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Outdoor Fall Decorating: Tips for Staining a Pergola

Outdoor Fall Decorating: Tips for Staining a Pergola

Staining a pergola is important to protect the wood from the elements and help keep the wood looking fresh. Our pergola has roses growing on it, which makes staining tricky, so I’m sharing outdoor fall decorating and tips for staining a pergola with you.

When we built our pergola attached to our house the rain was so strong, torrential in fact.

We wrapped up the project, but delayed the staining until the rainy season subsided. In Seattle the rainy season is very long ha ha.

The goal for our pergola is to act as a trellis for the mature roses in our yard. Because of the roses growing on the posts, the staining is a bit tricky.

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Gather supplies.

materials to stain a pergola

In addition to the stain, sanding blocks, brush and staining pad, a ladder is necessary to get the high beams.

Pergola before staining.

pergola with plants growing on it

We’ve had the pergola less than one year and the wood has already started to show some dark spots from weathering.

Sanding

sanding a wood pergola

This was important since the wood had been exposed to the elements and got roughed up.

Stain saving tip.

Opening  a can of wood stain

My sister taught me a great tip for stain and paint cans- tap four holes into the can rim so that when you pour the paint you can turn the can and sort of guide the paint/stain into a hole. This saves the paint, which saves money!

Work around plants.

Roses on a perola

Use twine to corral plants out of the way.

Take the opportunity to prune plants back and make less foliage to fight with!

Change up tools.

Outdoor Fall Decorating: Tips for Staining a Pergola
My sister and I battling roses.

Different types of wood will react differently to stain.

The cedar wood on the vertical posts required a brush to apply, while the horizontal beams did better with a staining pad.

Fall pergola decorating ideas.

Outdoor Fall Decorating: Tips for Staining a Pergola

You don’t need much to spruce up a pergola for fall.

Pumpkins, gourds, pots of chrysanthemums and maybe some lights.

Outdoor Fall Decorating: Tips for Staining a Pergola

This year I am focusing my decorating outdoors because our almost one year old is on the move and into everything!

Even our potting table is getting decorated.

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Some more fall decorating ideas:

A beautiful pumpkin makeover with paint.

A super cute pumpkin craft.

21 thoughts on “Outdoor Fall Decorating: Tips for Staining a Pergola”

  1. fromfarmhousetofloridagmailcom

    Love how your pergola looks after you stained it! Also, I love your Autumn outdoor plants and accents. That twig pumpkin is to die for!

  2. Rachel - Tea and Forget-me-nots

    I always assumed that you couldn’t paint or stain once the plants and flowers had taken over, now I know!

  3. This pergola looks brand new! Wow, I had no idea it would change that much – the tranformation is amazing. Love all your roses and the pumpkins too. It all looks so warm and inviting. Hugs, CoCo PS: Tell your sister thanks for the paint tip. It is genius!

  4. Pingback: Fall Small Porch Decor - This Dear Casa

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