Best Deck Prep? Clean, Strip, or Sand the Deck? 4.5/5 (12)

Any comments on the steps involved in restoring a 20+ year old deck 1800 sq. ft. deck. I’m inclined to have deck sanding in the steps involved.

Should I sand first, then a cleaner followed by brightener or not sanding and apply a stripper then brightener.
The deck has Behr solid-color, waterproofing wood stain applied about 5 years ago. There are a few areas with some black mildew and splintering of deck boards. I would like to have some wood grain visible perhaps for semi-transparent stain to be applied.

I’m looking at Restore-A-Deck Package 600 if sanding should be performed and Restore-A-Deck Stripper/Brightener if sanding is not needed.

Comments appreciated.

New Wood or Older Wood? Old
Does the Deck have a Current Coating? Yes
Are you Switching Brands of Deck Stain or Applying a Maintenance Coat of the same Brand and Color? Maintenance cost
Deck Stain Brand Previously Used? Enter unknown if you do not know. TWP 1500 series
What is the Current Deck Stain Type? Oil-based or Water-Based? Oil based
Clear, Transparent, Semi-Transparent, Semi-Solid, or Solid Stain? Semi-transparent
Mold or Mildew Issues? No
Reason for Previous Stain Failure? Length of time
You Must Include Picture(s) of the Current Condition.

Hi,

The deck came with the house so don’t have a clue about when it was made. The previous owner didn’t have any info either and just left it as is.
I decided it was about time to get of my butt and work on restoring.

Here are the answers to the Qs :
New Wood or Older Wood? Old
Does the Deck have a Current Coating? Can see traces of it in the picture.
Are you Switching Brands of Deck Stain or Applying a Maintenance Coat of the same Brand and Color? Will go for a lighter color or stain.
Deck Stain Brand Previously Used? Enter unknown if you do not know. Unknown
What is the Current Deck Stain Type? Oil-based or Water-Based? Clear, Transparent, Semi-Transparent, Semi-Solid, or Solid Stain? Unknown
Mold or Mildew Issues? Doesn’t appear so
Reason for Previous Stain Failure? NA

Picture is attached. Any advice would be greatly appreciated
Thank you.

Our cedar decks were built and stained in spring of 2017. We scrubbed and restained last year. We are not 100% sure which transparent stain was used, either Armstrong or Superdeck and are hoping the painter will be able to tell us. The front deck is 48′ by 6′ covered by a rood (more like a porch actually) with steps at either end. The ends are the problem. The second deck/porch is on the north side, in good shape except for the exposed steps and some traffic wear. I have not scrubbed it yet.

I have scrubbed the big deck with water and a brush. Where it is exposed to the elements and traffic, it is now bare wood, but in the more protected areas (most of the deck actually) the stain is in good condition. We would like to use semi-transparent stain this time, in hopes that it will last a bit longer. So, I have four questions.

First, is scrubbing with water and brush sufficient, or do I need to do it again with a cleaner?
Second, if the water is sufficient, do I still need to use a brightener?
Third, if the painter can’t tell me which brand he used, how important is it to strip?
Fourth, can I put semi-transparent over the transparent stain, assuming I can confirm that it is the same brand?

The images show an unwashed area, a washed area with some bare wood and some remaining stain, a protected area where the stain looks almost new, and the end of the deck and stairs which is bare wood.

Thanks so much for your very informative site!

I’m refinishing 700 sq.’ of decking (15-yr-old PT pine) using your VERY helpful recommendations. So far I’ve done two rounds of Defy stripper and there is still more finish left. I suspect there were various products layered on top of each other over the years. I’m not sure whether I’m going to do another round of stripper or try and sand off the remaining finish, but either way the wood needs sanding (60-80 grit) for a variety of reasons.

Opinions seem to be evenly divided b/t random orbital and belt sanders. Fans of the former say belt sanders are too aggressive; fans of the latter that you’d be insane to do a whole deck w/ a small RO sander. Questions:

1) Which of these would you recommend?
2) Would I need to brighten again after sanding?
3) Would it be a problem if it rained after I sanded but before I stained?
4) How soon after sanding would I need to stain?
5) Anything else I need to make sure of?

