How Much Deck Stain Do I Need?

Do you have an unfinished deck that needs to be stained? It’s important to know how much stain is needed for your project. You don’t want to buy too much, or not enough.

The amount of stain you need to use will really depend on the size of your deck and how intensively it is used. There are a lot of calculators online, but they’re all usually terrible estimations given that there are too many variables to consider (type, color, etc).

As a rough guide, you will need about 4-5 litres of stain for every square meter. Another way of estimating it when you are actually applying it is one roller tray per 3 square meters when using a brush or trowel method and two roller trays when using an airless sprayer.

You might also have sloped or heavily textured surfaces that require more than one coat from an airless spray as well which will make the process take longer and use more product. The trick with stain is that any thin layer will not only save you time with quick-drying, it will not run.

If stain is also being applied over an existing deck surface, multiply this amount by four because stains require extra coats due to the porous nature of wood–the more coats there are on top of each other (finish and undercoat), the better protected it’ll be from dirt and outdoor elements like water damage or ponding around its edges. Stain must penetrate through these layers in order to provide lasting protection, and these types of coats just take more time to dry between applications. Stain must penetrate through these layers in order to provide lasting protection, which takes a lot longer than paint does at laying down a single coat over an existing surface. The good news is that stain gives you lots of color options so your deck will look great for years without having to worry as much about repainting again soon after finishing this project!

To avoid wasting materials, it is best to verify how much stain you need with a test patch on one small area before applying the treatment across the entire deck. A good rule of thumb for estimating an appropriate amount of stain that would be needed is by using 1 quart for every 100 square feet.

If there are already some coats on the surface that need removing first (e.g., if it has been painted), then make sure you have enough material to cover as much surface area as possible before starting with a new coating, regardless of what type! It may take more than one container or pack depending on the size and condition of the wood being treated.

It really depends where in the country you’re located, too! If hot climates can get very dry when it’s hot out, then you may need to apply a sealer as well.