How to Prep Your Deck for Stain (Kentucky Weather Edition)

Central Kentucky throws humidity, pollen, and hard freeze-thaw at your deck every year. A stain job only lasts if the prep is right. Here's the process we use on every 2-day deck.

1. Clean and Strip

We wash with a percarbonate cleaner to lift mildew, gray fibers, and old sealer. On tougher decks we strip failing stain before anything else touches it.

2. Brighten

An oxalic acid brightener neutralizes the cleaner and opens the grain so stain penetrates evenly.

3. Dry to Spec

We measure moisture — no stain goes down until the boards are below 15%. This is the #1 reason DIY jobs peel in Kentucky.

4. Stain and Seal

Two coats of a premium penetrating stain, back-brushed for even absorption. We block the deck off, you get it back beautiful in 2 days.