# Deck staining



## joedonuts (Jun 1, 2006)

I need some advice on staining decks and fencing. The wood is all pressure treated. The fence pickets are 3.5 inshes wide, spaced 1.25 apart. The stain is water based. The stain manufacturer says i can use a garden type pump sprayer to apply the stain. I have no luck with this method of application, the stain does not come out of the sprayer with a nice fan spray, it's more like a stream. So i am applying it with a 9" paint roller and brushes. Anybody have a better way of doing this. Thanks.


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## slickshift (Jun 14, 2005)

I tend to use pad pads on those
Truthfully I use mostly oil, but I'd use them if I had a water-based stain
You can get a groove going with them that's really very quick

Word of warning: Do Not Use The Cheap Ones...no W*M or HD, go to the Paint Store or Hardware Store for them...or if the local Big Box has Shur-Line they should be OK
When using the pads for stain they can be very drippy, the cheap ones couldn't hold stain if you glued it in there

I'll use the larger pads for the deck, and smaller ones for the balusters (pickets)
It sounds like you've got those panel type pickets, it'll probably be the same sized pad as you'd use for the decking

You sometimes still need to brush here and there, but not much if you do

I may have brushed a very small deck or two here or there over the last few years, but mostly I use the pads


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## rws (Nov 26, 2004)

joedonuts said:


> I need some advice on staining decks and fencing. The wood is all pressure treated. The fence pickets are 3.5 inshes wide, spaced 1.25 apart. The stain is water based. The stain manufacturer says i can use a garden type pump sprayer to apply the stain. I have no luck with this method of application, the stain does not come out of the sprayer with a nice fan spray, it's more like a stream. So i am applying it with a 9" paint roller and brushes. Anybody have a better way of doing this. Thanks.


S W sells some nice pump sprayers for this with a wide spray pattern


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## FCPWLLC (Jun 1, 2006)

Airless Sprayer and back brushing.


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## joedonuts (Jun 1, 2006)

Thank you everybody for your help! I am going to try a painters mitt to get in between the pickets. I bought a pump sprayer at S W and it does not give me a nice fan spray so i resorted to rolling with a nine inch roller and brushing in between the pickets. I'll give the mitt a try tommorow. The airless sprayer sounds like it might be the way to go, but i am worried about overspray blowing around and getting on windows and cars, etc.


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## bigchaz (Jun 17, 2006)

Dont know if you did the job already, but those painters mits suck pretty bad. You should be able to get a smaller pad inbetween the pickets easier than a mitt.


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## joedonuts (Jun 1, 2006)

bigchaz said:


> Dont know if you did the job already, but those painters mits suck pretty bad. You should be able to get a smaller pad inbetween the pickets easier than a mitt.


Chaz i already started and the mitt is working great. the pickets are spaced about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2" apart, it gets in between pretty good, i am making good time with it, it seems to be laying a good coat on them. the face of the pickets is 3 1/2".


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## bigchaz (Jun 17, 2006)

Ok well if its working for you thats cool! What product are you using on it? How much you charging per foot?


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## Dorman Painting (May 2, 2006)

Sherwin Williams sells pump sprayers made by Olympic that work very well. I've even used these sprayers to apply stain to log cabins. I've had wonderful success using these sprayers coupled with the DeckScapes waterbourne products. The think to remember about decks and staining them is that you're only going to get a couple of good years out of the stain. For fences, the only way to stain them is with a sprayer, either an airless or one of the Olympic that SW sells.


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## joedonuts (Jun 1, 2006)

bigchaz said:


> Ok well if its working for you thats cool! What product are you using on it? How much you charging per foot?



This job is for a property management co. that oversees condos and townhomes properties , did not price it per square foot, i priced it per building.


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## joedonuts (Jun 1, 2006)

bigchaz said:


> Ok well if its working for you thats cool! What product are you using on it? How much you charging per foot?



SW Deckscapes water based


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## joedonuts (Jun 1, 2006)

Dorman Painting said:


> Sherwin Williams sells pump sprayers made by Olympic that work very well. I've even used these sprayers to apply stain to log cabins. I've had wonderful success using these sprayers coupled with the DeckScapes waterbourne products. The think to remember about decks and staining them is that you're only going to get a couple of good years out of the stain. For fences, the only way to stain them is with a sprayer, either an airless or one of the Olympic that SW sells.


I bought the pump sprayer, spent about 30.00 for it, it does not give a good fan spray. maybe the one i bought is not the one you are describing, but i am making good time though here as long as it doesn't rain.


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## jensenconstruction (Mar 30, 2006)

we use the juice box http://www.juiceboxllc.com/info.htm or an airless. In my experience those pump sprayers just don't produce a consistant spray pattern.


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## joedonuts (Jun 1, 2006)

jensenpainting said:


> we use the juice box http://www.juiceboxllc.com/info.htm or an airless. In my experience those pump sprayers just don't produce a consistant spray pattern.


Thanks for the link, that looks a good way to go!


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