This post was updated on April 25, 2023
How To Remove 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 deck stain 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.
Note: See here if you need to remove a Difficult to Remove Deck or Wood Stain.
#1 Best Wood Stain Stripper/Remover | #2 Best Wood Stain Stripper/Remover | #3 Best Wood Stain Stripper/Remover |
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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.
Deck Stain Stripping: Deck Stain Stripper Reviews
How To Strip A Deck Stain – DeckStainHelp.com
Deck Stain Help & Questions
Stain Reviews & Comparisons
As an article and comment contributor to the site, Scott has been around the pressure washing industry since attending college. In 1993 he started his first company called Oakland Pressure Wash specializing in exterior pressure washing and deck staining. That company evolved into OPW L.L.C. shortly thereafter concentrating more on exterior wood and deck restoration. Scott and his Deck Cleaning Michigan company have restored over 10,000 decks in the Metro Detroit area since the early years. He has become an authority in the deck restoration industry and has contributed to numerous wood restoration forums and informative sites.
All the products he suggests through this site are sold through online sites and in retail stores, allowing the consumer to choose their own means of purchase. Scott’s eCommerce sites do sell many top brands he endorses and if you appreciate any of the help he has offered then feel free to purchase from one of them.
I have a large deck that is painted with a solid color stain (previous owners didn’t take care of this house). You can see there are two colors going on here. What do you recommend for removing absolutely all color? There are also a lot of areas with wood rot that need to be replaced. I want to get our deck back to a beautiful brown wood stained color.
https://www.deckstainhelp.com/how-to-remove-a-solid-color-deck-stain-or-paint/
Strip off as much as possible and then sand the rest as needed.
I have a large deck built with treated wood. It is partially stained with a stain that was too red. I want to remove this stain and apply a different stain, one with more brown tones. How can I prep the whole deck (stained and pressure treated) so it takes the stain equally?
Post some pics in comments for prep help.
Hopefully you can see this picture
It looks thick, almost opaque fully. What brand is this, Behr? They lie about their opacity.
Age of porch with bloody dog footprints in recent comment – 25 years
Removal of dog blood from porch,several bloody dog footprints from an injury; porch never been stained or painted, advise removal of the blood,
Sorry but not if anything will more blood if deep into the wood. Try a deck cleaner and then a wood brightener while pressure washing:
https://www.deckstainhelp.com/restore-a-deck-cleaner-system-review/
If that does not remove it, you may need to cover the wood with a solid stain:
https://www.deckstainhelp.com/what-are-the-best-solid-color-deck-stains/
Good Evening, I have a 20-year-old Cedar deck that I need to re-stain as so as possible. I believe after reading so many posts I should try the Restore A Deck. I’ve been trying to see if it kills grass and flowers. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.
All prep and stains can damage plants so best to cover them while working.
Hello,
it’s great you’re providing this resource! The deck I am working on is a hardwood deck that has been stained with an oil semi transparent stain every year for the last 15 years. Some of the decking was black before I started this project. So far, I have used a stain remover, followed by a wood brightener. I have not achieved my desired appearance yet. Can you please provide advice on how to proceed? I have attached photos.
It looks like you “furred” up the deck from stripping. See this for tips: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/wood-fuzzies-furring-on-deck/
Just following up to say that it’s looking much better. I used the floor buffer with 60-grit mesh sandpaper and a scrubbing pad as backer on the entire deck which really helped to bring back the wood grain appearance I’m looking for. Is it ready for stain, or should I do something else before that? The look is a little inconsistent, but the stain will probably blend everything and make the inconsistency disappear.
Brighten all wood for final prep.
I had a new deck installed 3 years ago. I treated all the wood with Penofin (clear) blue label at that time. It, of course (now reading your reviews), turned to a dark gray. I used a product called Sun Frog Deck Cleaner to prep the deck for re-treatment. I was unhappy with the Penofin because water seemed to just soak into my deck and I live in Oregon and we have a lot of rain. I then saw that Penofin made a product that was a Stain and Sealer so decided I would try that. They didn’t make it in clear, so I chose the Cedar finish (it is a cedar deck). I should have stopped immediately, but with the rainy season fast approaching, I figured I just needed to get something on the wood. Now, however, I just can’t stand how dark it has made my deck. I need your advice – I have thought about just completing the deck in this Penofin so that when I attempt to strip it next year at least it will have a similar look everywhere. That is, unless there is a product that can completely remove all this freshly applied Penofin. The staining is about 1/3 completed. So, is there a product that will completely remove this fresh stain? Please tell me all the products I should use (it sounds like a brightener is another important step, that I have never used). The TWP 100 series is rated the best on your site so I will use that next time (should I get clear or cedar to get the look that you have on your banner above?). Thank you so much for your help!!
