I just built a cedar deck railing. I was going to paint it and call it a day, but now my wife wants me to stain it to show off the wood's texture and color. That sounds like a lot more maintenance ...

The right stain can also depend on location—for example, a deck wood stain needs to be water-resistant to prevent warping, cracking, or splintering.

Consumer Reports has expert tips on how to apply wood stain to decks, fences, outdoor furniture, and more.

If building a deck or working with pressure-treated wood is on your to-do list, one of the cardinal rules everyone should know is how long to wait before staining pressure-treated lumber.

Do you know about wood conditioners? It took me years to discover this wood-staining magic trick. A wood conditioner is a clear liquid you apply to the bare wood just before you apply the stain.