Whether your deck is new or old, there will come a day when you decide to stain it. It’s a perfect do-it-yourself project to enhance your deck’s look and protect it from the elements.

No matter if you’re a new DIYer or an old pro, you’ll want to avoid missteps that can ruin your deck’s finish faster than the time it takes to burn a hamburger on the grill.

The most common mistake is failing to properly prepare a deck before staining it, with 85 percent of staining failures stemming from this pitfall.

If you don’t clean your deck properly and use the right prep products to eliminate dirt, mildew and dead fibers, your stain might peel, blister or prematurely fade, say experts at Flood Wood Care, a producer of specialty wood stains. Even a new deck can cause problems, as new wood typically comes with a hard, subtly shiny, stain resistant layer called mill glaze.

More information about the enemies of wood staining, along with tips for choosing prep products for staining projects, are available at www.flood.com.

If you do it right the first time, you won’t have to stain your deck again for a while.

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