Clean and stain a wooden deck

A deck should be re-stained every 2–3 years in Canada. Skip a cycle and you're looking at sanding, board replacement, or full refinishing.

What you'll need

• Deck cleaner (Olympic, Behr, or oxygen-bleach based)
• Stiff-bristle deck brush
• Pressure washer (rent for $50/day) or garden hose
• 80-grit sanding pad
• Deck stain (semi-transparent lasts longest)
• Stain pad on a pole, brush for railings

Steps

1. Sweep and clear the deck completely.
2. Apply deck cleaner per label, scrub, and let sit 10–15 minutes.
3. Rinse with pressure washer on a wide fan tip (40°), keeping the nozzle 30 cm from the wood.
4. Let the deck dry 48 hours. Wood must be under 15% moisture before staining.
5. Light sand any fuzzy or raised grain with 80-grit.
6. Stain with the grain using a pad. Do 2–3 boards at a time, end-to-end, so no lap marks.
7. Stay off the deck for 24 hours.

Canadian timing

Stain in late spring or early fall when temps are 10–25°C and no rain is forecast for 48 hours. Avoid full sun — it dries the stain before it absorbs.