Update for 2019: 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 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.
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.
I bought a house a year ago with a deck that is partially covered, with an uncovered catwalk that was moldy and in need of replacement. The new boards and new railing have been put in and the deck is now ready to be stripped/cleaned/stained. But I can’t tell if the old stain can be removed with a stain stripper, or if its more like a paint and needs to be sanded off. I plan on using a transparent sealer over the entire deck to keep a natural look, so I want the old wood to look good natural instead of needing to cover it up with another dark stain. Any advice? I’m new to all this and I’m hoping to be able to do it myself.
Looks like you will have to power sand this off.
Thanks! Should I rent a drum sander? The paint is also on posts. What type of sander would you recommend for those small spaces?
After reading through some posts, it sounds like you don’t recommend a transparent sealer. I was thinking it was more low maintenance. Sounds like it needs to be reapplied every year- is that true? Can it just be re-applied over the previous sealer? If that is the case, it might be easier than having to sand the entire deck every couple of years. I’m not sure yet what I’ll do.
Sorry if this is posted twice but I think my reply didn’t go through.
Do you recommend a drum sander? And what would you recommend for the posts that need to be sanded too?
See for tips: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/how-to-sand-your-wood-deck/
Drum sanding can work. Hand sanders for rails.
I am using a deck paint (not stain) matched with the same color paint on an old deck that I am redoing. What I need to know is how much old paint must I remove before I put the new paint down? I think the other paint on there was latex and I have an oil base paint. I know that I have sanded down to where it is smooth but there is still old paint showing, will that matter if I just paint over it?
You should be able to paint over it as long as it not peeling.
Thank you very much for the info 👍
Title: Trying to Fix Mistake of Changing to Water Based Stain
Stained my deck 4 years ago with TWP 1500 Dark Oak. It was beautiful. It needed a recoat. The local pressure washer and deck supply guy recommended I go with a water based stain because all stains with VOC, like TWP, were going to be banned soon. So I got the closest color stain and stripped a small landing deck as a trial. Stripping the TWP was a major job on the 80 sf landing deck and I was not looking forward to that on the big deck (1000 sf).
When I started staining it applied and looked terrible compared to the TWP. After staining 3 boards I stopped to figure out what to do. I decided then to stay with the TWP 1500. That was a couple weeks ago. I still have the 3 boards I stained with the water based stain. I tried a sodium hydroxide stripper but it didn’t work to get the water based stain off. What do I need to use to strip the water based stain before applying the TWP 1500.
What brand of stain is it and best to post a picture. BTW, oil-based stains are not going to be banned.
The stain is a house brand. I do not know who makes it. This is the only description on the bucket that might give a sense of the type of stain it is: “With other Deck and Fence Sealing products, you have to wait for the surface to dry and worry about rain showers. Our stain can be applied to a damp wood surface so you can complete the job the same day. This fast drying wood deck and fence sealer can be brushed, rolled, or sprayed with an airless sprayer.”
Attached are pictures.
Strippers will not remove this so power sanding is your only option to remove it.
It may be easier to just replace the boards.
Sanding would be easier and you wouldn’t have to let the new wood season: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/staining-a-new-deck/
It is a house brands. This is the only info that might tell what it is. They told me it is water based. This is on the bucket: “With other Deck and Fence Sealing products, you have to wait for the surface to dry and worry about rain showers. Our stain can be applied to a damp wood surface so you can complete the job the same day. This fast drying wood deck and fence sealer can be brushed, rolled, or sprayed with an airless sprayer. “
My deck was built exactly 14 months ago and I did not apply sealer or anything else. The pressure treated wood is still solid and it still looks good . I did pressure wash it with a cleaner about 2wks ago. Now I want to use a semi-transparent stain. Do I need to seal it separately? Or will a sealer/stain combo be enough?? Thanks.
You cannot seal over a deck stain. Deck stains are sealers as well.
We have a cedar deck that is one year old. Clear sealer was applied when installed, and then another coat of sealer was applied but not immediately after first coat of sealer. Apparently the deck was not cleaned between coats of sealer. Now the deck has mold and large gray areas with obvious peeling sealer. We will need to strip the deck before applying new stain. What are the recommendations for stripper and stain for a cedar deck? Will we need to use a brighter before applying stain, even tho deck is only one year old. Thanks
Could you post a picture, please? Yes, you will need to remove. Strip and brighten for this.
dark stripes have appeared where stripping overlapped. How are these removed?
