This post was updated on August 16, 2024
Hello, I am Scott Paul, a leading exterior restoration contractor and business owner with over 30 years of experience in exterior deck and wood prepping. My wood deck prepping help tips are based on my history as a wood restoration contractor and actual hands-on testing. See here for more info about me.
I have updated our DeckStainhelp.com site with numerous new reviews and articles on deck cleaning products and how-to tips for 2024. We strive to remain your number one deck stain information source.
Please ask any questions below that you may have in our comment area.
Prepping and Cleaning a Deck
If you own a deck, you know the wood faces exposure to harsh outdoor elements all year long. That includes ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun, rain, ice, dirt, pollen, bird droppings, and much more. However, you might not have properly cleaned yours. Cleaning a deck with a top-quality wood deck cleaner will help loosen dirt, remove any grayish oxidation, and kill mold, mildew, and algae. It’s a must for regular maintenance and in preparation for applying fresh deck stain.
Are You Cleaning Your Deck at Least Once a Year?
Knowing how to clean a wooden deck properly is critical for homeowners. Whatever your climate, I tell people it should be done at least once each year. To get right to it, let’s review the proper deck cleaning process.
Preparing Your Deck for Cleaning
Before cleaning a deck, I always remove obstructions such as furniture, planters, and grills. Next, I’ll sweep the deck or use a leaf blower to thoroughly clear off dirt, leaves, and debris. To avoid accidental damage, I recommend covering gardens or other items with a tarp.
Next, you’ll select your product. Decide if you should use a deck cleaner or a deck stain stripper. Use a deck cleaner if the wood is gray and dirty. If you have an old deck stain that needs to be removed, you should use a deck stain stripper, as the deck cleaner is not aggressive enough to remove stains. Do you need more help on whether you should strip or clean the deck? See my Best Deck Prep. Clean, Strip, or Sand the Deck.
How to Clean Your Wood Deck
What You’ll Need to Bring
Gather the following supplies for the cleaning project:
- Goggles, gloves, and similar personal protective equipment
- 5-gallon (or similar size) mixing bucket
- A pump sprayer
- A stiff scrub brush
- A power washer rated at 3000 psi or lower
- A high-quality wood deck cleaning product. (see my best deck cleaner post)
A front porch partially cleaned and brightened.
5 Steps to a Clean Deck
- Pre-wet the deck surface with a garden hose or power washer on a low-pressure setting.
- Apply the deck cleaner using the pump sprayer. Make sure to mix the cleaning solution in the 5-gallon bucket first and then transfer it to your pump sprayer. In some cases, a powdered cleaner may not dissolve 100%. Take care not to pour undissolved powder into the sprayer, as it may clog it.
- After waiting 10 to 15 minutes for the cleaner to work, thoroughly scrub (agitate) the surface with the brush.
- Pressure wash the deck with the pressure washer in the 1500 to 2400 psi range. Rinse the deck well when done to remove any loose dirt nd wood fibers.
- Apply a wood deck brightener (often called deck neutralizer), which lowers the pH level to neutral and improves the appearance.
Composite Decks: Use a Different Brush
Composite deck board is usually composed of a blend of either polypropylene or polyethylene plastic and wood fibers. Although I’ve found that composite decking is durable and long lasting, the material is often susceptible to scratches from firm or abrasive brushes; therefore, I will use a brush with soft bristles. Remember to choose a deck cleaner that is appropriate for your composite material.
Can I Clean My Deck Without a Pressure Washer?
Yes! Although a pressure washer helps to speed up the process, a garden hose with a good nozzle can also rinse your deck reasonably well. Doing it this way will require more scrubbing while using your wood cleaner.
My Deck Cleaning Tips for Success!
- Ensure the deck is clear of all furniture and grills before starting.
- First, decide if you should use a deck cleaner or a deck stain stripper. Use a deck cleaner if the wood is gray and dirty. If you have an old deck stain that needs to be removed, you should use a deck stain stripper, as the deck cleaner is not aggressive enough to remove stains. Do you need more help on whether you should strip or clean the deck? See my Best Deck Prep. Clean, Strip, or Sand the Deck.
