This post was updated on February 29, 2024
Why Sanding a Deck Can be an Issue
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Sanding your deck can reduce stain penetration
One of the most frustrating problems that can crop up when you decide to stain or restain your deck is that the stain doesn’t absorb into the wood correctly.
There are a number of different reasons this can happen but one of the more common issues is that the boards were not correctly sanded or prepared for the task. Today we will examine the main causes behind poor absorption and explore some of the measures you can take to negate this issue in the future.
The problem
Often, we don’t invest much thought into the sanding process and just get on with it without careful planning. This is where your difficulties will arise.
When sanding any type of wood to prepare for a new coat of stain, you have to be ultra-careful with how much you sand the wood and the level of sandpaper grit you use. Anything more than around 60/80 grit is too much and will leave the wood overly smooth. This essentially means the pores are too small to absorb the stain or gloss correctly and it will take more hard work to finally prepare the wood for absorption.
The solution
A good wood stain finish always starts with the correct sanding preparation. It is important, to begin with, a power sander and always finish by hand to reach difficult areas. Remember no more than 60 or 80 grit paper.
The next step is to clean the wood thoroughly after the sanding. Deck cleaners, also known as deck wash are used to lift dirt and unsightly mildew which accumulates over time.
Most deck cleaners contain soaps to help them clean effectively. The downside to the soap is that raises the PH level of the wood. This can make the wood appear darker in color, and the higher PH balance also makes it more difficult for the stain to penetrate.
The way to reverse this after using a deck cleaner is to apply a wood brightener. A wood brightener contains a mild acid formula that will neutralize the higher PH balance caused by caustic soaps. The effect is that the wood’s PH balance is restored and the wood is brightened back to its natural color. This will ensure that your wood looks natural and will shine through as it should after the stain is applied.
All that’s left for you to do now is stain the wood. If you are having trouble with stain penetration then follow the steps we have outlined in this guide – over sanding does not have to be the end of the world. Simply sand the wood again and make sure to properly clean and brighten it before reapplication of your stain.
Best Deck Prep Articles
- What are the Best Deck Cleaners
- The Best Deck Stain Strippers
- Why Brighten After Deck Stripping
- How To Remove a Solid Color Deck Stain
Thank you for the great guide, I have a deck that is in North Dakota (So heavy snow and well below freezing temps in the winter) The deck gets full sunlight most of the day and it was built with pressure treated pine. The last time it was stained was with Tompson Semi transparent (that’s the only information I have on the product) about 4 years ago, so the stain is just gone in most parts of the deck.
I have pressure washed the deck, and used ZEP deck wash in a weed sprayer bottle and a heavy bristled brush, and that worked to get the mildew and and most of the old stain off, but there is still old stain left and the washed wood didn’t come out as an even color, so I am going to bite the bullet and sand the deck with a drum sander at 40 grit since we are going to use a Semi-transparent stain I don’t want to run the risk of the pressure washer ‘marks’ coming trough.
Once I am done sanding should I do the deck wash again or can I just move to the brighten step?
Clean and brighten since you are sanding would be best. Use a fully penetrating stain next. TWP 100 Series or Armstrong Clark Stains.
Semi-solid or solid for cedar deck in the Pacific Northwest?
Four yrs ago our redwood deck was restained with an inferior product that was supposed to be semi-transparent, but went on like solid. The color is an awful red. It hasn’t peeled but just looks blah. We are planning to restain/paint the deck now (along with the pergola)
I have decided to go with a semi-solid or solid to make it easier (I think!). What kind of product and prep do you recommend?
In which state is your deck located? WA state, Seattle area
How much sun/shade does your deck get? South-facing but on a greenbelt so sun in the summer
What type of wood is your deck made of? Redwood
Do you have mold or mildew issues? Very little on the underside of a couple of horizontal board of the pergola
Why/how did the previous stain fail? It has worn although, not peeled. It looks like orange paint.
What type and brand (if known) of stain did you use last time? HD Baer (contractor choice)
First photo (wet deck) is from 2021, the other two photos are recent
You will need a solid stain to cover this unless you want to fully sand and strip to get the Behr off. Use the Restore A Deck Solid Stains:
https://www.deckstainhelp.com/restore-a-deck-solid-color-stain-review/
I had someone clean our new PT deck 5 days ago, then they came out and got paint splatter all over (long story). I decided to finish the job myself to avoid a long drawn out situation. I went out today to start trying to get the paint off and noticed the deck already looking discolored and see a lot of wood fibers coming off the boards. Pictures are of the deck as it looks now, and one section where I sanded to get the paint off.
Do I need to start all over by sanding, cleaning, and brightening the deck before I stain? It’s been weathered a year already (another long story). I appreciate any advice you may have. This deck project has been a total nightmare from the beginning.
