Update for 2018: Deck Stripping – Removing an Old Deck Stain
Those who are familiar with deck staining are aware of how important each step of the process is, especially the initial prepping that precedes the stain. In this article, we discuss the importance of using a quality stripper when you have an old coating on your deck you need to remove. We always appreciate your input, so feel free to leave a comment below with pictures of your deck stain projects.
Failing Deck Stain
When it comes to restoring an older wood deck, it’s extremely important to prep the wood correctly. Not doing so can lead to premature failure of the new deck stain. No matter the brand or cost of a deck stain, it will not last as long as it should if it isn’t applied to a perfectly cleaned and prepped surface.
One of the biggest mistakes DIY homeowners make in cleaning and preparing a wood deck for stain is not removing all remnants of old deck stain. Any failed deck stain that is left on the wood will block the new stain from penetrating the surface properly. The new deck stain will sit on top of the wood instead of diving into it. Deck stains do not adhere to each other well so this causes the newer deck stain to begin flaking and peeling off the deck normally in a year or less. Even if you can’t see any old deck stain but you know there was some on the wood at one time, it’s vitally important to remove it. Splash some water on the wood and see if it absorbs into the wood or if it beads up and sits on top. Beading up would indicate there is some type of old failed stain on the wood that needs to be removed.
To remove old deck stain from the wood you have to use a deck stripper. A quality deck stripper will break up and soften any old stain allowing it to be washed away. Most deck strippers will not remove solid stain or paints if this is the case you may have to sand the old stain to get back down to bare wood again.
Once the deck has been washed with a deck stripper and the old deck stain is gone, it is necessary to brighten the wood using a wood brightener. The deck stripper will darken the wood and raise the pH level. To brighten the wood back to a natural state, and lower the pH to a more acidic level, will restore the appearance and give the new deck stain the best chance of lasting as long as possible.
A properly cleaned and brightened deck should be allowed to dry for several days before a quality deck stain is applied. Taking these measures and using a deck stripper and deck brightener before staining will give you much better and longer lasting results.
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451 Comments on "Deck Stripping – Removing an Old Deck Stain"
Is a staining pad better than a paintbrush for an unstained, 6 year old, pt pine deck? Maybe better for a maintenance coat 1-2 years later? Thanks!
We always use deck stain pads. Easier, faster, and better coverage.
We have recently stripped and sanded our deck, do we need to use a wood neutralizer before staining or does a deck wash/brightner act as the same thing?
You want a deck brightener to help open the pores of the wood after sanding.
Does the deck have to be dry before using the stripper?
I can be damp wood or dry.
We just applied a semi transparent stain on our deck last season. We live in Michigan. Is it too soon to strip the stain off? My wife does not like the color, but it is still in great shape.
Depends on the brand but it should come off.
I have a five year old cedar deck. It has gone from a water sealer to a ready seal oil stain(worst ever so oily). There has never been a proper prep. So I have sanded with a big floor type sander. Next I cleaned with a deck cleaner and scrubbed. Surprised that after sanding a lot of oil cane up while scrubbing. So today I want to strip and then brighten. Is this order okay? I want to strip because there are a few boards that are not absorbing the water. Should I strip the whole deck? I’m going with TWP 100. Thanks! I love your site.
Agree on the Ready Seal. Never understood why anyone likes it?
Yes you can strip if needed again. Strip all and brighten all.
Thank you!!! Your guys have helped a single lady figure things out. Can I just rinse off stripper with hose? I don’t have a power washer. Can a apply brightner as soon as I am done rinsing off stripper? Lastly do I need to scrub stripper of can I just rinse off.
You cannot just rinse a stripper. Pressure washing is needed.
I have power washed off as much as possible. Is there a stripper that is pet friendly? What stain would you recommend for a redwood color?
You cannot strip this coating. It is multiple layers of a solid stain or paint. You will have to power sand this to remove it.
I’ve read through the comments and although not ideal, if I go with another solid stain what are your recommendations?
Flood Solid Color Deck Stains.
I have read through the comments, although not ideal if I go with a solid stain again what would you recommend?
