How long should green wood cure before staining?
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Green wood is full of moisture. Stain replaces the moisture(when the wood is dried out) and also is meant to leave a certain color. I don't know the type of wood you got nor the drying conditions you got.
Are you wanting to see the wood grain thru the stain - then you need a semitransparent stain which you brush on and then after it sits for 10 minutes, you wipe off as much as you can with clean cloths(or burlap). This takes off the excess stain and also takes away the brush marks leaving you and even finish. If the wood is really wet, it will not take much stain. But that is OK, if you stain it again after 24 hours, and do the whole process, you can make it darker and richer. Then let it dry 48 hours and then hit it with a water based clear.
If the wood was kiln dried in the beginning, you could use(I prefer) wipeable oil stain and do the same process, followed by an oil based varnish in the end to protect the stain finish and give you a hard surface to wipe and clean. This does not work on green wood as the water from the wood and the oil does not mix.and won't adhere for long.
6 months.
If you are refering to pressure treated lumber as "green wood" then I imagine you have a new deck or fence or some kind of outdoor construction you want to stain. If that is the case then it would be best to wait aproximetly 2 to 3 weeks before you treat it. This will give the wood time to dry out enough to accept the treatment you choose. Compare the wood to a sponge. If the sponge is full of water then it won't absorb right? Having worked for years with deck & fence construction waiting 2 to 3 weeks was plenty of time.
Coming into the summer months, if the wood is outside, one month would be right. Any longer and the wood may start to crack or warp.
One full year. It needs to have a summer and winter season to dry enough to stain. It is better to buy treated wood or wood that has been dried, if you want a finished look immediately.
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