They furred it up with the prep. See tips:
https://www.deckstainhelp.com/wood-fuzzies-furring-on-deck/
You will need to sand it to fix this.
Thank you so much for the reply! Do you think I should wash and brighten again or will sanding be enough?
Yes, you need to brighten again after to open the grain and remove sand dust.
Thank you! I might end up purchasing a new belt sander for this because of the large area. It would take FOREVER with my orbital sander.
I had a 50′ x 8′ treated lumber covered deck built three months ago. Can I sand off the mill stamps and then lightly sand the entire deck. Will this even out the light spots and allow me to not have to wait 2 or 3 months for it to weather before staining?
No, see here about ink spots.
https://www.deckstainhelp.com/how-to-remove-the-ink-stamps-from-new-decking/
I have a deck ~20 yrs old, cedar. we bought the house about six years ago. They had about six coats of paint which was flaking off. About two years ago I sanded and repainted. It is bubbling now. I’m thinking about just resending and repainting. Thoughts?
https://www.deckstainhelp.com/how-to-reapply-a-solid-color-deck-stain/
20 years ago we put Thompson Water Seal on our PT deck… for the last 8 years we’ve tried to recoat to improve appearance. NOTHING will stick to it or penetrate, everything just flakes off. Do we need to replace the deck boards.
Have you tried stripper everything off and starting over? That would be the easiest thing to do.
Thanks for the quick reply. No stripper tried (yet). We did a thorough pressure wash, let it dry for 3 weeks in the sun, and applied a BM Armorcoat porch paint. Rep claimed it would stick to anything, last for years, and we believed him, it went on like thick glue, looked great all summer and fall and then It peeled off in huge sheets after the first winter. Now the Rep claims Thompson Water Seal is basically paraffin and nothing will stick to it. Hopefully, a good stripper will get deep enough to remove that old stuff?
The BM rep is passing the buck for selling you a poor stain. The Thompsons is not a very good sealer and only lasts a year or two so that is not the issue. Using poor-quality stains is probably more the reason for consistent failures.
To get off a porch paint you will probably need to power sand it.
There is a high tech test for seeing if your deck is ready to accept stain or paint: sprinkle a little water on it and watch what happens to that water. If it forms tight beads and those beads are still there after a couple minutes, NOTHING is going to penetrate into the grain. It will sit on the surface, look great this year, and FAIL the following spring .
We have just finished stripping and cleaning/brightening our 20 year old Cedar deck. It is in very good condition, with the exception of some the stair boards and a few spindles on the stair railing that were rotting, (they are exposed, and rest of the deck is covered). We have used Sherwin Williams SuperDeck semi-transparent originally and had recoated 4 times, and the last time it had started to peel off (down to bare wood in some spots.) It was more like a paint than semi-transparent. Want more of a stain look to allow woodgrain to show through. Not sure what product to use, we have a short window of temperatures staying above 40’s and not wanting to leave the whole deck unprotected over winter?
You want a penetrating semi-transparent stain that does not mask the grain. See top picks here: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/the-5-best-deck-stain-reviews-and-ratings/
I have a fairly old redwood deck and fences. Because stripper (followed by brightener) didn’t remove all the old (film-forming) stain, I’ve had to sand some areas to remove that. While in a moderate climate zone, we’ve had recent rain and more is expected over the next 2 weeks. This has delayed the remaining sanding and the staining. How many weeks can the unstained redwood be exposed to the elements before it adversely affects the wood (both aesthetically and structurally)? And any suggestions for protecting the exposed wood until I can complete the sanding and stain it? While the deck is small enough to tarp, there’s too much fencing to do that. FYI, the deck is smooth surface and the fences are rough cut. Thanks very much for your advice.
It can go months. Just clean and brighten when fully done with the sanding. No need to trap anything.
https://www.deckstainhelp.com/do-i-prep-after-sanding-deck/
Thanks for the reply. We’ve previously used RAD and this year used Woodrich HD-80 (both followed by brighteners). They left quite a bit of fur that required much sanding, a tremendous amount of work. Are there any gentler products that would still be effective yet wouldn’t cause furing? For same reason, we’d prefer to go with garden hose rather than power washer. We’d also prefer a gentler product to avoid further inconveniencing our neighbors. For protection, they’ve already had to relocate their patio furniture and wet their plants twice. (The contractor originally rinsed THE HD-80 off too soon and thus had to repeat the process.) Thanks!
There is not a “gentler” product that would be effective as well. Furring does not happen from pressure washing or even the stripper. It is your wood that does it. Using the RAD stripper at 1/2 strength may be enough to strip and reduce the chance of any furring. Brighten as soon as possible to neutralize when done.
