Can pressure-treated wood be painted or stained?

Definitely! Stains first... Many manufacturers carry full lines of both oil and latex products that can be used on pressure-treated wood. According to the folks at Cuprinol, you should wait at least one to two months before staining. You may apply a clear preservative immediately, but it must be a product manufactured for use on fresh pressure-treated lumber. One such product is Wolman Oil-Base RainCoat Clear Water Repellant. What about painting? Don't even think about painting fresh pressure-treated wood! The moisture in it "stacks the deck" against good paint adhesion. Seal your project with a pressure-treated wood preservative immediately. Follow the preservative's instructions regarding future painting, making special note of the amount of time the preservative should weather before painting. Applying a sealer can protect against CCA exposure... According to the EPA, studies show that the application of a penetrating oil finish can reduce or eliminate exposure to CCA in older ...  more