How To Stain a Deck. Tips & Hacks Staining A Wood Deck.

[@tomy2t0ne3]

great tip about wiping off excess stain, it made all the difference with my deck stain finish!!

[@LexCinnabon]

Thanks for the video. I like that stain because it brings out the natural beauty of the wood and doesn't look like brown paint like how some darker stains appear.

[@cookinitmax]

Thanks for asking for my very first deck I think it turned out awesome the owners of the house also thought it came out nice. I power washed used a stripper and a brightener and believe it or not almost 11 gal of stain I was so sick of staining wiping off the excess but it was a good feeling seeing it done I felt good.

[@georgejetson4001]

YXPR-XDNR BingBang1274

[@jeffkattar9385]

Thanks guys! First time staining and it came out great. Helped me get rid of some old t-shirts, too. 😉

[@UFRooster]

My wife was just yelling at me saying ,”There has got to be a better way!” I showed her this video and the results you got. She’s still not happy but kept working. Thanks for the info!

[@Brandon-no3vc]

What she figure out what's a better way bbbbbbbbbbbbbbhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[@dizastro5437]

Lol. No honey, this is where human evolution has taken us. Next best thing is when the primary sun in our solar system is at its zenith. You get a break. Make me some lunch

[@Brandon-no3vc]

@@dizastro5437 what haha

[@lawrencevaile6120]

One thing I always do is start one board and finish not stopping in the middle because it always leaves marks. I watched a lot of videos on this and this is never mentioned But it has happened to me so I know. Thanks for all you videos I enjoy watching them

[@therealunclassified]

Exactly, hut I think he's putting on a timber oil. Can't tell what kind of wood that is. If it's pt pine, I've never seen anyone use that oil before, lol. If thays an exotic, then he's doing this correctly, only if he sanded it first to open up the pores.

[@therealunclassified]

But if this is regular deck stain? Then I've also never seen anyone wipe it off lol.

[@TroiOi78]

My best advice with 20+ years experience with boxers is they are great at covering cracks.

[@Idahopainter]

Yes

[@deanuttech8992]

Great video. I just learned why my last stain job didn't turn out the way it should have. I didn't wipe it off. The instructions on the can never mentioned that step! I wish I had watched your video first!!

[@Idahopainter]

Yes, that is a big step you don't want to miss! Thanks for watching!

[@masonfoley1276]

@@Idahopainter Would this also apply for acrylic based stains? My biggest rookie issue is I seem to be putting mine on too thick ending up with a much darker result than we want. I think the wiping might just be the missing piece of the puzzle for me if this principle also applies to acrylic based semi-transparents.

[@Dennis-sq2nm]

@@masonfoley1276 it is. I did the same thing on my siding. Wiped off the extra when i stained my deck. The deck looks a lot better.

[@Smalls1]

Really good tips. straight to the point. no funny business. Thumbs up here

[@Idahopainter]

thanks

[@alanrainville9938]

Your video is very helpful and humorous too. :). Your answers to questions are very precise, and shows that you are very knowledgeable. My husband and I just started our own exterior property grooming business, and just landed a big job staining a dozen or so decks for a development. I feel much more confident that we will do an excellent job after watching your video. Thanks Again! Robin in New England.

[@unstoppableking2356]

Is it better to spray stain or to use a paint brush?

[@johnlee7085]

Spraying is an easier application step but a lot more cleanup. The beauty of this method is no cleanup. You need to do all the steps regardless of how you apply the material.

[@joefrein5281]

Always hooking me up with the painting tips ! I teach friends and family my tips I learn from here !

[@demer19374]

I stain my hardwood deck each year with a dark tinted oil and roll it on the complete deck then use a mop handle where I can use a folded up towel to mop excess oil off ~ works great and saved the lower back. I do have to walk on the oil so be careful as it can be slippery.

[@Underpar26]

Here's a pro tip for the comment section. This is ironwood which is a hardwood... very easy to stain as it doesn't soak in very deep at first (especially if your using a less viscous stain like rosewood oil). If you are staining say something like cedar or treated decking you need to stain only a couple of boards at a time so that you can work the entire boards all the way down to eliminate "flashing of the stain". It stands out on softer woods.