Post a picture.
I bought my house two years ago and the deck is at a point where it needs to be restained. I found a partially used can of Flood CWF-UV Penetrating Wood Finish Cedar in the garage which is what I assume the prior owner used. Will this need to be sanded or will I be able to use a stripper to remove the existing stain?
Stripping and brightening should work but feel free to post a picture of the deck and its current condition.
I’ve read through some of the questions in this article and understand that you recommend sanding to remove a solid stain (Behr solid wood stain applied 2007). There are areas on my deck that won’t be accessible to a belt or orbital sander. Is it possible to sand blast these areas to remove the old stain?
You could try but it may tear up the wood.
can u power sand at 80 grit paper a Cedar deck?
Yes.
We used Pittsburgh Wood concentrate resurfacer approximately 5 years ago on wooden deck and it is now in horrendous shape. Peeling terribly and looks awful. What is best to use to make the deck able to re-stain?
Post a picture.
I power washed my deck and then sanded with 80 grit, but in the photo it looks like I haven’t gotten it all. The previous owner used Olympic stain, I plan on using the same stuff. At this point, does it look bare enough to just put down the new stain? Or do I keep sanding? It’s pain to get up, and it sounds like stripper won’t work.
If you are using the exact same stain and color, you should be okay to stain. This can be stripped off though.
Thank you. I am considering using Restore a deck stain stripper, would you recommend this to remove the remaining Olympic stain? I also plan to follow it up with a brightener.
Yes, that should help get it off.
We have a deck that was painted and part of it has some residual paint stuck on (many years old) and we have not been able to scrape it off or get it off with a power washer. We bought the house this way. I don’t know if the other portion of the deck was stained or not, but it does not bead up, as a matter of fact it gets mildew and slick. So, do I need to use the stripper or the cleaner followed by the brightener? And, what sort of sander will work to get the leftover bits of paint up?
The stripper will not remove paint. For the other portion that you mentioned, feel free to post a picture.
Hi,
Can I power sand my decking even though it is ridged?
I have recently moved into a house and want to strip and redo the decking. I have no idea what they have used to treat the wood, any ideas from these photos?
I have bought some Ronseal Paint Stripper – will that do the job?
Many thanks
Tom
Photo 1
Photo 2
Please let me know if you require any more
Looks like a solid stain and that cannot be stripped. You will have to power sand to remove.
Thanks, can you still power sand when the wood is grooved?
Thanks, will power sand be effective even though the wood has lots of grooves?
Probably not. You may be stuck with another solid stain.
Thanks for the advice – at least I know not to waste my time trying to remove!
Apologies for all the posts, they were not showing before.
Just bought our house. Some of the deck is being entirely resurfaced with new wood. Some areas are decent for a few more years. One area had a solid stain on it that looks to be very old. Most of it came off with pressure washing and scrubbing using a deck cleaner. Some areas still need scrubbed some more. See attached photo. I have two issues:
1. We bought a stain/sealer (Olympic Maximum Pearl Gray) and tested it on one support post. We do not like the outcome. I will be using Cabot Australian Timber Oil instead. How can I get this post back to clean again? It was just applied last night and I plan to TRY to strip this tonight. Since this is freshly applied, would a deck stripper get this off pretty easily still?
2. Some areas that did not completely clean from the old solid stain will be scrubbed and pressure washed again. I’m still not sure it will all ever come clean since it’s so old and deeply set in the wood. Since a lot of the stuff that did not come off is up high in the air, I’d love to find a chemical that will remove this so that I don’t have to scrub high stuff dangerously. Any ideas how I could possibly avoid significant sanding efforts?
Any help is appreciated and thanks for all the previous help this site has given me over time. It has been extremely helpful for us!
1. It is much harder to remove a newly applied stain. No easy way to remove. You may have to sand.
2. Solid stains cannot be stripped effectively or completely Only way to remove will be sanding.
UGH….I had a feeling. Thanks for the help!
Just had my deck stained on Monday. The guy had taped something to a post and when he pulled it off, yes, it peeled. I can see the post underneath still has the previous stain…actually a little shiny. He was supposed to prep and stain. I could literally peel the whole post. He used Sherwin Williams superdeck. semi solid. What should I do?
