Can You Stain Pressure Treated Wood? Here Are The Details You Need To Know

Pressure-treated wood is the preferred choice for outdoor home projects, thanks to its resistance to rotting and insect damage. This material undergoes a special chemical treatment that gives it these protective qualities, so you might question whether you can stain it without disrupting its durability. Bob Beacham, House Digest's expert carpenter and remodeler, shared all the details you need to know. "Yes, it is possible," Beacham confirmed while speaking exclusively to House Digest. "The treatment infuses the lumber with chemicals that increase the moisture content temporarily, but pressure-treated wood can be stained or painted once it has dried out again."

Now, you might be tempted to go ahead and stain pressure-treated wood to achieve the desired look for your project. However, you still need to master the complexities of using wood stain on pressure-treated wood before you move forward. Beacham shared one of the most important precautions you must take to ensure success. According to the expert, you need to allow treated wood to dry thoroughly before you stain it. Otherwise, you risk disrupting the chemical treatment, which would negate the benefits of this material. 

Since pressure-treated wood shouldn't be wet before you stain it, you must confirm the material has dried all the way through. One way to do this is by simply purchasing dry pressure treated wood, according to Beacham. "It will be marked as air-dried or kiln-dried (air drying is slower but costs less)," he explained while speaking exclusively to House Digest. "However, dried lumber will usually cost more than 'wet'."

If you do decide to buy pressure-treated wood that isn't marked as dry to save a few bucks, it may not be ready for staining right away. Beacham warned that this material typically will not state the date when it was treated. However, there is a trick you can use to find out when it's dry and ready to stain. Just apply the stain to a small section of the wood to conduct a patch test. "If it sits on the surface, then the wood is still wet," Beacham explained.

Pressure-treated wood that hasn't dried requires special storage conditions, too. "If you are going to store the wood for a while, it needs to be laid flat, or the boards might warp," the expert said. He went on to caution that you should opt for pre-dried pressure-treated wood if you cannot meet that storage requirement. "Of course you could just build your deck, fence, or whatever, and wait until it dries out before finishing it," he added, offering the final option.

There is no need to use any special wood stain hacks to stain pressure-treated wood, assuming it's sufficiently dry. "You can spray or use a brush," Beacham shared while speaking exclusively to House Digest. "However, pressure-treated wood often has a greenish tinge, so it's not a good choice if you want a natural wood look that you're going to finish with a clear preservative."

You should also know that stain takes longer to dry on pressure-treated wood, since the material is water resistant. "I've read that oil-based stains work better than water-based," Beacham said, providing insight on which type of stain to use. "Personally, I wouldn't use oil-based stains. The water-based stuff has worked fine for me though, like I say, it does take a while to dry." You may want to patch-test both water-based stain and oil-based stain to find out which option you prefer. That way, you can be sure you're using the formula that produces the best results.