If you want to know how to apply deck stain with a sprayer then this step by step guide will show you all the equipment you need and exactly how to go about staining with a sprayer…
Here’s what you need to know…
Before you even consider spraying stain onto your deck, you need to make sure you have the right equipment…
If you use the wrong spray tip or you use a stain that’s too thick, things will go bad really quickly…
But, if you do have the right sprayer to fit your budget and you pair that up with the right tip, all you need to do is follow along with this guide and you’ll get the hang of it in no time…
You’ve got this…
Ok, here’s the equipment you’ll need…
The equipment you need for applying deck stain with a sprayer…
- Paint Sprayer…
- Spray tip…
- Tip Extension…
- Deck brush applicator…
- Paint brush…
- Safety goggles…
- Dust mask…
- Gloves…
- Drop cloths, tarps, plastic sheets, anything to cover over spray…
- Masking tape…
- Rags…
- Paint strainer…
- Stain that’s suitable to be used with a sprayer…
Although that’s pretty much all you need to get the job done, you can’t just get any ol’ sprayer and stain your deck…
Here’s the thing…
The moment you start to search for a sprayer to stain your deck, you’ll fall into a deep, deep, deeep rabbit hole…
There’s electric airless sprayers that may or may not have too much pressure…
Then there’s battery powered airless sprayers with a container attached….
Is that little container any good for spraying a deck??
You have those plastic hand pump sprayers where you have to pump, pump, pump for 10 minutes just to get some pressure…
Can you even use these pump sprayers to stain a deck?
And don’t get me started on the tips…
My gosh, the tips!!
You have a narrow tip…
A wide tip…
And everything in between tips…
You have a plastic tip….
A stainless steel tip…
A cone tip…
Not to mention a fan tip…
AARRRGHHH!!!
Just breathe…
It’s ok…
I’ve got you…
How about I just show you exactly what you need so you can skip past all of the confusion and just get that deck sprayed?
Awesome, let’s do it…
Choosing a sprayer to stain a deck…
I want to make this as easy for you as I can…
So I’m going to eliminate all of the paint sprayers and give you only 2 options to choose from…
And which one you choose will depend on your answer to this one thing…
To pump or not to pump, that is the question…
Let me elaborate on that a little…
You see, when it comes to choosing a sprayer to stain your deck, you have the option to get a pump sprayer…
You know…
The one that you use to spray weeds?
You have to pump it up and down like you’re in some sadistic exercise class…
Or you have the effortless airless sprayer…
Which one you choose usually comes down to 3 things…
- Budget…
- How opposed you are to exercising and throwing your shoulder out on the pumping action…
- And how obsessed you are with buying awesome new tools…
Either way, I’m not gonna judge…
I’ll just show you the options and you decide which one is best for you…
Let’s start with the budget option…
Best Pump Sprayer to stain a deck…
This ones for all my budget shoppers out there…
I don’t mean “budget shopper” in a bad way…
Think of it more along the lines of “Savvy Buyer”…
Anyway…
Welcome to the world of The Vagabond Oil & Paint, Premium low pressure Pump Sprayer…
This little beast is designed purely for the purpose of spraying paints, oils and wouldn’t ya know it…
Deck stains!!
But this isn’t your average chemical sprayer…
No…
Those chemical sprayers aren’t designed to handle deck paints and stains…
You see, this pump sprayer comes with a stainless steel wand and a stainless steel tip that are just perfect for staining with a sprayer…
Because if you don’t get the right tip, your pump sprayer won’t work properly…
Let me give you the heads up…
See this tip here…
This is a cone tip…
When it comes to spraying a deck with stain, a cone tip is a bad idea…
You don’t want to drown your deck in deck stain…
That’s why you really want to get a fan tip…
One that sprays like this…
Yeah, that’s what you want from your pump sprayer…
The fan spray allows you to get that nice even coat without applying too much stain…
Just make sure it’s stainless steel and made for paints and stains…
But, you’re not gonna have to worry about all of that…
I’ve already found the perfect sprayer for you…
Yep, the Vagabond Oil & Paint…
You can grab it from Amazon for $32.99 for the 8lt option…
Or you can pick up the 15lt, backpack option for $89.99…
Either way, just remember that this pump sprayer is the entry level, budget option…
It’s a good sprayer but it can feel a little flimsy…
And another big downfall with a pump sprayer is that not all stains can be applied with this type of sprayer…
If you have a solid stain, forget it…
And even some transparent and semi transparent stains will be too thick to use with this type of sprayer…
If you look at the directions on your can of stain and it says that it can be sprayed on, it’s true, but only with an airless sprayer…
So this option is far from perfect…
What do you expect for $32.00?
