How long before staining pressure treated wood

If you have two weeks of dry F weather you will be fine. If it rains on the lumber a few times it gets tricky. Water isn't just soaking in the wood but it dramatically hinders the drying out process. You should wait about 1 month for the wood to dry out.

If you have a moisture meter test it in a few spots. I would use an oil based stain instead of paint. When you're shopping for PT lumber, look for the lighter, dryer pieces when sifting thru stock, but be sure to pick the pieces that are uniform and straight. This will help you get a jump start on the drying process. I do a lot of stain work and I would wait three to four weeks if possible to stain after purchase. Keep in a dry, weather proof area if possible - a garage, shed or workshop. If you have to keep the lumber outside, elevate it on some 4 x 4 runners and expose it on clear days.

Keep tarped during wet days. I waited two years. The wood naturally aged, but still took stain just fine. I stained it two more times before I had to strip it and start over.

Here in Norway the local 'wisdom' is to install the pressure treated timber one season and stain it the next. As a builder I agree with some of the above comments that the timber can take a considerable time to dry out.

However, a few weeks of good weather should get it dry enough to take a finish, but I'd use a moisture metre and check the finish products specs to be sure. I've just waited 6 weeks for some balustrade tops and I'll chance a coat tomorrow weather permitting. A one month minimum dry time is recommended. That said, I'd wait as long as the painting season permits. If you have three months before it will get cold down there, then wait until then.

It's important to have three good, consecutive dry days before applying the stain when ultimately decide to do it. And two-coat everything with a quality stain. Ask the paint store person about doing it and which product to use.

Some stains are meant for walls and some for walking on. Pt lumber is pressure treated, meaning the use psi to make sure the chemical stays in the wood, most stains and paint won't stick until the pores of the wood come open which can take years. You can always test it by see if the water beads up or soaks in.

I'm in Arkansas. Without waiting for the wood to dry, stain and sealant would not penetrate the wood properly, diminishing its ability to protect the wood from weather damage. Pressure-treated wood is a porous material. Without stain, any type of paint or sealant, rainwater, dew or snow can easily penetrate the decking.

The wood will then swell until it dries when it will shrink again. This pattern of swelling and shrinking can cause damage to the wood such as splits, checks, splinters, cracks, and other blemishes.

Protection from UV rays is also necessary for insurance against fading, discoloration, and warping. Pressure-treated wood has been through a process that applies preservatives into the wood, making the wood wet. Drying can take several months. With wet pressure treated wood, preservatives are impregnated into the lumber via high pressure to protect deep inside the piece of lumber.

This is the greenish lumber that you see at the store and is still damp to touch when you pick it up. If you get the wet pressure treated wood and live in a low humidity area, then you can probably wait weeks and then stain your wooden fence.

Due to how wet it is, it takes almost 6 months to completely dry, especially the 4x4s that have moisture deep inside. Kiln dried pressure treated lumber is treated the same but then kiln dried afterwards. The kiln dried process helps with the checking and warping that happens with wet pressure treated wood. If the water beads up, the wood is too wet and you need to wait before applying a finish. Also did you know that pressure treating your wood can last for many years?

Stain has to penetrate into the wood to be effective which is why dry wood is essential for that penetration. I would test a small section in an inconspicuous area in case the wood is still wet. Most people confuse stain with a wood sealer.

Most newer products provide a stain and sealer in one product. You can buy each separately but do realize if you just put stain on your fence without a top coat sealer it will fade and not protect the wood from the elements.