Why a gallon of deck stain covers less than the label says — wood, age, and texture
The label coverage rate is only the best case — new, smooth wood. Real coverage = label rate ÷ (surface texture × wood condition). Weathered gray wood and rough-sawn boards drink far more; a previously stained maintenance coat covers more. A second coat covers ~2× the first.
What this diagram shows
A bar chart of how far one gallon of deck stain really spreads on the first coat, scaled from a baseline of new, smooth softwood at about 150 square feet per gallon. Effective coverage equals the label rate divided by a surface-texture factor times a wood-condition factor. A previously stained maintenance coat covers MORE, about 250 square feet per gallon, because the sealed wood absorbs little (a 0.6 factor). Weathered, gray wood drinks about 50 percent more and drops to about 100 square feet per gallon (a 1.5 factor) because UV has opened the grain. Rough-sawn wood has more surface area and drops to about 88 square feet per gallon (a 1.7 factor). A second coat covers roughly twice the first coat because the wood is already sealed. Dense tropical hardwoods such as ipe start higher, around 375 square feet per gallon, because they barely absorb.
Deck Stain Calculator
Instantly calculate deck stain gallons by wood type—cedar, pine, composite. Covers surface, railings & stairs separately. Free, fast, no signup needed.
