5 Best Sprayers For Deck Stain: Get a Quality Finish!

It’s easy to accomplish your desk staining in a fraction of the time as when you paint or roll it. Instead of spending your time doing manual labor, it’s preferable to prepare the materials in a sprayer and get the job done.

When you brush or roll the stain, you are often left with brush marks and uneven thickness. With a deck stain sprayer, it’s easier to accomplish a professional look. Just use the proper procedures to ensure a quality finish that’s even and beautiful.

Most people find that spraying with a machine is far more comfortable than having to brush or roll the stain on. You can stand the entire time, instead of getting on your hands and knees. Setup and cleanup is also a breeze, allowing you to quickly get back to what you love doing the most.

Airless paint sprayers operate with the help of a piston that pressurizes the material and then squeezes it out the nozzle. An airless sprayer works best on large, flat surfaces. That’s why many people use them for decks. You can use an airless sprayer as an alternative to a roller.

They are more powerful than an HVLP machine, but only have a transfer rate of about 50 percent. This means that a lot of product goes elsewhere into the air and adjacent surfaces instead of where you want it.

While this might be the fastest way to accomplish the task, it also costs more money because of the extra product used. 

With an HVLP sprayer, the air comes from a compressor and atomizes the stain. HVLP stands for high volume, low pressure. They are best used for smaller, more detailed oriented projects. That’s what makes them an excellent alternative to a paint brush.

It’s still possible to use an HVLP sprayer on a deck, but it might take more time. If you have a small deck, it will work well. Another reason to use the HVLP version is if you are worried about cost. When comparing an HVLP sprayer to an airless version there is less wasted material because of the adjustability.

While the project might take you longer, an HVLP sprayer is the way to go for smaller decks or when you don’t want to waste any stain. 

You don’t want to purchase just any paint sprayer when working on your deck. Sure, there are models out there for a small price, but how long will they really last you? Invest in a high-quality brand like Graco or Wagner and you’ll get many more years out of your unit.

An essential part of spraying the deck is having the ability to move around freely. Look for a unit that is portable and features a long-reaching hose so you can cover the deck with ease. You don’t want to keep moving your unit around to get the work done.

If you want to get the job done fast, then you need a high-powered sprayer. Keep in mind that the higher you go in power, the more the price goes up as well. It’s also likely that overspray becomes a larger issue with higher powered machines.

Pay attention to the PSI rating, horsepower and how many gallons are used per minute to make your determination.

It’s best to purchase a sprayer that offers adjustable pressure control. This allows you to slow down the flow of stain when needed or speed it up when detail isn’t a concern. With an adjustable spray painter, you’ll have more versatility to use it on other projects as well.

Stains are thinner materials, so it’s important that you have a small tip size. Normally a .011 – 0.13 would work best. If your machine doesn’t come with that size, then you need to see about getting additional tips. It’s always best to price accessories and add-ons before purchasing a sprayer so you know what you’re getting into.

You need this to spray surfaces that are further away. If you don’t want to bend over while spraying your deck, then a tip extension is a must. A 10-inch appears to be the most popular option, but up to 30-inch is used for deck applications. Just avoid going over 36 inches.

Yes, most deck stains can be applied with a garden sprayer. If the application guidelines state you can use a brush or roller, then you can also use a garden sprayer. However, you will also need to brush or roll the stain to get an even coating.

A lot of stains also contain more colors and solids that will clog a sprayer nozzle. Make sure your stain can be thinned (most can be thinned by 1 cup thinner per gallon). If you notice clogs in the nozzle, try thinning the stain.

For staining decks, even with a sprayer, you will still need to use a brush or roller. Because the stains contain more solids than regular paints, using a sprayer will apply the bulk of the stain to the deck surface. 

From there, you will need to back brush or roll the stain to even it out. For this reason, you should use the largest tip possible. At a minimum, a 0.017 tip, such as those used for primers and thicker paints, is advised.

Any of the sprayers in our Best Of list in this article will do wonders with semi-transparent deck stain. If you aren’t happy with those choices, look for the Graco Magnum ProX7, or any of the models in the Fuji T-series, such as the Fuji T-75G Q4 Platinum.

Oil-based deck stains are a little thicker than latex or transparent stains, so you will need a machine that can handle thicker paints. The Graco Magnum X5 from our Best Of list from above is ideal for these types of applications.