[@coreymanderino9124]

Would you still wipe it as well?

[@Underpar26]

@@coreymanderino9124 For Harder woods u need to let soak for a few minutes. Depends on the temp. outside, air moisture, ect... But yes always come back and at least knock down the stain on the tops of the boards.

[@mattmccormick8749]

Appreciate that man

[@jamesswinney8858]

Y'all getting after it,Thanks Paint Life 👍🤠

[@Idahopainter]

Glad to

[@DJaquithFL]

Thank God .. it's nice to watch someone who knows what they're doing!!! Fantastic job, very professionally done work! 👍👍😎

[@Idahopainter]

Thank you very much for the support!

[@arturosandoval4164]

D Jaquith why god?????

[@rulerallah9322]

.

[@jessebutler7236]

@@arturosandoval4164 Shut up, troll.

[@Jennifer-uo8rf]

Fantastic stain application tutorial.. I wish I would've seen this one week ago, I would've applied my stain to my new deck myself. This is easy peazy. My husband was hell bent on having someone spray so, that's what was done. It looks like total crap.

[@johnlee7085]

You could spray the material on (makes for a much more difficult clean up) but it still needs to be back rolled and the excess still needs to be wiped up. The wiping is a second helping of even distraction as well as removing any excess. If they didn’t wipe, then the blotchy, tacky, tracking will result. If it’s thick on the surface, it’s probably a good idea to use a putty knife to scrape the excess. Rubbing with a rag and some mineral spirit should help to loosen lighter tack and reabsorb either into the wood or the rag. Hang or layout the rags to dry or they will catch on fire even just sitting in the sun.

[@wyattoneable]

I wish I would have seen this video when I stained my deck. Now I know why the stain stayed tacky for days. Great tips, thanks.

[@adrianlindsay3194]

I wish I found this video 10 years ago, I built a cedar deck then stained it not realizing I needed to allow time for the wood to dry out. It peeled and wore off so I used a belt sander and stripped it all off and re did it and it the same thing happened. So I gave up. The wood seemed dry but now I realize it must have had too much moisture in it. If I had let the wood dry out I would have had better results. My concern was I didn't want the the wood to grey out so my wife actually stained them before we put them on and then stained them again with a second coat hoping we were done with the deck for a while. I now realize that was a huge mistake, one of the few times I am proactive and of course it blows up in my face. I've since sold that house and know better (thanks to you) for our next home. Thanks for making the video. Seeing you guys all bent over and struggling brought back painful memories. Just curious what do you think of using a paint sprayer and chasing it with a brush for a staining job or even a second coat?

[@Odo-so8pj]

Never stain always oil.

[@Barnes466]

omg thanks again for this! We just completed a deck refurbish and we applied your lessons, always nice to get a great finish! Cheers from Halifax!

[@johnnymove8817]

Thanks for the tips. I will be sending you pictures of my work with video when finished. Keep up the great work

[@Idahopainter]

Thanks Johnny!

[@beachbro8559]

@@Idahopainter Hi what color stain. And do you recommend Sherwin-Williams Paint Over Home Depot. Or are all stains the same. What brand do you use??? Thanks again. Just Subscribed!!!👍🙂

[@lauraraines4140]

What brand of stain do you recommend??

[@johnlee7085]

Nice video. Contains in one simple video much of the info I’ve seen in other videos or just decided about throwing away brushes. We’re replacing dry rotted redwood in a house we recently bought with hardwood so this will be a tutorial for the rest of the crew (wife and daughter 😉).

[@johnlee7085]

Almost learned a hard lesson about oily rags. I had set one aside after doing a board, hadn’t laid it open to dry. It was in the sun and started to smolder. I threw it in a nearby burn barrel and it instantly burst into flames. Wow!

[@NewlandJ987]

Excellent instructions. They gave me the confidence to do the job myself and know it would come out well. Using a roller on a pole made to applying the stain much easier and cleaner. I went a step further and used a dry mop with replaceable head to wipe. While I had to throw the head out at end of the job, I think it more than paid for itself in convenience and reduced mess. BTW, I find cleaning tools after using water-based stain about the same as cleaning up after latex paint.