If the quality is going to be an issue for you…
Or if you don’t want to battle with stains that are too thick to be sprayed with a pump sprayer, then maybe you should consider purchasing this next type of sprayer…
The Best Airless Sprayer for Deck Stain…
Now this little beast is for those who want to touch more class and refinement in a sprayer…
Oh who am I kidding??
If you’re obsessed with buying the biggest and baddest tools for your collection…
If you’re a quality tradesmans who only signs your name to quality work…
In short, you seriously have a problem when it comes to tools…
You’ll probably never use it again but your life won’t be complete until you fill that void with a spray gun…
Then this airless Sprayer is exactly the option you’ll wanna go for when it comes to applying deck stain with a sprayer…
Introducing the Graco Magnum 3000 psi Metal Airless Sprayer
You can pick one up at Ace Hardware for $739.99
You’re gonna love this one!!
The Magnum 3000 is a deck spraying beast…
You simply adjust the pressure to the lowest setting, grab your tip for deck stain, and then point and spray…
The great thing with the Magnum is that you don’t need to constantly fill up a little container with stain…
You can suck the stain right from a 5 gallon container…
And you don’t have to constantly stop to pump up the pressure like you would with a pump sprayer…
You have better control for a superior finish and you’ll get it done in half the time…
Plus you’ll feed your little addiction to buying tools..
It’s a win, win…
So it’s at this point that you need to decide which sprayer you’re gonna choose…
Pick one and then continue onto the next section…
Choosing the right tip for your deck staining sprayer…
If you purchase the pump sprayer, then you don’t need to worry about the tip…
The sprayer that I recommended above, comes with the tip you need…
You should be good to go…
But if you’re going to get the airless sprayer, then this section on tips is vitally important…
Getting the right tip is the secret to getting that perfect finish when spraying your deck with stain…
The wrong tip can create heavy edges and a finish so ugly, you’ll be left so confused as to how you butchered your deck so badly…
What you want from a tip is a 20 cm fan tip with a .011 to .013 hole size…
This will give you that really fine coverage that you want and allow you to coat your deck without the heavy edges and “Orange Peel Effect” that comes from too much stain being applied…
And you know I’ve got the perfect tip for you right?
The Graco Trueairless 413 Spray Tip…
This tip is made specifically for soft spraying deck stains…
And it’s made for the Magnum 3000…
It’s a match made in heaven…
You can grab this tip from Ace Hardware and it’s only $35.99
The only thing you need to watch out for is that the tips can wear out with usage which increases the amount of stain that is being sprayed out…
And too much stain means your deck will look horrendous…
So make sure you have spare tips ready to go…
There’s not really anymore to it…
Grab yourself a couple of tips and let’s move to the next section…
Staining with a sprayer isn’t possible without a tip extension…
See this simple little pole?