I’ve never taken on a project like this before but think it’s going to be worth it when I finish up with the TWP. This is my third post as I move through the process and I THANK YOU once again for all your help!

How to prep new pressure treated wood for staining

I have a 25 year old mostly covered deck and stairs that I had upgraded last year. The covered part is still in very good condition and new boards and railings were added last year for all the uncovered areas. I have used Cabot New Cedar stain (either opaque or semi-opaque and I think oil-based) for all the previous refinishings. The new wood is now 11 months old. I want to basically keep the color the same but not use a solid stain. I would like some grain to show. What is the best method and products to use considering the multi ages and conditions of my wood. As you can see by the photos it rained this morning and I have had pots on the new areas for the last year. The new boards are the edge six, two of which are under the overhang and four are exposed and wet.

Looking for help in answering the question “What is the Best way to Prep My Deck Floor for a New Solid Stain?” My answers to your questions are:
1. Older wood
2. Yes, solid stain or paint, not sure which.
3. and 4. Switching color and possibly brand; don’t know what brand the previous owner used.
5. Current coating type is likely water based but not sure. It’s a solid stain or paint.
6. Very minor mildew; not an issue.
7. Unknown.
Pics attached. After these pics were taken, I power washed the deck floor but just for gross cleaning. Then I tried Behr Stain Stripper on a portion of the deck but that didn’t work very well. Then I tried Citristrip gel on a couple boards and it worked much better but it would be very time consuming. I’m not sure if Citristrip, then sanding any remaining coating, then stripper afterwash is the best way to go or something less than that before applying the new stain. I want to try to make sure I can get 4 or 5 years before more maintenance; planning to use Behr Advanced DeckOver. Deck gets about 3.5-4 hours of direct sun (~10:30/11 – 2:30) in summer; Northern VA.

New Wood or Older Wood? New (3-4 Months)
Does the Deck have a Current Coating? No
Are you Switching Brands of Deck Stain or Applying a Maintenance Coat of the same Brand and Color? No
Deck Stain Brand Previously Used? Enter unknown if you do not know.
What is the Current Deck Stain Type? Oil-based or Water-Based? Clear, Transparent, Semi-Transparent, Semi-Solid, or
Mold or Mildew Issues? No
Reason for Previous Stain Failure? No
You Must Include Picture(s) of the Current Condition.

I have a cedar deck with water based solid stain. I will be staining with twp 100 when done. I used RAD stripper with both additives and got over 90% of old stain off. I will be sanding the remaining off. Do I brighten before or after sanding? If brightened after sanding, will grain raising be an issue? Do i need to use cleaner first before brightener since I was not able to get it done immediatly after stripper?

We have old mahogany. We used to stain it ourselves but had the house painter do it last (?5 years ago), did not specify and he painted over. We want to take the paint off and stain it. Tried sanding with a hand rotary sander, but paint came off only in parts. Do I need to strip and clean, then sand and stain? I’ll need to rent a big sander to do the job. Please advise.

SEE BELOW FOR QUESTION / ADVISE — I PROVIDED INFORMATION PER THE ABOVE
New Wood or Older Wood?– OLD WOOD
Does the Deck have a Current Coating? YES
Are you Switching Brands of Deck Stain or Applying a Maintenance Coat of the same Brand and Color? USING SAME BRAND AND COLOR – SEMI TRANSPARENT WATER BASE.
Deck Stain Brand Previously Used? Enter unknown if you do not know. DEFY SEMI TRANSPARENT WATER BASE
What is the Current Deck Stain Type? Oil-based or Water-Based? Clear, Transparent, Semi-Transparent, Semi-Solid, or Solid Stain? DEFY SEMI TRANSPARENT WATER BASE
Mold or Mildew Issues? NONE
Reason for Previous Stain Failure? HAS BEEN 2 YEARS SINCE LAST MAINTENANCE COAT
You Must Include Picture(s) of the Current Condition. SEE ATTACHED
DO IN NEED TO COMPLETY STRIP THE DECK. DECK IS SCREWED DOWN FROM THE SIDE USING CAMO SCREW SYSTEM. DECK WAS INSTALLED NEW 4 YEARS AGO. WHAT PRODUCTS DO YOU RECOMMEND?
THANKS IN ADVANCE
RAY

