How can I prevent lap marks when I stain my deck??

[Jason]

Hello,

I have a 5 year old PT deck, 5/4 boards. The last time I stained it, 2 years ago, there where really bad lap marks. The stain had brownish tint, behr I think.

I have removed all the old stain and washed and sanded where needed. I was thinking of using some cabot clear solution, natural tone stain. oil based. Not clear, it has a brown tint to it.

I'm afraid that I'll end up with bad lap marks again. Any tips on how to prevent lap marks when staining?? or should I use a completely clear stain from olympic or someone else. Thanks for your help.

Jason

[m Ransley]

Paint each plank without comming back to it, you dont want it dried when you are rolling into it, dont do it in sun or a hot, even sun warmed deck, keep a wet edge

[robson]

don't stain on a hot day and always start a fresh stroke on a wet edge taking care not to "double layer" the stain. if you get excess buildup just go over the area with a dry rag. another way around it would be to apply with a roller and brush out.

[Shawn Wilson]

In addition to the excellent advice above: stir your cans frequently. When you're down to about 1/4 can and know you'll need another one, open the next can, stir well, and add about half to the 1/4 full can and stir well. Otherwise, you may notice that the boards stained with the dregs of a can are darker than the ones painted with a full can.

Shawn

[Jason]

Thanks for the advice guys. Can you use a roller? would you use a small one so that you only did one board at a time? thanks

jason

[Colbyt]

The cabot will do the same if you use a roller on a hot day. Experience speaking!

I was advised to spray it on and not use a roller.This was by a friend, the paint store owner.

IMO if you used a smaller roller and went the entire length of each board on a moderate day you might get away with using a roller. That is what I plan to try next because I will kill my fish if I use a sprayer.

Colbyt

[Hopkins]

Yeah, you can use a roller, idealy one that's one or two boards wide. The length of the boards will determine whether you need a really thick roller cover.

Otherwise, do what others have suggested.... work entire boards instead of stopping in the middle, and work when the surface [the wood] is cool. Heat and direct sunlight are your enemies.

I've tried power sprayers and found that, at least for me, it was too annoying trying to control overspray and covering everything I didn't want stain on. You'll have much more control with a roller, or you may want to try one of those garden sprayers that you pump up. Just don't pump up the pressure really high.