- Pre-wet the deck before applying the deck cleaner. Take precautions to wet all vegetation and the surrounding house. Most deck cleaners will not harm plants as long as you pre-wet and rinse off any residual cleaner that comes in contact with them.
- Wait about 5-15 minutes for the cleaner to activate. On hot days, mist the deck with water to prevent the cleaner from drying.
- Using a stiff scrub brush, agitate the deck until the wood comes clean. A pressure washer at 2400 psi or less will speed up this process.
- If any stubborn areas persist, then repeat the process.
- After thoroughly cleaning the deck, rinse the house, deck, plants, etc., to remove all the loosened grime.
- Using a Wood Deck Brightener will boost the wood’s appearance. The brightener neutralizes the deck cleaner and “brightens” the wood to a more natural state.
- Let the wood dry for at least 24-48 hours before applying a deck stain or sealer.
My Top 4 Deck Cleaner Reviews
See this link for my in-depth article and deck cleaner reviews.
My #1 Best Deck Cleaner | My #2 Best Deck Cleaner | My #3 Best Deck Cleaner | My Honorable Mention |
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From: $64.99 *Ships Free | From: $64.99 *Ships Free | From: $35.99 *Brightener Additional | From: $49.99 *Ships Free |
Best Deck Cleaner 2024 Video
Watch my deck cleaning video!
I have a 15 year old cedar deck that I have every few years cleaned and restained with various products…..nothing ever giving me that beautiful cedar stained look. we are only a foot of the ground and I know some stains don't work well with moisture being so close to the ground etc. Anyway the deck has turned somewhat grey….with some black spots which i assume they are mold. Question should I sand or use deck stripper, then cleaner, then brightener…..or some combination thereof this……any comments would be apprec
Strip and pressure wash. Brighten after. No cleaner is needed. Sand only if you have trouble removing with the stripper.
HELP! Just put in a new cedar deck and purchased the SuperDeck (1500 I believe) semi-transparent oil stain. We are not wanting the cedar to grey. Got a bit of rain last night and this morning there are grey spots all over the top tier of the deck (about 80%). I have been told that these are iron spots – perfectly normal and that any cleaner with oxalic acid will clean up the wood?? Is this accurate and if so can I use the cleaner after a big rain or do I have to wait until the wood is completely dry again before I clean it?
Not sure and never heard of gray spots after a rain. You would want both a cleaner and a brightener.
Hi, I just sanded and cleaned a mahogany porch. The pressure washed it. Ready to seal it with a clear uv oil sealant. I noticed swirling marks from the pressure washer. Should I go over it again to remove those marks or will they cover with the sealer?
Are the marks in the wood? If so they they will not come out.
I just sanded off two layers of a bad contractor's coating job (brutal – hand sander, 120 sheets of sixty grit paper on 240 sq ft) bringing the redwood back to bare/clean.
It looks great, and I am gonna go with a penetrating oil.
But, before I do that, should I PH balance the wood? Or, is there no need as I sanded it?
Any info is hugely appreciated. Many thanks. – AB in SB
Yes I would apply a brightener then rinse deck well with water. Helps to open the grain after sanding.
We stripped, cleaned and brightened our deck. Now it has been raining for 3 weeks. Can we stain when it gets dry or do we need to redo a step?
At a minimum do a light rinse to remove any pollen to dirt before staining.
Does the deck need to dry between the "cleaning" and "brightening" steps?
No, apply brightener as soon as you are done with the cleaning.
I replaced all my deck boards last year with Cedar , and have let it season for almost a year. I have used RAD for my cleaner,
hand scrub the boards, and some power washing. I still have some gray around knots and mill marks. Is that as good as it is going to get? How will I know when to stop. I have not used the brightener yet, I was thinking of doing some light sanding and then the brighten, what are your thought?
I would just ahead and brighten and then stain. Knots will always be a lighter in color when stained.