[@Idahopainter]

Thank you so much for sharing and being with us!🤙

[@darrenairey5938]

Hi idaho painter! You do great work! I restore and stain exterior wood up in Ontario Canada. Just wondering what stain you were using and why you didnt spray for coverage between the boards and speed. All stains have different methods of how to apply but usually i like to spray on a flood coat on the floor later in the afternoon so not in direct sunlight and allow the wood to sfully absorb to the point of refusal and then backbrush. I have had great results for when doing a single application.

[@chris-zs1vu]

Thank you for your very helpful video. It was easy to follow and my deck looks so good that guests keep asking if it is brand new.

[@copelandpainting2985]

Hey chris jusy wanna say thanks im actually in the process of starting my own business here in oregon and your tips and tricks have helped me to along the way. If your ever around portland, or I would love to but you a cup of coffee and chat or even help you on one of your jobs. Happy painting brotha keep it wet!

[@BucketNakedz]

Dang, all those rags. Totally understand using throw away for oil based. Great work as always - liked!

[@indrekkpringi]

Here's some tips from a painter 50 years in the business. What you do i you use oil base stain: not that water base crap. Then you add 10% boiled linseed oil to the stain. That will mix in naturally almost without stirring and never separate or sink to the top or bottom. Linseed oil has a life expectancy of 75 YEARS: Which only proves that the old technology is way better than the new stuff. You can add linseed oil to almost all oil base paints and it will improve their sticking to the surface and their longevity. you can use linseed oil as a primer that is better than any primer on the market. Only you have to thin it down with 30-50% thinner so it will dry and wait 2 days before re-applying a 2nd coat of linseed oil. With 2 coats of thinned down linseed oil; the wood is ready to accept any finish coat (s); Preferable 2 coats for exterior trim. Oil base, or latex or polyurethane or urethane. doesn't matter. The advantage is not only does it bond better with wood, but thinned down it soaks deeper into the wood preserving it much longer. Also insects do not like linseed oil. The only drawback is if you use 100% linseed oil and nothing else it will turn the wood black over a number of years... It'll last 75 years! Only it will be black. If you don't thin it down it will take a month to dry.

[@lavatube11]

Indrekk Pringi , is teak oil the same as linseed, in that it will turn the wood black over time??

[@indrekkpringi]

@@lavatube11 Teak oil is not the same as linseed oil neither are any other oils. You are suffering from hyper identicalization; where you assume that everything is the same.

[@lsmileh]

This was a great video, thanks for all the tips, much better than others I’ve seen.

[@vicentegonzalez2774]

Would love to know the stain brand used in this video ! Thanks !!

[@saburius]

One guy can cut in and another roll it. Then come back on each section with a rag mop attached to an extension pole. Its fast and you don't have scrub on your knees. Nonetheless, great video! I am always interested in how others do stuff.

[@richardchamblin5194]

do you rinse the rag mop? staining my porch soon and im wondering how to cut down on rag use/throwaway

[@lavatube11]

saburius , do they make wool or cotton rollers, because couldn't you just use a dry roller to go over it instead of a rag mop, since it might be less messy, easier to clean?

[@FactsMattersUSA]

I did my deck using an airless sprayer and it came out perfect. I use to do it your way until I learned from the commercial building guys. But great video.

[@Idahopainter]

Thanks for sharing Antonio, whatever you find works best for you!

[@DanielLopes-bc3rv]

Great video guys ,but the days of on hands and knees is for the birds .I use an 8 inch deck brush with pole attachment and i take 3 -5 boards at a time it's a breeze .

[@lrdeamer]

Just a suggestion - Since most of your videos are for DIY (do-it- yourselfers) and not professionals please recommend those oily rags to be put in water first, then they can discard those wet rags sealed in a bag. If you pile them up to dry they will combust or burst into flames. The company I work for sells most of the stain sold in the valley, all brands. Looks like you were using Superdeck since Sherwin owns them.

[@Lpm920]

lrdeamer i

[@paull2815]

Either that, or lay rags out flat in the sun until completely dry then throw away. Less weight to deal with.

