It’s summer in NYC and that means it’s time to fully enjoy your coveted outdoor space. But before you can sit back and relax or gather your buddies to enjoy the warm weather and a barbeque, you gotta get your place up to standard. It’s time to stain or re-stain that deck of yours! The colder months can brutalize your deck or patio, so staining isn’t just about aesthetics. It’s about protection too. Staining a deck takes some time, but thankfully isn’t difficult, especially when you follow this guide.

Here’s what you’ll need: 

• Deck scrub brush or power washer
• Deck cleaner from any hardware store
• Wire brush
• Scraper
• Sand paper
• Broom, vacuum or wet cloth
• Paint stain
• Brushes, rollers, or paint spray machine 
• Paint tray

Cleaning 

You have to remove all the dirt, dust, mold, and rust from your deck, so the stain adheres to the surface. There are a couple of ways to clean it, depending on the condition of your deck. If it needs a lighter cleaning, then a deck brush with some deck cleaner will do the trick. If it’s really dirty, we recommend using a power washer. Whichever way you go, make sure the deck is completely dry before moving on to the next step. 

Sanding

Once your deck is nice and dry, it’s time to smooth out your deck’s surface. If there is some old paint on your deck, we recommend you use a wire brush followed by a scraper to remove as much as you can. Then use sandpaper to even everything out. Grab a broom, vacuum or wet cloth to wipe away the dust after you’re done sanding.

Staining

It’s finally time to paint! Use a roller to cover most of the surface area and a brush to paint any railings and the small spaces at the joints of the boards or any hard-to-reach places. Try to follow the grain of the wood while painting. When the first coat is completely dry, the second coat can be applied, but some stains only need one coat. 

Drying

Once you’ve finished staining your deck, give it a full day to set in. Then get out the patio furniture and spark that grill.

Important note

Check the forecast before you start staining. Since a deck is exposed to the open air, you should only paint in dry weather conditions. You’ll need at least 2-3 sunny days in a row, because after you finish painting, you want the stain to completely dry and set in. You don’t want rain ruining all your hard work. Also, if it’s too cold the paint will take longer to dry. And if it has been raining recently, wait for the wood to dry thoroughly before painting. 

Maybe you might be interested: How to paint exterior doors?