Deck Staining Tips from HomeRight

Staining your deck can be an arduous, time-consuming project. It doesn’t have to be a huge undertaking with help from HomeRight. Make all of your staining projects faster and more efficient with the combination of the professional-quality Deck Washer, StainStick and CommandMax HVLP Sprayer.

Materials List:

• Drop Cloth
• Deck Washer
• CommandMax HVLP Sprayer
• StainStick
• Screwdriver
• Hammer
• Mask
• Safety Glasses
• Stain /Sealer/Paint 
• Rags
• Touch-up Brush
• Extension Cord

Step-by-step Preparation: Make sure the deck surface is clean and clear of any dirt, dust and debris. The Deck Washer Tool is a very helpful for thoroughly cleaning the deck surface. Mask off any siding or landscaping to assure that stain will only get on the deck and not other surfaces.

Handy tip: For the spindles, secure a piece of cardboard to the back side of the railing. Once the spindle side has been sprayed, then secure the cardboard to the other side. This eliminates overspray getting on the deck boards.

Step 1: Fill the CommandMax with stain for the project and thin material as necessary. Remove and fill CommandMax container with staining material.

Step 2: Spray all railings, spindles and upright surfaces with the CommandMax. Adjust your spray pattern to match the direction of the spray.

Step 3: Fill the StainStick with stain (the StainStick holds stain right in the handle for added convenience).

Step 4: Push handle to feed stain to the pad. Handy tip: It’s important to stain one entire board the full length to eliminate overlapping stain. Continue staining until all boards are complete.

Clean Up for CommandMax HVLP Sprayer

1. Unplug the sprayer, remove the container and empty all contents. Rise out container thoroughly with water.

2. Fill the sprayer with cleaning solution, and operate trigger until solution comes through nozzle.

3. Remove all parts. Clean and dry thoroughly.

4. Once the stain finish is dry, clean up tape and drop cloths.

Clean Up for StainStick Applicator

1. Use manufacturer’s recommended solvent for cleaning; do not use anything stronger than mineral spirits. Follow the directions for using mineral spirits and disposal. If you’re using a water-based product, use warm soapy water to clean.

2. Return the stain to its container by placing the StainStick on the fill tube and pushing in inner handle until empty.

3. Clean by submerging the pad, and fill port into solvent. Pull inner handle back and push forward several times.

4. Remove pivot pad assembly. Finish cleaning the pad, and then flush with warm soapy water.

5. Place StainStick in solvent and flush fill port by plugging end of StainStick with your finger and pulling the inner handle back and pushing forward several times. When clean, flush it out with warm soapy water.

6. Separate inner outer handles by quickly pulling them apart. If tubes won’t separate, loosen the collar by placing it on floor, put foot on the collar and roll back and forth (you may hear a cracking sound).

7. Lubricate o-rings with petroleum jelly. Put a small amount of petroleum jelly on the black foam cover at the opening of the fill valve.

8. Clean the fill tube by flushing with solvent then rinse with warm, soapy water. You can also use any of the HomeRight Airless Paint Sprayers to spray the entire deck spindles and deck board. It’s important to mask off all areas around the deck when spraying with an airless sprayer because overspray is greater.