Leave as is and strip and brighen in the Spring. Use the Restore A Deck Stripper and Brightener kits.
Hi Scott. We stripped and brightened our cedar deck yesterday, and today found we missed removing some of the stain in part of the deck. The stain is TWP 100 rustic and looked almost new in that area since it was in a covered area. It was very difficult to remove compared to the rest of the deck but we missed it last night when the deck was wet. Since we plan to use the same stain again will it be a problem? I was thinking of spot stripping that area but spot stripping does not seem recommended due to leaving uneven results after staining. Would spot sanding be better? Attached are pictures of the uncovered area and the problem area.
BTW the RAD stripper worked awesome. We had sanded the deck before and this works so much easier, We also love the TWP stain and this forum.
Thanks
You are okay to stain since you are using the same stain and color.
I had a contractor re-stain my deck and it is very sticky three weeks later and every bit of Lindt and dust is just stuck to it there is also footprints on it
Might want to contact him to fix it.
Excuse me…I used the same, albeit poor, stripper – Valspar
Stripped stain off IPE deck. Decking to the right was done 2 weeks before the decking to the left. Used the same, albeit poor, stain – Valspar. Do I need to sand the decking on the left? Will exposure allow it to eventually blend?
You will need to sand off the Valspar and then clean and brighten all so it is even before restaining.
I spilled pool chlorine on my pressure treated deck. How can I remove the stain?
You can’t remove the stain since it bleached the wood. You may be able to even out by applying bleach to all the wood so it is one lighter color after. This would all depend though if the wood has a stain on it or if the wood is bare?
Hello. I am getting ready to tackle our 16′ x 14′ pool deck. My plan was to strip, brighten, sand, and stain the top railing and deck boards and leave the sides and balusters alone since they are in good shape. Can this be stripped off with stripper and a power washer or do I need to sand it off?
That looks like an opaque stain so sanding will be needed to remove it fully. You can strip first as that will remove a decent amount, making the sanding easier. Use the RAD stripper/Brightener kits with both stripper additives: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/restore-a-deck-stain-stripper-booster-thickening-gel-review/
I was planning on using the Defy stain stripper as I can get it locally. Is there anything special I should do with it to make getting this stain off easier?
Nothing you can do.
Would the RAD kit remove more stain or make the process easier or are they both the same in your experience?
The RAD stripper with both additves can be more effective but in your scenario, it probably doe not matter as you cannot fully strip this solid stain.
If I was to stain with a semi-solid, is all the prep work (strip, brighten, sand) still required? What if I was to stain with a solid stain? This is a pool deck, and I definitely don’t want to be re-doing the deck every couple of years because of the extra care needed to keep everything away from the pool itself.
Yes, you have to do all the prep work if using a semi-solid or solid stain. You do not have to remove 100% though if using a solid stain. Just remove what is loose and peeling and then cover the intact stain that is not peeling with a new solid stain.
If the existing stain is water-based, can I cover the intact stain that is not peeling with an oil-based solid stain?
No. Use a water-based solid stain.
For power sanding any remaining stain off, what is best to use? A 5″ random orbital sander, a 1/4 sheet sander, belt sander, etc?
Try a handheld palm sand first.
Thanks. And if that is not enough?
Belt sander.
After stripping, does it matter whether I brighten first and then sand with 60-80 grit or is it best to sand and then brighten?
If you sand, do it first and then brighten.
Thanks. I finished stripping the stain with stripper and pressure washer. I do have some lap marks from the pressure washer as some of the stain was more difficult to get off than in other areas. I do plan to sand the entire deck with 60-80 grit. Will the sanding remove the lap marks? If not, what would you recommend?
Sanding is the only way to remove pressure washer marks but you may need a coarser grit to get them out.
Thanks. I will try 60 grit first and if that does not work will go to 40 grit.