New Wood or Older Wood? Old
Does the Deck have a Current Coating? No
Are you Switching Brands of Deck Stain or Applying a Maintenance Coat of the same Brand and Color? Will be applying Restore-A-Deck products
Deck Stain Brand Previously Used? Unknown
What is the Current Deck Stain Type? Oil-based or Water-Based? Clear, Transparent, Semi-Transparent, Semi-Solid, or Solid Stain? Unsure
Mold or Mildew Issues? No
Reason for Previous Stain Failure? Left untreated too long

Current deck is older and has some cracks/splintering (tried to power wash the splinters away)

Will provide picture tomorrow

We have a 1.5 year old cedar fence that is ready for stain. We have received multiple quotes from different vendors and they all recommend different products and bash the others… We have been recommended thomspons, olympic, and cabot. We want this to last a couple of years if possible! some told us to just use a clear water sealer, but Ive read that the grey will surely come through with that process. I love the look of the cedar boards, but think some tinting is necessary. We paid a lot for the fence so would like to start with a strong product! we are looking for a semitransparent.

I installed a 600 sq ft pressure treated pine ramp in April 2018. Three to 4 months later I stained the ramp with Velspar one coat exterior sealer. Prior to staining I used Velspar interior/exterior fast prep.
While the ramp still has some stain color (mostly on railings), there is virtually no waterproofing left and ramp deck is graying. Also mold and mildew. Also this ramp is completly shaded by trees and gets very little direct sun.
So I want to restrain the ramp but need some help with prep process. I was going to restrain with restore a deck (rad) semitransparent wood stain and was thinking of using RAD stripper with booster prior to staining. However not sure if I should sand and power wash and if so which do I do first. Also should I use RAD cleaner and/or brightener first.
Can u help me with the steps I should do and the sequence.
THANK YOU
Ps – because the ramp is shaded I assume is more prone to mildew and should I be using water based stain?

Hi,
We are in the process of trying to remove old stain with a wood stripper and need advice on what to do to prep the deck for new stain. Do we need to change directions and sand or apply the wood stripper again?

1. Older wood
2. Yes. We tried to use a stripper just now because there is a previous stain, but it’s difficult to get off. We just tried using Defy.
3. Switching brands.
4. Behr. I know “embehrassing”. Behr minimum!
5. Semi-transparent water based.
6. Little mold was growing on it.
7. Slight peeling, black spots (mold) and uneven application.

Thanks for your help!

Is the wood new or old? 1.5 year old.
Does it have a previous coating on the wood? Yes, but Cabot Wood Cleaner Concentrate is removing some to all of the coat I applied exactly one year ago.
Are you recoating with the same brand and colors as last time? Yes. I am doing prep work for what is meant to be a maintenance coat.
When was the last time it was stained? Exactly one year ago. I stained it with one coat two months after the new railing was installed, using the steps recommended on this web site. (Sanded off the mill glaze and the stamped labels, then cleaned with Cabot Wood Cleaner Concentrate, brightened with Cabot Wood Brightener, then applied one coat of Cabot oil-based semi-transparent stain with staining pads.)
What type of stain was it coated with before? Cabot oil-based semi transparent deck stain (0306: higher VOC), barn red. I will be be recoating with same color Cabot semi-transparent oil deck stain.

The first three photos show, from left to right, the degree to which the deck cleaner is removing the initial coat of stain from a year ago. The fourth photo shows the brush I’m scrubbing deck cleaner with, and it shows the current condition of the cap rail. I live at 8,600′ and this is southern exposure. I am diluting the deck cleaner 1 part cleaner to 4 parts water per manufacturer’s instructions, and spraying it on with a pump garden sprayer.