This is the Greco Tip Extension…
In reality, the tip extension is your very best friend when it comes to staining a deck with a sprayer…
You need to grab yourself a tip extension if you value your back and knees…
Because, this little baby will save you from a world of hurt…
Without the tip extension you’ll be kneeling down, hunched over trying to get an even spray on your deck while the mist is blowing up into your face…
Your knees and back will be screaming within the first 5 minutes…
But with the tip extension, you can walk around like us “2 Leg Uprighters” were born to do…
You’ll be able to cover a 3 metre section without taking a step…
Look, just head over to Ace Hardware and grab yourself a Greco tip for around $44…
You have to do it…
There’s no way around it…
Choosing the right deck stain for spraying…
I know that choosing the right deck stain color can be tricky in itself…
But using a deck stain with a sprayer adds another level of complexity…
You see, when you use a sprayer to stain your deck, you can’t just use any old deck stain…
Some stains are just too thick to be sprayed on…
For example…
Most solid deck stains will be too thick to spray…
It’s best to go with a transparent or semi transparent stain instead…
But if you really want a solid deck stain then you’ll be better off using a deck brush instead…
But don’t feel disappointed…
In all honesty, the deck brush is my preferred method of staining a deck…
So just know, if the deck stain you choose can’t be used with a sprayer, feel good in the fact that you will be using the best application method available when going with the deck brush applicator…
Now with that said…
Let’s look at some of the stain that can be applied with a sprayer…
Which deck stain can be used with a sprayer…
I wouldn’t recommend selecting a deck stain based on its ability to be sprayed onto your deck…
Rather, choose a deck stain from one of the high quality brands and the color that you prefer…
But seeing as though this is an article about staining a deck with a sprayer, what the heck…
Let’s do it…
Ok, I did a quick search and found that most brands claim that they can be used with a sprayer…
You have Cabots with this pdf…
You have Armstrong Clarke confirming the use of a sprayer with this page…
And Behr states that their stain can be sprayed onto a deck with a pump sprayer right here…
There’s your proof right there…
But don’t get too excited just yet…
If you purchased the airless sprayer then oookay, you can get excited…
Go for it!!
Because when the company states that you can apply their deck stains with a sprayer, they’re actually referring to an airless sprayer…
You made the right decision, Well Done!!
But, if you are one of those who decided to go with a pump sprayer, the verdict isn’t as happy for you…
You see, if you want to use a solid stain, then most likely you can’t apply it with a pump sprayer…
And there’s a lot of semi-transparent stains that are too thick to use with a pump sprayer…
So my pump sprayer people…
This is what you need to do…
Choose your deck stain based on the color that you like and make sure it’s a trusted brand…
Then test it out with your pump sprayer…
If it’s a hot mess, grab yourself a deck brush applicator and brush the stain on instead…
In all honesty, if you don’t want to invest the money into an expensive sprayer, then this is your best option…
And let me tell you a little secret…
I never spray anymore…
I always use a deck brush applicator to apply my stain…
You get such a superior finish when you use a deck brush as opposed to a sprayer…
It’s just the way it is…
But I also know that people being people, you’ll probably spray even though I told you the brush is better…
Anyway…
Let’s look at the step you need to take when staining a deck with a sprayer…
How to apply deck stain with a sprayer, step by step…
- Pressure wash deck…
- Allow the deck to dry…
- Cover all areas you don’t want sprayed…
- Mix stain and strain…
- Practice on some cardboard before you start spraying…
- Start with hand railing first…
- Back brush rails with paint brush…
- Cut around the house with a paint brush…
- Spray decking boards 2 to 4 boards at a time across the entire length of board…
- Back brush before you move onto the next set of boards…
- Allow your deck to dry then apply a second coat…
That’s pretty much all there is to it…
But just bear with me and I’ll go into a little more detail on each step…
Let’s do it…
1. Pressure wash deck…
Of course you need to scrub and pressure wash your deck before you spray stain onto it…
But, I’m not going to go into all the details of what you need and how to do it…
I’ve already put together a guide on everything you need to know about power washing your deck…
Just click the blue link above…
2. Allow the deck to dry…
I know you wanna get this done, but you need to be patient…
Make sure that your deck is completely dry before you try to apply deck stain with a sprayer…
If you rush this, the consequences could be catastrophic…
But how do you know if your deck is dry enough?
Well, you can find out by going to my guide that I already so kindly put together for you…
You’re welcome by the way…
Continuing…
3. Cover all areas you don’t want sprayed…
Prep the area by covering up anything you don’t want to get stain on…
Around the railing, bushes, gardens, the whole side of your home with plastic sheets…
Cover everything!
I’m serious!!
