This post was updated on January 30, 2023
2023 Behr Deckover, Olympic Rescue-It, Rust-Oleum Rock Solid Deck Restore News
We would love to hear from you if you have used the Behr Deckover, Rust-oleum Rock Solid (formerly Deck Restore), Olympic Rescue-it or any other Deck Resurface type stains. If you have any pictures of your experience with the Deck Resurface Stains, you can add them in the comment area with a detailed description of the product brand and your experience.
If selecting a Deck Resurface Stain, keep in mind that most users have had a bad experience with products from Home Depot and Lowes. While the majority of comments and user experiences reported are negative, the Gulf Synthetics Deck Revive has been favorable.
Deck Resurface Stains like Behr Deckover, Olympic Rescue-It, Rust-Oleum Restore – Do They Work?
Homeowners are always looking for an alternative to a deck replacement. When wood is neglected, it can be expensive to have it restored or replaced. A few companies like Behr, Rust-Oleum, and Olympic to name a few, are selling a deck resurface product. They claim it is the smart alternative to deck replacement. It can be applied to wood surfaces such as decks, stairs, docks, composite decking, and more. So is it a good alternative or is it just a waste of time and money?
Deck Resurface products are basically similar to an extremely thick paint. They are designed to mask the wood and fill large cracks or voids. Deck resurfacer coatings will not show any wood grain. Please note that this product is far beyond conventional wood restoration.
Pros of Deck Resurface Products
The one plus that is being reported by deck restoration professionals is that these products have a very good UV rating. Even after several years, there is little sign of UV fading. This, however, is typical for most solid paint or stain because of the high volume of pigment.
Another benefit of using a deck resurface product is the wide range of colors to choose from. Being more like solid thick paint, these companies are able to offer consumers many color choices.
Cons of Deck Resurface Products
What tests are showing is that these products are prone to peeling despite what the manufacturers are claiming. With any film-forming product, peeling is always an issue. It still seems to stand true that anything subjected to the elements will not hold up for more than a couple of years.
Olympic Deck Rescue-It Peeling Photos
Another issue with the deck resurfacing products is that they create a whole host of maintenance and removal issues. With conventional wood restoration, the ease of maintenance using a wood stain is what helps the deck look so good for many years. It also allows you to easily remove the product if you want a different look. With deck resurfacing, maintenance is almost non-existent and good luck trying to remove such a thick heavy product. Basically, once the product is on the deck, you are stuck with it.
Rust-Oleum Rock Solid (Deck Restore) Peeling Photos
The cost per square foot for a deck resurface product is extremely expensive. This is mostly due to the poor coverage rate of these product(s). The average cost is around $1-2 per foot. This is astronomical compared to the more conventional wood restoration stains.
These products are also known to become very hot when exposed to direct sunlight. This can make the entire deck space too hot to enjoy or to walk on with bare feet.
So despite the manufacturers claiming the product lasts many years, we are hearing reports and seeing firsthand these products failing and peeling within 2 years. It is expensive to apply, has a horrible coverage rate, and is hot to the touch in direct sunlight.
Note: Class Action Lawsuit has been filed against Rust-Oleum Deck Restore 10x: See Here
Update Spring of 2023
Please read our article on Gulf Synthetics Deck Revive Review We believe this product has real value if looking for these product types that actually work.
Disgruntled Rust-Oleum Rock Solid (formerly Deck Restore) Customer on YouTube
If you have any questions or experience with these deck stain products, please post below
See Similar Product Reviews Here for:
Gulf Synthetics Deck Revive Review
Rust-Oleum Rock Solid/Deck Restore Review
Deck Stain Help & Questions
Stain Reviews & Comparisons
Products & Brands
As an article and comment contributor to the site, Scott has been around the pressure washing industry since attending college. In 1993 he started his first company called Oakland Pressure Wash specializing in exterior pressure washing and deck staining. That company evolved into OPW L.L.C. shortly thereafter concentrating more on exterior wood and deck restoration. Scott and his Deck Cleaning Michigan company have restored over 10,000 decks in the Metro Detroit area since the early years. He has become an authority in the deck restoration industry and has contributed to numerous wood restoration forums and informative sites.
