back yard wood pergola - re-staining project
Did a session of re-staining on Saturday. Did a session of re-staining on Sunday.
Each session was about five hours.
Doing a "top down" approach. So both sessions were devoted to getting the 1st layer of stain onto the roof of the pergola.
Doing "slow is fast" with a 3" roller on an extension pole, up on a ladder. It's the only safe way to apply the stain to the top of the pergola. It's slow going.
After dipping a portion of the roller into the stain, then have to maneuver the fully extended pole out and to the middle of the pergola roof. Then slowly, about one inch per second, apply the stain to the wood, working from the center of the pergola to the edge closest to me, one board at a time.
The wood of the roof is weathered, has cracks, and has a rough surface. Each application of stain can cover about six inches of board, before having to re-dip the roller into stain. Each application of stain also requires angling the roller onto one edge, to help try to get stain into the cracks and valleys of the rough surface spots.
When I stopped on Sunday, about 3/4 of one half of the roof now has the 1st coat of stain applied.
Estimating will need two more wkends to completely cover the roof with one coat. Also seems one gallon of stain will be able to cover the entire roof of the wood pergola with one coat.
Per the stain's instructions, need to get two coats of stain on the wood surface to protect it. Once I have two coats into the roof, will move on to stain the rest of the structure with two coats.
Hopefully staining the rest of the structure will go faster, too.
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EDIT 2024-05-24 Went to the hardware store. Purchased another gallon of stain. Continuing to re-stain the roof of the pergola.
Have worked on re-staining about 5hrs today. It remains slow going, as have to use a ladder, extension pole and 3inch roller on the rough weathered wood of the pergola roof. Almost have finished putting 1coat of stain on half of the roof of the pergola.
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EDIT 2024-05-26 I enjoy using the 3inch paint roller! It is narrow enough to dip into the 1gallon stain container without needing to use a paint tray. Less waste.
When I need to repaint the house, may do the same technique. So, instead of a traditional 9inch paint roller and paint tray, will continue to use 3inch paint rollers and dip directly into the paint can.
Finished putting one coat of stain on the entire roof of the pergola. Took about five workdays. Required just under two gallons of stain.
Need to put two coats on the pergola roof before moving on to re-staining the rest of the wood structure.
Once the roof has two coats of stain, it looks like doing the rest of the structure will hopefully go easier/faster, as it seems I can reach everything else from underneath.