How To Stain Pressure-Treated Wood - Popular Mechanics

If building a deck or working with pressure-treated wood is on your to-do list, one of the cardinal rules everyone should know is how long to wait before staining pressure-treated lumber.

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For example, if you don't give the wood enough time to dry after pressure treatment, you risk a patchy, uneven paint job. Here's the scoop on how to properly stain pressure-treated wood for the best end product, whatever your project may be.

Rule #1: Choose Good Wood

First, consider the type of pressure-treated lumber you plan to use. Premium pressure-treated lumber has been dried after pressure treatment to remove excess moisture. Wood like this can be stained as soon as you're done putting your structure together (whether it's something big like a deck or tree house, or something smaller like a bird feeder). Other good (but pricey) options include cedar and redwood, especially for big structures such as decks.

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If you buy ordinary pressure-treated lumber from a home center, however, you'll have to wait anywhere from two to three days for the wood to dry sufficiently before you can apply a water-based semitransparent protective stain.

Rule #2: Test for Dryness

To test whether the surface of your lumber is sufficiently dry, dribble a few drops of clean water on it. If the water beads up immediately instead of being absorbed, you need to wait a little longer. But don't wait too long. Every day that the exposed wood has no coating on it, ultraviolet light can degrade the cell structure of the surface wood fibers. This reduces the effectiveness of any stain or preservative that you apply.

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Rule #3: Select the Right Finish

The other major factor is the type of finish you use. Some manufacturers may want you to thoroughly wash the surface with wood cleaner first, to remove surface dirt and open the wood pores. Others may not make this suggestion. Because of this variation, always read the directions before applying stain.

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Roy BerendsohnSenior Home Editor

Roy Berendsohn has worked for more than 25 years at Popular Mechanics, where he has written on carpentry, masonry, painting, plumbing, electrical, woodworking, blacksmithing, welding, lawn care, chainsaw use, and outdoor power equipment. When he’s not working on his own house, he volunteers with Sovereign Grace Church doing home repair for families in rural, suburban and urban locations throughout central and southern New Jersey.