All the products he suggests through this site are sold through online sites and in retail stores, allowing the consumer to choose their own means of purchase. Scott’s eCommerce sites do sell many top brands he endorses and if you appreciate any of the help he has offered then feel free to purchase from one of them.
Hi. Six years ago I covered our deck with Rust-oleum Restore 10x and have been relatively satisfied with it, but it’s a bit ragged in spots and there are a few very small areas (on the edges of the wood) where it has come off. Is there a way I can “restore” Restore. I don’t see the need to replace what I have, but it has reached the point where routine maintenance seems like a good idea. Any suggestions? Many thanks!
It will not blend if you spot applying. You would need to do a full redo.
Regarding the Rustoleum 20x deck resurfacer paint. Prior to using this product I tested a small amount on several types of substrates including plywood, dimensional lumber, galvanized sheet metal and several types of plastic. It fared poorly on the plastics and I found that it dried rather soft and chalky on the metal and could be peeled off the wood. So I mixed in 1/2 cup of waterproof wood glue with 10 litres this paint and then applied it as per the instructions. The results were quite different. It adhered well to all the products and had a very hard surface that could not be easily chipped or peeled. The paint was then applied to our worn and cracking wood deck in June of 2018. It is now September 2022 and the paint is still holding up well.
I have had Olympic rescue it on my deck for 3 years now. It’s finally starting to peel and I need to put another resurfacer down. I see you are a fan of the gulf synthetic product which I will try. How do I prep the deck that is now covered with Olympic rescue it. Can I pressure wash and paint right over it? Does it need to be peeled away and sanded?
Thanks
You should remove it but that may not be practical or easy to do. If you do not remove it fully, then your new coating will be at the mercy of the Olympic potentially failing under it.
I have a deck with red resurfacer over the top of it, just recently had an addition put on for the pool with the deck extended to meet the pool. Rather than sand the entire large deck could I just put a different darker color of deck paint over it?
Not paint but a Deck Resurface Coating like the Gulf should work: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/gulf-synthetics-deck-revive-review/
Can you use a deck stain over painted wood floors? What brand if so.
No.
I live in NW Arkansas. I’ve power washed my red cedar decks. A large job, 2 levels with wrap around decks.
Wood is in excellent condition and beautiful. I want to keep the natural color of the wood as much as possible with longevity.
What product would allow me the best results at a reasonable price?
Look at using one of these brands: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/the-5-best-deck-stain-reviews-and-ratings/
I have a question, we have a 20+ year old deck that is in rough shape but structurally sound. Even year or so we sand it down and re-stain it with a solid color stain (only because the wood is in such poor looking shape) but nothing seems to hold very long, it starts to peel and come off. We live in Washington state where the summers are hot and humid and the rest of the time its raining…alot!! Were just so frustrated with constantly painting and sanding the deck over and over again, I know it really needs to be completely replaced but its just not in the budget right now. Any recommendations on a paint/stain that will help restore the decks appearance yet last and not peel off? Thanks so much!
Post some pictures of the current condition.
So this is our decks current condition, obviously we still need to sand it down.
Pressure wash first, sand after. Try the Gulf Synthetics:
https://www.deckstainhelp.com/gulf-synthetics-deck-revive-photos/
I have a very large older deck that I just sanded down (removed Olympic mountain cedar stain) I never want to sand again. What would be my best option to keep it looking good? Thompson water seal? Could that be reapplied when needed without sanding?
Should I leave it bare and just use a cleaner when needed?
