Pressure-treated wood is a common supply used to build fences and other outdoor installments. The wood is specially treated to repel bugs and other things, which could shorten its lifespan. But how long do you need to wait before you stain it?
For most types of pressure-treated wood, you need to wait at least four weeks before you stain or paint it. If you live in a humid area, you will need to wait even longer, maybe up to 6 months, and check the wood for moisture before you begin the process.
Curious about how you can tell if the wood is ready to be stained or painted? Let’s look at the method for checking as well as the consequences if you attempt to stain wood too soon.
How Long Should I Wait Before Staining Pressure-Treated Wood?
Before you begin the process of staining pressure-treated wood, you should wait at least four weeks. But you will need to wait up to 6 months in some areas.
This is such a large range because the amount of time you need to wait depends on where you live and the weather conditions. For example, you will need to wait much longer in more humid areas than in drier climates.
Beyond just climate, the time you need to wait also depends on your type of wood and how it was treated. If you had a contractor install your pressure-treated wood feature, it is a good idea to inquire about the kind of wood they used to estimate correctly.
Wet pressure-treated wood will likely need the entire six months to dry before you can stain it. Other types, like Kiln treated wood, may be ready to stain within a few days unless you live in a humid location.
For best results, you should base how long you should wait on the estimates of the professional who sold you the lumber or installed it at your home. But if you forgot to ask, there are methods you can use to check the wood to ensure it is ready for stain.
What are the Different Types of Pressure-Treated Wood?
There are two main types of pressure-treated wood. They are wet-pressure-treated wood and kiln-treated wood.
Wet-pressure-treated wood is wood with chemicals put deep inside it to help it last longer. Unfortunately, this process involves soaking the wood in liquid. Thus, it will still be wet when you purchase it. In addition, wet-pressure-treated wood needs lots of time to dry before it can be treated with stain or paint.
The other type of pressure-treated wood is kiln-treated wood. This type of wood has the same chemicals embedded but is dried before it is sold at the hardware store.
Kiln pressure-treated wood is usually mostly dry by the time it is sold. For this reason, it can usually be stained or painted shortly after it is purchased.
How Can I Tell if the Wood is Dry Enough to Stain?
Before you can paint or stain pressure-treated wood, you must check that it is completely dry. You can do this by sprinkling water on the surface of the wood.
If the water soaks into the wood, this means the wood is dry, and it can be stained or painted. But if the water turns into little puddles or beads on the surface of the wood, it is too wet, and you need to wait longer before applying anything to the surface of the wood.
What Happens if I Stain the Wood Too Soon?
Sometimes people get impatient and don’t wait before they attempt to stain or paint their wood. The problem is the stain is liquid; like water, it won’t soak into the wood when wet.
If you try to stain your wood too early, you will find the stain or paint does not adhere. Therefore you will need to try again later to stain or paint the wood.
Staining or painting your pressure-treated wood too early can be costly, as you will need to repurchase the stain or paint later on to try again when the wood is dry. This is why it is better to wait to stain or paint your wood until it is completely dry in the first place.
Check out our guide for staining a wooden deck here.
Final Thoughts on How Long Should You Wait Before Staining Pressure-Treated Wood
Overall, for the staining and painting process to work correctly, you should wait at least a month before you attempt to stain pressure-treated wood. However, if you live in a humid area, you will want to wait even longer, possibly up to six months.
Waiting until the pressure-treated wood is dry is essential to the staining process. If you attempt to stain your wood too soon, you will find it a waste of time and money, and you will need to repeat the process once the wood is dry.