I finished the sanding and brightening on Saturday. It rained today, so I need to wait a couple days for the wood to dry. I was hoping to get the deck finished before the trees around it started dropping little flowers, but they have started to do so. I can wait a few days to see if that will end, but then I think that the pollen will start up.
So, what to do? If I do not stain in the next 1-2 weeks, will the deck be ok with no stain on it over the summer? If I wait until the fall, will I need to clean with a deck cleaner, sand, and brighten all over again?
If you wait longer than 2 weeks then lightly redo the prep. If you wait for the entire Summner, you will have to fully redo the prep. We would stain it as soon as possible.
I am about to address a significant stain application problem on my western red cedar siding and need advice. Can the info you provide on decking be applied to siding? Can I ask questions about siding on your website? If not, can you suggest an alternative source for help on siding? Thank you. Ted
You can ask about wood siding here.
Could use some advice on a 25-year-old deck. Treated twice w/ SW stain remover & revive but it didn’t get all the old stain off. Plan was to sand deck to remove remaining stain & smooth surface since it’s in rough shape. But I’ve since learned that sanding pressure-treated wood is hazardous, so now I’m stuck. Just trying to get a couple more years out of the deck before i replace w/ a composite. Per HOA rules, will use semi-transparent stain.
Thinking there are 3 options: 1) sand it (which i think would do the job but is dangerous healthwise); 2) buy a more hardcore stripper (not sure what that would be); 3) spot strip w/ leftover SW stripper, stain, and live with the spotty result. Any insight would be appreciated.
Strip off as much as you can then sand the rest. Brighener last.
https://www.deckstainhelp.com/restore-a-deck-stain-stripper-booster-thickening-gel-review/
Thanks. Which would look worse: staining over the remaining stain or staining over spot sanding? Leaning toward not sanding the whole deck due to the PT wood, so aiming for “good enough.”
Both will stand out. Never said you needed to sand the whole deck. Strip as much as you can and then sand as needed. It will blend that way.
Deck assistance
DECKING HAS BEEN STAINED AND OILED ABOUT 6 ONTHS AGO …BUT WE DONT LIKE IT AND WOULD PREFER TO PAINT …ANT ADVICE ON WHAT WE SHOUÑD DO?
Remove the current coating and use a solid stain, not a paint.
I applied 2 gallons of Maximum 1 Gal. Honey Gold Exterior Stain and Sealant in One Low VOC to the interior of my screened in porch. I need more and can’t get any unless I drive 2 hours to get it. Since it has recently been applied, will using deck stripper work? Or will it have to be sanded?
We would need to see some pictures.
Here’s my porch with the Olympic Max Honey Gold exterior stain and sealant.
Stripper and then brightener should work.
Kitchen cupboards were painted and then a layer of stain was added to gloss it. how to remove it all so I can repaint.
This site is for outside wood only. No experience with interior cabinets.
How long after stripping the deck can we stain it
Make sure to Brighten after stripping. Wait about 48 hours to stain. Stain within 2 weeks of prep.
I’m using TWP 1500 semi transparent pecan on the deck in the attached pics. I’ve power washed it, should I use a stripper and brightener or just sand before staining?
The old stain looks like a solid so you may need to sand to get it all off. Strippers are not always effective at removing solid stains.
After I sand do I need to power wash again and use a Brightener or can I just clean the dust off and stain ?
Pressure wash and brightener will help the stain to soak in better.
Thank you!
Will this product remove Behr oil-latex redwood stain?
What type of Behr? Need more specifics. Pictures of the deck would help as well.
I purchased a stain from Lowes and was told it was water base, transparent, it was Warm Puddy. the color was a light color with a brown tone. Told that the natural wood grain would show. It was Valspar produce. They mixed the stain, handed it off to my workers and they off to stain the deck. When I saw what was done I was in shock. It looks like white paint. Not at all transparent just looks like white paint. The house is built all green so now I have no idea what to do to get it back to the natural wood. It changed the whole look of the house. It looks like plasic white paint. I cried for two days. Please give me advise.
Linda
Post pictures but it sounds like you will have to power sand to remove. The Valspar is a very poor stain: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/valspar-one-coat-stain-sealer-review/
I prepared my deck and decided on a light red clear stain.My deck has a step down and buts up to my pool deck. I used a brush to trim out by the pool edge and step up. When I used a roller on the deck itself, I got the color I wanted, but the trim area is much darker. What can I use on the trim area to achieve the lighter shade on the deck?
