This post was updated on July 24, 2025
Hi, I am Scott Paul, an exterior wood restoration contractor and business owner with over 30 years of experience in stripping and removing exterior wood and deck stains. My Deck Stripping tips are based on my history as a wood restoration contractor and actual hands-on testing. See here for more info about me.
How To Remove an Old Deck Stain
Restoring an older wood deck starts with proper preparation. Skipping this crucial step can cause your new deck stain to fail prematurely. Regardless of the brand or price of the stain, it won’t hold up if applied to a surface that hasn’t been thoroughly cleaned and prepped. When dealing with an old coating that needs removal, using a quality deck stain stripper is essential. This article highlights why a stain stripper is a key part of the restoration process and how it sets the stage for long-lasting results.
I always appreciate your input, so feel free to comment below with pictures of your deck stain projects.
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 left on the wood will prevent the new stain from properly penetrating the surface. The new deck stain will sit on 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 generally in a year or less.
Even if you can’t see any old deck stain but 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 some old failed stain on the wood that needs to be removed.
Scott’s Steps to Removing a Deck Stain
- Deck Stripping Materials
- Choose Proper Deck Stain Stripper
- Steps to Stripping a Deck
- Brighten the Wood
- Ask Me Deck Stripping Questions
1. Materials Needed for Deck Stain Removal
- Proper Deck Stain Stripper
- Gas-powered pressure washer
- Pump sprayer for applying
- Scrub brush to agitate
- Protective Equipment: Gloves and eyewear
- Plastic sheeting to protect plants and home
- Wood Brightener to neutralize when done
2. Choosing a Deck Stain Stripper
To remove old deck stains 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. Below, I will break down the 3 most common deck finishes we see when stripping a deck.
Semi-Transparent Oil-Based Stains
Semi-transparent and transparent, oil-based clear coatings are easy deck coatings to strip and remove. They come off better with any high-quality decking stripper.
My Pro Tips: These coatings are penetrating and fully show the wood grain. They do not mask the grain or dry to film on top like a shiny varnish.
Semi-Transparent Acrylic Water Based Stains
For hard-to-remove stains such as water-based acrylic or silicone-based stains, several applications and longer dwell times may be necessary. Take note that many stain brands like Behr, Valspar, and Thompons lie about their opacity for their semi-transparent water-based stains; they, in fact, look and apply like an opaque solid stain. These stains should be treated like solid stains, not what is written on the can. If unsure, ask me below for tips with pictures.
Scott’s Pro Tip: See here if you need to remove a Difficult to Remove Deck or Wood Stain.
Solid Color Stain Stripping
Solid color deck stains are opaque coatings that fully or mostly mask the wood grain. Most deck strippers will not remove solid stains or paints, so if this is the case, you may have to sand the old stain or use a paint stripper to get back down to bare wood again.
Scott’s Pro Tip: How To Remove a Solid Color Stain
Deck Stain Stripping: Deck Stain Stripper Reviews
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3. My Steps to Stripping a Deck
Failing Wood Deck Stain
See below for my steps when we are stripping a customer’s deck
- Protect the house and any surrounding plants with plastic or poly tarps.
- Remove any patio furniture from the deck and surrounding areas.
- Prewet deck with water.
- Mix the stripper, if needed, in a bucket and transfer it to the pump sprayer if applicable.
- Apply the stripper to all flooring first. If a large deck, break it up into sections.
- Wait 5-45 minutes for the deck stripper to activate. You will know when it is working by using your scrub brush to agitate it, and the stain becomes loose from the wood. Keep the stripper from drying during this process.
- Pressure wash all deck flooring using a pendulum motion and about 8-12 inches from the wood. Rinse well when done.
- Repeat Steps 5-7 with vertical wood.
- Apply wood brightener when done. Rinse well with water 20 minutes after.
My Pro Tip: The dwell time depends on the type and brand of existing stain. For instance, most semi-transparent oil-based stains will be removed more easily than semi-transparent water-based wood stains.
