Deck Staining In Amador County, California –When & How Often?

Deck Staining In Amador County, California –When & How Often?

Adding a deck to your home brings immeasurable value, offering a space to entertain guests or unwind after a long day. Maintaining your deck is crucial to ensure its longevity and appealing appearance. Numerous factors dictate the frequency of refinishing your deck in Amador County, California. Whether you’re grilling, hosting a party, reading a book, or simply relaxing on a sunny afternoon, a beautiful deck is well-deserved. To facilitate this, we want to provide tips on when and how frequently you should stain your deck.

When to Stain a New Deck

If you’ve recently installed a new deck, stain it to safeguard against harsh exterior conditions. Typically, it would help if you allowed all new decks to dry out for at least 30 days before applying any coatings. While some finishes permit immediate application after construction, letting the wood dry out before applying any coatings is generally advisable. Here are some general guidelines for different types of new decks:

• Pressure-treated lumber

This should be allowed to dry for about six months before staining.

• Kiln-dried lumber 

Allow kiln-dried wood to dry for one or two weeks to release any residual moisture absorbed during the stacking and transporting.

• Green lumber

Freshly cut wood, though better materials are available since it can warp and crack as it dries, is still used by some due to its availability and cost. In most situations, you can stain it within 2-4 months, but sometimes, you must leave it for a year or more before staining.

Whether you are staining a new or older deck, always schedule your project when the weatherman predicts at least three rain-free days. Also, do not stain on a hot sunny day or when fog or excess moisture is in the air. These conditions will compromise the quality and durability of the finish. When it is finally time to stain it, remove the grey color and surface dirt with light pressure washing, scrubbing, and a suitable wood cleaner.

How Often Should You Stain?

Several interacting factors, including elevation, changing environmental exposure every year, and how you use it, influence how well your wood deck holds the stain. For this reason, two decks of similar properties might require a different re-staining frequency (or maintenance cycle) depending on the factors they are predisposed to. Here is what affects your deck stain’s durability;

Deck Stain Types

Stains come in different shades and levels of opacity, from utterly transparent to solid stains and everything in between. Generally, the finer the stain, the newer the deck. This allows the wood grain and natural beauty to show through. More transparent stains wear off faster, requiring more frequent repainting, creating a tradeoff.

People commonly use opaque-like paint and solid stains on older decks where there is a need to cover up surface blemishes and imperfections.

To keep everything in excellent shape, you must re-stain a transparent stain every 9-18 months. In contrast, you must re-stain a solid pigment stain every two to five years.

Weather and Usage

These two are the most damaging factors to your deck stain. Wet and humid weather conditions remove the stain and allow mold and mildew to penetrate the wood. Conversely, the sun’s UV rays will break down the stained surface and cause cracking, peeling, and dry rot. Their stain will last for decks used less often than decks that receive regular heavy traffic.

If you want your deck to look great and enjoy the peace of mind that the stain will last, our team at Michael Hines Painting can help. Call us today at 209.256.4587 for a FREE estimate.

You can also contact our team at Galt, CA, by clicking this link for our other company. Galt House Painter. We do it all, including deck staining!