If you own a deck, you know just how important it is to maintain it throughout the years so that it can always look its best. One of those steps is re-staining and sealing your deck every 3-4 years. This can help to protect the wood from moisture that may otherwise lead to the deck needing to be replaced entirely. Deck staining is also one of the fastest ways to improve your deck’s appearance—next only to power washing.

Unfortunately, staining, painting, and finishing your deck is not as easy as some homeowners assume—and it is not always in your best interest to just do it yourself. It is far too easy to damage the deck by zealously power washing it, applying a stain to wood that is or already rotten, or deck staining before it is dry. Mistakes like these are easy to make and can take a project from improving your deck to ruining it.