New here: live in NC and have a pressure treated deck that is mostly in the shade. I have washed, stripped, and brightened our 6 year old deck and it is ready for TWP 120 oil based stain. Majority of boards are finally measuring 15 or below on moisture reader after drying out for several days from the wash/strip process. Our current weather conditions are as follows and I would like to know if you would recommend staining tomorrow/Tuesday or holding off until Spring:
Monday/Today high was 72F sunny, tonight low of 39F FROST warning. Tomorrow/Tues AM most likely frost on deck, high of 73F sunny, low 45F, Wednesday high of 73F cloudy skies, and low 48F, Thursday High 70F but 25% chance of rain and evening temperatures drop in to 30'sF for the next week.
Can I stain late Tuesday morning/afternoon if FROST is on deck in the early AM?, and does that give the stain enough time to cure properly before Thursday's rain comes? Not sure how frost will affect moisture level on deck boards tomorrow. Was told 15 is the highest acceptable reading on meter. Is that true?
Thank you!
No, you cannot drop 40 the first night below after staining, and it cannot have frost on the deck the next am after staining. 15% moisture is okay.