This post was updated on February 25, 2024
Why Use a Wood Deck Brightener
Deckstainhelp.com remains committed to being your number one reference for deck restoration professional tips and industry news. For a beautifully stained wood deck that remains beautiful throughout the season and beyond, we strongly recommend a high-quality wood deck brightener following a cleaner or stripper. As always, we appreciate your input, so feel free to leave a comment below.
Wood deck maintenance is important to the lifespan of any deck. Proper cleaning and staining are necessary on a regular basis to protect the deck from a harsh environment. Prior to staining the surface needs a good cleaning. A clean surface will ensure proper adhesion and stain penetration. Cleaning a wood surface prior to staining will also enhance the beauty of the wood and give you a better end result.
There are several necessary steps in the wood cleaning process to prepare the surface for a new coat of stain. The first step is to clean the wood with a quality wood cleaner to remove all the dirt, grime, mold, mildew, graying, and mill glaze. The aid of a deck cleaner will help break up and remove these contaminants that may prevent the new stain from performing.
Most all quality deck cleaners contain caustic soaps that make cleaning a deck both easier and more effective. The downside to a caustic cleaner is that raises the pH level of the wood and makes it appear very dark in color. Let’s explore some reasons why this is not ideal if not dealt with and how using a deck brightener can restore the wood.
- Deck stains adhere and penetrate the wood better that is more acidic. So when the wood is left with a high pH balance the stain will not penetrate or perform as well as it should. This jeopardizes the longevity of the stain-causing more frequent maintenance and costing you more money.
- The increased pH level also darkens the wood which can affect the overall appearance of the deck even after it is stained.
The way this phenomenon is reversed is to simply apply a neutralizing acid to the wood after cleaning it. This mild acid formula known as deck brightener or deck neutralizer cancels the condition of the caustic soaps and restores the wood’s pH balance to a more neutral or acidic state. This also “brightens” the wood and enhances the wood grain. Once the wood brightener has done its job it can be rinsed off and your prep work is complete.
This two-step cleaning and deck brightening process is the same one used by professional deck cleaners and can give you similar results. It enhances the beauty of your wood deck and ensures you get maximum protection and lasting results from your deck stain.
How To Brighten A Deck Video – DeckStainHelp.com
Have a Question on Brightening Wood? Ask Below
Can you please help clarify the order of steps for preparing the deck to apply a new coat of stain? Is it 1. wash, 2. sand, 3. brighten, 4. stain? For the washing, do you need special deck cleaner or is something like dish soap ok? Also, how many days would this all take including drying time, assuming one step per day?
How to prep depends on numerous things. Please see this article and then answer the questions in the comments for proper help.
https://www.deckstainhelp.com/best-deck-prep-clean-strip-or-sand-the-deck/
Thanks
So technically I think it does not NEED to be sanded based on the stain, but there are several rough spots and splinters and things so for that reason I want to sand it.
I also wanted to ask about for which steps light rain is or is not ok.
Thank you for your help!
No need to sand. Just Strip and Brighten for prep. If you sand, do it after stripping (when dry) and use 60-80 grit paper. Brightener after.
The sanding is to smooth out the wood because there are a lot of rough spots and splinters. I believe I don’t need to strip the old stain – the manufacturer said I can do the same color and finish on top of the old one.
Do I also need to wash? If so, with special deck cleaner or just regular soap? And, wash first, then sand, then brighten then stain?
You cannot spot sand as that means your stain will dry unevenly. Sand all evenly and then clean and brighen after for final prep and to open up the wood grain after the sanding. Use the Defy Prep products or Restore A Deck Prep Products.
Thank you, that helps. Two more questions…the sandpaper should be 60, or 80, or one pass of each? Or does it not matter. Also, how long should I expect the deck to dry after both the washing and the brightening? I only have a narrow window available to me so I don’t want to start if I won’t be able to finish in the time I have.
Thank you!!
No more than 60 or 80. One pass is enough. Typically 48 hours after prep to let dry before staining.
What is the best brightener and stain you recommend for a cedar deck?
Restore A deck brand or Armstrong Clark.
We have brightened our very large deck. Now the weather is not cooperating to get it stained. We will be using TWP Pro 100. Is there a timeframe that it needs to get stained?? Will the rain basically undo all the prep we’ve done?
Rain does not harm prep. Stain within a couple of weeks of prep and you should be okay.
Thanks!
I used Twp 1500 natural and it is too “cedar” for my liking. In retrospect I would have used a lighter honeytone. Short of sanding/stripping, is there anyway to lighten the stain color? Would a brightener help on lighten it?
No, it is not possible to lighten a deck stain. You would have to remove it and start over.
Hi I have a treated deck 1 year old and we washed the deck all in one deck cleaner and some furries appeared on the hand rail. It’s been 3 days do we need to sand re clean and add brighter. We didn’t used deck brightner the first time. I don’t think it was clean properly
Lightly sand and then brighten.
We have black-painted aluminum spindles between the top & bottom rails like the deck in the video. Amazing similarity. We were told we must cover with plastic anything we don’t want ruined with the stripper (like those rails and the house siding). It appears, though, that you didn’t do that in this video. WHAT’S THE CATCH? Also, since our deck was previously stained, most of the rails and uprights do not need to be stripped, only cleaned. We don’t want to add unneccessary work.
You do not have to cover the house as it will not remove paint. Just prewet and rinse as you work.
Can I just use a wood brightener without using a deck cleaner?
There would be no point to do that.
After I applied the Woodsman deck brighter can I walk on my deck? Manufactures says I need to wait 48 hours before applying stain. I just put the deck brightener on today. But to use the main door in & out of my house is by walking on the deck. Wondering if it is OK if I walk on the deck. I plan to use the side door after I stain it. But for now….?
Yes, you can walk on the wood.
Hello, I’m currently refinishing my deck. I started with applying deck stripper and pressure washing it. I just finished sanding. Do I need to use a deck cleaner? Or can I just use a brightener? I’m using Cabot products. Thank you!
Clean and brighten is best as it will open up the wood grain and the stain will soak in deeper.
You say rinse the brightener for 20-30 min. How would you do this for a deck it would take 8 hours to spend 30 min on each Section. I’m confused.
20-30 minutes total for the entire deck. Just rinse very well.
Our deck is still good for stain but needs a good cleaning. I was advised to use a deck brightened. If I do this do I need to reapply stain?
You should only use a deck cleaner or wood brightener if you plan to recoat. They are not used for general cleaning.
What in theory is the natural pH pf Cedar fence/deck wood? How does one (DIY) check it? I am in midst of restoring a cedar fence, and soon a deck, both of which surround a pool, so I am familiar with checking ph of pool water. On my fence so far, step one, 30 second outdoor cleaner, diluted 2:1 (5% bleach) with a general pH of 11. It made a huge difference in the appearance of the wood immediately, and literally as I was applying it. Step 2 Granular oxalic acid diluted 12 oz / 4 gallons of water. I’ll take a guess, and say a pH of 4-5. Both steps have been applied with a pump sprayer and, rigorously rinsed multiple times. No pressure washer, just a hose. I have some stubborn random black stains remaining, either tannins, or remnants of black mold, tough to tell. What next for those stains? Perhaps less diluted oxalic, and spot treat? The last step in my plan is a light application of brightener to neutralize, but what should be the target ph of the wood? Strangely, the troublesome stains are on sides of the fence exposed to direct sunlight the most. The more shaded sides came out great using steps one, and two. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
pH should be neutral or around 6. You do not need to check the wood pH, just use a wood brightener after the prep. BTW, the 30 Second Cleaner is basically bleach and is not a very good cleaner.
Can Cabot wood deck brighter be applied in the rain
Not pouring rain but light rain.
What product is recommended for treating 4 year old previously untreated deck, Pine.
Restore A Deck Cleaner and Brightener Kits: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/restore-a-deck-cleaner-system-review/
Hi – I am getting ready to apply new stain to old deck that has a solid stain that is chipping. The new stain will be a semi transparent Arborcoat. I was going to sand off the existing finish, brighten, then apply the new stain. Will that work or do I need to power wash somewhere in between these steps?
Thanks!
Sand off fully first. Use a deck cleaner while pressure washing and then a wood brightener after. You might want to reconsider your choice of stain: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/tag/benjamin-moore-arborcoat/
Thank you so much!
We took a Behr deck over off this summer and had to sand a lot and used an acid wash first. We recently used a cleaner and it looks washed out. Time is getting away, should we get a stain on it or wait until spring. It’s a pool deck, what do you suggest that is not slippery. Don’t want paint or solid. Was thinking TWP. First Thompson’s was very slippery.
Wait until Spring, prep with TWP’s Gemini Restore Kit, and then stain with the TWP.
We are in MO will ice ruin the deck, it’s about 6 years old. Is TWP a good option for a pool deck, as far as slippery and hotness. What is the advantage to wait. Thank you.
Ice or snow will not harm the deck. No point in rushing it, just wait until Spring. TWP is a penetrating stain so it is not slippery. No deck stain can prevent heat from the sun. That is more of a color issue. Darker colors will retain the heat more than lighter colors.
Thank you
Use brightener on a wet or dry deck?
Wet and as soon as you are down with the cleaner.
Hi, I could not find a similar question/answer response elsewhere in the forum, so here it goes:
I had put on 2 coats of PPG Weatherscreen solid color deck stain two years ago. It looked awful after this summer. We’re in the Chicago area.
I pressure washed with just water (only 2,000 psi) first. This removed a fair amount of the old stain.
Today, I got a floor sander and went across the deck and it really helped removing the old deck stain except for the edges where floor boards terminate at the spindles. The boards in the main portion of the deck look brand new.
First question: Do I need to hand sand or use NaOH based stripper and remove every smidge of old deck stain along perimeter? There’s probably 2″ to 3″ of old deck stain in those deck corners and super close to the house (just couldn’t reach there).
Second question: Regardless of answer to #1, do I still need to rent pressure washer again and use a cleaning product in the pressure washer and then do a brightening? Or can I do manual scrub brush with cleaner and then brightening?
Third question: Do I have to clean/brighten after sanding? Or can I just move on to painting?
I am planning on putting down Perma Bond and then Deck Revive.
Thanks so much for your website!
Susan
If using the Permabond and Deck Revive you would need to pressure wash only for final prep with no prepping products. This is per their instructions. Make sure any solid stain that is left is fully intact to the wood. If so, you can then use the Permabond and Deck Revive. If some solid stain is still loose/pelling, then spot sand that off first.
Thanks for your super fast response. Follow up clarification questions for you:
Just water in the pressure wash, correct?
Is that to rinse away the sanding particulates?
Just water to rinse and open the wood pores.
My deck is approximately 25 years old. After I applied a chemical stripper to the deck and power-washed it, there were still traces of stain (solid stain), and a lot of the wood was “raised.” Consequently, I sanded the deck with 60 grit. Now, the deck is down to bare wood and the wood is smoother, but sections of the deck boards look almost white (from oxidation?).
What next steps should I take before applying a semi-transparent oil-based stain? Use a cleaner and brightener? Brightener only? Other? (If cleaner and brightener are recommended, what brands?)
NOTE: I‘ve replaced a few of the oldest, worn boards with brand new.
Thank you.
Probably best to wait until next Spring to let the new wood season and then clean and brighten all wood: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/how-long-should-you-wait-to-stain-a-new-deck/
Great! Thank you. Followup question:
Do you think the white streaks in the older wood will come out after cleaning and brightening? Or perhaps it doesn’t matter—the semi-transparent stain will cover it?
It should even out.
I want to restain a rainbow play set. I power washed, but do I need to cleaner and brightner too. Also, last time I stained I purchased the stain directly from Rainbow. Would it be an issue if I tried a Cabot semitransparent stain or go with same original stain which they private label
You will need to strip and brighten to switch brands. Clean and brighten if staying the same.
I want to restain a rainbow play set. It’s been power washed. Do I need a cleaner and brightner or can go head and apply stain
About a month ago (maybe longer?) we started prepping our deck and used Woodrich Heavy Duty Wood Deck Stripper. The results were less than stellar. :/ Anyway, we’re *finally* ready to stain and plan on using Flood Solid Stain; it will be going over old water-based stain. Do we still need to clean & brighten before applying the stain, given how long it was since we used the stripper?
Just a good cleaning should be okay.
Using a commercial cleaner? Or do you mean we can just hose it down?
Pressure washing with a deck cleaner.
Would I then not need to use the brightener as well?
No need this time.
I cleaned and then brightened my deck. Some cleaner or brightener was on my hose and made marks. What should I do?
You probably need to redo both steps and use a non-marking hose.
Is there a deck brightened brand your recommend?
Restore A Deck or Defy brands.
Is it possible to not brighten/clean A deck before applying stain?
No. You always have to prep.
We Have a Meranti Deck in inland Los Angeles. The deck was cupped a bit due to a poor installation, fasteners fixed, and sanded flat with 60 grit (certainly not smoothie ). The deck finisher said to just clean off any saw dust thoroughly which was done. we applied a coat of Cutek Extreme with a light colortone to a portion of the deck and it looks quite dark and dull. Should I have followed up with 80 grit? Or should I have used a cleaner then brightener after sanding prior to staining?
*smoothie=smooth. Sorry for the typo.
The final color is not due to the prep but the wood or stain itself.