DIY: Staining Patio Furniture

This was our beautiful new patio set. Shortly after placing it outside, a few birds did a fly over and sprinkled some mulberry droppings on the wooden top. I had to furiously scrub it down with vinegar water to keep the stain from setting into the porous wood.

Patio set before

I'd had enough. It was time to stain and seal the wood for longevity.

Some things to know before staining with a tinted sealant...

1. Put the items to be stained in a temperature controlled environment and allow it to settle for a day or so. Our garage worked great for this as it is temperature controlled. If your garage isn't temperature controlled, look for a non-humid, cool day (fall is a great time of year for this).
2. Paint multiple, thin layers of stain. Allow each layer to dry (shouldn't be tacky) before applying the next. The stain will gradually become darker with each layer.
3. If you want minimal mess, tape off the wooden areas before beginning the staining.
4. Find stain and supplies while your patio set becomes cool and controlled.

Prepped patio chairs and table before staining and sealing.

Up close of the taped off chair arms.

Who even knows where to begin when selecting the necessary products for sealing and staining? We went to the Home Depot and got the scoop from the paint staff there. You can use my advice, or seek theirs. Either way, here's what we gathered:

• First, see the previously stated bullets above.
• When choosing a sealant, consider whether you want it to double as a stain. If so, match it to other wooden items in the same area.
• The tricky part is knowing how much you'll use. This project (a table and 12 chair arms) required less than 1/5 of the quart of stain. Thankfully I didn't listen to my husband and buy the whole gallon! :/
• Choose a brush that is suitable for ALL PAINTS to use with a stain and sealant.
• Stir the stain with the wooden mixing stick before use.

Staining and sealing products.

The top arm is original. The bottom arm has been stained with one coat.

To seal and stain the table, I started on the bottom. I only did one layer here and didn't bother taping since nobody can see the bottom. Afterwards I quickly flipped it over to look for runs from the sealant on the top of the table. I was sure to brush those out before applying three full coats.

Table in progress.

With nearly 4/5 of stain remaining, I decided to also seal and stain this bench that my friend made me years ago for my birthday. Since they are both in our back yard space, they now match and seem more cohesive.

Staining the wooden bench that will also be in the back yard.

Stay tuned for the final product when I do a tutorial this spring on creating and decorating a patio space!

Thanks for stopping by the Humble Hammock, do come back!