# Cold Weather Deck Stain



## phahn (Jun 1, 2015)

Does anyone know of a cold weather deck stain?
Client is putting there house up for sale and wants the deck spruced up.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## kdpaint (Aug 14, 2010)

This is a tough one.

1) No

2) Decks are half a nightmare anyway, putting any stain on in the winter will be crazy and it will fail in an epic manner. I wouldn't want my name on that job

3)If you do it, it doesn't matter what you use to "spruce it up" to the HO's satisfaction, as long as they get rid of the house pretty quickly, before it goes pear shaped. :whistling2:


----------



## I paint paint (May 4, 2014)

phahn said:


> Does anyone know of a cold weather deck stain?
> Client is putting there house up for sale and wants the deck spruced up.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


What will be the low/high ambient and substrate temperature range before, during and after application?


----------



## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

no! NO!


----------



## Andyman (Feb 21, 2009)

I once had a project that we covered with plastic and ran diesel heaters to control the temps. Granted cost wasn't the concern. 

Otherwise I wouldn't but...

I'd use an oil base not a water base.


----------



## PressurePros (May 6, 2007)

An oil based sealer will never cure. The rain will just slowly wash it away. Or, everything that floats through the air will stick to it.

If client is adamant about sealing the deck, let them know the pitfalls and that if they don't sell by winter and depending on where you live, it could look crappy in a few months. My advice to them is to just get it washed. It will give the appearance of a newer looking deck and save them money. let the next person worry about sealing it.


----------



## Andyman (Feb 21, 2009)

The actual temperature is unknown here but solvent evaporation isn't dependent on temperature like water base is. 

A wash only would be a good option (and I agree) but if it's cold enough then it will freeze and not dry, but if it dries then why wouldn't solvent evaporate?

I'm not promising facts just constructively thinking. The only fact I promise is that I've built a controlled environment to stain late in the season. Ive never thrown stain on outside of application limits for money sake.


----------



## Tonyg (Dec 9, 2007)

Jake Clark from Armstrong Clark stain once told me that if I was going to do a cold weather job that if the product was warm it would work and to keep the stain heated the night before. I've done 1 or 2 cold weather projects like this and they turned out fine and lasted normal life cycle.

Granted, we're talking Virginia Beach winter so we're talking upper 30's-40's. I wouldn't recommend it unless it's out of necessity. That said, I would clean it to look like new wood - that's what everybody wants anyway and it would be cheaper for the seller.


----------



## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

Before this thread goes any further I need to point out that it not only depends on what is considered "cold" but what kind of stain. I have two solid deck stains that can be applied down to 35 deg f. But none of my semitransparents recommend any temp below 50.

And this morning it was 25 deg f. here and I was walking around quite comfortably in a short sleeved shirt. So what is "cold" and what isn't? If it is 50 degrees using any stain would work fine. Any temp below that and unless you are using a solid I wouldn't without some written agreement with your customer about the possibility of problems down the road.

Also if it has rained or snowed in your area and the wood has gotten below 32 degrees you would actually have frozen water in the pores of the wood, which would probably keep anything from properly penetrating.


----------



## radio11 (Aug 14, 2015)

Watch this (or read this since it's typed in a forum)...

If I were asked to "spruce up" a deck for a cold weather sell, I would highly consider (wait for it) Thompson's Water Seal. Wash it properly (don't fuzz it up and allow to fully dry) and spray that cheap crap right on it. Not sure what the can says, but seems like if temps stay above 40 for a day or 2, it would probably work good. 

That stuff usually only last 120 days or so in the rain, sun etc, but it's inexpensive and really can't be screwed up. Like KD said, I wouldn't want my name on a job doomed to fail, but the Thompson's wears off soon enough and really doesn't go through a crappy, flaky, nightmare cycle. It doesn't go away mad--it just goes away. 

Communication with the homeowner would be a big deal to me. "Here's what I'm doing and why". We use pressure treated pine for decks here in the Deep South and I keep plenty here at the shop to test products beforehand. It will look much better than a washed only deck IMO. That always looks dry and unkempt. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## kdpaint (Aug 14, 2010)

radio11 said:


> Watch this (or read this since it's typed in a forum)...
> 
> If I were asked to "spruce up" a deck for a cold weather sell, I would highly consider (wait for it) Thompson's Water Seal. Wash it properly (don't fuzz it up and allow to fully dry) and spray that cheap crap right on it. Not sure what the can says, but seems like if temps stay above 40 for a day or 2, it would probably work good.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Hahaha, thanks for having the guts to mention this as an option. I thought of it, but feared the judgment of the many. For me, it's either run away, or do a midnight application of Thompson's while wearing a ninja outfit.


----------



## phahn (Jun 1, 2015)

It's been almost 50 in NJ for the last couple of days. But nights in low 30's.
Real estate agent asked me again today to do it so the listing photos look good.
Superdeck says you can apply it down to 35 but the ambient temp can't drop below that for 48 hours. So, they are going to have to wait.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------

