How to Finish a Wood Patio Deck

Properly seal, stain and treat your wood deck for years of outdoor service.

Wood patio decks will provide years of service for outdoor recreation if you seal, stain and treat them properly. Water is the primary enemy of wood decks. Water causes the expansion and contraction of wood as the wood absorbs water, dries and then gets wet again. This process causes cracks in the wood, allowing water to get inside the wood, which leads to wood rot. Finish your wood patio deck with products purchased at hardware, discount or home improvement stores. Choose a week with low humidity and no chance of rain to work on your wood deck.

Things You'll Need

• Power sander
• Waterproof wood sealant
• 3 paintbrushes
• 3 buckets
• Wood stain
• Sponge mop
• Polyurethane clear coat

Instructions

1. Sand the wood patio deck with a power sander. Rent or purchase power sanders at home improvement stores.

2. Fill a bucket with waterproof wood sealant. Find waterproof wood sealant in the woodworking or fence and deck departments of home improvement, hardware and discount stores. According to the House Painting Info website, wait for weather in the range of 50 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit for the best results. Extremely cold temperatures, as well as rain and humidity, increase drying times and results in a sticky finish.

3. Insert a paintbrush or mop into the wood sealant and paint (or mop) the wood deck with the sealant. Paint every part of the wood deck, including cracks, for full protection against wetness. Paint the sealant in the direction of the wood grain when possible. According to the House Painting Info website, pay close attention to painting the cut end portions of the deck boards. The ends are absorbent and prone to waterlogging if you don't properly treat them. Allow the sealant to dry.

4. Fill a bucket with wood stain in your desired wood shade. Paint the entire deck with the stain with a mop or a paintbrush. Allow the stain to dry.

5. Pour clear polyurethane into a bucket. Use a mop or paintbrush to paint the stained wood deck with this clear coat.

Tips & Warnings

• Purchase cheap buckets and mops to use while finishing your patio deck so you can throw them away after use. Cleaning the chemicals from buckets and mops is usually more hassle than the bucket/mop is worth. Dollar or discount stores sell inexpensive sponge mops and buckets.

• Avoid finishing your wood deck on extremely hot days. Like cold weather, weather that is too hot has its own share of problems to avoid. Extremely hot sunlight can cause harmful fumes when mixed with deck finishing chemicals, which can cause headaches and other neurological issues.

References

• House Painting Info: Staining Wood Decks