I would even move the car far away from the spray zone…
I mean down the street…
Better to be safe than sorry…
Now at this point, you’ve moved your car down the street, your house is completely wrapped up and you’ve got the kids and the dog locked up in the laundry…
Now you’re ready to start staining with a sprayer…
Actually, not so fast…
I know your trigger finger is getting itchy but before you pull that trigger…
4. Mix the stain and strain…
The last thing you want is for big blobs of stain clogging up your hose and the tip on your spray gun…
You’ll just start to get the hang of it and then…
BLOCKAGE!!
Believe me, you really don’t want that…
You have to take it apart and clean it…
It’s much easier to grab yourself a stocking and pour the stain into a clean bucket, through the stocking…
Any lumps and “rough stuff” will get filtered out so your gun won’t get all clogged up…
Make sense?
Excellent, let’s keep going shall we??
5. Practice on some cardboard before you start spraying…
If you’ve never done this before you don’t want your first time to be on your deck…
You’ll probably really suck for the first few passes just until you get the hang of it…
Get your “sloppy phase” out of the way on some cardboard instead of the right hand side of your deck…
The choice is yours but that’s what I recommend doing…
When you’ve got the hang of it, let’s move onto the real thing…
6. Start with hand railing first…
If you think about it for a second, you need to start with the railings before you stain your deck…
The reason is, if you spray your deck first, you have to wait for your deck to dry before you can walk on it to spray the railing…
But if you spray the railings first, the moment you’re done, you can start to spray your decking…
Plus, when you spray your railings, you’ll get some drips that fall down onto the deck…
You obviously just wipe them up as you go or even have a drop cloth to cover the deck…
It’s not a good idea to drip stain onto a freshly stained deck…
It just makes more sense to do the rails first…
When you spray your rails, there’s one important thing you must do…
7. Back brush the rails with a paint brush…
When you try staining with a sprayer, you’ll get areas that will be heavier than others…
That’s why I always recommend “back brushing” with a paint brush…
It just removes any excess stain and gives you a nice, even coat of stain…
Once you’ve finished back brushing your rails, it’s time to move onto the deck…
8. Cut around the house with a paint brush…
This next step really depends on how well you’ve protected your home…
If you have protective plastic sheets that cover your home completely and there is no way any over spray could coat your house, then you can spray right up to the edge of your house without needing to cut in…
But, if there’s any chance that you could get the stain on your exterior walls or rails, then you’ll need to cut in first with a paint brush…
You’ll probably only need to cut in 2 or 3 boards just to be safe…
Once you’re all cut in, now it’s time for the fun part…
9. Spray decking boards 2 to 4 boards at a time across the entire length of board…
Now listen carefully…
When you’re staining a deck with either a sprayer or a brush, you never want to stain no more than 4 boards at a time…
Don’t cut in around the entire deck then come back and stain the rest.
If you do this, you’ll end up with stop, start lines all over your deck…
Trust me, it will look terrible…
What you want to do is, spray 2 to 4 boards and make sure you finish the entire length of those 4 boards before you move onto the next 4…
Capish?