Thanks
You cannot lighten up the color without stripping and starting over for all.
We had a deck installed…waited a year..sealed it clear…now it is slippery and shoes or feet carry slipperiness into house…how do I fix that
You will have to fully remove the sealer to fix this issue.
Been sanding off old behr deck stain which is junk Front is done but there are traces here and there that couldn’t get with sander because of grain grooves such. It’s dulled out nice. Will defy deck cleaner help it out before I apply their stain. Just impossible to remove every speck of old stain. Thanks!!
A cleaner would not help but a stripper might. Send pictures.
Someone attempted to stain my new deck he made an awful mess and would not fit. How an I get this off?
Off the siding? Depends on the stain brand and type. Pictures are blurry as well.
how do I get the hard to scrape stain off the wood, so many layers remain after 30 years?
there are so many layers of stain that i can actually peal the parts that are lifting, i want the partio to look natural, this is at leasr 30 years of staining,,,,,, the rails were never stained and are looking great.. I’ve gotten some boards down to the bare wood, im having some problems with some others
Power sand it all off: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/how-to-sand-your-wood-deck/
photo 4 of 4
Use the Restore A Deck Stripper with both additives and pressure washing to remove as much as you can. https://www.deckstainhelp.com/restore-a-deck-stain-stripper-booster-thickening-gel-review/
I am pretty sure most will come off. let dry and sand if needed. Brightener on all after.
photos 1-3 of 4
“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.”
Boy, did I find out how true this is! I spent two weekends doing the following prep work: 1) applied Defy Stain Stripper, 2) scrubbed entire deck with stiff bristled brushes, 3) pressure washed, 4) sanded the deck with 80 grit paper and 5) applied brightener.
Even after all these steps, some old stain remained and since I was staining with a darker color, I didn’t think it would be a problem. Just stained it yesterday and you can see EVERY SINGLE spot where the old stain wasn’t removed. I’m just sick about it. When you say “ALL” remnants you aren’t kidding!
So, two questions:
1) Do I have to re-strip and start all over to fix this? Can I do that right away, when I just stained it 24 hours ago?
2) If the answer to #1 is yes, how in the world do I get all of that stubborn old stain off? (especially between the boards)
I’ve included some photos.The old stain is a TWP 101, color Cedartone Natural (the orange you see) and the new stain is C2 Guard, color Cordova.
1. Yes, you would have to redo all. Now or whenever you want.
2. Sand is probably your best bet. Between boards, you probably will not get out.
No pics.
Thank you for your quick reply! I added the pics in separate posts.
Bought some decking which already had a colour to it. Added some clear varnish to protect it, but made ended up making it a lot darker than I liked. So I bought some to seal decking stripper to remove the stain so I can start anew and paint it an even colour. However the stripper hasn’t done a good job of removing all the varnish and it’s gone patchy. What do you advise I do? Really struggling here 🙁
Look forward to your reply!
Many thanks!
The only way to fix is to power sand it all off: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/how-to-sand-your-wood-deck/
I recently I applied Thompson Waterseal penetrating timber oil to my deck. The first can was fine. The second can had a yellow tinted to it. When I contacted the store it appears the can was missed labeled. How do I remove the wrong oil from the deck before putting on the correct oil or can I just go over it with the color I originally picked.
Post pictures.
about 3 weeks ago I applied Storm Wood Stripper to my garage door and hanger done a thing with it since. My question is, is the stain stripper still dangerous? My neighbor showed me how to remove paint on my front door using a heat gun and that was super easy. Wishing I didn’t put the chemicals on the garage door. Any advice appreciated have a good day.
It should not be dangerous after it dries.
What can I use to remove deck stain splatters from vinyl siding ?! Thx
Try a water-based graffiti remover cleaner from your paint store.
I live in MN and I have a sixteen-year-old deck that needs refinishing. I’ve never done this type of work before so I need to get educated.
1. What do I use to remove the existing finish?
2. What do I need to do to prep the wood to accept new stain?
3. What type of new stain should I apply?
Strip off what you can with the Restore A Deck Stripper and both additives: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/restore-a-deck-stain-stripper-booster-thickening-gel-review/
Sand off the rest. Brighten all wood after. Use Restore A Deck Stain or Armstrong Clark.