I have a new Ipe deck I am prepping to stain with Penofin. It's been rained on and has water marks from roofline and a very small amount of blackish tint at some of the screwheads. It's 4.5 months since the deck was built. Should I use a cleaner and brightener before staining/ Cleaner only? Brightener only? I have the Cabot brightner, but I was thinking of returning for the Penofin Cleaner and just using that first to see if it preps it properly (without needing brightener) and then I would have the cleaner for future use, since the deck is about 400 sq ft and the container makes a lot more than that.
You cannot just brighten the wood. Use both the cleaner and the wood brightener.
So I sanded my entire deck and am wondering if I need to pressure wash it after to remove any old stain that is left behind. Will it ruin what I have already sanded or not.
You should use a deck cleaner and lightly pressure wash to deck. You actually want to roughen up the deck a little after sanding. Sanding reduces the stains ability to penetrate into the wood grain well.
Deck previously stained w/ TWP1520, time to restain; 3years later. Should I use the Gemini brightener in addition to the cleaner?
Thank you again!
Yes use the Gemini cleaner and brightener kit for the prep.
We have a 4 year old Hawthorn tree that we planted before building the deck. We cut a hole for it and it is thriving – but the deck needs cleaning. We bought behr all in one wood cleaner — but are concerned it will harm the tree. Please – any advice?
Not certain on Behrs cleaner as it may contain bleach. As long as the ground is not overly saturated with the cleaner then it should be okay for the tree.
Thank you for your response. Maybe best solution would be to pressure wash instead of using chemicals? A safe rather than senario? I will check the ingredients for bleach
Again – thank you
I built a deck last fall and now need to stain it. It is not gray and it's still clean. Should I clean it with something or pressure wash it before putting down sealer/stain?
Bob
Pressure wash lightly and use both a deck cleaner and wood brightener.
Cleaning and brightening a deck can create 'fuzzies'. (Scrub brush or pressure washer). Would not it make more sense to sand after cleaning and brightening? 3 year young ptw. Thanks.
It can create fuzzies based on the condition of the wood. If heavily gray/oxidized you will need to remove a \”deep\” layer of the wood cells. When this happens we will lightly buff the floor with a buffer and sanding pad to remove the wood fibers. Please read this about wood furring: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/wood-fuzzies-furring…
We have a 4 year old Hawthorn tree that we planted before building the deck. We cut a hole for it and it is thriving – but the deck needs cleaning. We bought behr all in one wood cleaner — but are concerned it will harm the tree. Pllease – any advice?
Brandy
While we are not a fan of the Behr cleaner, we doubt it will harm the tree.
I'm trying to lift our remove all the Ducan that's been laid down on the deck but having troubles need to know how to pull it off
Sorry but do not know what \”Ducan\” is.
We have a 12 month old pressure treated pine deck we want to now stain with TWP 100. We will use the Restore-A-Deck cleaner and brightener. What is the max and minimum time we can go between the brightener and applying the stain? What is the minimum drying time after applying the stain before it rains? We're expecting several days of rain but would like this done soon. Thank you!
Max time after prep should be 1-2 weeks to stain. Usually can take a rain within 12-24 hours.
hi. I have a deck that was stained.it has been heavily faded from a lot of stone work done around the deck.I am planning on staining the deck again in a darker color. what is your suggestion on prepping the deck? I'm not sure if I need to strip the stain off first since I am going to make it a darker color.or if I need to sand if I am stripping. if I do need to sand then to what extent.. in just not too sure how to go about it please give me info. thank you
Strip and brighten would be the prep. You should not need to sand unless you are trying to remove a stubborn stain that does not allow it to be stripped.
I began the work of putting in a cedar deck back in April of this year (2014). It greyed quite a bit since then, which was not at all surprising given that the backyard is treeless and faces due west. Last weekend, I power washed, scrubbed with a stiff bristle deck cleaning brush using a solution of sodium percarbonate and bleach, then power washed again. It looks a lot better, but there are still some grey spots (especially around knots) and quite a few fuzzies. It looks amazing when wet, though. I have not sanded. I plan on sealing with Sikkens Cetol SRD #077 Cedar translucent wood finish (two gallons already purchased, which I plan on mixing together in a 5 gallon plastic paint bucket). My questions to you are: 1) should I sand? It's obvious that sanding will eliminate the fuzzies, but will it help with the remaining greyish spots? will the fuzzies go away on their own if I don't sand? 2) should I apply a deck brightener? 3) what order to do these in? 4) is the Cetol SRD a decent product?