Am I scrubbing too hard? I am concerned that I will have varying coverage once I apply my maintenance coat. Do you have advice?

TIA!

I am staining my deck with a solid stain (same or darker than what was on before) I have stripped the deck to 80% free of paint using stripper gel. Do I need to sand the remaining stain away before I clean and lay on stain. (I have seen some comments where you say its ok to paint over old stain with the same stain brand.) Is there any benefit to letting new replaced boards weather before I stain them as well?

Working on relcaiming a painted (oil base) deck. Had to do a lot of sanding. Put stripper (Restore a Deck) on deck three weeks ago, and still need to do some more sanding ( areas where got to aggressive with pressure washer) and then will put on brightner and stain. Question is, since it has been more than two weeks since I used stripper, do I have to go back and use again before using brightner (Restore a Deck)? Or is it that I have two weeks to stain after using brightner? Please adivise and thanks for a great site!!!

Hello!
I’m looking for some advice in terms of prep and paint/stain selection for redoing my deck. I bought the house last summer, and luckily am in contact with the previous owner so have some background info on its history.

The deck was built over 5 years ago from pressure treated pine. The previous owner used BEHR PREMIUM Porch & Patio Floor Paint Low-Lustre Enamel for the floor boards and railings are BEHR Deckplus Solid Color Waterproofing Wood Stain applied about 5 years ago. They both say acrylic based – so I’m guessing this means water based?

The stain seems to be holding great on the railings but the floor boards are looking horrible. There are no mold / mildew issues from what I can tell, but some of the boards do have some green (algae?).

My goal is to make the deck look nice again. I do love the look of natural wood so I was thinking of going with a semi transparent stain, but it would need to be dark and similar to the existing brown color (so it matches the accents on the rest of the house). I was thinking about going with BEHR Premium Semi Transparent Stain & Sealer but have seem too many negative things about it online so am reconsidering.

In terms of prep – I have a random orbital sander and oscillating tool with sander attachment – I was thinking to rent a floor drum sander or belt sander in and sand everything down. Reading your site, I’m starting to reconsider my strategy. Any help is appreciated!

I want to redo this deck but don’t where to start. Do I strip it or sand it?

6 years old. Stain was put on it three years ago but didn’t do it correctly perhaps as it bubbled and flaked off. I want it to look its best. I’m inexperienced but willing to do hard work. Help. Thanks

What’s the difference (chemically speaking) between a stripper and a cleaner? Can you give some general tips on when it’s appropriate to use one or the other?

Hi! We bought our house about 2 years ago and the paint on the deck has started to peel. I hadn’t paid much attention to the paint on the deck until I started researching new stain. I’m not certain but I think the previous owner used deckover paint for a quick, easy job prior to selling. Attached is a picture of the peeling paint. My plan is to get the deckover off and stain the wood rather than paint it a solid color again. What’s the best way to accomplish this?

We recently bought a house with decks built in 2017. I believe all they had was a transparent stain on them. We want to put a semi transparent stain on them. There is no flaking that is visible. What prep do we need to do?

Wife does not like fence stain color at house we got and the inconsistency of color from I’m guessing inadequate prep work (ie – some dark pickets and some light as shown in photo). Note in picture it had recently rained and deviation in color is more notable when dry.

New Wood or Older Wood? ~7-8 years, I believe stained twice w same stain

Does the Deck have a Current Coating? Huemiller semi-transparent applied in recent months

Are you Switching Brands of Deck Stain or Applying a Maintenance Coat of the same Brand and Color? Preferable to switch brands to what you would recommend (Dallas, mostly in full sun, current Huemiller semi-transparent on western red cedar). We generally prefer lighter more natural colored stains.

Deck Stain Brand Previously Used? Enter unknown if you do not know. Huemiller semi-trans

What is the Current Deck Stain Type? Oil-based or Water-Based? Clear, Transparent, Semi-Transparent, Semi-Solid, or Solid Stain? Oil based

Mold or Mildew Issues? No

Reason for Previous Stain Failure? disparity in darkness in some areas great, quite a bit of ‘fuzzies’ on wood

Thanks so much for your time!!!!

