finish on a dry day when it's not too hot out and when your porch or patio is out of direct sunlight. If the temperature is too high or the sun is beating down too hard on the surface, your finish will dry too quickly, and you won't get the adhesion and durability you want. Pick a day when the temperature is expected to be between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit and it's not going to rain for at least 24 hours after you're done.
Helpful Tip:
Use a solid stain for an opaque/painted appearance. You can achieve a semi-transparent look or other look based on your preference using other Cabot lines.
After the job is complete, wait 24-48 hours before putting any furniture back to give your new finish time to dry completely. You'll find that reviving any outdoor space is no problem with help from your neighbors at Ace!
If your home was built prior to 1978, check for lead-based paint before you sand or scrape any painting surfaces. Call 1-800-424-LEAD or log on to www.epa.gov/lead for more information.
Project Products
Cordovan Brown Solid Stain
