Update on my deck staining disaster from last spring

I tried to save cash by using a cheap roller and a basic water-based stain from the hardware store, which left streaks and peeled after two months. Switched to a proper pump sprayer and a solid oil-based stain, and the whole thing looks brand new now. Anyone else find that the right tool makes the job, not just the product?

3 comments

3 Comments

lily_schmidt536d ago

Why cheap out on the tool?

davis.diana6d ago

Cheap tools work fine if you know what you're doing. A good painter with a cheap roller beats a rookie with a sprayer any day. The real problem was probably the prep work or applying it in bad weather, not the roller itself. Oil-based stains are just a hassle with all the fumes and cleanup.

xenan646d ago

Okay but what about the roller itself shedding fibers? I've had cheap ones leave little fuzzies all over a fresh coat, and that ruins the whole finish. Even with perfect prep, a bad tool can mess things up. So where do you draw the line between a tool that's just simple and one that's actually going to cause problems?