You want a penetrating stain that can be cleaned and reapplied as needed.
https://www.deckstainhelp.com/the-5-best-deck-stain-reviews-and-ratings/
We have new redwood posts (some wood still wet) and other areas on an open gazebo that has trex decking. We are in the Santa Cruz Mtns. in CA. Suggestions for these vertical surfaces? Semi transparent would show more wood beauty. South facing- so alot of sun. There is a l000 gallon tiled spa/hot tub in the center. Perserva Wood at the local paint store had a nice redwood and canyon brown color sample in the Premium Timber Oil. Just don’t want to make another mistake…
Looks at one of these brands:
https://www.deckstainhelp.com/the-5-best-deck-stain-reviews-and-ratings/
Ask a local painter. Santa Cruz has a lot of salt in the air and that means products that work well in other locations might not work well for you.
I’m in eastern Canada (milder than New England winters but very wet) and I have a 20 year old deck that is structurally sound but has some cracks and is very greyed. I tried the Behr Deckover 2 years ago in August and it peeled up the following spring. I put in a lot of prep time. Is it likely that I would have the same result with pretty much any similar product?
You would have to remove the Deck Over to fix this and then apply the Gulf Deck Revive coating.
Thanks for the amount of work that you have put in to these reviews and bringing attention to the Gulf products. I am seeing on other sites the Rust-Oleum 10x is known for peeling but the 20x seems to not. Do you have any experience with this?
All the Rust-oleum products peel.
I resurfaced my deck with Restore six years ago.95% of the deck is in great condition. Can i reapply another coat Restore with out stripping the old off?
You should be able to afetr pressure washing and using the primer first.
where is Restore available? I had good luck with it and this year I decided to sand the rough spots and repaint, using a can I had left over from four years ago. Now I need more and I found that it’s unavailable. Any suggestions? (It was Restore light duty in Timberline but I’d use the heavier Restore if I could get it.)
I have a 27 year old deck that is in poor shape (cracking and splinters) but structurally sound. Wondering if you think I should try the Gulf resurfacer or just replace the deck boards?
Gulf would work great for this.
We have an above ground wood pool deck in the sun 12 hrs a day in the summer we were wanting to put something to protect the deck but provide anti slip and resist splinters do you have any advice
Try the Gulf Synthetics: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/gulf-synthetics-deck-revive-review/
My son used cabot’s deck correct and it has done wonderful around his pool.
Gald it worked for him as it fails for a vast majority.
A few questions here:
How can I identify a stain as a penetrating stain vs a film forming stain? Products don’t exactly spell it out it seems.
What is a good opaque/solid color penetrating stain to use on an old badly weathered deck with a few new boards in as repair to have a uniform and non-peeling finish?
Is there such a thing as a solid color penetrating stain? My parents have this on their house siding and has been great. It’s been a “paint” that rolls on and does not peel but only fades. It was an opaque decking stain they bought in coffee color but they used it on their wood siding. I want that or something very similar but cannot identify what they have.
You cannot just identify by reading a label. It is more or less based on experience. There is no such thing as a penetrating solid stain, they are all film-forming.
What about Cabot semi soild stain? It has “deep penatrating oil” on the can.
It dries on top of the wood, does not fully soak in.
Thank you. I’ll go with one of your recommended semi transparents.
Let me start by saying that your website is amazing, and extraordinarily helpful. I wish we had found it a little earlier in our laborious process to revive our 16 x 12 deck. We need some assistance with figuring out what product to use on the deck. Our location is Northwest Michigan where we live at the eastern shore of a very large lake. The deck is exposed to direct sunlight from about noon until sunset year round as well as the usual rain, snow and humidity. It is 27 year old, wolmanized pine with many layers of stain, solid stain, and solid deck coverings, the last of which is Cabots Deck Correct (CDC) applied 2 years ago. It had failed in a few places (due likely to inadequate prep), so we thought we would simply scrape down those areas and reapply. It soon became evident more work was necessary so we: applied a cleaner, power washed, scraped, sanded with a belt sander, scraped more, power washed, etc. I’ve attached photos of the current status. A few places resist further sanding, some places the wood has small splits, but it’s in remarkably good condition. The question now is what to apply. We have read many of your articles, but still left wondering if we can apply a heavy solid stain, or if we have to use a deck resurface product. The TWP is interesting, but the deck and steps (210sf) will require ?3? kits and gallons of paint. We could have replaced the boards for less $$. So, what product would u recommend to give the heaviest coverage on the deck as u see it? Note: the boards closest to the door have CDC which is completely intact. The steps still need a bit of work. Lastly I should say we hope to change color to lighter shade. Thanks so much for your input and advice.
