Deck Staining Tools – Spray, Roll or Brush?

Deck Staining Tools – Spray, Roll or Brush?


Your outdoor deck is one of those structures your visitors see first when they walk into your compound. Keeping it looking beautiful is, therefore, a great way to boost your home’s curb appeal and protect its value. Your deck is constantly exposed to damaging weather and environmental elements such as rain, bugs and UV rays. Staining your wooden deck will protect it against these elements.

When stain soaks into the wood, the product creates a barrier that guards against rain and sun damage. While this thin coating will be your deck’s first line of defense, failing to apply it properly will leave your deck exposed sooner than later. Uncovered wood can rot, discolor, fade and break down forming splinters on the surface.

Having said that, which is the best way to apply stain to a wooden deck – Spray, Roll or Brush? You won’t believe how many times we get asked this question here at Hines Painting. In today’s post, we will try to break down these three options.

Spray vs Roll vs Brush


Staining a deck is not similar to painting, so the methods and tools might slightly differ. The simplest answer to the question of Spray, Roll or Brush is to use a Brush. But that’s not a rule of thumb, there is quite some room for flexibility. When staining, you want to make sure that the stain penetrates deep into the wood to provide sufficient protection, and the brush will allow you to work the stain into the wood.

How About Rollers and Sprayers?


As mentioned above, using a brush is not the rule of thumb. However, when it comes to rollers and sprayers, there are some things you should keep in mind. Rollers are a great option when you need to apply the stain faster, but they can be difficult to work with in hard-to-reach areas.

Using a sprayer is a viable option too, but you need to make sure that the sprayer is set to low pressure and you’re spraying close to the wood. While sprayers are quite good even at staining hard-to-reach areas, the over-spray is one of the biggest downsides of this tool.

Although it may look great at first, the stain is actually unable to soak into the wood properly, which takes away the protective capabilities of the stain. If you have to take this option, we suggest that you use an airless sprayer and protect all the surrounding immovable items from the over-spray.

Ok, How About Brush and Roller?


You don’t have to restrict yourself to one tool, you can actually use a roller and a brush to combine the benefits of the two. While using a brush alone can help you work that stain into the wood property and tackle those narrow edges and corners, it will take a little longer to complete your project.

To stain your deck faster and still achieve amazing results, consider using a roller for wide flat surfaces, like the main board, and then using a brush to finish up the narrow edges, railings and those small spaces near obstacles. When using both the brush and roller, be careful not to create puddles or overruns as you go along.

Bottom Line


Does that overview of the three options make things a little clearer? Indeed, while any of the tools can be used individually to stain your deck, the brush produces the best results. But when combined with a roller, you can save yourself some valuable time without compromising the quality of the results.

If you would rather hire a painting contractor in Amador County, California to handle your deck staining, Hines Painting Company can be of help. Just contact us to book an estimate and we will take everything from there.