Maintenance

All of our Bars are constructed using the best of quality, pressure treated lumber – suitable for outdoor use all year round. While the chemicals in pressure treated lumber prevent rot and ward off insects, they don’t prevent moisture from seeping into the wood, which over time can cause the wood to become cracked, splintered and warped. For this reason, we strongly encourage customers to seal their new bar on site after assembly – however, read below to understand the right time to do this. Additionally, a sealer can provide UV protection to slow the rate at which your bar color fades.

Wash the Wood

Unless the wood is entirely new, you’ll need to clean the surface free of dirt or mildew before finishing, so the wood stain doesn’t trap any imperfections. Allow it to dry before staining.

Wash the pressure-treated wood with a deck cleaner, scrubbing the wood surface with a brush while wet. Use a pressure washer if the wood has tough stains.
Allow the wet cleaner to soak into the wood for about 10 minutes or to manufacturer’s directions.
Rinse thoroughly with a garden hose or pressure washer.
Allow the wood to dry 24 hours before applying stain.

How To Determine If Pressure-Treated Wood Is Ready To stain

Finally, your Bar is ready. Going to Stain it…wait, read on to know should you Stain it or wait for some days more.

Depending on the type of lumber used, humidity level, and moisture inside the wood, it may take 2 to 3 days to Stain your Bar after its built.

If you are using premium treated wood, it’s more likely to Stain right after it’s done. However, wet treated wood may take a few weeks to stain.

How to Determine If Pressure-Treated Wood Is Ready to Paint

There are so many opinions on how long to wait for wood before paint .In other words, there is no exact time frame. So, workers often rely on guess games. But we ‘ve a solution to this problem.

There are two ways to determine whether treated wood is ready to Paint or not. The first one is a rather simple technique that everyone can experiment free of cost.

Do Water test: Pour clean water on a wooden piece that is expected to dry. If the water absorbs instantly, wood is ready to paint. It means pores in the wood are ready to adhere to paint layers. If water beads up, wait for a few more days then repeat the same test to check if it’s dry or not.

Use Wood Moisture Meter: To avoid guess games, try to use technology. You can use a pin-type wood moisture meter to detect whether it is dry or not. Insert the pins inside the wooden piece and switch on the meter. Electric current will start flowing from one pin to another giving the reading on screen. That would tell you about the current water-resistant of the wood.

Type of Paint You Want to Apply

Will you use a water-based formula or oil-base formula?

It’s important to plan what type of paint you will use before you startup. There are two types of paints available for treated wood

Water base Formula
Oil-based Formula

Water-based paints are easy to remove and would stand no longer. For this paint type, treated wood should be 100 % moisture-free. Because this paint itself uses water.

Oil-based formula is more durable and weather-resistant. It is recommended to use such paints on exterior projects to get long-lasting results.

It takes 2 to 3 Days before staining treated wood; however this time may increase to 1 to 3 weeks depending on factors like Humidity, Temperature

Best Stain for Pressure-Treated Wood

There are so many strains available in the market. However, you should do proper research prior to place order. To save your time, we’ve separated a few top products that you can use anywhere on deck, fence, or any exterior projects.

Stain Colors for Pressure-Treated Wood

Choosing the right stain for your wood is a pretty straightforward process. But know the wood type first whether you are using lumber or wood itself.

For treated wood brown stain is the best option. It’s up to you to use any shade from dark to light. For outdoor use, darker stain stands longer.

Apply the Stain

Stain the pressure-treated wood using a paint pad applicator, which is easier than brushing a large deck or structure by hand and more accurate than using a pressurized sprayer.

Use a paintbrush to stain between cracks and problem areas.
Usually no more than one coat is needed. Expect the butted ends of lumber to accept more stain.
If staining pressure treated fence posts, deck rails or other vertical surfaces, start at the top and work your way down.
Allow the stain to dry for at least a day.

How to Paint Pressure Treated Wood

Because of the pressure-treating process, exterior paint is less likely to adhere to pressure treated wood and more likely to peel. Some experts advise staining or sealing over painting, but paint can be successfully applied by following extra precautions.

Allow the wood to dry completely and otherwise prepare the same ways you would when staining.
To help the paint adhere, use a bristle brush to coat the surface with a primer designed for exterior use on pressure treated wood.
Using a brush, apply at least two coats of latex paint to see best results.

How to Seal Pressure Treated Wood

Most exterior stains contain some sealant to protect the wood against moisture.

If you want to showcase the natural wood grain and color while ensuring a higher level of protection, consider a clear sealant to protect the surface.
A product that combines stain and sealer adds both protection and pigmentation, but sealants are not recommended to be used on top of stained wood.
When sealing pressure-treated wood, choose a product designed to be UV repellant.
Apply sealant using the same method to apply stain.