Rocky Mountain Paint Company's Best Practices for Staining

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How do I know if exterior wood is ready to be stained? We recommend using the ‘mist test’. Place your garden hose on the mist setting. Mist a small area of wood. If the water beads on top, your wood is not ready to accept the stain. If the water penetrates the wood, then you are good to go!

How do I know if exterior wood is dry enough to stain? We recommend using the ‘bag test’. Tape a small bag to a portion of your wood. Wait 20 – 30 minutes. If there is condensation on the underside of the bag after that time, your wood is too wet to stain. Wait until it dries and try again.

Can I stain exterior wood on a hot day? We do not recommend staining in direct sunlight or when the outdoor temperature is below 10° or above 27°.

What grit of sandpaper should I use on exterior wood? We recommend using ONLY 80 grit sandpaper on exterior wood.

What should I do to prepare for a maintenance coat? If you’re using the same type of stain as previously applied and the surface looks even, there is no need to sand the wood; just give it a good clean and it will be ready to be stained. The only thing you might need to sand between maintenance coats would be any fuzzy spots that occur during cleaning.

How do I clean exterior wood? We recommend using the Woodluxe® All-in-One Wood Cleaner or pressure washing the wood surface. After cleaning or pressure washing your wood, leave the wood to dry for AT LEAST three (3) good, dry days. Use the bag test to see if your wood is too wet to be stained.

I have a deck that is low to the ground, what type of stain should I use? If your deck is low to the ground, some stains may not take well due to the excess moisture in this area. In these instances, use a translucent stain, and continue with regular maintenance coats as needed.

How many coats of stain will I need? For our translucent, semi-transparent and semi-solid stains, you will only need one (1) coat. After these stains penetrate a wood surface, a second coat will only sit on the top which can lead to peeling and product failure.

For our solid stain, you will need two (2) coats to achieve the advertised durability.

How do I apply the stain? Always brush stain on. You can roll or use a stain pad, but then you should back-brush to make sure that the stain penetrates the wood surface properly and is pushed into all the nooks and crannies.