Two years ago I stained my deck which was brown pressure treated wood. I used Flood Pro Series Semi Transparent stain. We waited one year after the deck was installed before staining it. After one year, the stain was peeling off in spots. I touched them up and it looked okay. This year significant portions of the deck have peeled and i’m afraid the whole thing needs to be redone. I note that the peeling is on the floor of deck, not the posts. Anywhere that water dripped on the deck from eavestroughs the stain is completely gone. If I re-do it with the same product, should I sand it first? If I choose a different product, do I need to remove all the previous stain? Did I mention that I hate maintaining decks and I hate stain. Have never yet found a product that lasts. Thank you for your amazing advice.

Strip it? Awesome site. Great Q&A. Incredible insights shared. Thank you. I have a new deck installed 3 months ago and am planning to use Defy cleaner/brightener/stain. The contractor “did me a favor” and pre-stained the posts and handrails before installation (noted he didn’t want them to over-age-dry-out in the shop; pre-assembled with black aluminum spindles). He didn’t tell me the brand of stain – coating appears to be thin – natural or slight cedar tone. In any case, with the stain being applied less than a year ago, would you recommend I strip the railings first or not bother? My selected color for said railings is only slightly different – Defy natural pine (minimal cedar orange/red tone). My lean right now is to strip the top handrail only to be a Defy butternut match to the flooring (yeah, two tone challenge is on), but I may just strip the full rail top to bottom (base of spindles would be a pain). Thoughts appreciated. Thanks.

I’m in the process of prepping my deck. The stain was cracking and would easily peel in those spots, revealing damp wood underneath. The pictures will show that and then what I’ve done so far, which is scrapping followed by Sherwin Williams stripping on a portion of it. It was not that effective, so I’m hesitant to continue with it. I’ve not yet used their Revive product on that section of it. Is that needed? Is a cleaner needed as well? I’m currently trying to sand it to smooth out the spots where there is remaining stain, but only have a hand sander. I plan on using the same SW Super Deck solid stain product and color again.

New Wood or Older Wood? Old; deck is 24 yrs old.
Does the Deck have a Current Coating? Sherwin Williams Solid Stain
Are you Switching Brands of Deck Stain or Applying a Maintenance Coat of the same Brand and Color? Same brand same color.
Deck Stain Brand Previously Used? Sherwin Williams Super Deck
What is the Current Deck Stain Type? Oil-based or Water-Based? Clear, Transparent, Semi-Transparent, Semi-Solid, or Solid Stain? Solid Stain; Water-based; SW Super Deck
Mold or Mildew Issues? Only in spots that dont get much sun
Reason for Previous Stain Failure? I was told that I didn’t prep the deck properly when I did this 3 years ago (last time I scrapped the spots with the cracked stain but did not clean the wood), and the wood may have been damp. I was told to wait to stain until there have been 2 days of dry weather before, followed by 2 dry days after. Very hard to get 5 dry days in Pittsburgh in the summer!

Wish I’d seen this site when we put the deck up five years ago… maybe we wouldn’t be in the middle of this disaster. It was gorgeous and now it looks awful. Cedar deck, waited a year to stain it, then used Olympic Elite Advanced Woodland Oil stain/sealant all-in-one, semi-transparent, Kona brown. Peeled and flaked the very next year. Have scraped and power-washed loose stuff off and reapplied three times. At the moment I’m writing this, we are stripping it in order to start from scratch. Lots of cracking, too. So, to answer the questions:
1. The deck is 5 years old, made of cedar
2. Yes, currently being stripped off using Behr deck stain stripper.
3. We will be switching stains to whatever is recommended.
4. Olympic Elite Advanced Woodland Oil stain/sealant all-in-one, semi-transparent, Kona brown
5. I’m not sure if it’s oil or water-based.
6. We get a green coating on the sides of the house that requires pressure-washing – this is on the deck, too. I think it’s algae, but I’m not sure. The deck gets full sun in the morning and is in full shade by maybe 2:00.
7. I don’t know the reason for the stain failure.

