Can Rain Ruin the Stain on Your Deck?

Staining a deck is different than painting it. When you paint your deck, you’re applying a layer of paint that will sit on top of the decking material. When you stain it, the staining liquid soaks into the decking material’s pores to create a long-lasting finish. So how can rain ruin your newly stained deck? Keep reading to find out. 

Doesn’t Allow Enough Dry Time

Stains need between 12-48 hours to fully dry. If water comes into contact with your newly stained deck before it’s dry, the water will soak into the pores of the decking material and displace the stain. When this happens, you’ll need to restain the deck to get the smooth and professional finish you’ll want. 

Peeling/ Flaking 

If you don’t allow enough time for stains to dry, it can end up peeling or flaking off when it rains. Not only is this unsightly, but it can also be dangerous to have pieces of staining material laying around on the deck. Little kids and pets can come into contact with it and it can be dangerous for their health. 

Splotchy Appearance

Once rain enters into the decking material, you can expect to see a splotchy appearance. This is because the water has entered into the boards, and disrupted the stain molecules. The only way you can fix it is by restaining your entire deck and allowing it to dry again for 12-48 hours. 

Affect the Quality of Your Floorboards

Since staining your deck involves reconfiguring the molecular structure of the decking material, getting your deck wet after staining it can lead to premature issues with the material. If you have an older wooden deck, a weakened wet deck can attract:

• Mold 
• Termites
• Rot

While those may not be common occurrences for newly stained decks that aren’t given enough dry time, they’re certainly possible. 

Have a Deck Builder in Howard County Get the Job Done Right

When you work with a professional deck builder like North American Deck & Patio, they take everything into account. Here at North American Deck & Patio, we always analyze the risks involved with creating, maintaining, and staining decks before doing anything. You can rest assured that your deck will always come out looking clean, neat, and beautiful. 

Give us a call today to see how we can help you with your next deck project and for your free estimate. 

“Jim at North American patio and deck's came up with the most ingenious way of utilizing our small very slanted very water drained environment and turned it into a virtual oasis. Making this deck the envy of all our ambitions and gem for the community.”

– C. Cross