It is important you keep a close eye on the maintenance of your deck, and not only is staining your deck visually appealing but it also helps take care of the wood and keep it in good condition. There are a lot of things that cause wear and tear on the wood: rain, snow, sun, wind, etc.

When Is It A Good Time To Stain Your Deck?

When you know for certain you have the time to do it and the weather is cooperative, that’s the best time. However, there are some things that play a factor in staining.

You should plan at least 2-3 days for this to get done. Before you lay down the stain, you’re going to want to power wash the wood and make sure it’s clean and even for an easy, consistent application. You should wait until the deck is fully dried after power washing it, and that could take hours. Depending on how big your area is to stain will ultimately decide on how long it takes.

You want to pick a day where you can avoid direct sunlight, and look at the weather forecast and make sure there’s no rain for the next 2-3 days following.

What About Temperature?

Most people don’t take temperature into play when they decide they want to stain their deck. If it’s nice outside, they go for it. Although it’s nice, it doesn't mean it’s an ideal time to stain and it should be pushed off longer if it could wait. Spring and Summer are not ideal times to stain deck, even though the weather is perfect for you to feel comfortable to do it. But, wood absorbs humidity and when the wood is dry is when you would see the best results. Staining in the Spring can lead to cracking and peeling stain because the pores are still very much saturated, making it harder to take the staining treatment. Summer is too hot, the paint can evaporate too quickly before it even penetrates the wood correctly.

Mild temperatures will help the stain work with you instead of you racing against the stain. Harsh temperatures and a very sunny day will possibly end up with the stain drying too fast than you can work, and ultimately not looking the way you envisioned.

Guest Contributor: Tiffany Powell