How to Stain Exterior Pine

Staining your pine deck protects it from the elements.

Staining the wood exterior and decks of your home helps protect soft woods, such as pine, from rot, mildew and other types of wear and tear. Staining penetrates into the wood, as opposed to paint, which coats the surface and can crack or peel over time. Applying stain to your outside pine wood requires choosing a stain appropriate for exterior exposure and the purchase or rental of some basic application equipment.

Things You'll Need

• Wood stain for pine
• Spray equipment (such as a "buzz" gun)
• Extra nozzle tips
• Protective eye wear and gloves

Instructions

1. Load the spray gun with stain according to manufacturer's instructions and place on protective eye wear and gloves.

2. Hold the spray nozzle perpendicular to the pine surface and begin to spray, holding the nozzle 10 to 14 inches from the surface.

3. Move the gun parallel to the surface to cover the pine in even, steady strokes from left to right, then right to left.

4. Overlap the previous stroke by about 50 percent as you cover the pine's surface.

5. Allow the stain to dry and cure as required.

Tips & Warnings

• Allowing pine wood to weather for a year or so makes the surface more absorptive to stains.

References

• Cabots: Staining Decks
• Cabots: Gunning for Quality: Spray Application of Exterior Stains
• United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service: Selection and Application of Exterior Stains for Wood