Tom Wiedemann, owner of Arrow Cedar Restoration, said he uses a 33-degree spray tip to cut down on the firepower. On a rough surface, you may have to put on two or three times as much as stain as you would paint. So if you get 400 square feet from a gallon of paint, you should expect about 150 square feet of coverage from a gallon of stain. Al Rubin agreed. Some people say they can get 300 square feet, but after a year, the stain will fail.
Some people try to fog it on.
They really stretch the material. It looks good for six to eight months, and that's it. Because it's more permeable, sapwood soaks up more stain. It's therefore essential to saturate fully for adequate performance. Although most cedar finishes are designed to be applied by the usual methods, some contractors tout sponges or sponge mops as good instruments with which to force the stain into the wood.