Sorry but you have no choice but to remove 100% at this point. Nothing will work over the DeckCorrect and last. Your other option would be to replace all the flooring. Once you remove/replace all, wait until Spring to clean/brighten the wood and paint the sides white again and then use a penetrating stain for the floors: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/the-5-best-deck-stain-reviews-and-ratings/
I live in Ireland. Where we live we expect rain 200 days a year but UV is less of an issue.
The leading brand for decking restorers and deck rescues is an English company called Ronseal. I haven’t come across the products such as Rust-oleum other than in reviews from your side of the Atlantic.
Ronseal deck rescue paint is very expensive at €65 for 5 litres. That’s about $60 for a US gallon. That’ll cover about 10 square metres with 2 coats. Our deck is 23 square metres so it costs about €120 ($140) a year to keep it in reasonable condition. We are pensioners, so this is a significant cost for us.
Decking in Ireland is always built with at least 300mm (1 foot) clearance from the ground to allow air to circulate. Nevertheless moisture seems to penetrate the wood from underneath and this is the cause of failure of the deck rescue paint.
How do you get the crap off the deck. A lot of it peeled but the rest wont come off. We’ve power washed, sanded….doesn’t work. This was the worst stuff ever…we wish we had never used it😣
You will have to power sand to remove.
We purchased a house in SC & the back deck has some splintering. Unfortunately due to the pandemic we were told we could not get any treated wood for a while to replace some of the boards. We were thinking of using the Cabot Deck Correct but now after reading some of the answers are quite unsure. The stain that is on the deck (the owner left some) is semi-transparent stain. Should we just use the semi transparent stain and then just have some of the boards replaced next year or should we use solid deck stain and not the semi-transparent. This is all new to us. We are native New Yorkers (NYC) and have a back yard sans a deck.
Thank you
Post pictures.
Are you owned and funded by gulf synthetics? Just curious, seems too one sided, No issues at all with gulf synthetics but all other similar brands are terrible? Hmmm
No, we do not own the Gulf products. Gemini Coatings does. They do not fund this site in any way. We do not get paid by anyone for the reviews of products.
I used Olympic Rescue It at my House that I sold in 2017 and it looks awesome. I used primer on the wood first even though it told me that I did not need to. I always use wood primer before painting ANYTHING. I could not be happier on the results. Wish I could find it to use on my current house. Its sad that so many people are complaining and therefore Lowes and Home Depot stopped selling it which is the only place in town that carried it. I love it.
I have used Rescue Ir paint not the stain on my island hone and it’s held up great now my River home dock needs to be rescued but not sure whose to use since Rescue It is not so available Most available is Behr-DeckOver and Cabot DeckCorrect
Whose is best for a dock and walk over to try and extend life of wood?????
https://www.deckstainhelp.com/gulf-synthetics-deck-revive-review-2015/
I covered older Trex decking that was in good shape but faded with Rust-oleum Restore Solid Stain 6 yrs ago. Accidently spilled paint on it and had to
repaint. Used Rust-oleum Rocksolid Solid Stain in a Cedartone Color. Looked great when finished but finding that I
am getting like black marking from shoe soles that doesn’t wash off. Any suggestions how I can get them off or if I have to recoat what type of sealer can I use to protect from happening again.
You can never top coat a deck stain with a sealer. Not sure about the black marks or on how to remove them. Post pictures.