I have a mahogany deck that was stained with Duckback Superdeck Exotic Hardwood Stain. I sanded it down to bare wood, and plan to re-stain with a different hardwood stain–Armstrong Clark or Defy based on your reviews). Also, which do you recommend for mahogany, the Armstrong or the Defy.
Since I sanded it thoroughly, do I need to use a cleaner and/or brightener since I did not use a stripper?
Thanks!
Using a cleaner and a brightener will help the stain soak in better. Try the Defy Hardwood Stains.
Thanks. What color would you recommend for Mahogany? I’d like to keep the natural look of the wood as much as possible. The Defy Hardwood stain comes in Cedar Tone, Natural Pine and Light Walnut.
Natural Pine.
I just stripped and brightened my deck. I’m not sure what the previous owner used for stain, and there wan’t much left on the surface, so I decided to use a stripper to be safe. I power washed prior to stripping and then again to rinse off the residue and later to rinse off the brightener. Everything looks pretty good but there are areas on the deck planks that look like the surface wood fiber broke down. It looks fuzzy, almost like felt. Can I make it right by sanding? Anything else I need to do? Pic attached. Thanks. Very helpful website!
See this for tips: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/wood-fuzzies-furring-on-deck/
Is it okay to lightly sand any fuzzies after brightening? Or best to do after sanding and before brightening? Don’t want to close wood pores or add more fuzzies when sanding after brightening. Thanks again!
Do if before.
My 6 year old pt pine deck is about 384 sq. feet and 2 feet high. I stained last spring which was really wet. (Maybe should have used a moisture meter.) Cleaned, sanded and gambled on BM semi-solid. Oops! (The semi-transparent just did not provide the colour we desired.) The deck is boarded on all 3 sides by 3 boards to keep most of the critters out. There ‘s about 1/4 inch gap between the deck boards. Would it be wise to drill air holes in the boards or remove them altogether? All 3 sides or 2 sides? Could remove 2 boards on all sides since the top side boards are facer/structural? boards. 2 sides of the deck are wrapped in bushes; no railings. If I were to drill holes, how large should they be? Thank a lot!
We would not drill holes. Remove 1-2 boards from all sides to allow the airflow.
Yeah, the semi-solid BM peeled. Maybe the lack of air flow was the issue? AC semi-transparent looks promising. Thank you!
Actually, it is just not a very good product. https://www.deckstainhelp.com/tag/benjamin-moore-arborcoat/
You will have to sand to fix and then go with a penetrating stain. https://www.deckstainhelp.com/the-5-best-deck-stain-reviews-and-ratings/
Forgot to mention there is white stone under deck and about 18 inches of space. Same advice applies? (Remove 2 boards on all sides.) Thank you!
Maybe just one. Feel free to post a picture.
Don’s deck. Re. Ventilation issue. Thanks!
Don’s deck/ventilation issue. Thanks!
Remove the bottom two boards.
I want to remove semi transparent deck paint that had already started to peel off. Can you tell me the best product and way to do this please? Thanks!
What brand of stain is on the wood? Pictures would help.
Do I need to clean wood that was cleaned and sanded last spring? Will be lightly sanded again and brightened. Then a semi-transparent stain. Probably AC. Thx a lot!
Clean and brighten is the correct prep. No need to sand.
Can the stripper be left in the sprayer overnight?
It should be okay. Release the pressure on the sprayer.
Thanks😄
We just stripped out decks and rails with pressure washer. From the looks of it, we need to sand it for all the new rough spots peeled up with pressure washer. Then water seal. Do you have any other suggestions??
No except use a deck stain, not a water sealer: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/the-5-best-deck-stain-reviews-and-ratings/
We have a pressure treated deck that a handyman thought was cedar and he washed it with a clorox soap and hand sanded it to remove the old stain. However, the stains were still observable and he stained right over the decking. Now it looks blotchy and no where near what it formerly looked like. From your explanation, he clearly didn’t know what he was doing and continued to maintain that the wood is cedar which he was told it is not. Now what ? Thoughts ? E. Hazelett, Stowe, VT
Remove all and start over is the only way to fix.
