How to Apply Wood Stain

Stain wood when it hasn’t rained for three days and when the forecast calls for at least two days of dry weather between 50° F and 90° F, with low to average humidity. This allows the stain to soak in and dry properly.

But be mindful of light, too. Our experts note that direct sunlight can cause the stain to dry too quickly, before the wood can absorb it. If you’re working on a project that gets direct light, pick a time of day (usually early to mid-morning or late afternoon) that will give the stain several hours to permeate and dry before the sun hits it.

The best brushes and rollers allow for smooth, even layers. So make sure you have:

A synthetic-bristled brush. These brushes work best with water-based stains (the only ones we test because they’re easier and safer to use than oil-based stains). Synthetics maintain their integrity, whereas natural bristles can become limp as they absorb the water in the finish.

A short-nap roller. A ¼-inch nap or shorter allows each stain layer to adhere to the wood and prevents pooling. Rollers with a longer nap will apply too much stain at once, making it hard to get even coverage.

These extra steps, taken before you even open the can of stain, will help make your stain go on more easily.

Sand the wood. Smoothing out any blemishes, splinters, or splits goes a long way to ensure an even application.

If your wood deck, fence, or furniture was built from pressure-treated lumber made after 2004, you can strap on your safety mask (to avoid inhaling dust) and do the sanding yourself. Start with coarse sandpaper to remove damaged spots, then progress up to finer grits to create a smoother surface prior to staining. Remember to sweep or wipe down the wood surfaces once you’re done. Use a putty knife to clean between deck boards

If you’re staining wood made from pressure-treated lumber before 2004, hire a pro to sand the surfaces. (These may contain chromated copper arsenate, a chemical that releases toxic arsenic into the air and surrounding soil.)

Make sure the surfaces are clean. If you have an old deck, use deck cleaner, a scrub brush, and a pressure washer to clean it at least a day before you plan to apply the stain. Let the wood dry for as long as directed by the instructions on your can of wood stain. For newly built wood structures, which don’t need a cleaning, simply wait 6 to 8 weeks after installation before applying stain.

A little patience and prep work just before staining can help ensure a frustration-free experience and seamless results.

Read the instructions on the can carefully. This will tell you how much coverage you can expect from a single can—and whether you’ll need more at the ready. It will also tell you how much drying time the product needs. This can vary by stain type and manufacturer.

Protect the surroundings. Water any plants and shrubs near the project and cover them with plastic sheeting. The sheeting will protect them from overspray or runoff, while watering beforehand will help keep their roots from soaking up any spilled stain.

An even application of stain across all surfaces will prevent water and UV rays from permeating the wood. To achieve this, apply a thin coat with a brush or roller. Don’t stop in the middle of a board or let puddles form, because the excess stain will dry on top of the wood and flake off. (Plus, it’ll look splotchy.) Stir the stain as you go to keep it well-blended.

Rollers are best for large, flat surfaces, like a flat deck railing or fence panel. Brushes can help you get into tighter spots, like between deck boards or individual pickets on a fence, but they also make it easier for the stain to pool in one spot.

An ideal balance can be a process called back brushing. That means using both your brush and roller: Start in tough-to-reach spots with a brush, working quickly to ensure even coverage. Then roll back over the entire surface with a roller. In addition to helping you avoid pooling, the roller will ensure complete coverage and prevent brush marks.

To test wood stains, CR’s engineers apply two coats to pine boards, then place them on the roof of our headquarters in Yonkers, N.Y. They face the boards south and angled down, like a roof, to intensify the effects of the sun and weather for up to three years.

Because manufacturers periodically reformulate their products, we retest samples from time to time to make sure this article and our ratings reflect the most up-to-date information available.

One year of testing tells you how a stain will do after a year on your deck or about three years of weathering on vertical surfaces (siding or fences), as you’ll see in our wood stain ratings.

Do you want a clear, semi-transparent, or solid stain? As the names suggest, clear options have no color pigment, so you can highlight the natural good looks of the wood. But it also offers far less protection. Semi-transparent has some pigment, so it protects the wood somewhat more, while still allowing you to see a bit of the wood grain. Solid stain, which applies like paint, offers even more protection, but no visible wood grain.