What’s your experience been with Cabot deck over? Reviews and specs promise better results
Have you used it yourself? If you have a negative view of it, can you please explain why?
Thank you!
Do you mean Behr Deck Over? https://www.deckstainhelp.com/behr-deckover-review-2015/
It is horrible. Cabot Deck Correct is about the same.
Sorry, I meant Cabot Deck Correct
Used 7 years ago and is a horrible product, it held moisture underneath and caused premature wood rot. Cost me thousands of dollars to replace decking.
It’s absolutely the worst product and cost us a huge amount of money and it looks like shit!
DONT BUY IT! They don’t stand behind there product or warranty!!!
What product are you talking about here?
We started having problems with the Restored Paint that We on Our Deck one one year to another. It looks horrible, We think we will have to put a new floor on our deck. We tried to stripp the paint with a solution we bought at home depot but it is impossible to do it, We even bought a new power washer machine but it didn’t work either. We really don’t know what else to do. Very dissatisfied and disappointed with the purchase.
You will have to sand it off or replace the wood.
Is anybody know what to use to get this off
You will have to sand it off.
What can i use to cover old deckover paint
You can’t cover it. You have to sand it all off to fix.
That guy in the video did not apply it right he probably didnt stir enough and the deck was probably wet and to cold out?
How do you get a deck surface that is smooth/
You cannot with a deck resurface type stain.
So Why is Cabot Deck Correct not here? I am interested in people’s thoughts comparing Cabot to the rest of the pack. Specifically Rustoleum vs Cabot. Is Olympic in the running?
Cabot is just as bad as peeling as the Rustoleum and the Olympic.
We used Restore a few years ago. Last year the deck was starting to peel. This year was worse and we tried to strip it with a power washer. No luck. Tried scraping it with a five in one tool. No luck. Watched a YouTube video suggesting pouring boiling water on it and then scraping. No luck. This picture shows the result of about three hours of work. We are in our 70s. We don’t know what to do.
You will have to power sand this to remove it.
Our house had Behr deck over on the porch when we bought it. It was just applied the summer before. Behr sent me 2 free gallons to repaint the deck. I sanded it, scraped it and it is peeling again (1 year later). Trying to decide what brand to paint it with after I pressure wash it and strip as much of the paint off as I can. I want to keep the color (Barn Red).
Customer used Behr Deckover about 5 years ago. Just removed, maybe, 50% by scraping and sanding using 60/80 grit on power sander. Customer wanted to put same product back over it. I told customer that this product is not recommended by most. He is open to anything. My question: would it be better to apply same product being that 1/2 is still covered with the Behr? If not, suggestions on trying to get the remaining 1/2 off? The 60/80 grit didn’t come close to removing some of the stain. Thanks.
Best to remove all and then use a quality product like the Gulf: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/gulf-synthetics-deck-revive-review-2015/
You would have to sand it to get it all off. If you reapply the Behr, it will fail again.
My concern is the sun rises to the back of my house and the deck takes the brunt of it during the day (where deck is located). 12 noon id directly above. Will this product hold up to direct sun daily. I’m in NJ so snow will also be an issue but I never shovel the deck, just let it melt.
This product will work: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/gulf-synthetics-deck-revive-review-2015/
A few years ago I originally stained my new pressure treated deck and it looked great but then the pressure treated boards began to shrink and split and so I ended up using Home Depot’s deck cover that ended up peeling. My deck is 20×30 and I pressure washed my deck to get up as much deck cover, then I’m stripping it and then I will use epoxy filler to cover large cracks and knot holes, but then I will use a good primer prior to Cabot’s deck cover and hoping that will work
I used the Behr product. I have experienced the same peeling problem. I’m a contractor as well and took my time on the installation of this product. Bottom line, my deck looks horrible. What’s the fix? I’m sure we are all asking this question!
You will have to remove by power sanding.
We have had the same experience as most of you. The other thing I noticed is it gets very hot on the feet you have to have shoes on. Its nice to know I’m not the only one.
