Staining is the best thing you can do for your wood furniture to make them last longer. However, it is still not that simple to decide in what condition you should paint your deck.
No, 40 degrees is not ideal.
At temperatures of 40 Fahrenheit, usually, it’s not recommended to stain (using both water-based or oil-based) on a deck because the curing time will be increased and even with the most care the probability of getting marks over there will likely go way up.
Even though you paint at this temperature level, the stained layer will not look just fine as some water bubbles will start appearing over there.
Generally, the weather has a great impact on the staining process. You will also need to consider day and night weather because the temperature drops even lower in the evenings and nights.
Humidity is also a major consideration there to take into account if you’re staining in a humid area. It’s essential when dealing with patio furniture as it might soak up water that will affect the staining process.
Therefore, by considering these facts, for staining a deck the best temperature is between 53-70 Fahrenheit: neither too cold nor too hot. The best time is a day under sunlight and make sure the humidity is at a normal level, in fact, check if there’s any chance of rain.
However, there is still something you should know about types of stains.
Different types of stains come up with different instructions about the drying time. You must read them to choose the stain that takes minimal time if the weather is cold and humid. Choose oil and gel-based if the weather is extremely hot.
For example-
If you use a water-based product at that moment you will likely spend less time waiting for coating over a stained coat: double coats are mostly required. While that’s not true with oil-based products. They require more time to cure in general, and in cold environments, the timing is even higher.
Staining a deck in cold temperature less than 40.
If you have to stain the deck in cold weather for some reason, choose the best time which is in the sunlight. Choose the water-based stains instead of gel and oil which have higher curing time.
Although unpredictable weather could be a factor to look after, still, with proper care and dedication you can finish the job well.
You will surely need to wait for 1 hour to two after applying each coat. Which, in general, takes only 20 minutes. Don’t try to finish the job quickly to be clear. Don’t coat if the previous is dried properly.
Moreover, you may need to use some warming-up machines such as hair dryers to provide some heat if the sunlight is not intensive.
Note that, don’t warm the wood if it’s painted, because the top layer may get moisturized and will cause trouble when applying a stain coat.
Effects of staining deck in a hot weather
In extremely hot weather, you can definitely stain but there are a few important points to know.
Typically the stain dries faster in hot weather, mainly if you use water-based products it will take 5-10 minutes to fully dry. It’s good as you can finish your project sooner than later. On the other hand, it will be hard to correct marks in this shorter amount of time.
That can be overcome with oil-based products or gel stains are the best choice available. Since both types of stain take more time to cure, allowing you to refinish the poor-painted areas.
How long does it take for stains to dry in cold weather?
As said, it depends on some factors, mostly the humidity and the condition of the wood like it has been placed inside or outside.
The curing duration can go up to 24 hours in extremely cold weather, considering the patio furniture. At times, you will put the piece in the sunlight to fully dry that can become even typical in cloudy weather.
What if it rains after I stain my deck?
Rain will cause the stain to peel off if you apply it just after it has rained.
Rain will soak into wood pores and displace the stain if it rains within 48 hours after the stain has been applied. As a result, the surface will be splotchy rather than uniform.
Is it OK to stain wood in high humidity?
It’s not recommended to stain in extreme humidity.
Even if you do this, you know that you will need to wait for the furniture like a deck to fully dry. It takes more time because the wood material usually soaks up water and many different types of engineered woods out there are poorly resistant to water; eventually humidity.