[@skyryder7662]

Great job, That's the way to do it to eliminate overlap marks.

[@michaelwchristen]

so can I stain over without sanding or stripping it.? it's about 1 year old. Loving your site and excellent feedbacks.

[@coletterobak2413]

Great video, staining my deck next weekend and appreciate the tips!

[@Idahopainter]

Good luck on the deck, thanks for watching!

[@knutewales1171]

Watched this before staining a 10-year old deck. Worth pointing out that the wood was rather porous; absorbed the stain pretty & didn't leave much excess to wipe up. Great video though; we were humming that catchy piano music during the whole job.

[@DavidWuhuawei]

Very first time I watched 4 professional painters to stain a tiny deck.

[@greglapointe1311]

I wouldn't call that a tiny deck.

[@MommyKat2004]

Great video Love it. About to stain my redwood deck right now thank you for the tips. Love the logo as well the cartoon of you looks exactly like you.

[@bettiereaves2739]

The Idaho Painter *m

[@jasonjetty1267]

Thanks chris you have really helped me out keep up the great work 👍

[@roesimonini4292]

How long did it take you to do that deck? How long does it take to dry? Do you have to use oil based? Thank you.

[@billymcbillbill1764]

I like the tunes. Keep up the good work man!

[@gregvonseeger4098]

I have a wood deck that is on the second story of the house and want to know the best way to approach the sequence in staining the deck since it has a railing, wood spindles, and support columns. I am told that it is not necessary to stain underneath the deck even though it is above our cement patio below. Thanks Chris.

[@johnlee7085]

Work from the top down. If you’re going to see it, treat it. If it’s not exposed to the sun and rain, you shouldn’t need to retreat it as often, but good to do once to start.

[@nathanpavel2393]

Any tips on staining a deck railing? What brush/applicator works best?

[@dtheriault3878]

Which I would've seen your videos before I started my College Pro Franchise hahaha. You are awesome Chris! Keep up the great videos!

[@dtheriault3878]

+The Idaho Painter Yes, unfortunately I was a franchisee for CPP... Huge mistake, however it taught me a lot about running a business and the ups and downs of the entrepreneurial lifestyle. I wish the company gave us more training... We had a week (5days) to learn how to paint well enough to teach "painters" how to paint...

[@dtheriault3878]

***** thanks Chris, I really do appreciate you making those videos! You don't know what a big help you were too me!

[@dphotos007]

For my IPE deck I used DeckWise IPE Oil. Deckwise recommended not to stain IPE wood or use a clear finish over the stain.

[@joselatorre8140]

Hello I would like to know the name of the stain you used for this project

[@moselc09]

he won't tell you because that's part of the contractors appeal. Having products not available to other people. It might be Cabot gold or any Cabot brand.

[@josecampos9372]

Looks like Gunstock

[@rosemullen1856]

Thanks this really helped me understand how to stain my new deck. I think it’s dried out just right

[@aaronjoseph6650]

How long do you wait to wipe off the excess stain? Is it immediately or wait a few minutes?

[@GnosisMan50]

I have some questions...what is the life expectancy of the oil based stain versus water based stain and would it be better to add a hard shell clear coating on top of the stain? If so, what kind of coating should I use?

[@johnlee7085]

Water based tend to be a hard surface coating. If you use the oil based, it is absorbed into the wood and naturally repels the water. A test for retreating the wood is to see if it is still repelling water. If you use a hard shell surface treatment like a varnish, that will inhibit future retreating and make for a lot more work to evenly remove it so the whole deck can be retreated. It’s what would be done on a boat because of the constant exposure to water (salt), but is a lot more work and likely unnecessary for a deck. If it’s a porch (with a roof) with less exposure and a more finished appearance desired, then it might be worthwhile. Retreating shouldn’t be needed as often and if built with tongue and groove material is that much easier to execute.

[@johnlee7085]

Life expectancy could vary significantly based on the climate of your location and the exposure of the deck’s setting.

[@weeschwee]

What cleaner or pre-treatment do you use before applying a stain? We had our stairs built in the fall and are getting ready to stain. They are cedar.