Deck Location State: North Carolina (zone 7 in garden terms)
Shade to full sun to partial shade as the day progresses.
Wood Type: Pressure Treated 18 years old
Mold or Mildew Issues: yes
Reason for Previous Stain Failure: cracks still collected water. Wood split, splintered and in some cases rotted
Previous Stain Brand and Type of stain Semi-transparent brand unknown – redone by “professionals” three years ago.
I had assumed I would be completely covering the deck with an opaque resurfacing product (your article ended that plan – Thanks!) With that plan in mind I filled in knots, large cracks and areas that had rotted (after removing the rot and using wood hardener) with epoxy filler. The Epoxy (Abatron Wood Epox) says it can be stained but I suspect it would be completely visible with a semi-transparent stain. There are still extensive but sound cracks, nail holes and splits that are vulnerable to future water retention and rot.
So now that I will be taking that Olympic Restore It back to Home Depot, is there anything I can do that 1) will not show the epoxy 2)will do something about the cracks and other rot prone areas 3) and yet not be likely to start peeling within a year?
There is not a lot of deck traffic so wear is less of an issue than protection and appearance.
And does the deck need more prep? ( Cleaned with Olympic Premium Deck Cleaner. Almost all the deck stain is gone. the vertical posts retain almost all the stain.)
Thanks
Use a solid color stain: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/what-are-the-best-solid-color-deck-stains/
I will cover your filler.
Pressure wash again for prep.
Why do you have to pressure wash after applying the stain?
Pressure wash before applying stain.
Restore…total waste of money. We did all of the proper cleaning and prep, within 2 years it was pealing off and 4 5 years later we don’t even go out there, trying to scrape it off and figure out a cost effective solution , what a mess!
I used the Rustoleum Deck Restore Product in the smooth texture. I prepped the deck 1st with power wash and stripping, then belt sanded the entire horizontal surface. I applied the coating and it is still in great condition 6 years later. I think that people get into too much of a rush and skip steps in the prep. The deck is in Michigan and does experience a lot of harsh weather and temperature changes. With regard to color, we selected a lighter color so as to be able to use the deck in full sun without burning bare feet.
Used Behr deck over on our deck. The parts that were not exposed to the weather ( under overhangs ) look great. The parts exposed to the weather started peeling off within a year. We prepared the deck according to instructions. its been a couple years now are we looking at replacing our whole deck as the we do not want to sand off the deck over under the overhangs as its tremendous amount of work to get off. The parts of the deck that were exposed to the weather on a lot of it you can peel off the deck over in strips and pieces for the most part or pressure wash off. So the only way for our deck to look good again and get the same color is to replace the whole thing. We wished we had just replaced the old looking decking and never used the deck over that way the deck thats undercover which is in great condition could have been kept. Very disappointed it this product and waste of time and a lot of money.
I have a handyman venture & have used OLYMPIC RESCUE IT on several decks. I followed the instructions to the letter,
but am now having to face unhappy clients due to peeling & fading. I understand our weather in the northeast U.S., the flat horizontal surface (s) but, I’m being made to feel like “the bad guy” since I touted the “benefits” of this “wonderful”
“everything” product. Lots of labor, high costs and getting “call-backs” does not bode well considering the poor results in
a seemingly short amount of time. Seems that a good oil-based primer & good paint held out better in the long run. I’m most annoyed (to be polite).
You could do what our contractor did and just ignore us after promising to take care of it!
Anyone have any experience with NuDeck by UGL? Wondering if it performs any better or if Gulf Synthetics’ Deck Revive is really our only option? (We recently bought a house with a deck that’s at least 15 yrs old and had to replace some boards; given the difference between the old/new, we really have no choice but to go with a paint my versus stain). Thanks in advance for any and all advice.
Sorry but no experience from us on this product. We do know that the Gulf Deck Revive works great.