Trying to redo a 10 year old deck. Some splitting, black and green. Had nothing on it existing. Power washed it clean. But transparent stains are turning out very very dark in color. I’m assuming this is because the wood is so dry and soaking up alot? Even the lightest stains are just so dark. Is there something I can apply to the wood so the stain won’t be so dark? Can I mix a clear with a transparent stain to lighten it up? Does this have anything to do with the fact it was only power washed? Any suggestions for stain?
Post some pics.
Try diluting the stain with that brand’s clear oil.
I’m rehabbing a 25 yr. old deck. Floor, top rail and steps have new pine boards (weathered for 6 months), but railings, stringers remain with redwood stain. I’ve started sanding the railings, stringers and 4×4’s, to remove the redwood color and to remove some of the sun damage from the wood. The contractor says I don’t need to continue sanding; he’ll clean and brighten the deck and then stain – 2 coats of semi-transparent on the floor/steps and solid on the railings, stringers. Thoughts?
You do not have to remove teh red stain from the railing fully if you are using a solid stain over it.
My arms and hands thank you!!! They’re still vibrating a week later!
the deck is 12 years old. neglected greying splitting and splintering and green stuff
Ive sanded it with 60 then 80 grit
There is still stain on railings and spindles…
Shall i use a stripper
Then a cleaner
Then a brightener
My original intention was to use behr deckover…the company said i could paint over existing stain
But the reviews for this product and others of its kind are not good
So I thinking solid stain
I jjst want to prep correctly
Post some pics in the comments for prep help.
We are in Northern Ontario Canada. We built a new western red cedar deck in 2019. In 2020 I scrubbed the deck twice with Palmolive and oxy twice. After it dried, we stained the deck in the mid afternoon in the shade, with one coat of Olympic clear waterproofing sealant. We were told to expect two years because of the climate. Please see the attached picture. We are looking at staining again this year but want to make sure the preparation is correct including sanding. Thank you in advance
Strip and brighten for prep. No need to sand. Use a better stain like the TWP 200 Series or Restore A Deck Stains.
Thank you very much. We understand with red cedar, different colors and grains (if I have that right). We are seeing small fibers. I know pressure washing is a no no. Can I use a deck brush still for deck preparation?
Appreciate the help
You can use a pressure washer as a rinsing tool while using proper prep products. Scrub first if you want and then pressure wash rinse after.
So I tried a Bob Villa oxy clean method. Not very good results. Only did half the deck. Western red cedar. Lots of fibers. Hand scrubbed with deck brush. Little nervous to use my gas power washer on the deck. We only want a semi transparent stain. First attempt in 2020 was Olympic transparent.
Any preparation advice
Thanks again
You need a stripper and then a brighener. You use the pressure washer after applying the stripper. Try Restore A Deck products.
I stripped & brightened deck, then sanded. Looks like good chance of rain over the next week. I’m using Ready Seal. Can I leave deck sanded over a wk or two and then stain when there’s clear weather or would i have to start over…seems to be differing opinions on this. I guess the only other option is to seal and hope for no rain for 24 hrs. Thanks
You can wait and you may want to switch brands of stain. Ready Seal doesn’t last and leaves an oily film in many cases.
Thanks. I did a test area with the cedar stain and the darkish gray grain parts turned black, so looks like tigers stripes. Should i brighten the deck again or use a darker stain like pecan?
The dark parts are part of your internal wood grain. Brightener would not do anything for this. Darker colors would blend better but you will need more of a medium to dark brown.
I have a deck and had some one come out and power wash it and it got all messed up. Sanded it today and added a coat of stain and I think I sanded to smooth. The stain did not take well. What should I do
Remove it all and start over. After you remove it, let it weather until Spring. Clean and brighten then. Also, choose a better penetrating stain.
Brand new deck, aged 5 months, all sealed except my wife placed a metal plant stand on the unsealed deck and when we moved it it left a rust stained ring. My wife got out a palm sander and sanded the ring out but used the whole surface of the sander to do it. Now we have a two foot in diameter “whiteish” mark on the deck. My thought is to not stain it and let it weather for a few months to “darken” it up some, then seal it. What would you do?, thank you in advance for your advise
You cannot blend this with the other wood unless you even it all out and that will require stripping off the sealer, weathering it for a few months, clean it all, and then recoat.
I’ve had to replace some boards on my deck, so they look different from all the others. How can the deck be prepared for staining so all the boards look the same?
It is not possible to have then new and old wood blend when using the transparent or semi-transparent stain. The new wood will stain lighter in color.
Any downside to staining the douglas fir deck after only using 40 grit on a belt sander rather than doing another sanding course using 60/80 grit as you discuss in your article? Wouldn’t the rougher deck absorb better and hold up better? The deck is only 1 year old, but I am sanding the deck due to significant grain raising issues on many boards as well as some stain peeling in the Sherwin Williams semi-transparent stain. The deck is on the south house side, so it gets consistent sun. The deck is located on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state. I used number 1 doug fir 2x4s, but not sure what that means these days as far as quality is concerned. Thanks.