Thank you for your time and thank you all of the excellent information here. As homeowners, we greatly appreciate it.
You could try to buff off the fuzzies with a floor buffer and sanding pad to remove the fuzzies. It may help with the gray spots as well but when you stain, the gray should not show. They fuzzies will not go away on their own but will be less noticeable when stained. Sand first then apply brightener. SRD is an okay product.
What's the maximum delay between cleaning with Restore-A-Deck and brightening? If I cannot brighten immediately after the cleaning, can it be done in a few days? Or next weekend?
Also should I wash (or just mist) the deck immediately before brightening?
You are supposed to brighten right after the cleaning. If for some reason you cannot then just do it two days prior to staining.
I just finished pressure-washing the old (20+ yrs old) deck. It turned from black to a nice wood color, but still grayish… I don't know what type of wood it is. Most boards are in good shape, very few are warped. I'm planning to sand it a bit, and then stain with Armstrong Clark semi-transparent Cedar.
My question is: should I sand first, then clean with RAD, then brighten? Or RAD first, then sanding, then brightening?
Should I power wash in between?
Thanks!
Sand, clean, then brighten. Use the pressure washer when doing the cleaning.
I replaced some rotted boards, stripped (RAD), brightened(RAD) and lightly sanded my entire deck 2 months ago. I waited the 2 months to let the new boards age before I stain with Amrstrong semi-solid. In the meantime the deck has grayed (oxidized). Yesterday I tried a behr all-in-one cleaner/brightener (lightly brushed & power washed) to remove the gray, but the gray is still there. Do I need a more powerful cleaner/brightener like RAD again or is it okay to stain? I've cleaned it twice already, any suggestions?
Dave, does the gray show when wet with water? If not than you should be okay to stain as the AC will enhance and not show the gray.
I've just finished with the restore a deck stripper to remove a water proofer that was applied 2 years ago. I have the brightener that I plan to use next but I have a lot fuzz that I assume needs to be sanded before staining. Should this be sanded before the brightener or after?
Sand first and brighten after. Use a floor buffing machine with sanding pads for the floor. Faster and easier.
Hi. We have a PTW cedar tone deck that was built about 2 years ago and needs staining. The cedar tone has come off on some areas of the deck floor and rails. This will be the first staining. What products should we use for cleaning/brightening and will it remove the rest of the cedar tone on the PTW? We live in Manitoba Canada and our deck faces east and about 1/3 of the deck is covered. What type of stain should we use that will need the least Maintenance? Thank you!
Bonnie, use the Restore A Deck Stain Stripper and pressure washing to help prep and remove the rest of the stain. Use the brightener when done. Stain with a oil based penetrating stain that allows for easier reapplication in the future.
Hi Bonnie, I live in Edmonton, If I lived close to the border as you may, I would go across and buy TWP, or Defy. After doing much research and based on reviews here I am going to use Messmers UV plus, and after talking to Messmers I am going to slightly darken the cedar tone by measuring in a small portion of one of the darker tints.
Thanks I will re wash, and re brighten, and see if i can find Wet and Forget here.
I have a 5 year old cedar deck which gets considerable sun. It has not been stained. I cleaned, lightly power washed, and sanded every square inch, then used oxalic acid brightener. The wood looks great except there still are areas which show some grey around knots, and on boards in general. I tried to sand some of those areas again, but the grey persists. I am going to use Messmers stain, based on your recomendations, because it is available in Canada, and your other favorites are not. I am guessing that the numerous small grey areas will show considerably through the stain, Can you recomend a solution. I have spent 5 hard days of prep, on over a 1000 sq ft of surface area, and really want to get it right, even if I need to spend another day or 2 on it before, staining. Thanks for any help. Your site has been my go to for product, and prep information, and thanks for that too.