Hi, we had new decking 2 years ago and I love the colour of what it is when first laid. It faded and we put a natural oak stain, hoping this was as close to new as possible, I didn’t like it, so this year it needs to be done again, and I want to get it back to as close to new decking as possible then cost with maybe an oil or something to keep it like that. Please can you help, thank you
Strip and brighten for prep and then try Armstrong Clark stains or Restore A Deck.
Ok, sorry is the strip and brighten a complete product or figure of speech ? Lol sorry, if a product which is best ? Thank you very much
Two different products. See this one: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/restore-a-deck-injectable-deck-stain-stripper-review/
I have an old deck from the 80’s with redwood and green treat mix due to old rotten replaced boards, is there a semi transparent stain someone might be familiar with that can blend green treated pine and redwood together in a close match?
Ive done solids in the past, and after renting a sander, would like to stay transparent if I could, or semi transparent. Thanks for any help.
Only a solid stain would blend these wood types.
I have a brand new cedar deck that we have ruined because applied Cabot semi gloss stain with pad/roller and didn’t use brush after. It applied the stain way too thick and looks horrible. I used a brush on the stairs and they turned out beautiful. Is there anyway to strip off and start all over?
Post a picture.
Hope this helps
You will have to sand this off.
Good morning,
When we purchased our home last year the previous owner used a solid latex stain on the deck floor boards and a semi transparent on the hand rails and spindles.
I would like to have the solid removed off the deck floor boards but wasn’t sure if this was even an option. Would you try and chemically strip it first with the Restore A Deck stripper and then mechanically sand?
I have attached pictures of the deck as well as a photo of the solid deck stain that was used on the floor boards. Thanks
You can try and strip some but you will need to sand to get this off the floor.
what stripper will remove semi solid stain from deck?
None effectively every time. You can ins some cases remove some or most with a stripper but eventually, you will probably have to sand.
Hi. I had two coats of a semi transparent gray water based stain on deck. It’s about 3 years old, deck is about 3.75 years old. Power washed, cleaned and brightened. Realized too much stain remained. Applied stripper per directions, yet still a fair amount remains bears edges and on rails. See pic. I have restore a deck gray semi stain I plan to use, which by test seems about the same color. What else should I do, beyond drying, before applying? Thank you
If it all blends than you should be okay. Do a few spindles and see how it looks.
Hey I just had a couple questions and concerns about stripping and re staining a deck. My girlfriend and I want to stain our deck a different stain, probably a much lighter stain and not nearly as dark as this stain. I have been reading up on this for a week or two now and have a game plan of what i am going to do but just not sure what i am going to do if the wood does not look like it did before she originally stained it . I was first going to pressure wash it to get a lot of surface dirt off of it. After this, get a stripper like the restore-a-deck brand that you talk about in other threads. Do that 1 or 2 times to remove as much of the old stain as possible and pressure wash it after i let it soak in for 15-30 minutes, or whatever the directions are. After this i was going to sand it to ensure all of the old stain is off and then use the restore-a-deck brightener product after sanding. My concern is, what if the wood is still dark after going through all of these steps? We don’t really want to put a darker stain on it again but I’m guessing this would be are only option. I’m not sure what type of wood it is but it is pressure treated wood and my girlfriend believes she originally put a semi-transparent teak stain on it when the deck was built 5 years ago. The first picture i posted is what the deck looked like before the original stain was put down and the other 2 photos are what it currently looks like. The little drops in the 2 photos of the stained deck are just a couple of rain drops if you are wondering. Wanted to get a couple of photos to post on here before it started to rain today lol.
The current coating looks opaque like a solid stain so stripping will probably not remove it all. So your options are to powers sand the rest off so you can use a semi-trans or apply another solid stain.
Our deck is less than a year old…made with Southern Yellow Pine #1 KDAT, pressure treated…good stuff, ready to stain immediately. We stained it using top of the line semi transparent stain…it looks horrible, not because of the stain/color or the wood…it was the way it was applied…blotchy, uneven, total amateurish…its been stained now thru a very mild winter for about 6 months…should I just restain over the applied or power sand it off and start clean? Its big, about 750 sq/ft
You should remove and start over. How would depend on the stain brand and type? Pictures would help as well.
Can the old deck boards be removed, turned upside down, reinstalled and stained again on top.