Pressure Washing Tips for Deck Stripping
Pressure washing can speed up the deck stripping process, but it should only be used by those with experience. Improper use can damage the wood and result in costly repairs. If you do choose to use a power washer, follow these guidelines to avoid harming your deck:
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Always use a deck stain stripper. These products do 90% of the cleaning work. The power washer should only be used to rinse off the loosened grime—not as the main cleaning method.
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Treat the power washer like a rinse tool, not a scrub brush. Use it to gently wash away the cleaner or stripper, not to grind dirt off the surface.
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Use a sweeping, pendulum-style motion. Work with the grain of the wood and never pause or reverse direction without lifting the wand. Failing to maintain a smooth motion can leave permanent “stop marks” in the wood.
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Keep pressure between 1200–2000 PSI. Even if you’re using a 3000 PSI machine, distance matters. Washing from 8–12 inches away will reduce the effective pressure to a safer level for wood surfaces.
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Exercise caution. If you’re unsure about your technique or have never used a power washer on wood before, it’s best to hire a professional. Incorrect use can permanently damage your deck.
4. Wood Brightener to Neutralize Stain Stripper
Once the deck has been washed with a 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. Brightening the wood back to a natural state and lowering 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.
5. Questions on Stripping a Deck?
Are you still unsure of what deck stain you have on your wood and the proper deck stain stripper to use to remove it? I am here to help and guide you. Ask in the comments below, and you must include some pics so I can offer proper advice.
Quick Expert Recommendations and Insights
Here are some tips we recommend you follow to make deck stain removal a swift, painless process:
- Use a deck stripper if you are working with wood that has previously been stained. If you are working with a new wood surface or there is no stain on the deck, use a deck cleaner. If you are unsure about what to do, you can ask questions below.
- Remove all furniture from the area
- Wear protective clothing, gloves, and eyewear before going near the product. Mix or use the deck stain stripper according to the directions on the label. Test a small section of your deck before applying it to the whole area, as deck stain strippers vary in effectiveness. You may need a stronger formula if it doesn’t work on the tested area. See here if you need to remove a Difficult to Remove Deck or Wood Stain.
- Apply the deck stain stripper with a pump-up sprayer in sections of 100-300 square feet at a time. Saturate all the wood with one coat then wait 10-20 minutes. If the surface is slippery, that means the stain stripper is working to break the bonds effectively. If the surface is not slippery, apply another coat of the stain stripper and wait longer.
- Using either a brush or pressure washer, remove the old stain from the deck. Take precautions to wash with the grain wood whenever possible.
- Repeat this process until all of the old deck stain has been removed from the deck. Spot strip any sections where the stain didn’t come off the first time.
- Thoroughly rinse all wood and surrounding areas
- Apply a wood brightener to restore the pH balance before staining.
Pro Tip: The Best Stripper to remove a solid color deck stain is the RAD PaintStrip Solid Stain Stripping Gel.
FAQs
How to remove deck stain without chemicals?
The best way to remove deck stain without chemicals is to sand the deck. Where semi-transparent deck stains have faded power washing the deck and spot sanding areas of thicker stain is typically sufficient. When removing a semi-solid or solid deck stain the entire deck may require sanding, but be careful not to over-sand. Over-sanding the wood compromises its integrity and can lead to early deck failure.
Will deck stain come off concrete?
Applying a deck stain can be messy and sometimes you can spill or drip on your concrete or brick pavers that are under or around your deck. Once this happens, it is not easy to remove. We have found that using a deck stain stripper and pressure washing will remove much of the spilled stain but not always as concrete can be very porous. Another option is using a graffiti remover cleaner. You can find these at your local paint store. Popular brands at Goof Off or Mostenbocker’s Lift 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.
I replaced the flat portion of my deck with new cedar two months ago, but left the existing vertical hand rails and spindles, which have an old solid stain on them, and have some random dark stains(mold?). I would like to use solid stain on the vertical railings, and semi-transparent on the flat areas. To prep, do I need to strip the spindles, or just remove the dark spots? Does the new cedar need to be brightened, or can I just apply the semi-transparent stain?
