Most stains will be fine because freezing doesn't affect color. Some of the dyes will coagulate. The best advice... don't let water finishes freeze. Once frozen, most water based finishes such as
Low temperature is less important than moisture, with the exception that if there is frozen water in your wood, that'll mess up the stain as well. If the wood is cold but stays dry, you should be ok.
A Better Way to Tell
To tell if it is still good, start with a visual inspection. Discard finishes that have become thick, rubbery, stringy or separated, as well as those with a skunky odor or obvious mold growth. Ditto for water-based paint or finish that looks like cottage cheese.
For the most part, both oil-based and water-based wood stains should be stored in a climate- controlled location, where the temperature will not drop below 32 degrees Fahrenheit and put the stains at risk of freezing and thawing.
If you're staining your deck in the spring or fall, wait for a day with temperatures above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, check to see if freezing temperatures are in the forecast for that night. It can hinder the curing process if it drops below 32 degrees Fahrenheit before the stain has thoroughly dried.
Generally, the maximum temperature to apply stain is around 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Therefore, the optimum temperature range for wood staining lies around 50 to 9- degrees Fahrenheit.
A common mistake when applying stain is not taking weather, temperature and moisture into account. Staining when the deck surface is too hot or the wood is too wet; when rain is too imminent or when nighttime temperatures are too cold can all lead to problems down the road and shorten the life of your stain.
Most stains will be fine because freezing doesn't affect color. Some of the dyes will coagulate. The best advice... don't let water finishes freeze. Once frozen, most water based finishes such as General Finishes High Performance Water Base Topcoat are no longer useable.
Oil-based stain can be kept for 1 year if the cans have been opened, but unopened cans will last 2 - 3 yrs. Water-based stain will last 1 year, if opened, and 2 years, if unopened. Oil-based varnishes will be good for 1 year, opened or unopened.
Temperature-Sensitive Items
Paint, refinishing solvents and stain in garage storage will spoil. Some paints separate, and you'll be left with a curdled, unusable mess. Also, paint cans sitting on a cement garage floor will rust through very quickly.
Often when people restain timber, the old Stain is either sanded away, is already flaking off, or can be restained over. While you can restain a deck over an existing stain without sanding or removing the existing peeling product, this isn't always recommended and can leave your deck looking a little worse for wear.
Cold weather will not permanently harm urethane, silicone or epoxy materials. It can cause these materials to thicken and separate. If you try to use the material while it is too cold, it will not cure.
Lightly sand the surface with fine-grit sandpaper to ensure an even surface. Wipe away any dust with a tack cloth. Reapply the stain liberally, working in small sections. Immediately wipe off the excess with a clean rag, moving in the direction of the wood grain.
Modified oil or water reduceable alkyd-based deck stains will freeze. While true oil-based deck stains will not freeze.
You can use old T-shirts as rags, if that's what you have. If the stain has dried too much, it will be difficult to remove.
Therefore, it's best to save your oil-based paints and stains for a household hazardous waste collection program or to contact your local/state government environmental protection agency for guidance. States with PaintCare will collect and dispose of leftover oil-based products.
In some cases, you can get away with leaving the previous coat as it is, as long as you perform the other necessary preparation steps, such as sanding and power washing. If, for instance, the new stain is the same brand and color as the old stain, you might not need to go through the complete removal process.
If you applied the stain correctly, and it still remained tacky, it could be due to rainy weather or high humidity. Give it a few more days to see if it improves. Another possibility is that the stain was old or came from a bad batch.
In addition, you can try a second coat of stain to see if it deepens the color. Sometimes, the wet stain is exactly the color that you're looking for, but when the stain dries, it goes dull. Often, applying the clear protective finish will make the stain color-rich again.
Many stains contain chemicals that may freeze if the temperature drops too low, affecting their usability. Additionally, frequent freezing and thawing can degrade the stain's consistency.
Temperature Threshold
For both semi-transparent and solid stains the ideal range is between 50-90 degrees fahrenheit. If it is too cold, or there is rain/snow within the first 24 hours of applying a stain product, it will not adhere or cure properly.
The moisture trapped inside the wood may hamper stain absorption into its fibers, eventually causing it to peel off. Over application: People often wrongly assume that applying one or two more coats will make the stain more durable.
While conventional stains recommend 18 to 24 hours drying time, Minwax Performance Series Tintable Wood Stain can be recoated in just 2 hours for solvent-based finishes and 6 hours for water-based finishes.
Without waiting for the wood to dry, stain and sealant would not penetrate the wood properly, diminishing its ability to protect the wood from weather damage.