I feel pretty silly right now! I asked a friend to help me pick up some stain for my front landing and large deck, and in my rush to finish the project, I didn't double-check the stain type. Turns out it's an interior stain! I'm almost finished with the deck, but with winter approaching in the northeast, I'm worried about how this will affect the wood. Is this going to be a huge issue? Will I just have to restain it sooner than expected?
2 Answers
Using interior stain outside isn't ideal since it won't hold up against the sun and rain, and the color will fade faster. You might not have immediate issues, but you really should plan to switch to an exterior stain next time. And if this is a new deck, it’s usually best to wait a year or two before putting anything on it.
Been there, done that! I used interior stain when I first moved into my house, and it started peeling quickly. I had to strip, clean, and sand the whole deck before re-staining with an outdoor product. The interior stain just can’t handle the outdoor conditions, so it’s worth it to redo it with the right stuff sooner rather than later.
Damn. Do you think I could layer an exterior stain over the interior one?
Thanks for the heads-up! I’m considering grabbing a gallon of exterior stain for the floor later on.