The verticals should be pressure washed with a deck cleaner to remove dirt and mold. This will prep it for a new coating of solid stain.
See this about the new wood: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/staining-a-new-deck/
My contractor used a natural bristle brush in applying a stripper to my deck. As a result, the deck was not completely stripped. Is there any problem in going back over the deck a second time with a stripper?
No issues. Try a pump sprayer when applying the stripper this time. Make sure to brighten the wood after.
Hello and greetings from NW Iowa! We stained this deck 2 summers ago with Pittsburgh Ultra. Had a hail storm come through and insurance company is paying for a deck re-stain. We were totally disappointed with the Pittsburgh product. What do we do now? Thanks!
You will need to remove this and start over. Unfortunately, it does not look like it will be an easy strip as it almost looks like a solid stain on the wood in parts. Start by stripping and pressure washing off as much as you can. Most likley you will need to do some power sanding to remove what does not come off with the stripping. Once fully removed, you can apply a wood brightener.
Hi! I had my cedar deck built in the fall of 2014. I left it like that over the winter and put the stain on in the spring of 2015. The first picture was taken 2 years ago when I first put the stain on. I used the semi transparent cedar stain shown in the picture. It lasted 2 years and now look at my deck. I’m so discouraged. Can I restore the original cedar colour and just put a water sealer on there? Help!!!! I had asked HomeHardware what to put on my new cedar deck and they gave me that. I should have done my research a tad more because now I feel as though I have ruined the cedar wood 🙁
Start by removing this fully and that will take a stain stripper and pressure washing folllowed by power sanding. Once removed, use a wood brightener to neutralize and open the wood grain. A sealer will not give UV porotection. Use a semi-transparent stain like one of these: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/the-5-best-deck-stain-reviews-and-ratings/
I’m from Canada and this is not available here.
The picture in the middle is EXACTLY my deck! I have started to power wash it but it is so hard getting it all of. Does deck strippers harm vinyl siding? What is power sanding.
Hello,
Last year I replaced my old deck with a brand new cedar one. I waited 60 days after install and stained the deck with Armstrong Clark Amber Semi Transparent. It came out beautifully (see picture).
However, this summer I decided to clean the deck and I mistook the “agitate cleaner with hard bristle brush” part of the instructions for using some real elbow grease, and in the process of cleaning I ended up taking half the deck stain off. I am mad at myself and a little embarrassed lol.
Do I strip off the existing stain that is on the deck and stain, or can I stain over the whole thing after a good cleaning and brightening? (using the same stain I used last year). Thanks.
Probbaly would be best to remove all so the new coating goes on evenely and not blotchy.
Hello –
I have a cedar fence that was stained with Behr transparent redwood stain about 10 years ago. We want to restain with the same color, we have power washed the fence but aren’t sure if we need to strip ALL of the old color off or is this good enough and we can apply the new coat of stain?
Stripping it all off and then brightening would be the best thing to do.
Uugggh! I was hoping you wouldn’t say that 😉. What stripper would you recommend? Is the home Depot brand stripper good for the job?
Try the Restore A Deck Stripper.
So, I made the mistake of putting Restore on my deck a few years ago and now it is peeling and flaking off the deck and railings. What do I use to get rid of the Restore and resurrect my deck? Help please!!
Only way to remove this product is to sand and scrape.
I just saw a review on Wolman Deck Stripper that someone left on Home Depot site mentioning they used this stuff for the Restore and had success. Might want to give it a shot.
Here they are: Right pic is TWP (among others) on sample of new cedar siding. Leftt pic is same TWP on a sample of installed siding after it was brightened.
We have cedar siding on our house, about 5 years old. One side showed excessive bleedthrough–almost like tar. We removed that with Cabot Wood Brightener and a rinse, which worked well. But it took some stain with it. We wanted to restore that with a new coat of stain. What we’ve tried on cedar siding samples — PPG and TWP, both Cedar Tone — work well on new wood. We let the siding we’d treated dry for three days, and then tried them both on a sample of that. They go on nearly black — nothing like the cedar. What should we do?
Picture please.
Sorry. Pics sent in separate post.
