Place a few drops of water on the deck. If the water beads up on the surface of your deck, you don't need to seal. That means you will have more steps in prepping the deck for staining. A dark stain will make the wood get hotter. Apply one coat of solid stain, let the deck weather for a year and then apply another coat. Solid color stain will help extend the life of an older deck that is starting to crack and check. So while the pressure treatment process does provide a certain degree of protection, sealing your pressure-treated wood will help it to look better and last longer. Although weathered wood looks good, you should not allow treated lumber to weather because it will be left vulnerable. Now that they've had time to dry out, I'm about to stain the deck but I've discovered that a handful of boards are already splintering and cracking. And an outdoor project's not finished until it's been stained, sealed or painted. If the water is absorbed into the wood it has little or no seal and will decay unless treated. Remove staining, mildew and old finish with a commercial deck cleaning solution. Water based sealers tend to stay on the surface where oil based are quickly absorbed into the wood. By staining the deck … If it won't just slide underneath, you will have to remove the bottom starter strip, remove the siding, and then trim to compensate for the floor height. ", How to Seal and Stain Pressure Treated Wood Decking, https://www.thisoldhouse.com/how-to/go-old-deck-to-new-4-steps, https://www.familyhandyman.com/decks/how-to-revive-a-deck/, https://www.familyhandyman.com/decks/choosing-the-best-finish-for-your-deck/, https://www.todayshomeowner.com/video/protecting-a-wood-deck-with-stain/, https://www.bobvila.com/articles/homemade-deck-cleaner/, https://www.todayshomeowner.com/video/how-to-clean-and-finish-a-wood-deck/, Lowes instructions for cleaning and sealing your deck, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. A heavily bodied wood stain will have a hard time penetrating into the new wood. Also, if you have a brand new deck made with treated wood, it’s best to hold off a few weeks to allow the wood to completely dry so the stain is more fully absorbed. Do a water test to see if wood will accept a stain. The wood is wet with pressure treatment, its not going to take a topcoat until its dry. Chances are you used pressure treated wood (PTW), the most common and inexpensive choice for decking. Ordinary pressure-treated lumber from a home ... How To Get Leaf Stains Off Your Wood Deck. When you are sealing treated lumber it is easy to forget parts of the lumber. I'm going to use a solid stain on my new deck that is made of pressure treated wood. Myth Number 2 – New wood is ready to be stained. After a 30-day period, pour some water on your deck. What if I decide to stain the pressure-treated decking or wood before it’s dry – are there any consequences? Last Updated: June 15, 2020 But without care, the wood can age, crack, and dry out, leading to an unappealing gray color and splintered surface. For starters, don’t apply deck sealer in direct sunlight as the finish will dry too quickly. Preventive maintenance measures help ensure the durability of a pressure-treated deck. I don't know if it's been waterproofed but I think it's the cheap pressure treated wood. In fact, the treatment given to about 80% of the pressure treated wood used to build decks, is to help prevent against rot and termites. ... Sealing pressure treated deck, to be stained later on. We recommend beginning to test the wood around 90 days after your project is completed, but this is just a general suggestion. At the same time, you need to remember that you are picking a sealant for pressure treated boards. Cedar and redwood can be treated immediately. Make certain you seal the edges, front, back and the ends of the lumber. To create this article, 24 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. Additionally, a sealer can provide UV protection to slow the rate at which your deck’s color fades. It’s easy to clean and stands strong against common wear and tear and bad weather. References What if I decide to stain the pressure-treated decking or wood before it’s dry – are there any consequences? This will help stop moisture from getting into the lumber. Seal the Whole Thing. FIRE HAZARD: Before disposing of rags, spread them out to dry completely. Initial Sealing. As soon as you expose most treated lumber to the sun and wind by nailing it to deck joists, the liquid in the wood begins to exit to the air. If the water pools into beads or runs off the deck it is protected. This lumber can be stained as soon as the deck is built. If you are using latex stain, clean equipment with soapy water. The Ready Seal 505 formula is one of the variants of the 515 stains and sealant in one. Brown Treated Lumber is now the most popular and requested material for installation! Materials and tools used on Day 2 include : orbital sander, sanding discs, deck screws, leaf blower, impact drill and screwdriver, hammer, and painter’s tape … The pressure-treated lumber goes through a process of using a water-based solution that carries the treatment of chemicals into the fibers of the wood while under pressure; this leaves the wood wet. Here is how to keep your deck looking great and protected. You might not want a totally smooth surface, once stained it could make it awful slippery when wet. This is untrue and leaves the deck vulnerable to damage. Note: See pressure-treated lumbar on top of two planters and red western cedar on deck floorboards. The brown is dark at first, but then fades to a more natural wood colour over time. Staining and Sealing to Fight Mother Nature. Generated from evaporating finish on a pile of rags, spread them out to dry completely your deck... Typical pressure-treated wood needs to dry after construction before it ’ s sold at the and! Immediately to new pressure treated wood for staining who voted found the article,... The natural grain wood new deck pressure-treated lumber from Lowes so I know it... 6-8 months of weathering your email address to get Leaf stains off your wood deck cause in! One of the lumber stores ] wood would not need to stain it deck after you.... 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