Really, we’re just looking for some validation for our game plan. Once it’s all stripped, we will use a brightener and pick a quality stain, based on your reviews – do you recommend one in particular for cedar? Anything else we should be doing? Sanding? Leave the cracks alone, is what I’m getting from your website. How long between the prep and the staining? We’re in very humid New Jersey.

Thanks in advance, great website!

Jim and Rachael

1. 2 1/2 year old cedar deck.
2. Yes- Armstrong-Clark cedar semi-transparent wood stain was used 2 years ago.
3. Considering either same product or Behr semi-transparent waterproofing stain and sealer.
4. Armstrong-Clark cedar semi-transparent wood stain
5. Oil-based semi-transparent.
6. No mold or mildew issues.
7. Deck is unprotected from elements–no tree cover or umbrella cover or shade from house, so deck gets abused by a lot of sun, rain, and snow. Southern facing porch so is in the sun for a majority of the day. Rail spindles are looking decent, so are currently planning on only restaining the deck, stairs, and railings.
8. Pictures below.

I was thinking of getting a wood stripper, then a wood cleaner, and then staining. Can I bypass the wood stain stripper and go right to the cleaner? The Armstrong-Clark stain did not seem to even hold up well after one year and didn’t do much to repel rain, but it gets good reviews. I would like to stick with a semi-transparent cedar stain.

Cabin in Southern Utah finished in Sep 2016. Builder stained deck, but then several workers set up saw on deck to finish inside trim, so sawdust and/or dirt tracked on deck. He had deck power washed before we moved in, but I never was impressed with how deck looked since day one. Want to refinish.
1. Deck built in Aug-Sept 2016.
2. Yes.
3. Plan to apply maintenance coat if that gives best outcome – but willing to change (original color was 1/2 Brown Tone Medium mixed with 1/2 Natural. Builder recommends future maintenance coats to just be Natural).
4. Sashco Transformation Log & Timer was used (apparently VOC <250 g/l).
5. The stain (Sashco Transformation Log & Timer) is oil based, semi-transparent gloss (but doesn't look at all "glossy" on deck to me)
6. No mold or mildew issues apparent to me.
7. Unsure.
8. Pictures below.
Thank you for your help!

1. approximately 3 years old (and has been deteriorating for 2)
2. yes
3. would like to stick with a similar color but am willing to switch for a better outcome.
4. & 5 Sherwin Williams Baja Beige semi transparent water based stain
6. Mold or Mildew – live in a temperate rain forest climate (north central West Virginia)
7. I’m guessing poor prep on our part. The deck was finished in November. We tried to clean it thoroughly before applying the stain that summer.

Question:

I have a 4 to 5 year old mahogany deck that needs to be refinished. It has been finished previously with several better? known products, stains not paint, which haven’t stood up to the elements.
There remains some of areas of coating and other areas are down to the wood in varying degrees of grayness.
My question; is it better to sand or, strip, wash and brighten? I plan on refinishing with Australian Timber Oil (Flame-to restore the color). If he “strip, wash and brighten” method is preferred…would you suggest the the best products and application processes to use.
Thank you for your time.

I’ve stripped one of my decks w/ Defy, and neutralized w/ citric acid. While I was impressed w/ the stripper, and the citric acid certainly brightened the wood, there is a lot of discoloration, esp. lots of small gray spots on most boards. I’m pretty certain it’s not residual stain as I applied the stripper three times. I also left the citric acid on for several hours, so I would think that was sufficient.

I’ve tried sanding a small area to see if the gray spots sand off but they don’t. I even tried some sodium percarbonate but that had no effect. I don’t know what the spots are and am wondering whether there is some other prep step I need to do?

The photos show the deck after it’s rained on part of it – which gives you an idea of the effect stain would have. I’m disappointed in how uneven the colors of the boards are. When they’re dry they’re almost white, as you can see. I’ve never done anything like this but was expecting the boards to look more like new.