Not much you can do besides sanding everything down to the bare wood and starting over.
When you say power sand what grit do you recommend? I’ve been trying to sand mine with an orbital. 60 grit is taking forever. Belt sander isnt very efficient either.
You need a more powerful machine. Try rent a drum sander. 60-80 grit.
What is the best solution to use to remove Olympic Rescue It from a deck?
You will have to power sand to remove the Olympic Rescue-it. A stripper will not work.
My deck is about 8 years old pressure treated wood quite large last summer, my contractor cleaned it with Pittsburgh ultra deck cleaner and restained it with Cabot semi-solid redwood stain. now everything is peeling what do we have to do to fix this? I live in Central ohio.Thanks so much for advice.
Most likely have to power sand this to fix. Feel free to post a picture.
Following up had to wait for rain to stop. Two photos today.
Yes, you will need to power sand this all off to fix.
Ok do after power sanding do we have to do anything else to prep?
Clean and brighten for the final prep.
I have just stained my deck with decking oil, and I hate the colour!! Can I remove it
It was thompson timber oil
We would need more info. Exact brand name and type of stain that was applied. Pictures of deck and product would help as well.
Thompson timber oil
Use the Restore A Deck Stripper and Brightener:
See pic
I am planning on stripping a horrible application of solid arborcoat in the spring as well as replacing some rotting boards. For the boards that are still in good shape – can I strip the arborcoat off and then apply a semi transparent stain (Flood Series) or is it hard to apply stain after a solid coat has been stripped?
Thanks for the advice!
You cannot effectively strip a solid stain. You will need to power sand this to remove. Once fully removed by sanding, your final prep would be a deck cleaner and then a wood brightener.
I have just stained my deck with decking oil, and I hate the colour!! Can I remove it??
What brand and type of stain was it?
What brand and type of stain was it?
Bought our house a year ago and the deck stain is wearing out. I assume I have to strip, brighten and then stain, but wanted to double-check. You can see in the pictures that parts of the wood are grayed, while some still appear to have stain on them. In fact, the first picture shows where I had some tape on the deck, and when I pulled it up the stain came off and gray was underneath. I found a couple of Behr products in the shed (Semi-transparent weather proofing all-in-one wood stain and sealer, and transparent weather proofing all-in-one wood finisher), so I assume these are what the previous owner used on the deck. Do I need to strip, brighten and stain, or can I use wood cleaner, brightener and stain? Or, just pressure wash and stain?
Also, how many days of dry weather should there be between prepping the deck and then staining? Is 2 enough?
Thanks in advance!
You will need to strip, brighten, and stain. Wait about 48 hours after the prep to stain.
One more question: The deck goes right up against the house. If I use Defy’s stripper do I need to put a barrier up to protect the house paint? The directions say to protect surrounding areas, but I assume that means other stained items you don’t want stripped. I just want to be sure. The house was just painted a few months ago with Sherwin Williams SuperPaint.
Thanks again, in advance!
It does not remove paint. Just rinse well when done.
I am so frustrated.
We worked on our porch floor for weeks stripping it with paint stippers, scraping off layers of paint and sanding to get rid of all the stain.
I put the Pittsburgh clear ultra deck sealer on and
It turned it orange, I am livid, the endless hours and money we have spent and this is the result we get.
Sanding will not take the orange color off.
Any suggestions other than freaking out on the company
Power sanding will remove it and that is the only way.
I had a product called Deck Restore applied about 3 years ago. It is supposed to be put down in two coats .,but was not .Needless to say it is a peeling mess. I started stripping it using a power washer ,but there are sections that don’t want to come up . Is there anything I can treat it with to strip it easier.
No. This product will have to be sanded off.
I have a deck that was sealed two years ago…Pittsburgh acrylic oil Clear….but it had an orange tint to it. I wanted to remove and first used Wolman DeckBrite. This did not do a good job so we bought a deck stripper. The question is, do we need to apply another Wood Cleaner and Coating after the stripper or are we good? Right now most of the wood looks brand new though it is over 15 years old.
No need to use a cleaner after a stripper. You will need a wood deck brightener though.
