The Best Deck Treatment Stain

Preparing the Deck

• If you don't do the proper preparation before you stain your deck, it will add to your workload if you decide to perform these tasks later. The most important thing is to remove all the moveable objects off the deck. This includes ladders, potted plants, tables and barbecues.

  You also should do all the patch-up work before you stain your deck. So, if you have any loose boards, loose screws or broken boards, make sure you replace these before you attempt the stain application. Most importantly, know where all the electrical outlets are, so if you need to use power tools, you won't spend too much time looking around for them. Also, remember to keep moisture away from those areas.

Solid/Opaque

• Stains change the color of the underlying wood, so the best type of deck stain is one that will change the color of your wood quickly and well. Choose a deck stain with a penetrating oil base. Keep in mind the balance between transparency and the actual stain itself when choosing the stain that is best for you. However, remember that the more the stain penetrates the wood, the more the wood is protected.

  If you have weathered wood, then you will most likely want to go for a solid or opaque stain. This will ensure that imperfections are masked but also that the grain of the wood is hidden from view. However, the downside of a solid or opaque stain is that the more opaque a stain is, the more it will show wearing in the future, so you will need to restain opaque stains more frequently than more transparent ones.

Transparent

• Non-opaque or more transparent stains are nice if you have grain wood that looks good on its own and the staining is more for wood protection than anything else. Also, these stains aren't dark in color (unless that's the wood's natural color) and therefore don't absorb heat, making it less painful to walk on your deck during the summer months.

  Because non-opaque stains allow the wood grain to show through, they don't require re-application and touching up as often as opaque stains do. You will have to reapply a non-opaque stain only about every two to four years, rather than annually as with opaque stains.