Guide to Deck Staining from Sun Brite Supply
When performing deck staining, allow the wood to dry for at least 24-48 hours before you stain it with any oil based stain. Once you believe the wood is dry, you should test it with a moisture meter. Be sure to test the areas that do not get much sun, such as close to the house. You are looking for 12% moisture or less. In a pinch, you can stain wood at 15%, but you are really pushing the edge with that. Take a little time to protect the yard plants and lawn around the surface. Sun Brite Supply has lightweight inexpensive paper-poly drop-cloths that will prevent stain from landing on vegetation. stain blocks the pores of vegetation, so the leaf cannot breathe. Cover up and be safe. NOTE: Never use sheet plastic over vegetation. On a sunny day, plants can fry within minutes.
Ready Seal deck sealer
has changed the wood restoration industry! It is the most "contractor-friendly" deck sealer for almost any type of wood. Finding a deck sealer that can restore decks, fences and other wood surfaces with excellent protection from the elements is difficult to do but this deck sealer is made for almost any wood restoration job. Unique resins combined with parafinnic oil which means faster applications and more complete penetration. This deck sealer also contains outstanding UV protection, excellent mold and mildew inhibitors, and is fully VOC compliant (very low in ozone-depleting chemicals).
No other deck sealer is designed to stop runs, laps and streaks - and the deck is ready for use and ready for rainy weather in 15 minutes! Cited as one of the preferred penetrating oil sealers by "Wood" magazine, Ready Seal will make deck sealing a breeze! Available in 8 natural, semi-transparent stain colors.
FloodPro® Spa-N-Deck
Base Coat and Spa-N-Deck 100% Acrylic Finish are a premium quality sealer for wood decks, docks and siding. Spa-N-Deck Base Coat is the first coat of this system, and Spa-N-Deck 100% Acrylic Finish is the top coat. Base Coat penetrates deeply into the wood’s pores, delivering superior adhesion and moisture protection and ensuring both the maximum life and peel resistance of Spa-N-Deck 100% Acrylic Finish.
Together, they provide unsurpassed appearance and protection from the most severe ultra-violet environments. Spa-N-Deck 100% Acrylic Wood Finish System bonds “in” and “on” the wood, providing a tough, durable, lustrous finish that enhances the natural character of the wood.
The Deckster deck sprayer is one of the best time saving tools on the market for power washers. Deck sealing is probably the most time consuming part of deck restoration. Spraying decks and fences with a spayer saves time and gives you a very even application. The Deckster deck sprayer was designed for Wood Restoration contractors, but many Decksters have been used for everything from pest control to soap dispensing. The Deckster deck sprayer can pay for itself by saving you up to 45 minutes or more on a job over that pump up deck sprayer you're probably using now.
If there are any fuzzies on the wood, use a sanding sponge with medium grit (or a brass wire brush, an Osborne brush, or a de-felting pad) to go over the entire area. This step will help assure professional looking results.
Remember that Ready Seal is made with inert oil that contains no sugars or starches. We caution you to avoid any stain that contains linseed oil (even in small amounts, linseed oil supports the growth of mildew with its natural sugars and starches). We also caution you about using any stain without superior UV protection. That includes all clear stains. Generally speaking, darker stainant colors contain more UV protection. Ready Seal contains some of the finest pigments available today, combined with exclusive resins that help the stain be absorbed completely into the wood very quickly. Ready Seal is permeable, which means it allows the wood to breathe naturally but will not allow moisture drops to enter the wood.
Using a good brush with white china bristles, apply the stain along the edge nearest the house. Cover about 12” to 18” out from the house, being very careful to feather the edges so that you avoid a straight, visible line where the brushing stops and the spraying will begin. Cutting-in the edge like this allows you to begin spraying away from the house, minimizing your clean-up at the end of the job. Many contractors spray the entire surface, avoiding the extra labor needed for cutting-in by using sheet plastic or a flexible painter’s shield to protect the house from spray.
A DECKSTER sprayer is the quickest method to apply Ready Seal when used by a professional. On a windy day, the Hurricane Brush will be the fastest way to apply Ready Seal without creating a clean-up headache. Ready Seal can also be applied with a pump-up sprayer, but that is more labor-intensive and a less-even application than you get when using a DECKSTER. You may also use a brush or roll it, but those methods are more labor-intensive and usually don’t get the stain on to the sides of the boards like the sprayer does.
Take time to protect any patio under the deck. Stain that drips onto concrete is extremely difficult to remove later on. If you spray the stain, also protect plants and house surfaces. If you must clean up spilled stain or overspray, use mineral spirits or denatured alcohol. Mineral spirits is the best all-around cleaner, while denatured alcohol works very well for cleaning it off glass.
Two light coats (applied wet-on-wet) are much better than one heavy one. Once the first coat of stain has been on the wood for at least 15 – 30 minutes, it will accept a moderate second coat. Once the second coat of stain has been on the wood for about 20 minutes, the wood has absorbed all it will take. If there are any wet or shiny spots visible, they can be wiped with a clean rag or back-brushed with a flat stain pad to remove them.
Ready Seal is really goof-proof. That means that you won’t get lap marks or runs, and it means that rainy weather can’t mess it up. The stained wood is ready to stand up to rain within about 15 minutes after applying Ready Seal. The deck is ready to use immediately, while the stain continues to dry beneath the surface of the wood for about 2-3 weeks.
Expect the color of the newly stained wood to be somewhat darker that the color sample indicated. The wood may also have a slightly splotchy appearance. The color will lighten considerably and even out over the next two weeks or so. The color will continue to lighten gradually, depending on use and exposure to sun. Typically, deck staining should be repeated every two years or so to maintain optimal appearance and protection.
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