If the gray does not show when wet with water than most likely it will not show when stained.
We had rain for the last couple days, and the grey does show some in some of the areas, in others it doesn't. I have to admit I am a bit frustrated, considering the effort I put in, but I know a few more hours now could make all the difference, when it comes to the final product, and maintaining later. Any ideas?
I have also done quite a bit of reading on mold, mildewcide type additives, like Krud Kutter mc2 for paint and stain, do you have any thoughts about these? I have a few areas which did show mildew.
On a side note, I am well aware of the time and effort needed to answer questions, and provide the in depth information you have here, and to do so without the benefit of advertising is amazing. I hope the many who visit this site understand.
Gord, it is normal for knots to be lighter in color sometimes ad darker in color. They are not always a darker color. The only thing you could try is to wash the wood one more time. Try Wet and Forget product for the mold.
I am prepping to first time stain a new 9 month old PTW deck. The lower part is only inches from ground level and next to 7 month old sod. Is there a simple way to clean the wood that encloses the area between deck surface and the ground other than lifting the sod during the process? Also, is applying a wood brightener necessary after the cleaning process for new wood?
Sherry, yes you need to brighten. Not sure what you mean on the sod area. Cannot visualize it.
I was wondering if I had to wait for the wood to dry before applying the brighter after the cleaner? Also, what is the maximum amount of time you would recommend waiting to stain after cleaning/brightening?
You apply the brightener right after the cleaning. No need to let the wood dry. Maximum would be a couple of weeks.
i have a large PT deck which gets direct sun. it was treated (cleaned) and water sealed 3 yrs ago. w Thompson clear water seal. Now I want to try it myself. Can I clean it w a TSP/Bleach mix? All the cleaners in the big box stores have Sodium Hypochlorite (Bleach) or Sodium Hypochlorite (Bleach) w TSP as the active ingredient (s). I also have a 1900 PSI electric power washer. My goal is to remove the "blacking" and seal the deck from water, and protect the boards. Am I on the right track?
Yes but we are not fans of bleach based cleaners. Look for one that contains sodium percarbonate and use a wood brightener when done.
I have a 3 year old IPE deck in Arizona at high altitude, 8500', it gets a lot of UV! I love the natural color and grain and have been using IPE oil to preserve it since I can re-apply every 2 years without stripping, just clean, dry, and re-coat. Is this a good approach? Also, I have a few pine trees nearby and I get some pine sap occasionally that I want to clean off. Any thoughts on cleaning off the sap?
Flyitall, sorry but nothing removes sap well. Cleaning and reapplying the IPE Oil as needed will work for you.
Jake, cleaner would help lift out sand dust. If you do not have a cleaner, then rinse well with water, brighten, and rinse again.
I've sanded my deck and am ready to stain, but our weather has been very foggy in the mornings, so I'm concerned the wood hasn't been able to sufficiently dry. Any advice? Should I cover the deck with plastic at night?
Jonathan, we would not cover but rather wait until the dew dries off the deck surface later in the day. Once the sun gets on the wood it will dry fast.
4 yr old cedar deck had Australian Timber Oil on it first time but it didn't last long. Deck is now grey and rough.
If I want to sand the deck smooth again, should I clean it first (allow to dry), sand with 60 or 80, then seal?
Thinking of using TWP 1500 – we're in Ontario with full sun.
Van G, clean first and sand with 60 grit. When done apply a wood brightener and heavily rinse to remove sand dust. TWP is not compliant for the VOC laws of Canada. Look at Armstrong Clark or Defy Extreme.
We'll see if I can clean tomorrow, dry for a day, sand and brighten same day, then two days to dry and apply.
I'm in NY state regularly – is TWP 1500 a better product than the others?
From what I've read you like the AC Deck restore kit?
I see Messmers in the local wood shops so I assume this is used a fair amount. Wasn't impressed with Cabot's ATO.
Messmers makes a decent stain but we do like TWP better. Yes we like the Restore Kits.