Rougher will absorb better so it is okay if you are fine with the current texture.
I built a cedar bench next to my pool last summer. I pre-treated all the cedar with Ready Seal before assembly. Now it needs retreating. I sanded it down in spots to correct minor height differences and remove a few sliver hazards. My plan is to clean it with Sodium Percarbonate then brighten it with Citric acid. I am just wondering if the cleaning and brightening will even things out, or will the sanded portions stand out? Thanks.
Where you stained, it may be uneven or lighter in color where you spot sanded. Best to sand it all even with 60-80 grit and then clean and brighen for final prep.
After 3 years of my cedartone deck the stain I used did not stay. Not in all spots but various enough to make it look terrible. So I flipped over all the boards and now working with the other side which is now no longer toned. I have pressure washed it and ready for the next step which I am told is sanding. All I read is to use belt sander 60-80 grit. Correct?
Correct. Clean and brighten the wood after.
Hi,
We have a 1 year old deck. It is pressure treated lumber and the original owners put a down deck-over paint before selling this to us 11 months ago. I don’t think this was ever cured and was a quick job to sell. Now a year over, we have peeling, Etc.
I power sanded the deck as pressure washing didn’t help. Except for the edges, most of the old Stain is out. Really tough to get the edges clear. Some questions.
A) I plan to clean and brighten before staining. Do I need the deck to sit for a period of time after brightening or Is it ok to stain right after.
If it helps, we live in Wisconsin.
B) our plan is to stain this solid gray ( defy or RAD). I am guessing this should work on top of the current sand deck with stained edges?
C) we have a few chips in the deck. What caulk can I use here?
Thanks in advance!!!
A. You should be okay to stain after.
B. It should be okay.
C. Fillers and caulks do not work very well on decks. Caulk does work better though, just make sure it is paintable.
I just bought a house with a huge deck. The issue is that the deck is 20 years old. My kids get splinters when walking barefoot on it. Do I need to sand it to get the splintered wood smooth? I tried using a 36 grain sand pad but it’s breaking up the wood more. I want to stain it a different color as well. What process should I use here?
Clean and then brighen the wood first with Restore A Deck Kits and then lightly hand sand or buff to with 60 grit paper to remove splinters. Stain with Restore A Deck Stain or TWP Stains.
I have sanded my pine deck with 120 grit, I know now I should have used 60 grit. How do i open the pores back up?
Let it weather for 1-2 months and then clean and brighten for final prep.
Hello
I have a 5 year old deck.(10’x17’)
No coating on the deck as of now.
I’m in Toronto.
Deck has turned grey in color now.
I’m planning to refinish it , can you please guide me through the process and type of stain to be used ..
My questions :
+Which type of sander I need use ?as I will be renting one.
+Stain -taking into consideration the geographic location and would not like to have a frequent maintenance..?
+Do we need to put a sealer after stain???
Looking forward to Your expert Advice .
You do not need to sand for prep. Use a deck cleaner and pressure washing. Brightener after. Stain with TWP 200 Series or Armstrong Clark Stains. You never apply a sealer over a deck stain.
Hi,
we are having the cedar deck sanded to remove what’s left of the solid stain. Can we stain the deck with a semi transparent stain or do we have to use a solid stain again? Thanks in advance for your input.
If you remove all of the solid stain, then you can go with a penetrating semi-transparent like one of these brands:
https://www.deckstainhelp.com/the-5-best-deck-stain-reviews-and-ratings/
Hi, I’m hoping you can help me. I’ve just used the RAD stripper and brightener to strip the railing and spindles of the ugly Superdeck stain from a few years back. Railings/spindles are regular wood (might be cedar) but the deck floor looks a IPE hardwood. The ipe is natural color, it grayed out already and it looks nice after I’ve cleaned it. Unfortunately I’ve dropped some RAD stripper on the IPE floor and it stained it and it won’t come off. I’ve washed it right away with water but it’s still so ugly. Can you please let me know if I can fix this somehow ? Pls see picture. Thank you.
No picture.
Sorry, picture didn’t upload before. Please see below, thank you.
The IPE looks gray still. Clean that off the gray first and neutralize all with a deck brightener. The Stripper raises the pH of the wood, that is the reason the spots are there. You have to use the brightener to get it to lighten.
Thank you for your reply. Is RAD (Restore-a-deck) a good cleaner to take off the gray from the IPE and get rid of the spots caused by the stripper ? I know I’ll need to use the brightener after the cleaner. But please note I do not intend to stain the IPE afterwards, I want to keep it natural. I will maybe use just a clear IPE oil. Which cleaner would you recommend for that ? Thanks again.
Try to do both clean and brighten, to even it out as we suggested.