Hiya, last year we moved to a new house and power-washed our decking which was greyish, quite mouldy and extremely slippy. We then applied Culprinol natural oak anti slip stain, but it started to peel in areas. We powerwashed and brushed hard again this year and reapplied and starting to peel again in areas and looks pretty patchy. Should we have treated/stripped/sanded the first time? We are rather naive, first time buyers so didn’t really know! Any help or step by step guide to sorting this would be appreciated…Thanks!
Yes, you will need to chemically strip this all down to the bare wood.
I painted my deck with solid stain each year…the last 3 years…never removed any stain…was peeling from the first year I started… I want to stop this cycle…please explain steps simply for me for I am new to home repairs and want to do correctly because money is tight.. thank you
Only way to fix this correctly is to sand off all the paint. Once removed, you can then use a penetrating wood stain: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/the-5-best-deck-stain-reviews-and-ratings/
Hi,
I am wanting to remove two year old acrylic/oil stain I applied to a dock that now looks blotchy. Type of stain was Flood Pro series and colour was natural.
Am I still safe to use a stripper and brightener around lakes?
What type is the stain? Solid, semi-transparent, etc? Pictures would help as well.
Thank you. Do I need to prep the rails a certain way before recoating?
Also we tried stripping an area to do a test run and there are a few small areas that where the stain would not strip off…will that be problematic when we go to restain? If we have to sand those areas prior to staining do you recommend a specific grit for sand paper?
Here are some photos of the dock
Flood is the stain type. It says natural, but as you can see from the photos had a brown tint. The dock is made from pressure treated green so I would actually like no colour or a green tint.
A stripper and a wood brightener is the way to prep this. It should come off. Clear sealer with no tint = no UV protection from graying. You must have a tint for this.
We redid our deck last year….sanded and stained, looked great. This year we scrubbed it with bleach and applied stain before it was thoroughly dry. Mistake! Now do we need to strip it, add brightner and re stain? In that order?
What brand is the stain and type? Picture please.
Super deck transparent
Strip it. Brightener after to neutralize. Let dry for 2 days and then stain.
In the end, we stripped, brightened – let it dry for a week – sanded and stained…..results, an amazingly beautiful deck. We live in Washington State and after researching stains for the Northwest we used Armstrong-Clark semi-transparent stain and Andre extremely happy with it. Thank you for helping; it certainly was a lot of labor that has paid off.
L
Pictures please!
Here you go…
We started staining our deck this week and hate the color. It was not at all what we expected. Is it possible to remove it with it being newly stained and not old?
Depends on the brand and type of stain you are using? Pictures would help as well.
This is what we used. I don’t have a pic of the deck. But it turned out an orange red color. We did not finish so it’s only the first coat sprayed on and still has a lot of unstained wood showing through. Any hope?
That is not an easy stain to remove when jsut applied. Strippers will not work very well. Sanding may be your only option.
Hi, thank you so much for the advice. I am planning on stripping the deck prior to staining it, however, the rails look like they didn’t receive the weathering that the deck did, is it a bad idea to stain only the deck and not the rails? also is it a bad idea to add a new coat of stain on the rails if I don’t strip the previous stain first?
You would have to use the same brand and color of stain that is currently on the wood to do this.
Thank you. Do I need to prep the rails a certain way before recoating?
Also we tried stripping an area to do a test run and there are a few small areas that where the stain would not strip off…will that be problematic when we go to restain? If we have to sand those areas prior to staining do you recommend a specific grit for sand paper?
This all depends on the brand and type of stain that is on the wood? Not all are prepped the same way. Pictures would help.
We are using beauti-tone 100% acrylic semi-transparent stain. I have attached pictures
Is it supposed to be a dark brown color or did it turn a dark brown color? You may need to sand to prep. 60-80 grit paper.
It was supposed to be a dark (really dark) stain that still shows wood character. The spots where it stripped like it was supposed to looks like brand new wood
If the stripping does not work you will need to sand and it does need to come off before applying the new stain.
I used a semi-solid oil stain (BM) on my deck last spring/summer and it’s peeling on some boards already. Should I chemically strip what comes off then belt sand any remaining stain? (Usually I use semi-transparent but liked the colour the semi-solid provided.) Duh! Thx.
