Why Pressure-Treated Wood Still Needs to Be Stained

Pressure-treated lumber is a type of wood infused with preservatives to prevent insect infestation and rotting. Even if you use this material for your home, you still need to make sure that it is properly stained. In fact, it is one of the measures you will learn when figuring out how to protect pressure treated wood. You just need to make sure that you are using the right products for it. Proper treatment will prolong the life span of your investment and minimize problems down the line.

Staining pressure-treated wood is a good preventive measure, especially if you are using it for outdoor applications, like your deck. Staining will minimize surface cracking in the long run. Wolmanized wood is an example of pressure-treated wood made by wolmanizing, the patented manufacturing procedure. Before staining it or any other product, like Thompsonized wood, you need to make sure that the stain will still validate their warranty.

When learning how to protect pressure treated wood, you will find that the type of stain you must use will depend on the condition and type of lumber product you have. For instance, wet treated wood requires you to dry it out for up to six months before applying any stain. Water repellent treated wood needs an oil-based stain, and kiln-dried pressure-treated wood can do with a water-based or oil-based stain. To avoid the guesswork, consider a versatile oil-based stain that is EPA-registered and able to meet all relevant VOC restrictions.

In researching how to protect pressure treated wood, one of the first things you will learn is to let the wood dry before staining it. Consider a stain that is toxic to powder post beetles and termites, and formulated to prevent mold, fungi, and rot. It should have superior water repellency and available in translucent colors. Make sure it is easy to apply with a single coat, without leaving brush or lap marks on the surface, and that it will not form a film exterior, which can peel or crack.