How long should I wait before staining an outdoor table?

[Jimmy20]

I have just built an outdoor table using Premium Pine H3.2 from Bunnings and saw something that said I should wait up to 3 months before staining it. Is this true? and will it hurt to stain strait away if i wanted?

Cheers,

[EricL]

Hello @Jimmy20

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's great to have you join us, and thank you for sharing your question about how long should you wait before staining your outdoor table.

Timber producers recommend that you wait anywhere from six to twelve weeks to allow the timber to season. This will allow the tannins to leach out of the timber. If you paint the timber too soon, the tannins inside the timber will push the stain out of the timber and you will get patching. This will result in an uneven staining finish and will not look nice.     

You can accelerate the process by using Cabot's 2L New Timber Prep followed by Cabot's 1L Deck Clean. Please note that some tannins will be difficult to remove and a second wash may be necessary. Have you decided what kind of stain you'll be putting on it? Would it be possible for you to post a photo of your outdoor table? I'm sure our members would be keen to see what it looks like. If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to post them. Our members would be more than happy to provide advice and information.

Here is a handy link for preparing your table: How to clean a deck

Although it refers to a deck the techniques used are applicable to your table.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric