This post was updated on February 26, 2024
Use of a Deck Brightener
Update for 2024: Wood Brightening – Deck Brightening
We appreciate you visiting Deckstainhelp.com as we continue to be your go-to source for the latest in deck restoration news and trending topics through 2024. Below, we talk about Wood Brightening – Deck Brightening. Feel free to leave a comment below with any pictures you may have.
The use of Deck Cleaners and Deck Stains Strippers when prepping wood for a coat of deck stain will cause the pH balance to increase. This is due to the mild caustics (bases) that the cleaners and strippers use, making the products more effective in the cleaning process. The side effect is that the pH is changed and will “darken” the natural wood color. The Deck Brightener (mild acids) will neutralize the caustic of the cleaner or stripper setting the pH balance to a neutral 6. Using a deck brightener will increase the longevity of the stain as well.
Wood Deck Brightening is a much-needed and easiest step in the entire prepping process.
The following steps should be used when applying a deck brightener:
- Use a Deck Cleaner or a Stain Stripper prior to using a Deck Brightener.
- Make sure all dirt, grime, and old stain residue is rinsed from the deck after the cleaning/stripping.
- Apply the Deck Brightener as soon as the cleaning is done. Best to apply while wood is still wet.
- Let the brightener sit for 10-15 minutes.
- Rinse wood thoroughly when done. Heavy washing or scrubbing is not needed.
See here for a list of wood deck brightener reviews
Brighten A Deck Video – DeckStainHelp.com
Deck Stain Help & Questions
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- Does Wood Stain Go Bad
- What to Use to Clean Deck Before Staining
- How Many Square Feet Does a Gallon Of Stain Cover
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Stain Reviews & Comparisons
Products & Brands
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- Behr Stain Stripper
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- Cabot Decking Stain 1480
- Olympic Maximum Stain
- Cabot Deck Stain Colors
- Ready Seal Natural Cedar
- Staining Fence Without Cleaning
- Olympic Deck Sealer
We have approximately 30 year old redwood decks (front and back) at 7800 ft of elevation in Colorado with almost zero humidity. We’ve already replaced boards as necessary and allowed about 4 weeks of drying for new boards, stripped away old solid(?) stain, and sanded with a floor sander rental from HD. The front deck looks like almost new wood (east facing) and the back deck is pretty beat up still (west facing) with lots of damage from sun and previous owners giant dog claws. From everything I’ve read on your site, I believe we are at the point for a TSP based cleaner, then brightener, then wait two days and apply a semi transparent stain. From my description and these pictures, does this sound correct?
No. You have an opaque stain on the back deck. You will have to sand this off if you want to use a semi-transparent stain. If you do not want to sand, then you will have to use a solid stain.
Thanks for the super quick reply! We used a small vibrating sander on the front deck which is significantly smaller, then rented the floor sander with 60 grit on the back deck. Perhaps not enough sanding? We’ve already bought the semi transparent stain and are willing to do the work to get the back deck ready. Best to rent the floor sander again or get at it with a hand sander for the entire day?
Thanks so much for your super fast reply! Both decks originally had the same opaque stain on them, but we got different results after sanding potentially due to the weathering difference on each surface. We’ve already sanded the back deck with a floor sander with 60 grit pads, but it didn’t seem to do nearly as good a job as sanding the front deck with a smaller orbital sander also with 60 grit. We’ve also already purchased the semi transparent stain and are willing to do the work necessary to for the proper preparation to avoid using an opaque stain. Do you suggest that we keep sanding? If so, do we rent the floor sander again or work with the 60 grit on hand sander like we did on the front deck? We are willing to do the work if we will get the same result as the front deck. Thanks again!
You will need a floor sander to remove it. See here for sanding tips: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/how-to-sand-your-wood-deck/
HI. I cleaned and brightened my Ipe deck weeks ago and it has rained every two days since. So, it has never dried for two days solid or had the opportunity to have a day to dry afterwards if I had oiled it (with Penofin). So, I haven’t been able to oil it. How long does brightening last before I would have to clean & brighten it again before oiling?
About 2 weeks. If longer just lightly prep again.
I found Restore A deck Cleaner and Brightening pack at WalMart by Gemini would like to know if this is the same product it looked a little different
Not that same.
I have a small (relatively) area of my deck I forgot to brighten before staining, and the color doesn’t match the rest of the deck. Was rushed for time, just forgot and now kicking myself.
Anything I can do to get it to match outside of stripping it completely and starting over?
It has been done with the Light Walnut color, RAD products, and was thinking when I do another coat next year or in 2, I might go to the Dark Walnut color. Would that equalize the color or not?
Thanks.
The only way to fix now is to strip and start over. Hard to say if adding another darker coat will fix that or not. It would be easy to strip and redo it though in 2 years.
There were three rotten boards in that area that I am letting season until late next Spring, so maybe stripping/brightening/staining at that time is the best option for that area?
You could do this in Spring/Summer of next year.
….three rotten boards that I am replacing with new boards, that are seasoning…
can i just pressure wash our deck and then apply a brightener with applying a cleaner? This is prep prior to a stain. thanks.
No. Use the cleaner while pressure washing and then brightener after.
I just cleaned and brightened my redwood deck using Superdeck Cleaner (not stripper) and Brightener (1 part solution to 3 parts water). There are still a few black spots on the deck. (see Spot pictures). Do I need to go over these spots with undiluted cleaner and then brighten again?
Also I have a pergola over the deck (see picture). I find it impossible to clean and then brighten the entire pergola in short time. I was planning to clean and brighten the 2x2s from the top in sections and then clean and brighten the support area from the bottom after that. I know I will drip cleaner and brightener on the support area as I do the top. Is this an issue? I do plan to cover the deck area while I do this and clean and brighten it later.
Will stain the deck using TWP-100 Redwood once I get some good weather.
Any suggestions would be great.
Thanks
Brian
Finish the pergola, no need to tarp. Redo the deck when done. Make sure to brighten all well.
Thanks for the quick response. Can you give me advice on the Black Spots?
Brian
Looks like you missed applying the brightener correctly there.
After using the Restore a Deck stripper and brightener, how long should I wait to apply the TWP 1500?
48 hours.
I had a new redwood deck installed and after 10 days I applied Sherwin-Williams Super Deck Transparent Natural oil-based product. Looked like a million bucks. About one year later the deck has turned almost black. I have been told I should have waited for the redwood to “cure” about 2-3 months before applying the sealer. It may have trapped mold? I live in the Sacramento, CA area with lots of heat in the summer. Suggestions? Cleaner and brightener?
You did stain to early but the issue of turning black is a problem with the SuperDeck product. Happens all the time: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/superdeck-stain-review/
Best to switch brands by stripping and brightening down to the bare wood. Try the TWP 1500.
Thank you, especially for the review of the Sherwin-Williams product. Is there a time of year that is best to tackle this?
Doesn’t matter as long as the temps are above 55-60 when you are doing the work.
We just installed a new redwood fence. One side is rough sawn and the other side is smooth. From what I understand, the rough sawn wood does not need to be prepped before staining so do I just prep the smooth side with the cleaner and brightener before staining?
Yes but you need to let the new wood season for a few months first.
I am a trustee for my HOA. We have a resident who previously stained their deck 5+ years ago with a very dark color semi-transparent stain (or perhaps a semi-solid stain). Unsure if the stain used was water-based or oil-based. The color is not within our HOA guidelines.
They have recently had the deck power-washed and cleaned, but the surface still appears dark. Would use of a deck brightener be able to restore the deck to a condition where a lighter colored semi-transparent stain could be applied? If so, which brighter might be best for this situation. Thanks
No, you will need to sand off the old coating to get it down to bare wood.
Over the last two years I tried two different ready seal stain products. Both failed due to lack of mildew control and would absorb dirt and grime into the wood that would not wash off.
I’ve now cleaned the deck with some tsp/bleach and the old stain came right off. I then did a sanding to make sure the wood was uniform. It now looks pristine like new cedar wood.
I’ve read the thread but can’t find others who used the same cleaning method. Is a brightener still necessary after using tsp/bleach and then sanding?
Thanks!
Yes it will help to open the wood grain so the stain can soak in better.
are deck posts treated different than the decking boards when prepping and staining a new deck?
No. The same way.
We have a deck with composite flooring and spindles, but wood railings which we are restraining from tan to white. Do I need to brighten the wood before even if just staining the rails?
No need when using a solid stain.
I have a pressure treated pine set of stairs that I built almost a year ago. I am planning on using a deck cleaner and then staining with a solid stain (Olympic Elite). Do i still need to use a brightener with the solid stain?
No need.
I am stripping an entire deck including the vertical rails and stairs. It is too much to get the stripper on every surface all at one time and be able to get the brightener on right away.
Should I strip and brighten all the horizontal surfaces first then do the vertical surfaces?
Is it best to get all the surfaces stripped and brightened in stages and wait to stain everything all at one time?
Strip all before brightening. You can strip areas in sections first.
I just finished stripping my deck yesterday and am wondering when best to do the deck brightening? I am not planning on staining for another 3 – 4 weeks. Is it better to do the brightening now, or just before staining?
You are supposed to brighten right after the stripping to neutralize the stripper. Also 3-4 weeks is too long. You should stain within 2 weeks of the prep. You may need to lightly wash the deck if you wait 3-4 weeks.
If we are going to stain our deck with a dark color, is it still necessary to use a deck brightener?
Yes you need to brighten after using a cleaner or a stain stripper.
Thank goodness I have sponged cleaned mold off wainscoting on the porch roof with Oxi Clean and now want to add a preservative to reseal it, prevent mold growth, and also to deter carpenter bees from drilling. If I apply a wood brighter, can I sponge rinse it. I do not want water from a hose to get behind the wainscoting in the porch roof?
A brightener is not needed here.
I stripped the old TWP 1500 stain off of my deck a week ago using Restore-a-Deck stripper, deck brush and garden hose (didn’t have a pressure washer). Didn’t brighten, as I didn’t have enough product on hand for the job. It will be several weeks before I can get back to my deck work. Can I apply the TWP stain without brightening? Will I have to clean the deck before staining due to the length of time between stripping and staining? I’m running out of good weather here in the Northwest and concerned I may end up having to leave my old wood deck unprotected for the winter (which may be better than doing a rush job). Your recommendations?
You should lightly clean and brighten if several weeks or next Spring. Better overall appearance.
I just stripped and brightened but clearly missed some area with the brightened. Should I re-brighten the whole deck or just the missed areas? I’m worried it will get more splotchy
Brighen all.
Are you confident it won’t just further accentuate the differences in color?
It will be fine.
Thx
What do you think of Australian wood oil to finish it? That’s what previous owner left in basement, and what I presumably spent the last few days stripping off…
Used to be a great stain until Cabot sold to Valspar and they changed the formula.
I have some leftover mixed RAD brightener.
How long can I keep this before it loses it’s brightening-ness?
Thanks!
I beleive it does not go bad unless it freezes.
I stripped and brightened old and newer deck wood. I noticed two things. There are some areas on the newer wood that have little lighter colored spots on it. As if something was splattered. Do you know what causes this? Also, not all old stain came off, mostly on pergola, which was difficult to do. Should I retry stripping and brightening or accept that the pergola is probably not going to have all stain removed? If i do restrip, how is the best way to get it done effectively? Initial strip applied with deck brush and scrubbed.
Post a picture or two please.
Spotty areas. Unstripped stain on pergola
Restrip the pergola and brighten. Clean and brighten the floor of the new deck last.
Any suggestions for application of stripper to the pergola so it has minimal run off? Used RAD last time,should I use the same product?
The Rad should remove this. Saturate well and pressure wash off.
Pics of spotty areas and areas of unstripped stain on pergola
I have a cedar deck. Is it possible to just brighten the deck every few years to remove the grey look and NOT stain it?
A wood brightener does not remove the gray. You can use both a cleaner and a wood brightener in order to remove the gray. It will gray in a matter of months, not years if not stained.
Can i just keep cleaning and brightening every year? Seems like a much easier job than staining
You can but it will gray and not be protected from water, mold, algae, etc.
My cedar deck is about 5 months old. Should I apply brightener now before I stain? also will the brightener damage my white PVC pillar bases? One more question. Is the TWP stains translucent and does it have a sealer as well?
You have to clean and brighten for the prep, not just brighten. It should not harm the PVC. TWP is an all-inclusive product. Does not need a sealer in addition.
Are there major differences between the 3 brightener you review here? Is ine better than the other?
Cost and overall effectivenes with be the RAD Brightener.