I’ll be using TWP stain.

(If you need more info please refer to my question and photos posted “2 months ago.”)

Thanks so very much!

Additional photos

1)Older wood, about 5 years old
2)No current coating, except for small section coveted by grill mat
3)Switching brands
4)Deck company labeled product as their own, but I believe it’s Sherwin Williams oil based
5)Not sure if semi -solid or semi transparent
6)Yes, black mold and some green mold(algae?)
7)Old stain looked good for a few years.
I pressure washed the deck last year prior to installing screen room on majority of deck. Pressure washed again this weekend with no cleaner, stripper or Brightener.
I have one section with old stain still penetrated and intact. If I don’t mind a shade variation am I ready to stain? If a shade variation needs to be avoided, is sanding just that section acceptable?
Based on photos of wood, am I ready to stain or do I still need to use a Brightener?
Thanks, Erich

We have an old small partially covered deck. It’s on the north-east corner of the house and completely surrounded by trees. So it’s problem is not the sun, but water that does not dry quickly and with frequent rain constantly keep water and keeps snow during the winter. The deck surface in not covered part looks bad, but it’s good where covered. The bad part has flaking stain, chips, cracks and mildew. The last time we used a local company to have our deck treated 3 years ago. I do not think they did a good job. They covered the deck with water-based Superdeck solid stain from Sherwin Williams. My husband wants to treat out deck himself this summer. What would you recommend to use and how to make it the right way?

Hello, we are prepping our deck to refinish. We moved in last year and don’t know much about the deck history. I recently used 30 second cleaner and then power washed the deck to remove the mold and mildew. I am trying to determine whether I need to strip the deck or can just sand it prior to applying new semi-transparent stain. Also would I sand before or after applying wood cleaner? Thanks!

1. Wood seems 5+ years old
2. Deck appears coated with paint
3. Will be redoing stain completely
4. Don’t know
5. Don’t know
6. Current deck stain is solid stain
7. Mold and mildew issues exist due to lack of sunlight
8. Don’t know

Hi Again,
This is a photo of the sanded louvered section that goes with my last question.

Hi, We are starting the process of prepping our deck when I came across your site. I live in Nova Scotia and will be ordering products from those companies you have recommended.
1. The deck is 8 yrs. old cedar
2. Yes, except for areas where prep is already underway.
3. Switching brands.
4./5 The deck has/had Sherwin Williams semi-transparent oil stain🙁
6. Yes some mold
7. Brand quality
Photos attached are of areas with stain, floor boards were stripped last fall, louver and upper sections have just been sanded.
Restore-A Deck seems like a good option. Then just need to decide on the staincompany. Leaning towards semi transport oil based stain.
I sanded the louvered section because I felt it would be easier. Should I be concerned about the sanded section vs. the about to be stripped section? Will it be ok for the stripper to go over the sanded section?
Thanks in advance, I am open to any and all suggestions.

Hi, I live in Colorado and had my deck stained by a deck company in Dec 2016…it had an unknow stain so they sanded the wood and stained it with Superdeck Transparent stain Valley 1906 .  The next year Oct 2017 they recommended that just the “top” surfaces be stained with a one-step deck wash that cleans and brightens the wood and restain. so we did.  The following year 2018 the stain looked like it had faded/wood looked unprotected in high traffic areas and on the top railing with heavy sun. So we decided to restain it ourselves.  We used a power washer and removed most of the stain and restained using the same SuperDeck transparent stain.  So now, 9 months later the wood again looks faded and needs more stain.  I bought a deck cleaner and brightner and did the top railing of the deck and was going to restain with the same product and decided before I did I wanted to research the stain.  After my research I decided I want to use your TWP stain. There is no mold issues and I dont know why the stain is not lasing but one year except we do get a lot of snow on the deck and Sun in summer.  My question, is the cleaner and brightner enough to proceed and apply your stain? also which stain should I apply? Transparent or Semi Transparent? 100 or 1500? I like the look of the Transparent stain.  Also, how should I proceed on the floor of the deck?
I am posting 4 pics. The first 2 are the railing that I cleaned and used brightner on and the others are the floor of the deck which I havent done anything to yet.  Thank you in advance for your s

I’m taking the Behr Deckover off of my deck with a diamabrush (gone through two so far) and a 10.5amp angle grinder. This is where I am with it. Would you recommend RAD stripper and brightener or cleaner and brightener at this point?

