When to Put Sealer on a Deck After Staining?

Staining and Sealing

• Sealing a deck protects the wood against intrusion from the elements, including precipitation in the form of rain or snow. Some deck stains provide a sufficient seal for the deck’s wood surface, closing up any wood pores to protect the deck. Depending on your deck’s specific wood and the type of stain you use, you may need to apply a wood sealer to the deck’s surface after the stain has cured completely. You must test your deck after applying a new stain to determine whether you also need to apply a coat of sealant.

Water Testing

• When you are not sure whether you need to apply a sealer to your stained deck, performing a water test on the surface of the wood helps you determine what to do. Sprinkle some water on the deck with a watering can, simulating light rainfall. If the water penetrates the deck’s surface immediately, then you need to apply a sealer. If the water beads up on the surface of the deck, your stain has sealed the deck’s surface sufficiently and you do not need to apply a sealer.

Cleaning First

• Before you apply stain to your wood deck, you first need to clean it thoroughly. Failure to clean debris, including dirt embedded in the wood, affects the stain’s ability to adhere to the wood. If the stain does not adhere correctly, then the deck will look splotchy as the different portions age at different rates. You need to use a wood cleaning solution on the deck, which you can purchase at a hardware or home improvement store. After you allow the solution to soak into the deck’s wood for the amount of time suggested on the cleaner’s label, rinse it off with a garden hose. Using a pressure washer to rinse off the solution may loosen portions of the deck’s wood, leading to splintering in the near future. If an old coat of paint or stain is peeling off the deck, you must apply a stripping solution and then scrub the stain or paint off the deck’s surface; otherwise, the peeling paint or stain will cause the new stain or paint to peel.

Dry Time

• Because the stain and sealant work to keep moisture out of the deck, you need to wait for the deck to dry completely before continuing the application process, after you have cleaned the deck. How long you wait depends on the humidity level where you live, as well as whether any precipitation falls on the deck after you clean it. The drying process can take at least two days, if you do the work during the dry and hot months of the summer. You apply the sealant once the stain on your deck has dried, following the prescribed dry time listed on the stain’s label.