[@foreignercatracho]

I worked in finishes for a designer and the way we stained the kitchen cabinets was. 1. Stain with a rack. Sometimes we needed to dilute the stain After staining we would let it dry and 2. applied sealer with a sprayer gun and compressor. 3. Sand it 4.apply more sealer. 5.sand it 6.apply finish clear coat. Yes it is a lot of work but you get a finished product worthy of exhibition. We stained cabinets for high end clients in Miami who paid top dollars and were picky.

[@nickchemist723]

I mean if you want to spend a month or two staining a deck , great method and I’m sure great results . Majority of folk don’t want to be working on staining the same deck for more than a couple days on the weekend

[@brianlehmkuhl8162]

Thank you👍 So glad I watched this first.

[@Idahopainter]

Your welcome! Thank you for sharing🤙

[@Rundle92]

I have a brand new black butt deck, has been up for 4 months, do I need to sand, wash before stain? and thanks for the tips on wiping, I did no know that, glad I watched your video before I have started.

[@Idahopainter]

Depends on how you want it to turn out

[@reaper3058]

Great video! 🎉😮

[@Idahopainter]

Thanks

[@MattApril]

Just throw everything away. What a sustainable practice!

[@daceja]

How do you avoid the overlap of the stain? I am about to re-stain my deck and I noticed the overlap from the previous staining. It is where you start and stop the staining with the brush or roller.

[@petrakincaid1684]

Good work my friend

[@Idahopainter]

Thank you!

[@TheOthrTyler]

I hear you!!! OB stains are such a pain to work with.

[@scottmcmaster1544]

Have you tried using a lambswool pad or deck brush for application of stain?? makes it super quick. If I could attach photos I would

[@johnlee7085]

It’s an added cost. Part of the beauty of their method is using old applicators and then disposing. Part of the difference between a contractor and homeowners.

[@kissingbanditt]

Behr oil based stain or Benjamin Moore? I used Thompsons stain which i think is water based and it pealed off not even after a year, i live in cold Canada if that helps...hot summers, cold winters...thanks so much.

[@troywallace5565]

really good detailed presentation

[@stevewingrave5004]

Love the colour of the stained used. Can I have the same look on pressure treated wood.?

[@Idahopainter]

Not exactly

[@johnlee7085]

It looks like a hardwood deck in the video. That’s the beauty of the material. It’s more expensive, but we’re DIYing ours for only about 10% more material $. We think it’s worth the $.

[@alexishigdon8465]

Great instuctional video. Thank you!

[@Idahopainter]

Your welcome

[@fjarchie]

I recently had my handy man stain my deck and the stain is very uneven after 2 coats. After watching your video I know what he did wrong , he didn't wipe off excess stain nor did he shake/stir the can of stain enough. How can I fix it .... ? toner

[@Idahopainter]

Rags and lacquer thinner to remove it

[@kobekyaire4896]

RESAND AND STAIN AGAIN

[@ryanjames4288]

just have a quick question if you have the time i know the video is older. i do alot of painting in western new york. i use alot of the cwf cedar transparent and semi transparent stains on deck floors and have always wiped them off. i have never used a solid stain on a deck floor and i was just wondering if you would use the same process of applying and wiping off the stain? being a little bit thicker im not sure if it would get dry spots from wiping off and for siding i always just back rolled it and it turned out fine. thanks!

[@canadianbacon79]

Do you recommend or think I should steer clear of sanding pressure treated deck with course grit before staining it? It's newer brown treated wood, dried out a couple years. Finally getting time to stain it. Some people say not to sand it, won't look good. I will be using deck cleaner and pressure washing, waiting couple days to dry then sand, dust off and stain

[@lightningsmokerXx]

What are your thoughts on the water based-acrylic stains?

[@GodseyKnives]

Hey brother what semi transparent stain brand do you prefer? my new deck is about dried out and ready but want to get a stain that holds up good .

[@malatesta53]

Love your videos!!!

[@tejanojdc5714]

How much time between say like 3 to 4 ft section before it drys and will it leave lines when you start another 3 to 4 ft

[@justenmeneses1847]

Wondering what stain was used? Also would recommend poles to save your knees

[@Idahopainter]

I use BM Arborcoat

[@johnnypools6971]

Thank you Very good information

[@rickspalding3047]

nice vid, any thoughts on using water over oil based stains on deck. Yay or nay?