Greetings! We are trying to get a few more years out of our old deck. Last week, we did the first round of scrubbing/power washing with a soapy cleaner, but realize it needs another round of cleaning, then brightening before we’re ready to apply new stain. We plan to use one of the products recommended on this site to finish the cleaning and brightening steps.

My main question today is whether the vertical boards on the railing should be stripped vs. cleaned? The vertical boards have some of the old semi-transparent stain remaining. We will be applying water-based, semi-transparent stain.

1. Old wood. Deck is 20-25 yrs old, pressure-treated. We think the last stain was applied about 10 years ago.
2. Decking stain has almost completely worn off or been scrubbed off. Vertical surfaces have retained more of the stain.
3. Switching brands
4. Unknown brand previously used about 10 years ago.
5. Water-based, semi-transparent
6. Yes to mold and/or algae. We’ve scrubbed and power-washed most of it off using a soapy deck cleaner, but stubborn sections of black stains remain.
7. Wear and tear, sun exposure over ten years
8. Photos uploaded

Thanks in advance for your reply!

1. wood is 3 years old
2. Currently staying with Armstrong Clark semi transparent stain
3. Plan to apply same brand and color
4. Armstrong Clark
5. Semi transparent, oil based, Armstrong Clark
6. Yes
7. No failure but need to restain for upkeep

1 older wood, 11 year old deck
2 first applied Cabot ATO 3400 oil based,,
Then Cabot ATO 19400 water based by mistake🙁
3 keeping same brand on rails/spindles (water based). Want to go back to Cabot ATO oil based 3400 on floor
4 see number 2
5 think it is the Cabot water based
6 some mold mildew issues
7 put on water based by mistake/peeling

We didn’t realize there was an oil and a water based Cabot ATO so we mistakenly purchased water based one of the times we were “refreshing” our deck. It was okay for a while but time to correct our mistake and fix it the right way. Thanks

I want to restain my deck. It’s old, peeling or bare in many spots. I tried to clean/prep the wood with deck cleaner, brushing and power washer. Only about 1/2 came up easily.

Do I need to get rid of all the previous stain? or can I apply solid stain on top of old stain?

Hi! Most of our deck is old wood, with some recent additions (unstained pressure-treated wood railing, 7 months old). The previous owner built the deck itself quite a while ago. If it was ever stained, it’s worn down to the point that you can’t tell (or at least I can’t).

Mildew is a big problem. A creek runs right next to the deck, and it rains about every other day here in upstate NY, so it’s almost always damp. The deck gets so slimy after it rains that it’s like walking on ice, but the boards themselves are solid & not rotting. Very dense clay mud gets tracked across it constantly from the yard. I haven’t even begun to clean it; we don’t have a lot of money left to throw at the problem, but I don’t mind putting in serious elbow grease if there are cheap but labor-intensive options.

Thanks!

I am wanting to restrain our deck railing. After a hail storm last year, the top railings (6 inch horizontal cedar wood) began to peel. During a light power wash today, I see that the bottom railing & some of the vertical planks are peeling as well (but not all of it). I do not know the history of the staining as the home is new to us. From reading your Q&A from others, I’m not sure if I should strip it all or sand it. Can you look at pictures and advise as well as recommend products to use?

1) Older Wood 4yrs old
2) coated with twp 1500 natural 3 yrs ago
3) considering switch to RAD semi natural
4) Deck Stain Brand Previously Used was TWP 1500 Natural
5) Some Mildew Issues
Previous Stain Failure due to high sun exposure – faded
Include Picture(s) of the Current Condition.