How to Stain a Deck

Simple tips and tricks on how to stain a deck, without a lot of effort for a beautiful finish.

I’m not a huge fan of decks – I’d take a beautiful brick patio any day. In fact, that’s one thing I adored about that house that could’ve been. You know, that pretty Colonial that I fell in love with, in a neighborhood that wasn’t quite as charming. I really like when kitchens, living rooms and bedrooms open up to a patio.

Rather than opening up to a space, decks can make you feel confined, limiting both the view and access to your yard. I wanted to find a way to minimize that feeling and redefine it as a room on it’s own.

Our home is built on a hill, making a patio impossible from the main level. It’s partially enclosed by the screened in porch, the house wall and the breakfast nook, with just one side opening to the yard.

Using a solid stain helped to make the space feel like an extension of our home, rather than an enclosure.

How you stain a deck and what you use makes all the difference.

A solid stain gives a paint appearance with the protection of a stain. While staining between the deck slats gives it a finished, polished look, almost like painted wood floors.

We said we weren’t going to DIY much at our new home, but it seems sometimes it’s just easier to do it yourself than to get a contractor to show up. My patience was waning, so Chris took over the project and learned how to stain a wood deck.

To avoid spending endless hours attempting to get a brush to properly cover it. Chris found a staining trick and it made the surface feel more like a floor and less like a deck.

Staining between deck slats was extremely easy and not overly time consuming. It not only protects the deck, but is visually appealing no matter which direction you’re looking at it. We purchased longer edgers the second time, which made it even easier.

How to stain a deck:

1. Don’t powerwash. Powerwashing should be left to professionals. Powerwashing your deck improperly could cause more harm than good. It can cause splintering, gaps, & warping.
2. Clean your deck thoroughly with a long arm brush and deck cleaner.
3. Allow it to dry thoroughly – 48 hours minimum, so that moisture doesn’t become trapped when staining.

Materials needed apply deck stain between slats:

• 2 edging pads with the plastic edges trimmed off
• a roller on an extension pole
• a paint tray

How to apply deck stain between boards:

1. Place 2 edging pads opposite of one another and dip in stain.
2. Swipe in between slats.
3. Using your roller, roll over the surface of the deck to keep the paint “drips” from drying on the surface. 
4. Stain your nails. It’s quick & easy to do this when staining the slats with the side of your roller.  
5. Roll with an extension handle for a quick, smooth finish {for solid stains you can use standard painting supplies!} 

Note: We had Sherwin Williams solid stain tinted in Realist Beige. Stop by to see the furnished space here.

The transformation is overwhelming, don’t you think?

You can find all of my paint colors and tips here.