[@soothan86]

Thank you very much awesome vid helping me put alot

[@karla4819]

Hello!!! I want to ask , my deck is brown painted the old owners painted just a couple of months ago but I don't like the color and also is old not bad condition but is rough I think they did by them selves so I can think they don't sand . But I want to change the color to the deck instead brown dark the color it has right now I want to do this deck color you just did , how difficult it is to change color and what do I need to do? Thanks Desperate Diy mom

[@ejarnold747]

Great video! Staining my deck this week, and your suggestions helped! Thanks!

[@marivelroblesguzman2079]

Very informative. Thank you.

[@daceja]

Can you recommend a good paint sprayer?

[@brandonheberling4009]

Wow. You guys did a great job. I am looking to re do and stain my deck and I think I found the perfect video. Is there any advice you would give to this beginner before I start?

[@Idahopainter]

I answered this in an upcoming video. DM us for a gift card to our store for using your question

[@04mikeandevy]

I was told using my wagner power sprayer would work good with stain?

[@IMROGGI]

Great ideas!! Thanks 😊!!

[@gabinolimon2484]

Your video helped out a lot

[@trolltrolling9022]

The Behr semi-transparent in “chocolate“ is nice… still looks natural bc you can still see the grain of the wood and it’s a stain and sealant all in one, no wiped off needed.

[@Idahopainter]

Yep

[@johnlee7085]

That Behr product is 100% acrylic formula, water based, not oil based as presented in the video. Trade offs both ways.

[@cesaraugusto1879]

What kind amd brand of stain did you guys use? Very didactic video. Thanks 👍

[@NoRoads2AllRoads]

+ Paint Life TV what color of stain was that? Looks somewhere around Pecan or something similar?

[@MirahCarter]

Fixing to stain my huge deck today. Your video helped me make a list for job. Thanks.

[@davidbirdno2613]

I also hate oil based stains but it is such a pretty finished product

[@EZ8E]

Thanks for the video. How do you prep a deck for staining?

[@andrewgraham3658]

Sweep your deck then power wash it . Next, spray it with deck cleaner (wood cleaner). Let sit 10-15 mins, scrub with a stiff bristle deck brush. Rinse the the cleaner off well with a garden hose or power washer. If your deck is in real rough shape you may need to sand it with an orbital sander with 80 grit sand paper. Let dry 24-48 hours after power washing/spraying then apply the stain. I prefer to stain one board at a time to prevent "lapping" when working by myself. Don't forget to have a few beers while you do it.

[@EZ8E]

@@andrewgraham3658 Thanks so much for this!

[@Alexchin-n3i]

Great video, Did you apply clear coat or it doesn’t need it?

[@rodennis418]

I don't know who thumbs downed this video but this is THE VIDEO for deck staining. You want it to look nice...follow his process!

[@Idahopainter]

Thank you🤙

[@Dfgzx12xyw]

After the first stain, should I re-stain or touched up each year?

[@Benjyy2000]

good video. ❓❓ what color did you occupy there?. I put Redwood on my deck but I don't stay red like yours❓😣😣

[@antoniotomas5094]

Hi Idaho painter. After our the stain don't you recommend any polyurethane floor finish?

[@albertdeloin9080]

Great tips... how much painter charged to paint fence . I wonder how much for square foot

[@dktakeover8842]

Do you have to worry about lap marks when using semi transparent? What nap did you use on the roller?

[@constanceandino5676]

Loved the video ! May I please have the Name and Color of the stain ? ty C

[@dizastro5437]

Any need to stain the under-side? Mine is second story. Also, any tips on protecting steel balusters on rails from accidentally getting stain on them?

[@julianfeliperinconavellane1967]

if want to stain a deck, should I sand before tos start? what the process is when the deck is not new?

[@slowburning_535]

If the wood is new and raw, you can sand it just to get it smoother then apply the stain. If the deck is not new, then you need to strip it first.

[@melissablankenship7468]

Do you recommend filling in nail holes with wood putty? Do you clean a new deck that has dried for 5 months?