Arborcoat? That cannot be stripped effectively. You may get some off with the stripper but you will need up sanding to remove all. Make sure and do a light wash after the sanding for the final prep.
Yes. Arborcoat. Belt sander? 60 grit? Thanks.
Yes. 60-80 grit.
I‘m about to restain my 16’ by 30’ cedar deck It has sikkens srd on it now. I’m thinking of sanding it and than applying gemini cleaner and rinse than the and brighter rinse let dry until Thursday and restain with twp 100 Thursday 2 coats wet on we. I was hoping to get your option. also Friday is and nice but Saturday is going to rain do you recommend me staining it after Saturday? Is it ok to leave it sanded and cleaned and brighten until after the rain cause suppose to get 3 days of nice weather after Saturday
We would wait and it would not hurt to leave it up to two weeks after the prep until you stain.
I’ve read that you don’t encourage sanding a deck during prep. I have pressure washed my deck, now (based on your guidance) I’m going to use a stripper, brightener, then stain. I’d like to sand as I’d like to get rid of some of the splintering from the pressure washer (my bad).
When do you recommend I sand in this process? Before the stripper, brightener, stain?
After stripping but before the brightener.
Thanks! I haven’t been using a stripper while I’ve been pressure washing. If I sand, do I still need a stripper?
You will need the stripper to remove old stain if the pressure washing is not taking it off.
i have a semi transparent stain on the deck floor, but my handrails/footrails/spindles are painted white. im concerned that if i apply this stripper with a pump sprayer, some will inevitably get on the railings. will the stripper damage the paint on the rails? is there an application method other than taping and being ultra careful to remedy this?
Deck stain strippers do not remove paints unless the paints are peeling.
I sprayed my deck with cleaner that said it would remove stain but I still have some boards that are still completely covered. I started sanding these areas but gave up after I realized this would take forever. Is the cleaner/stain remover the same as the stripper or do I need to buy these separate?
A deck cleaner is not the same as a stain stripper.
My deck is over ten years old and was not maintained at all by the previous owner. There isn’t much color left and I am unsure if they used stain or solid color paint. How can I tell?
Post a picture please.
We just bought a house and I’d like to strip the deck of chipping paint and mold prior to staining or painting. After the deck stripper is washed off with the power washer into the lawn, could the chemical potentially harm our dog?
Solid color paint? That cannot be stripped. Sanding is the only way to remove effectively.
Great! Thank you for the speedy response!
Here is the photo from my question. Would a solid color cover this up? Do I need to power wash again with stronger preasure?
You need a stain stripper first and then pressure wash off. Brighten when done.
Hi! I power washed my deck two days ago with a harbor freight power washer and I feel it didn’t work. Can it look at these photos and please give me some advice? I’ll do anything except sanding! Thank you!
1 year ago we added to our deck using pressure treated wood that I have not treated or done anything to. The older section is pressure treated wood that was treated by previous house owners but not sure what they used for a stain. It’s a darker color stain and I want the old and new sections to match and my wife wants a lighter color final stain for all. Some areas of the deck (common walk areas) worn down to the wood and some areas look pristine (low traffic areas). Do I strip/clean then stain? Any help is appreciated.
Please post a picture of the older stain. How to remove depends on the type it is.
hope this helps…thanks
That looks “thick” Strip off what you can and sand the rest. Brighten when done.
We plan to strip and brighten our deck this Thursday morning with all DEFY products on our stained deck (We used semi-transparent Behr stain 2 years ago, never again!). Our old renters had dogs that scuffed up the stain pretty bad and has caused a lot of flaking. Also, when we re-stained the deck 2 years ago when we first bought this house, we were rookies and did zero prep work and stained over old stain that the previous homeowners had on. We learned from our mistakes now and are doing the necessary preparations. Learned our lesson the hard way.
The weather here in Crestline, CA shows a 20-50% chance of rain with a high of 51° and a low of 32° for the day we wish to stain/brighten. Is that too cold of temps to apply stripper and brightener? Will any rain have adverse effects on the stripper/brightener? Thanks!
Warmer temps do help the stripper to be more effective. If you have a build of coatings and you used the Behr last time, you are going to have a difficult job getting all of the stain off. You may need to sand as well.