I think this is my last week to get something on so I need to go local (Toronto). Will use Cleaner & Brightner from big box (HD or Lowes) and sand as you've suggested. I've got a 1/2 gallon of the ATO left over so I'll put that on to protect for the winter/spring and then do it proplery with Restore a Deck and TWP 1500 in June next year. Thanks for your help.
I should have prefaced that I'm unable to buy any of the products you recommend locally and will have to order online and/or pick up state side.
Cheers.
I applied Armstrong Clark Mahogany to our PT deck on Saturday. I finished up with an hour or two of daylight (which only cast shadows on the deck). Sunday was gloomy and rained around 1pm. It was a light rain and was on and off all day. I used the leaf blower to get rid of any standing water or beaded water Sunday evening. It lightly rained on and off Monday until 1pm. Its supposed to be sunny for the next couple days. Do you think the stain will be ok? What should I look for?
Ashley, I am sure it is just fine. AC says it can take a rain within an hour or two of application.
We have a cedar deck we sealed 2 summers ago. we are wondering if we need to clean it with a stripper first and then a cleaner before we add a new coat of sealant? It has never been stained, just sealed. The paint company we use wants us to buy 3 different cleaners for it…
Doug, what sealer did you use before?
Oh. I guess it was a stain & sealer combo. Superdeck Brand Transparent Stain and Sealer. oil based.
Doug, use a stripper and wood brightener for the prep.
ok great. thanks for the help.
Hi thank you for your helpful website.
My husband and I are new home owners, we have a very large wooden deck out the back that we have applied a stripper to, the deck is now a very pale grey colour- I'm wondering if this is how it should look? We went away leaving the job unfinished and it has been in extreme heat and sunlight for 3 months – Do we need to re-apply a stripper or re-clean it again before continuing to stain it? Also, apart from stripping, cleaning and staining it, are there any other steps we should be doing as well? (Water proofing, uv protection etc…?) Sorry, we are not very handy in this area but want to try it ourselves…
Thank you
Angela, use a deck cleaner and wood brightener for the prep. Stain the deck with a semi-transparent penetrating stain like Armstrong Clark.
I was planning on just cleaning my deck, so silly me, I bought a wood cleaner, and went to town according to all the directions. After spent a good amount of time in the sun, I came back in here and read that "Deck Cleaners" are used for the prep of (re)staining a deck. That was not my intention at all!
So now, what are my options? Not stain it and what happens?
Or brighten it and then restain it?
Thanks
Nick, you may need to restain now.
I cleaned my cedar deck 3 weeks ago and have not been able to stain it because of the non stop rain. Finally today (Friday) and tomorrow it is supposed to be 83 degrees. My deck is in full sun. Will those two days give my deck enough time to dry so I can stain it Sunday? It is supposed to be dry for several days but I can only stain it on Sunday since I have to go back to work Monday.
Stephanie, everyone is having the same issue with the weather including us. You should be okay to proceed. Add some pictures in the forum when you are done.
I cleaned my cedar deck 3 weeks ago and I have not been able to stain it yet because it has been raining non stop. If the forecast is correct, starting tomorrow it will not rain for several days. Since three weeks have gone by do I need to clean it again? Since the wood is so saturated would it be ok to give it Friday and Saturday to dry out and then stain it on Sunday?
I installed a pressure treated deck around a year ago. I was told to wait a year afterwards for weathering purposes. The wood looks good but gray in some spots. I power washed today but it wasn't really that dirty. I do notice a few dirt spots that never came up and also some brighter spots than others. I generally go to sherwin Williams for everything paint related but I can go elsewhere. Can you please give me some advice on what exactly to do from here? For example if I should use a cleaner what kind of cleaner should I use. I feel as if the wood could be cleaner or brighter but the power washer just didn't get that much up. Then should I use wood brightener and so on. I used the premium pressure treated from Home Depot.
Paul, use a deck cleaner then lightly pressure wash off. Brighten the wood when done. This should restore the color
I would like to try to apply TWP 100 or 1500 to my Cedar deck that currently has blackend Red Label Penofin Rosewood Oil Do I need to strip/brighten, or will clean/brighten be enough prep?