Ok, now that you’ve agreed to only do 2 to 4 boards at a time, there’s a couple of important techniques that you need to know when staining your deck with a spray gun…
First up, make sure you hold the gun around 30 cm or 12 inches away from the surface…
Then before you pull the trigger, make sure you start moving the gun along the length of the board…
In other words, make sure the gun is in motion before you pull that trigger…
If you pull the trigger then start moving, you’ll get a huge build up at the beginning of your pass…
By keeping the spray gun moving, you’ll get an even coverage along the length of the board…
And just to make it a little more difficult for you, make sure you release the trigger before you come to the end of the board and before you stop moving the spray gun…
So, start moving, then pull the trigger, and as you come to the end of the board, release the trigger then stop moving the gun…
This is how you get a nice even coating without buildups at the start or end of each pass…
Now, just before you move onto the next 4 boards, there’s something you need to do first…
10. Back brush before you move onto the next set of boards…
No matter how good you are at this spraying technique, there will always be sections that have too much stain on them…
That’s why the next step is to grab yourself a deck brush applicator and brush backwards along the length of the deck boards you just sprayed…
Remember with the proper technique to stain a deck, you only want to apply as much stain as the deck can absorb…
Any extra stain will simply pool on the surface and dry like a skin, waiting to peel off…
So always brush back along each board with your deck brush…
Then continue on with spraying and back brushing until your whole deck has its first coat of stain…
It’s at this point you can look back at your handy work with pride…
You did a great job…
It looks awesome…
But you might also notice that the colour is a little dull…
And the coating is looking a little bit uneven and patchy…
Don’t panic, that’s completely normal…
Plus I have a cool little trick that will give you that deep and even colour that you expect to see…
That’s the next step…
11. Allow your deck to dry then apply a second coat…
Ok, this next step isn’t really a trick at all…
It’s simply the next step that you must take when you stain your deck…
The first coat will always soak in and look weak and patchy…
Don’t worry, it’s all part of the process…
All you need to do is wait for your deck to dry and then apply a second coat in the exact same way that you applied your first coat…
You’ll notice a huge difference in the way it looks after the second coat of stain…
Now your job is done…
Now you know how to apply deck stain with a sprayer…
But just before you get all excited and jump into spaying your deck, there’s a couple other things you need to know…
I know!
There’s way too many things to know…
But, these tips will save you from a world of heartache and disappointments…
We’ll get into that right now…
Choose the perfect day for spraying…
Never spray your deck if it’s forecast to rain…
The fastest way to ruin a perfect spray job is to spray your deck on a rainy day…
If there’s any chance that you could even get the slightest drop of rain, don’t spray!!
I’ve taken this risk before and it’s not a good day…
45 minutes into straining the deck, a little rain shower coated my freshly stained deck and I spent the next hour on my hands and knees wiping the stain off the deck with rags…
Meanwhile, the homeowner looked on in shock thinking that I completely destroyed their deck…
Don’t worry, it turned out perfect in the end…
This is how it turned out…
But we learn from our mistakes and hopefully you can learn from mine…
If it’s cloudy and grey in the sky, postpone your deck spraying for another day…
But, if it’s in the middle of summer make sure you spray first thing in the morning before it gets too hot…
The weather conditions are your biggest hurdle when trying to stain a deck with a sprayer…
Especially if you decide to spray on a windy day…
I’ve been in the middle of spraying deck stain and the swirling wind has that stain going everywhere…
Every gust of wind had me covered in a mist of stain…
That’s why you need to be extremely careful when staining with a sprayer…
If the wind takes your stain and splatters the neighbours home or car, you’ll be in a lot of trouble…
Expensive trouble…
Understand?
Never try to spray on deck stain in windy conditions…
I won’t warn you again…
Anyway, that’s about all you need to know about applying deck stain with a sprayer…
Just go back to the start of this guide and select the sprayer you want…
And don’t forget to make sure you have a stain that can be sprayed…
Then simply start at step one and follow along with the steps I’ve laid out for you here…
You can definitely do this…
You just need to practise first then go for it…
I wish you the best of luck…
And if you have any questions, feel free to leave me a comment below…
That’s it from me…
Peace,
Jason…
Need some Expert Advice?
If you’ve been searching the internet trying to find an answer to a specific deck problem and you’ve found it impossible to get a straight answer…
Why not just reach out and ask me directly for an answer?
I’ve got 10 years of deck knowledge crammed into my noggin. I can pretty much guarantee I’ve got an answer to your problem just rattling around in there…
Come on, don’t be shy…
FAQ’s
Spraying stain isn’t as good as brushing when you’re staining a deck. You waste a lot of stain using a sprayer plus the finish isn’t as good as using a brush. However, if you’re staining a fence, spraying can be better than using a brush as long as it’s out too windy…
Deck stain should never be thinned for the purpose of being used with a sprayer. If your stain is too thick for a sprayer then you need to apply the stain with a deck brush…
I wouldn’t wipe stain after spraying but I would back brush to remove any excess stain that is on your deck…
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