Thanks for your quick reply. What grit of sandpaper would you recommend for such a task? I’ve attached pictures of sections of our deck for reference. Thanks
60 grit to start and finish with 80.
If you don’t mind me asking one last question.. can you verify that my deck restoration process is correct? If we need to end up sanding, how does that affect the brightening process since you’re typically supposed to brighten immediately after stripping?
1. Apply stripper, leave on for designated time
2. Scrub and/or power wash off
3. Wait for deck to dry, 1-2 days?
4. Sand the remaining stain off
4. Apply brightener after sanding, rinse off after designated time
5. Let deck dry a few days
6. Apply stain
Your steps are correct and is okay to brighen the wood after if you are sanding. You will need to pressure wash in step 2.
can you do the sanding with an orbital sander?
Yes, but it may leave swirls marks on the wood.
We stripped the semi solid stain on our outdoor deck yesterday with restore a deck stripper but didn’t have time to apply brightener afterwards. It is sunny and 60 today. We have the brightner, is it too late to put brightener on or worth the effort. It will be stained with solid stain next week sometime but I want to do all I can to make the new stain last.
Best to still do it and it will look better.
In 2007,after 6 yrs of using a wood preservation on my deck I applied a Benjamin Moore “red barn” transparent stain. I did not like the color ,so after 2 yrs I changed color after washing the deck. I applied another transparent stain of a differend color and re=applied about every 2 yrs thereafter. I recently power washed the deck almost down to bare wood and after it dried I apply the same color color again. This time the red barn color was bleeding thru .
What do I need to do to redo the deck and insure that the barn red stained wood
is eliminated and after restaining with the B-M semi-transparent stain there os no red barn bleeding visable.
Thank You
You will need strip off what you can and then power sand so all current and old stain is fully removed.
I am in the process of stripping of the horable Restore 10x and cleaning it, however it is not coming off. Will a solid color waterproof stain , cover it up safely?
Sorry but no you cannot fix this problem by adding a solid color stain on top. You will need to sand off the Restore 10x or replace the wood and start over.
I am planning to stain my deck with a solid stain. I was wondering when I need to strip the deck to bare wood and when I can just paint over?
Strip and pressure wash to remove the stain that is peeling but no need to remove all if you are just going to cover with another solid stain.
You only need to remove all if you are staining with transparent and semi transparent stain?
Yes if switching types of stains to one that is a semi-trans or semi-solid, all the solid deck stain would have to be removed.
I have a deck with many coats of Sherwinn Williams deckscape semi-transparent stain. Want to start over with Restore-a Deck or TWP 1500 stain. Will Restore-A-Deck stripper help take off this old stain or should I just bite the bullet and sand down to bare wood without trying to use a stripper.
The SW Decksacapes can be difficult to strip fully being it is a filming acrylic stain. If it was us, we would still strip as it will remove much or almost all. This will make your sanding easier if it is needed.
Hi there! I’m preparing to repaint my deck and could use some expert advice. My deck currently has paint on it. Do I need to make sure that all of the paint is off and the deck has been completely responded before repainting, or do I just need to make sure that all of the loose paint is off (using a power washer) but whatever paint is remaining can be painted over as long as the deck is clean and dry before repainting? Sanding or not necessary? All paint completely off or not necessary? Thanks so much!
If reapplying another solid color paint, just remove what is loose and any dirt. You can cover the intact stain.
Awesome, thanks so much!
Your advice is a great help. Once the Deskscape is removed, would you recommend Restore a deck stain or TWP 1500?
I relied on your site to help me strip and refinish a deck for my daughter last year. Your counsel and products saved me a lot of time and work. Her deck still looks great a year later. Thanks again.
Either brand will work well for you. Glad the advice worked out for you last year!
I put a dark stain on my porch and I want to remove it and put a lighter stain on. How do I get the dark stain off?
How to remove depends on the brand and type of deck stain you used. Do you know this?
yes, it was minwax wood finish Red mahogany
Minwax is not designed for exterior wood or decking. It cannot be stripped off. You will need to sand it off.