Amy, strip and brighten for the prep.
I power washed my deck today and after it dried some of the wood was a blonde color and some of it was real ash white, why the difference? I also noticed I had some stop/start spots from powerwashing, Im a rookie, so will those show up in a darker semi transparent stain? will sanding even them out?
Dan, did you use a deck cleaner and wood brightener? You cannot cover to stop marks with a stain. It will show through.
Interested in ordering Armstrong semi-solid. This product is not sold in my state. Would like to get idea of the colors. Would like brown but not a flat brown…something with a rust undertone would be preferred.
LeVerna, I would contact the manufacturer for some samples to test first.
I live in Colorado , southern exposure and have an upper story redwood deck that's about 12 yrs old. I recently replaced a few boards using thompsonized southern yellow pine instead of redwood and stainless steel screws. I'v done a lot of reading on yr site and it seems that TWP 100 stain is a best bet. I'd prefer to simply prep the deck with the restore a deck system, and use my garden hose to wash that off, ( the other option is sanding- a lot more work/cost/time,I presume) but I'm worried that the washed off Restore a deck chemicals might do damage to the underlying joists or integrity of the upper deck sealant/membrane system , which I'm told by the orig builder is an EPDM rubber membrane, with sleeper joists. That's an important issue, since directly underneath the upper deck is my foyer and downstairs bathroom. So far I've never had any apparent ceiling leaks. So my questions are:
1. Is it reasonable and safe to skip the sanding process and just use the Restore a deck system – cleaner and brightener and would those have a potential to mess up my upper deck membrane?
2.Can/should I do this whole deck restore process now , or rather wait til late spring ( our weather is variable)- what stretch/duration of weather is optimal for this work?
3. Are any of the TWP 100 stains only a 2 coat process or are they all 2 coats? I'd prefer ultimately a lighter colored deck than a very dark one( esp in summer when it gets hot).
4. What's the reasonable duration/#years I can expect from a TWP job, if done right ?
4a. Is TWP 100 a good choice for Colorado ( 4 distinct seasons, hot dry summers up to 95+, winters with 30-40 total inches snow, altitude 5400) or do you strongly favor another deck stain?
** I'm more concerned with protection and preservation than sheer aesthetics in the end.
Dave Boulderite,
1. Restore-A-Deck products are essentially harmless to surrounding areas. We have never experienced any issues when using them near rubber or vinyl.
2. I personally would wait until spring since the outdoor season is over.
3. Lighter colors will fade/fail faster then darker colors especially in high UV areas. The 100 is a 2 coat system. You may be able to get by with 1 coat in the 1500.
4. 2 years maybe 3 on horizontal surfaces.
4a. TWP would work well in your area.
My 1200 sq ft cedar fence is in good condition but it's due for another coat of stain (starting to gray) and there are black mold spores on about 60% of the surface which I want to remove before re-staining. The fence is shared with my neighbours, and trying to address the mold on the other side of the fence is not likely, which means some mold will remain in the wood, even if it's not visible on my side. I live on the Prairies so the climate is usually relatively dry.
I think the oil stain (SuperDeck Natural 1910) applied 3 years ago could possibly be promoting the mold. I have a cedar cold frame (for growing vegetables) that has no finish/stain (it's gray) and also no mold, even though it's right next to my moldy fence.
Today I experimented using only a cleaner or brightener or just water to see which was most effective at removing the black mold spores and the dark gray stains. All required considerable scrubbing which actually damaged the cedar so now it will have to be lightly sanded to smooth it out. It seemed the scrubbing action was key to removing the mold. The brightener seemed the most effectively but not to a significant degree. The water alone with scrubbing was moderately effective. We also sanded a couple of panels with a belt and palm sander. Bleach (100%) in a small test area removed the black mold with no scrubbing. I don't want to use really strong chemicals to remove the spores for the entire fence.
1) What method would you recommend for removing the mold: a) sanding? b) power washing? c) brightener?
2) If I switch to a water-based stain, do you think there will be less mold growth in the future? Would you recommend a water-based stain in this situation?
Thanks very much!
Diana