Deck Preparation

• No matter what method you use to apply stain to your deck, the results will be far better if you prepare your decking first. This means washing it down with a good soapy dishwashing detergent, scrubbing it around with a whisk broom and rinsing it off thoroughly with buckets of clean water or a hose. Allow your newly washed deck to dry completely before any staining will take place.
  
  

Use a Brush for Best Results

• The best way to stain any deck is to use a brush. If you are using an oil-based stain, use a natural bristle brush. If you use a water-based stain, use a nylon brush.
  
  Although brushing on stain will give you the best finish, there are a few things that need to be done. Once you start this project, it needs to be completed without taking any breaks. Stopping in the middle of staining will leave nap marks or dark lines where the stain was allowed to penetrate and dry. Always start about six inches ahead of your last brush stroke, and back-brush it onto a previously stained area to make an invisible blend line. Use a high-quality four-inch brush for the decking and a smaller brush for the railings.
  
  

A Roller and Brush

• To save time and get nearly equal-looking results, you can use a roller to apply the stain. Once again, back-brush the area to make a perfect blend line. Be liberal with stain usage, rolling three or four times over the same area before back-brushing. You can roll two or three boards at a time to a length of 18 inches, but you will need to brush out the area before it dries. Warmer whether will dry the stain quicker, so consider this when rolling stain on large areas.