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Outdoors > More outdoor > How to Reap the Benefits of Water-based Exterior Stain

Learn how to identify and use the advantages of state-of-the art water-based stains.

Introduction - View the Video

No longer confined to shades of brown and an oil base, exterior deck and house stain now comes in more than 50 different water-based colors. The shades are so attractive that picking the color is almost a hard choice, but application and clean up are easy. Manufacturers now produce state-of-the-art stains that offer improvements in almost every aspect of the product, so we used the "steps" below to discuss the benefits one by one.

Step by Step Instructions and Video

Step
1

Select the Color Available in Your Preferred Stain Brand
Choose the brand and color. We lacked enough fence space to cover the entire 50-color palette, but used shades of green blue, cream, brown, and rust to illustrated just a few of the available tints. These colors are extremely resistant to fading, sun damage, and mildew, too. At your home improvement store, you will find stain color samples on handy cards and brochures ready to bring home for a family viewing and test against existing colors.

Step
2

Use the Application Tool of Your Choice
Apply the water-based stain with your preferred tool--brush, paint pad, paint roller, or power sprayer--or combine the application methods to accommodate the characteristics of your project. Cover large areas with an airless spray gun that works very well with water-based stain. Switch to a roller or paint pad for medium to small areas, and then to a brush for details, grooves, or back brushing when required. In most cases, state-of-the-art water-based stains require only a single coat. Eliminating that second coat reduces your work by half before you even start.

Step
3

Use Safety Equipment--But Water-based Stain Is Safe and Easy to Use
Use a facemask and safety glasses if you use a power spray to apply the stain. You should always protect yourself from any fine chemical mist, but note that modern water-based stains have a very low chemical odor and are safe and easy to use. They dry faster than oil-based stains, too.

Step
4

Use Multipupose Water-based Stain on All Your Projects
Use water-based stain for all kinds of exterior wooden projects. Multipurpose stain is appropriate for house, deck, fence, and furniture. It protects against water damage and graying for up to three years on decks that take a beating from foot traffic and up to five years on fences, siding, and furniture. That is another labor saving benefit, since you will not have to reapply the stain for several years.

Step
5

Clean Up with Soap and Water
Appreciate the easy soap and water clean up that will save your hands from solvents and let you clean your equipment more easily and efficiently.