Deck staining in Cross Plains with Black Earth Creek in mind
Deck wash water, leftover stain, oily rags and fall timing in a village on a protected trout stream, plus the doors, garage doors and trim we paint.
Black Earth Creek flows past Cross Plains on its way west toward Black Earth, and the Wisconsin DNR lists this stretch among the state's Outstanding and Exceptional Resource Waters. The DNR also names stormwater runoff from the village as a threat to the creek's future, so how a deck gets washed and where the stain cleanup ends up matters more here than in most places we work.
Our outdoor work is deck staining and refinishing plus painting entry doors, garage doors, entryways and trim; siding isn't something we paint. This page covers the cleanup side of that work and the fall weather that shapes it. The deck staining and exterior page describes the service itself.
Why cleanup matters on a class 1 trout stream
The DNR's fishery page calls Black Earth Creek a high-quality trout stream in a wide green agricultural valley and rates it a class 1 coldwater fishery. Its water records add that the creek is fed by a large cold spring upstream of the village, Festge Springs, plus many smaller springs, and that the whole stream is vulnerable to agricultural and urban runoff.
A single deck isn't going to change a trout stream. Runoff, though, is made of many small things, and deck cleaner, stain drips and brush rinse water are exactly the kind of small thing a storm drain carries. The habits below cost nothing and keep a deck project from adding to the problem.
Where the wash water from a deck should go
Dane County's Land and Water Resources Department is blunt about storm drains: what goes into the street travels through the storm sewer to lakes, rivers and streams, and putting paint there is the same as dumping it straight into the water. Its list of things to report even includes someone washing painting tools in the gutter.
For a deck, that means rinse water should soak into the lawn or a gravel bed rather than sheeting down the driveway to the curb. Cover plants near the deck, keep cleaner off the grass where you can, and use only as much water as the cleaning needs. If the yard slopes toward the street, rinse in short passes so the water fans out across the grass instead of racing to the curb. Brushes and rollers used with water-based products belong in a utility sink, never at the curb or in a roadside ditch.
Leftover stain and paint: the Dane County route
Dane County Clean Sweep, the county's household hazardous materials drop-off, accepts paints, stains and varnish, along with thinners and cleaners. Latex paint that has dried solid goes in your regular garbage instead. Nothing liquid belongs in a storm drain, a ditch or the ground.
If the stain is still good, keep a labeled can for touch-ups on the stair treads and rail caps, stored somewhere that stays above freezing. The county's Land and Water Resources Department notes that Clean Sweep also runs a free exchange for usable paint and solvents. Our post on disposing of paint in Dane County covers what to bring and how the drop-off works.
Oil-soaked rags and the fire risk
Rags wiped through oil-based stain don't just get dirty. The City of Piedmont's fire safety guidance explains that oil-based products give off heat as they dry, and that a bunched pile of rags can trap enough of it to ignite without any spark or flame. A heap of stain rags in a garage corner or a kitchen trash can is the classic setup.
The safe routine is short. Take used rags outside, lay them flat in a single layer to dry, and once they're dry, keep them in a metal container with a tight lid. The same applies to rags used with linseed or teak oil. Ask Clean Sweep how it wants them rather than tossing them in the household trash.
Fall staining in the valley: dew, cold nights and drying
Fall is a popular time to stain: the bugs are gone, the sun is gentler and summer's heat has passed. The catch is the nights. The Weather Guys at UW-Madison put the average first 32°F night at Madison's airport around October 1, and the old downtown station ran nearly three weeks later, a reminder that one yard can differ from another by weeks.
Low ground and shaded yards often hold dew well into the morning, and stain needs a dry surface. Wait until the boards are dry to the touch, check the label's minimum temperature against the forecast low, and stop early enough for the finish to set before evening. Dunn-Edwards notes that as temperatures drop at night, condensation can form on a fresh coating and streak it.
Our posts on Madison's outdoor painting season and the fall painting checklist lay out the month-by-month numbers behind that advice.
Village doors, garage doors and the trim around them
Not every exterior job is a deck. We also paint front and back doors, garage doors, entryways and the trim around them, which is often the most worn paint on an older house. About 14% of the village's homes were built before 1940, and on those, door and trim paint can be many coats deep, so loose paint comes off and bare spots are primed before the new coat.
A garage door on a newer house is a different kind of job: often the largest painted surface on the front of the house, so an uneven coat shows from the sidewalk. These smaller projects usually run one to three days and wait for a dry forecast. The written quote is the price, no extra charge if the job takes longer than expected. Tell us about your deck or doors, or see what else we do in Cross Plains.
Common questions
Where should the water from washing my deck go?
Onto the lawn or a gravel area where it can soak in, not down the driveway to a storm drain. Dane County notes that storm drains lead to lakes and streams, and the DNR names village stormwater as a threat to Black Earth Creek.
What do I do with leftover deck stain?
Keep a labeled can for touch-ups if it's still good. Stain, thinner and cleaners you don't want go to Dane County Clean Sweep, and latex paint that has dried solid goes in the regular trash.
Can rags soaked in stain really catch fire?
Yes. Oil-based stain gives off heat as it dries, and a bunched pile of rags can hold enough of it to ignite without a spark. Dry them flat outdoors in one layer, then store them in a sealed metal can.
Is fall a good season to stain a deck?
Yes, on the right days. Pick a dry stretch, start after the dew has dried, and compare the stain label's minimum temperature with the forecast low, since fall nights are usually the limit.
Do you paint garage doors and trim in Cross Plains?
Yes. Garage doors, entry doors, entryways and trim are all part of our exterior work, along with deck staining. Most of these smaller jobs are done in one to three days.
More in Cross Plains
Decks and exterior nearby
Helpful guides
Sources
- American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau, via Census Reporter
- Black Earth Creek, Black Earth Creek Watershed, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
- Black Earth Creek Fishery Area, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
- Report Pollution Entering Storm Drains or Waterways, Dane County Land and Water Resources Department
- Household Hazardous Materials, Dane County Land and Water Resources Department
- Dane County Clean Sweep, Dane County Department of Waste & Renewables
- Make safe disposal of oily rags part of any home improvement project, City of Piedmont
- When does the first freeze occur in fall?, The Weather Guys, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Cold Weather Painting (technical bulletin), Dunn-Edwards