Thought my new deck stain was dry after 8 hours... a bird proved me wrong.

3 comments

3 Comments

Used to think the dry time on the can was a solid rule. Learned the hard way that it's more of a best case scenario. Sun, humidity, and how thick you put it on change everything. Now I add a full day, maybe two, before I even think about walking on it. That bird left a perfect little footprint trail across my last project.

evan_burns9510d ago

That "full day, maybe two" is still playing it a bit fast and loose with some paints. For a truly safe cure on something like a deck or floor, you're better off waiting a full 72 hours no matter what the can says. Anything less and you're just gambling with prints again.

jamesm4810d ago

Classic. That bird wasn't just walking, it was doing a full forensic test. You end up with a crime scene of tiny toe prints, a permanent record of your impatience. It's like nature's way of saying the can's dry time is a hilarious suggestion. My patio table has a permanent squirrel tail swipe from a similar rush job.