I regularly get questions about staining pressure treated lumber so here are some answers to as many of those questions as I can think of now. Before you read on, understand that staining or painting pressure treated lumber is just like staining untreated lumber. The main thing is that the wood needs to be clean and dry.

Can I stain pressure treated lumber?
Yes. You can stain pressure treated lumber as long as the wood is dry.

Why do I have to wait before staining pressure treated lumber?
The pressure treating process involves using a water-based solution to carry the treatment chemicals into the fibers of the lumber while under pressure. The process leaves the wood wet. If you want wood that is already dry, purchase KDAT lumber (KDAT = Kiln Dried After Treatment). KDAT is usually #1 and, yes, it costs more.

What are the consequences of staining pressure treated wood before it’s dry?
The stain or paint will probably bubble a little AND locking moisture into the wood might create a great place for fungus or rot to take hold and destroy some boards.

How long should I wait (allow the wood to dry) before staining pressure treated lumber?
It depends (of course). In a sunny, hot, and windy climate where it never rains your pressure treated lumber will probably be dry in a few weeks. In a cold and muggy climate (Seattle, for instance) it will take months for your wood to dry.

Some professionals recommend building whatever you are building and waiting about six months before staining pressure treated lumber. Then, stain the lumber after a few weeks of warm sunny weather. This is long enough for the wood to stabilize and for the water from treatment to evaporate. Remember to sweep and/or dust before applying the stain or paint.

Read further to learn about drying lumber yourself…

What kind of stain should I use for pressure treated lumber?
There are many stains and paints on the market. My favorites are based on working with lumber yards and seeing results from Consumer Reports. So, I like Cabot and Wolman brands. Many people thing Thompsons is the best because their marketing is the best. Many professionals completely disagree with the idea that Thompsons is any good at all. I am not saying anything about it – I’m just sayin’. The choice between water-based and oil-based stains is up to you. Read the backs of the cans. Back to staining pressure treated wood…

How should I stain pressure treated lumber? Or, how should I apply the stain?
Read the can because it varies with some stains but most stains can be applied with a brush, sprayer, or sponge. You will probably find a sprayer to be the easiest method.

How can I speed up the lumber drying process and stain my lumber sooner?
The best way is to buy kiln dried lumber (KDAT) in the first place. If you don’t want to do that…

You can dry lumber yourself but you need to be concerned about warping.

Ideally, you should stack the lumber on “sticks”, in the same way wood is stacked for kiln drying, and then strap the bundle to keep in straight. To do this, place a few small (1×1 or 2×2) sticks between each layer of lumber (perpendicular to the lumber and spaced about 3 feet apart) allowing for air flow between the layers. Then wrap a few straps around the lumber and make them tight. This allows air to reach all sides of the lumber while applying pressure to the lumber and minimizing the chance of warping. Warping is caused by the movement of moisture in and out of wood. You need to stabilize/support the wood while it dries. To take it to another level, point a box fan (or two) at the side of the bundle to speed up the flow of air across the lumber. If you set this up in your garage or some dry covered area your lumber will probably be adequately dry in a few weeks.

Should I stain pressure treated lumber yearly?
The answer is simple and goes something like this. If you want your deck/gazebo/arbor/whatever to look better for longer you should stain it on a yearly, or regular, basis. Of course, putting a protective stain or other coating on wood will make it last longer and look better while it lasts.

Staining pressure treated lumber is not rocket science. In fact, there is nothing remotely complicated about it but it does take time and if you don’t do it properly, you’ll mess it all up. If I did not make this point obvious enough above then let me say it again here:

Treated wood must be dry before you stain or paint it.

Enjoy your project. Wear gloves. Wear goggles. Be careful with tools. Work in ventilated areas.

Need to build your privacy fence on a slope? It’s not hard as long as you plan and build carefully. You have four options. You get to decide which is best for you. Here they are:

Level Rails, Level Pickets: As my amazing drawing below shows, this method gives the top of the fence line a stair-step look. The tops of the pickets will be more stable and supported than the bottoms of the pickets. You could strengthen the bottom of the fence with a rot board running parallel to the ground. Using level rails means you either have to put your rails closer together or use fewer rails.

Level Rails, Sloped Pickets: The top of the fence line is parallel to the ground but the tops and the bottoms of the pickets are left unsupported. You can strengthen the fence pickets at the top with a top rail, which also makes the fence look nice, and you can strengthen the bottom with a rot board.

Sloped Rails, Sloped Pickets: I like this one the best but you have to decide how level you want the top of the fence. Do you want to trim the tops off the fence pickets or do you want to leave them untrimmed with a small rise from picket to picket? It’s up to you and it barely matters. This is my favorite method because it easily allows for three rails AND the pickets are well-supported from top to bottom along the length of the fence.

Sloped Rails, Level Pickets: This is my second favorite method because it allows for three rails but the drawback is that you still end up with pickets that are unsupported at their tops. If you want the stair-step look in your fence, this is probably the way to go.

IMPORTANT (REALLY): If you are building a gate on the slope portion of your fence, put the hinges on the DOWNHILL side so it will open towards the downhill side instead of swinging into the hill.

Level Rails versus Sloped Rails:? Unless you are building your fence on unusually rough or unlevel terrain, I would suggest always sticking with sloped rails and sloped pickets. Levels rails are easier to build if you are building in an area where you have to move a lot of rocks or something. Some people might just prefer the straighter lines of the level pickets.

Whichever method you choose to build your fence on a slope, you can use a rot board at the bottom to strengthen the fence and protect the bottoms of the pickets and a top rail will improve the looks of your fence and provided additional strength up there as well. Screws are better than nails and always use properly treated wood.

Here are more tips on how to build a fence that lasts.