Pittsburg Revitalize
I live in Milwaukee, WI. After reading reviews, the one thing missing on 98% of them are what city/state are they located. Wisconsin has a variety of weather, which seems why these products fail. Of the positive reviews, the majority appear to be from warmer climates. I’ve used this product twice, the 2nd time being a major touch up after flaking/peeling. During the touch up I didn’t prime(as an experiment). The last 1.5 yrs everything was peeling/flaking, the primed and not primed areas. I applied Revitilize on my front and back porches, both cedar tongue & groove, some painted, some bare. Back porch, about 1/3 of them were new, the others were in good shape and planned down by my contractor. All were cleaned and dust free before application. No primer was needed, just 2 coats of the paint, applied thick. This porch gets sun/shade/weather, is covered by an upper porch and is facing west. Front porch is facing east, has an upper porch covering, gets mostly shade, and not much weather. During the 3rd season of paint being on(2.5 yrs), was when I had to do some scraping and touch up painting. The back porch was way worse than the front, probably because it gets the brunt of all our odd weather. I’d say I scraped off 1/3+ of ea porch. That touch up lasted about 1.5 yrs. In retrospect, a decent exterior paint would have been cheaper. Unfortunately stain wasn’t an option because I couldn’t get all the paint off. In the future, I’m not going to wash any decking, only scrap off old paint before repainting. I’ve also used other brands of paint, stain, and similar hi-end “repair” products like this…I’ve cleaned, primed, followed directions (I read them to a T and don’t like doing things twice!) and paint still deteriorates. I’ve come to terms that this is Wisconsin and having a porch/deck outside is MAINTENANCE. Every 2+ yrs the surface will need work. At least with stain that stuff blows away with minimal force of my electric power washer because by yr 2/3 it’s already flaked & weathered. I have 4 properties and all have porches so I’ve definitely experimented with products and techniques(insert Charlie Brown missing the football!). I could post pictures, but they look the same as everyone’s else, just different color. I feel everyone’s pain out there…although the paint store I stopped into for work today suggested Deckcorrect by Cabot(a Wisconsin product) or Timershades(Hallman-Lindsay), which I guess is a stain/paint that covers paint? I will be outside tomorrow again during 52 degrees to scrap/paint & beat the impending cold…The saga continues!
Cabot is the absolute worst!!! I followed the manufacturer’s directions exactly, just as you stated, I did not want to have to re-do everything again within a year. By the end of the summer, the deck was pealing and had mold/mildew in all the areas which had some shade. Horrible. I thought the Thompson’s deck stain was bad because it only lasted a year, the Cabot was touted by Theisen’s in Sparta WI [about the same as Farm Fleet] to be the best thing to ever happen to decks here in Wisconsin. Now I get to have the fun task of trying to strip all this junk off, re-sand the whole deck and put on a new sealant.
How can I file s claim my deck is a mess ? Don’t even know how to get it all off to repair ?
The lawsuit for the Rustoleum Deck restore has been settled. You will have to power sand to remove it.
I have a “California style” , Acorn designed deck house with a raised deck open to the elements and full sun in an Eastern exposure- in coastal Maine. This past July I replaced the 10×25′ area deck boards (of 2.5 x 5.5″ hemlock) for the second time in 4-5 years due to splitting and heavy rot and installed PT joists topped with 3/4″ western white cedar. I did not apply any sealer or stain at that time. Adjoining the deck is a smaller deck with steps & landing, also of hemlock, but older stock and clearly of better quality than new growth stuff. However that wood which 4 or 5 years ago I stained with a dark brown Cabot solid stain, and last year Thompson’s clear seal, is showing its age (more than 10, perhaps 20 years) with checks, cracks, etc. but structurally appears solid. Cosmetically and for durability, the older deck boards and steps need more than re-staining, they need restoration. The handrails surrounding both decks are mostly mahogany, except 2 pieces I replaced with WW Cedar,all stained Cape Cod gray.
