Things You Didn't Know About Staining

How many of you have said  "Hey, I'm going to stain my deck today" - went out, purchased stain and then applied it, without any deck prep consideration? I must admit, before I was stain trained by Benjamin Moore, I'm guilty of doing this. My thought process at the time was "It's wood. It's meant to be stained. I don't need to do any prep work." Right?

WRONG.

In order to get the longest lasting protection for your deck and the most longevity of your stain, there are a few steps that need to be done prior to staining.

1.CLEAN YOUR DECK

Ensure that the surface of your deck is free of dirt, mold, mildew, flaking stain and other contaminants. This is a MUST for any deck - whether it be previously stained, freshly built (we'll talk about new wood a little later) or weathered , old wood.

Depending on the stain you would like to apply and what stage your deck is at, there are different prep products you can use to clean your deck.

For general maintenance, mold, mildew, and dirt removal, you can use Benjamin Moore's Clean.This concentrated formula is wonderful for cleaning many surfaces - even concrete, patio furniture, siding and even pools! (Always be sure to read the label and follow directions prior to starting)

Benjamin Moore CLEAN (318)

• Ideal for maintenance cleaning
• Removes mold and mildew
• Concentrated formula

Moldy, Mold, Mold
My deck falls into the category of weathered wood that was never stained. Three years of dead leaves and moisture build up created the perfect breeding ground for and mildew. YUCK.
I used Benjamin Moore's Clean to remove all of the unsightly goop, dirt and loose fibers.

BEFORE - This is my deck in all of it's moldy glory.

BEFORE - Clean must be applied to a wet surface. I sprayed the entire deck with my garden hose before using the diluted clean solution.

AFTER - Using a garden sprayer, I mixed Benjamin Moore's Clean with water (as per the directions on the bottle) and evenly covered the surface of the deck. I waited 5-10 minutes and then used a stiff brush (found at Erin Mills Paint) on the end of a broom handle to scrub the deck. I rinsed with hose water and voila! Gorgeous.

AFTER - Another shot of my clean deck. That ear you see?
That's my dog inspecting my work.

Peeling & Flaking Finishes
For decks that have peeling and flaking paint or stain, you can use Benjamin Moore's Remove, followed by Brighten, to remove any existing finish on the wood. This is recommended for people who want to use a translucent, transparent or semi-transparent stain, but currently have stained wood. (If you put a transparent stain over top of an existing stain, you won't have an even colour throughout -even if it's the same colour. )

Benjamin Moore REMOVE (315)

• Removes both latex and oil stains
• Fast-acting formula
• Removes clear finishes through solid colour stains
• Concentrated formula 
• Must be applied to a DRY surface

Once you've used remove to get rid of any existing stain,
you use Benjamin Moore's Brighten to neutralize the effects of remove and brighten the wood colouring, resulting in an evenly coloured deck.

Benjamin Moore BRIGHTEN (317)

• Removes tannin and rust stains
• Breaks the "mill glaze" on new wood
• Counteracts the darkening effect caused by the RESTORE (316) and REMOVE (315) products on tannin-bearing woods
• Concentrated formula
• Must be applied to a WET surface

New Wood
If you have brand spanking new wood that you just installed, you must remove MILL GLAZE prior to staining. . "mill glaze" is found on new, smooth planed wood, and Interferes with the adhesion and penetration of stain. Read more here.)  Using Brighten is the easiest way to remove mill glaze.

Left: Grayed, aged wood. Right: After using Restore & Brighten

Grayed and Weathered
If you've cleaned your deck, but find that it's grayed or looking "dull", don't panic! The grayed wood is a thin layer of dead wood fibers that can be easily removed.  You can use Benjamin Moore's Restore followed by Brighten, to restore (get it?) your deck back to its original glory!

2. DRY then SAND
Yep. Sanding. I can practically hear you groan.

Sanding is an ABSOLUTE MUST when staining or painting your deck. Even if you have skipped the clean step. When most people hear the word "sanding" they instantly think of getting down and dirty, on their knees, scrubbing until the deck is gleaming and shiny - void of any existing finish or texture. DO. NOT. DO. THIS.

Once your deck is completely dry, inside and out (this takes a few days of baking in the sun to achieve the ideal under 15% moisture content of the wood) you need to sand with an 80 grit sandpaper. The easiest way to do this is to get a pole sander and simply have at your deck as though you're curling, or sweeping in one direction. You don't want to over sand, or use too fine of a sandpaper because it will prevent the wood from soaking up your lovely stain. In some cases, it can even re-create mill glaze.

Sanding after any prep work, power washing ( read why you should never pressure wash your deck here,) or daily living will remove dead wood fibers and ready the wood to soak up your stain. Sanding will prevent stain failure and will ensure your stain gets a good grip on your wood. 

After sanding, use a tack cloth or lightly damp cloth to remove the dust.


3. STAIN

Ok. So you've cleaned your wood and then let it dry. You've sanded and removed the dust.
*trumpets blaring* It's time to stain!

Solid

Semi Solid

Translucent
(Available in Oil & Latex)

It's recommended to apply Arborcoat using a natural bristle brush. You can use a roller if you desire, but back brush after.

Stop by our store to ask us about the different finishes, colours and types of stain available for your project. Whatever your project is, we are specially trained to help.

-Margo

Questions?
Comments?
Feel free to e-mail us or comment below.


Erin Mills Paint & Decor - Benjamin Moore
5636 Glen Erin Drive
Mississauga, ON L5M 6B1
905-858-1708