Cedar is an extremely popular variety of wood that is preferred by many homeowners to use as a wood material for building a deck. One of the reasons is that it looks really good and that it is fairly easy to work with when building the deck. You want to be very careful in that you do not wait too long after you complete the deck to apply the first coat of stain and sealer. If you allow too much moisture to soak into the wood before sealing it for the very first time, you risk weakening the wood.

6 Important Tips for the Staining of a Cedar Deck

Tip #1 Always seal cedar wood as soon after completing the deck – It is highly recommended that the very first thing that you do after you complete your deck is to apply the very first coat of stain or natural color sealer before the first raindrop hits the deck. The longer you wait, the more extra work that you will be causing yourself down the road.

Tip #2 If the deck gets weathered you need to thoroughly wash with a deck cleaner – Any good deck washer and cleaner should be able to both clean away dirt, debris and stains on all wooden deck surfaces and help to restore the brightness to all surfaces. This is extremely important if you were unable to stain or seal your deck right away.

Tip #3 Remember to cover all parts of the wood – When it comes to protecting your investment in your home and backyard deck, it is extremely important that you pay close attention to how you stain or seal all of the wood surfaces on your deck. If you fail to cover all of the parts of the deck you can be assured that the moisture in the air will find the uncovered areas and potentially shorten the life of your deck.

Tip #4 Always use a brush to apply stain – There are three main ways that you can apply stain or sealer to your cedar deck. All three ways can be easily used, except that two of the three ways should be used sparingly in that they each make it difficult for good results since there is limited penetration of the paint into the grain of the wood. The best way is to use a paint brush, instead of using a roller or paint sprayer.

Tip #5 Always select the best quality stain – Not all stains and sealers are equal, but the better the quality, the better your results will be. There are a number of ways that you can be sure that you are making the right choice and the best way is to ask for recommendations. You can check reviews online to get a good idea of what other people are saying about specific brands to get a better idea.

Tip #6 Pick the right day – There are several environmental conditions that are best when met for applying stain on cedarwood. It is best that the air is both warm and low in humidity in order for the paint to best be able to penetrate deeper into the grain.