Question:
1. What is the best restorer for this deck and climate, and covering over old Cabot stain? I read your review of “Deck Revive” and noted your recommendation.
2. I noted some comments in the forum that indicate bleach prevented adhesion of top coatings; simple pressure washing apparently worked better. Depending on the restore product, what do you suggest?
3. Cosmetically, both the old and new decks should match in color. I see no sense in paying the extra cost for a restore product to cover the new cedar. What stain (presumably solid) would you recommend, that could be color-matched to the restore product that will be used on the hemlock?
Thanks for your advice!
1. Gulf Deck Revive: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/gulf-synthetics-deck-revive-review-2015/
2. They suggest pressure washing only for the above product.
3. Flood Pro Series Solid Stains.
Before RPM bought the Restore product line, well over 5 years ago, I applied the product to my boat dock under the hot sun of North Carolina. Seeing the product dry so quickly, I had the idea of spraying the boards with water with a simple pump sprayer allowing the product to flow and get “sucked into” the wood surface as it dried. More than five years in the hot North Carolina sun, 18 inches above the water and every square inch is stuck like glue. Sure, the color faded but the coating was was “Stuck Like Chuck” to the old PT wood. I did not use any bleach cleaner prior to pressure washing, just the Olympic Deck Cleaner.
I also had the Behr product applied by a contractor about three years ago to another deck, again in NC, 100% sun exposed, and it is now just starting to peel. Examining the underside of the peels, it is slick as glass showing no signs of adhesion. I found out later that bleach was used during prep.
I’m not defending any product here, but surface prep is key to ANY coating project.
I am replacing some boards now on the dock as the wood was not the best quality PT available when I built the dock 12 years ago and the ends are curling up. As I tear up a board, each board is coated and again, the coating is Stuck Like Chuck!
Did you spray with water before or after painting?
In the summer of 2013 we applied Deck Over to brand new, aged, steps- 2 sets, our front porch, and garage door frames. We spent days preparing the steps, our front porch, and the framework around our garage doors as Behr directed. After the first year in full sun and heat from the concrete driveway we noticed the row of sap perking through the Deck Over. Behr and Home Depot said this was impossible and refused to discuss remedies. We didn’t ask for refunds or damages at this point, I just placed potted plants on the steps and installed a walkway through the lawn to the front door. Months ago we had a contractor come to provide an estimate for a project at the back of the house. He touched the step with his pen and it disintegrated, so did my front steps which are mainly shaded, floor boards of the front porch, and my garage door frame is peeling and rotting. DO NOT USE THIS TERRIBLE PRODUCT!!!!
Why are you using an aggressive“resurfacing” product that’s meant to be a rescuer of decks that the only other option is to tear down on new wood? This is way overboard for this application. You should have just used a solid stain with a coat of latex primer under it and it’s bullet proof.
Olympic Deck rescue. After replacing part of the deck to support a new hot tub, I used the medium sand version to match new wood to old. The new wood is fine after 3 years, but the old is terrible. I strictly followed the cleaning and application directions (cleaned with deck wash pressure spray, wait 3 days to dry, etc) but the part that needed Rescue began to peel the next year. I had some leftover paint so I patched the peeling places. It peeled more the next season and looks like crap. Even the new deck that didn’t peel is badly stained with mold/mildew. Lowe’s no longer carries it and no wonder. No alternative but to replace the deck.
I painstakingly prepared my deck per specifications and the product failed in 6 months. Now 18 months later I broke a deck board walking on it and many others are rotting out. Deck needs to be replaced. 100% the fault of this defective, horrible, nightmare of a a product.
Behr Deckover is horrible. Don”t buy. I am in the middle of sanding, scraping and power washing the peeling paint that only lasted a year. The sales person at Home Depot told us two years was max for this product. Nope, we did not listen. Save yourself some time, money and frustration and DO NOY BUY!!!!! Can anyone suggest something better to paint or stain my deck ?
You cannot apply anything over the Deckover. You will need to power sand this off fully to fix.