We purchased our home a year ago. It has a 25 year old deck that had a solid stain on it. We replaced several old boards. We sanded it all which took days and then used a deck cleaner. When we were washing off the deck cleaner we noticed the old stain was still peeling in some areas. Do we need to strip it as well or can we just use a brightener and then apply a solid stain? It was a reddish/brown and we are hoping to make it grey. We have invested 40+ hours (1,000 sq. ft. deck) so want to do it right the first time. Thanks for any advice!
You cannot stain over peeling stain so you will need to continue to prep until nothing is peeling. Strip and or sand. No need to use a brightener.
what do you think is easier, sand or strip? If I strip do I need to sand again? I used a large floor sander on the floor and hand held sander on the rails. Most of it is down to the bare wood but some areas still have small streaks of stain on the floor.
Strip what you can and then sand if needed.
I have had an accident with this product and want to remove it. Any advice on a stripping product please?
Any stripper should work.
While sanding my deck I discovered 3 boards with damage. Right now the deck is solid 20′ boards. Should I replace the whole length or just sections of the 3 boards? Also once sanded, what is the best oil based stain that has the least amount of color in it? Thanks!
The whole length. Try Armstrong Clark or TWP Stains.
Help! We have a pressure treated deck that’s a few years old and my dear husband took it upon himself to stain it. I ABSOLUTELY HATE the orange looking stain. I just wanted it to remain the same colour and be weather guarded. Can this be stripped off right away? What do you suggest….aside from divorce?? Please help😡
Maybe but depends on the brand of stain?
Hello, I have a deck with an unknown prior coating. Not sure when prior homeowner last stained.
My plan is too strip, brighten and stain with Flood Pro Series Solid Cedar.
Do you think it will require sanding as well?
Here are some photos that may help.
Thank you,
Dan
No need to sand. Strip off what you can leaving any intact stain. The Flood solid stain will cover it.
Two years ago I put “Behr Premium semi transparent weatherproofing” on my deck. It looked terribly right from the beginning. Two years later it looks really bad. This is an acrylic stain. What can I use to strip my deck? I would prefer to use a product that can be put on, then hosed off with a pressure washer. Is there such a product? Thanks.
No and the Behr stain is not an easy strip. You will need a stripper like the Restore A Deck Stain Stripper and pressure washing to remove. You may need to strip a few times to remove the Behr fully. Brighten the wood after.
Thanks for your help. I accept that it will have to be hand sanded. What can I put on it afterwards so that I never have to deal with this again? I want to protect the deck, but I don’t need any additional color (ie stain) or anything – just protection from sun and rain. What would you recommend? Is Thompson’s water seal a good choice?
You must have color if you want UV protection from the sun. Use one of these: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/the-5-best-deck-stain-reviews-and-ratings/
Crazy I have the SAME exact issue. How to get it off?! I have a painter who says he can use a Diamabrush to get it off.
Good luck! UGH
Should deck be dry before applying deck stripper?
Does not matter.
I have a 6 year old deck with KDAT lumber. It has been stained 3 times – once by the original installer and twice since. The last two times it was stained with Behr solid color All in one stain and sealer. It looks horrible with the stain peeling in dozens of places. Even worse, the expensive KDAT lumber is rotting. Many boards will need replacing. So my question is what to do next? If I sand the deck how do I remove the old stain from the edges of the boards? Is this just a matter of hand sanding all of the spaces between boards? Also, sanding will probably not get down into the cracks that many of the boards have so do I just have to live with red opaque stain in the cracks? I’m attaching some pictures of the stain, the cracks and the deck stain that was used.
The only way to fix this is to sand it all off 100% and that will be very hard to do in this scenario. Might want to replace the decking if you can afford it.
Boards are 13% moisture or so but joints are often 20- 23%. Should I stain or wait for 18% on all areas? Rain forecast for tomorrow! Thanks again!
Yes, you should wait until wood is below 15% for all.
I’m removing old semi transparent stain from my cedar railings. Went the wash and bright route first, took 70% of stain off but now have tough spots remaining. Not against sanding but time consuming and it’ll rain a few times before I can finish Anyhow, if I use stripper is there any concern it’ll stain/strip color off the trex floor decking I have or my new vinyl siding?
The strippers should not harm the trex or vinyl.
Thanks for the quick reply. I did the stripper and it did a pretty good job but now I have all this little fibers like hair coming out of the wood. Any suggestions on these? Do I just stain over it?
Lightly sand those first.
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/