How to Stain and Protect a Porch

This project takes Ron to the rolling countryside around Wattsburg, Pennsylvania, which is dotted with picturesque dairy farms. The Renner family is looking forward to enjoying the view from their brand new front porch…once they get it stained and sealed, that is. That's why they asked Ron to pay them a visit.

The Renner's deck had just recently been built using pressure treated lumber. The family decided that they wanted the railing white and the deck itself a red wood color.

1. Stain Railings:

• Start by applying wide masking tape to the deck at the base of the posts and to the bottom of the siding. Then spread out plastic sheeting to cover the entire deck and the stairs. Staple the edges along the wall and rim joist and tape around the base of the posts. With the deck and steps protected, you are ready to start staining.

• Rollers are great for applying stain quickly and neatly, but because stain is not paint, it needs to be pushed into the pores of the wood. You cannot rely on the roller completely.
• Ron uses a painting pad covered in stain to go over the top of the already rolled surface applying light pressure in long, even strokes. You want to force the stain into the pores of the wood. Paint pads come in a variety of sizes depending upon the size and shape of the surface you are working on.

• A brush is the best tool to use for the underside of the railings. For the small vertical posts, or balusters, you can use a variety of tools, beginning with a small pad, which is perfect for applying stain to the ends of the wood. An offset roller is an excellent tool for reaching into the narrow space between the balusters. For the face of the balusters, you can go back to the regular roller. And finally work the stain into the pores of the wood with the painting pad.

2. Prepare and Protect Surfaces:

• Start by removing the staples holding down the plastic sheeting. Make sure the masking tape protecting the siding is tucked underneath the bottom edge. A wide putty knife is the perfect tool for this.
• Next, use the same piece of plastic you used to protect the decking to protect the railing. You may need to make slits in the plastic to wrap the plastic around either side of the posts.

• Since the stain the Renners chose was semi-transparent, they needed to spend a few minutes sanding out lumber stains that would otherwise show through.
• Ron recommends a semi-transparent stain for decking surfaces because it will resist wear but keep from creating paths where you walk a lot. He also recommends a stain that contains UV or ultraviolet protection so the deck won't fade.

3. Stain Deck:

• Because the stain is very thin, it can be applied with a garden sprayer, which makes the job go a lot faster.
• Fill the garden sprayer with the stain and then pressurize the sprayer by pumping it.

• Hold that sprayer about six inches away from the surface and just go back and forth in nice smooth strokes. This is a very fast way to apply stain, but you will still want to work this stain down into the pores of the wood, like you did on the railings.
• Using a deck brush that is designed for this purpose, you can work the stain into the wood without having to bend over while you work.

• The trick is to spray the stain a section at a time. Ron recommends an area about six square feet. Don't forget to stop and work the stain into the surface of the wood with the brush before moving on to the next section.
• Because the material is very thin, you can use the same sprayer to do the sides of the deck as well, and then brush them afterwards, to work the stain into the wood.
• Follow the manufacturer's recommendations to allow the deck to dry before removing the plastic and masking tape, and then, enjoy!