Last fall, I applied Sherwin Williams solid acrylic stain to three porches, one of which had new pressure treated wood. The wood had been in place for more than 12 months before I stained it, however it was not cleaned with a wood cleaner and wood brightener, as you specify. Also, because the stain did not instruct to apply only one coat, it received two coats. Needless to say, the stain was a disaster after only a few months, with many tiny bare spots.
As I prepare to repair the stair treads and landing, I am overwhelmed. Note that the risers and railings were PAINTED by the builder. I do not want to strip those. I seek a recommendation for a solid stain stripper and any advice you suspect I need.
Strippers will not remove solid colored deck stains effectively or 100%. If you want to remove it, sanding is your best option.
I had a contractor power wash my deck first The he applied a paint thinner to the spots that didn’t come off. He let it sit for 30 minutes, and then power washed it again. Now I have that paint thinner residue on the siding of my house, on the grass around my deck and on my hoses and some children’s toys.
I have grandbabies that play there, plus my dog runs everywhere around the area I’m talking about. The contractor was very sloppy in his clean-up.
What concerns should I have to avoid any harm to my loved ones and myself?
Once the paint thinner dries, there is no harm. Have him come back and clean up the mess.
safety of paint thinner deck cleaner residue – for children and pets. what are the safety and dangers?
I’ve got a deck that has been oiled each year but needs a good strip back this year. Should I sand it completely then oil? Or use deck stripping stuff, brighter then oil?
Try stripping first. Sand if needed after. Brighten all when done and rinse well.
I just stained part of my deck with ARBORCOAT Translucent Classic Oil Finish color natural, I wanted clear this is to brown for me. Deck is about 20 years old-pressure treated wood. How do I get this back to natural wood? Will it fade and power washed will the deck look natural again?
You will need to sand off the Arborcoat to fix. BTW, clear with no tint means you will have zero UV protection from graying.
Is the stain I used appears to be orange to me. Is this the lightest oil stain?
Deck cleaned up really nice. What is the differ ce between clear and the natural?
Depends on the brand? Natural in many brands is actually tinted but clear typically is not. No tint meand no UV protection.
I’ve got redwood gone gray there’s really nothing left to strip will a brightener clean or is cleaning a seperate process
You need a deck cleaner first and then a wood brightener.
we just stained the upright porch posts 2 days ago. The color is is too dark. Can we strip the new stain? it was still tacky yesterday do to rain and increased humidity.
Hard to strip a newly applied stain and sometimes even impossible. What brand and type was it?
Cabot Australian timber oil
You can try but you may need to strip a few times to get it all off.
I have one layer of (2) deck that will not keep stain. It always bubbles and peels. I used Sherwin Williams latex solid color deck stain. Would going to their or any other oil based stain work better? 2nd question is there a stripper that will help in removing the existing stain?
You will need to sand it off to fix this. Adding on top will not fix the problem.
Are you saying sand it all, even the parts that are holding or just the peeled spots?
Yes all will need to be removed.
Good afternoon, while stripping the old stain off the deck some of the particles dried on the aluminum door and also on some the of the railing posts. what is the best way to remove those specks of stain without removing the paint. thanks
Not sure if anything will work to not harm the aluminum paint. Best to try a Goof Off remover but test spot to make sure there is not a reaction.
We messed up our transparent stain on brand new redwood deck. Will using a deck stripper this early damage the wood? Also, since we used a transparent stain, we don’t need to use a sander? Deck stripper and cleaning/brightening should be sufficient prep? Thank you!
What brand of stain did you use?
Behr Transparent in Cedar. We cleaned/brightened then applied stain less than 24 hours later.
Strippers will not damage the wood but your issue is that Behr is not an easy product to strip, especially when just applied. You may have to sand as well to remove all.
We are having a unbelievable wet summer. My deck was needing redone so we decided to start on and we have dang near ran out of time. My rails are cedar and we have sanded old stain off and was going to strip and brighten the rest. Would I be able to leave as is and start over with cleaning and brightening around May? I have also replaced several boards in the deck and they need to weather a little but there has not been one day in over three weeks we have not received some rain. We do not get snow in the winter so will my deck survive till May ?
Yes, it will be fine to leave as is until next Spring.