I used behr transparent all in one wood finish. Must i strip prior to staining? If so please recommend a stripper
Yes, you should strip and brighten the wood. Restore A Deck Stain Stripper or HD80.
you dont think Defy stripper would work? I have never used a stripper before and am a bit hesitate on a very strong one..thanks for your input.
It would work but the other two are more cost effective as they are concentrates.
thank you!!
I have a small decking area 5ft by 20ft, I have small area’s to remove old dark stain which seems to be stuck fast! Can I tell me, what grade of sandpaper would I use?
60 – 80 grit paper.
What will take off all in one stain and sealer from a deck the color is way to orange we tried acetone but siaks in to quick Thank gid only 4 boards is all we did then realized didnt like
What brand is this stain and type?
What type of sander would you recommend to strip a deck with solid stain?
Belt sanders and palm sanders. Drum sanding will help with the flooring.
Why does my decks solid stain peel, just in high traffic area’s, every year?
Solid stains are filming stains which means they dry on top of the wood. Whenever you have this, you are prone to wearing and peeling, especially in exposed areas and in areas of high traffic.
My deck was not done correctly and I need to remove the Behr transparent stain and do it over. This is the photo of after it was stained. Looks really bad. What is the best way to remove this finish? A hand sander is not an option since the deck is large 20 x 22. Do I use the TWP stripper with a power washer?
This will not be an easy strip. Use the Stripper and pressure wash off as much as you can but you will most likely need to sand as well to remove all. Brightener after full removal.
Thank you. I ordered Restore A Deck Stripper/Brightener Kit and will do my best.
How did your stripping job go? I think i have same stain on my deck
I pploed a redwood solid stain on part of my deck. The colour was completely wrong. How can I remove so I can paint with a differnt deck stain?
You would have to sand this off.
Does sanding close the wood pores making the new stain less penetrable? If so, what is your remedy?
Yes. Final prep with a deck cleaner and a wood brightener.
Will deck cleaner help remove chipping stain? About 90% of my deck is free of stain, just covered with grime and dirt. The other 10% still has some remnants of stain from the previous owner. I bought deck cleaner before realizing this issue, will I also have to buy stain stripper just for the small spots of stain left over or will I be able to get by with the cleaner?
Cleaners will not remove chipping stains. As for stripper working, it depends on the type of stain you are trying to remove. Do you know?
How bad is it to let stains stripper dry? I am part way through staining my deck and the power washer has died. Can I leave it and come back tomorrow or the next day and rewet it? Or do I need to use the brightener to neutralize it and then redo the whole process?
At this point just leave it. Reapply tomorrow and finish.
Thanks! I just wanted to say how helpful this site has been. This was the first time I’ve posted anything, but I have used it a number of times.
Hi. Love your forum. I stained my deck with a red semi transparent from Behr 4 years ago. It has faded/blackened on majority of horizontal but the vertical spindles still have more than adequate color. I decided to start stripping/sanding the railings and it is a slow go. Using a hand sander and 40 grit I am getting about 70% of the railings done but there are flashes of red. Does it all have to be off or just a majority for it to adhere to new stain? I am using a dark brown from TWO. I have also tried stripping with the Behr stripper and it is slow. It doesn’t seem to remove a majority of stain after scrubbing and 2 applications. And I am getting exhausted after just an hour of this. Any help to get this off? Thx
95% or more removal when switching to a brand like the TWP. Apply the stripper and pressure wash off.
Some reason I can’t post a pic. Trying to see if this is considered 95%. 40 grit
Pretty close for the top rails. I think it is good if you get all of the deck to look like this.
Ok thx. I think when I get it all like that I will still apply stripper. Then clean. Then stain
how do I get the resurfacer stain off my deck it,s peeling I used a pressure washer but not all is coming off.julie
Deck Resurface types stain cannot be stripped or pressure washed off. Heavy sanding is your best option.
Have you ever heard of a deck stripper staining stucco siding?
No. Did it happen to you?
Do you have any suggestions for how to remove peeling Olympic Rescue It stain from our deck. It is an absolute mess!
The Olympic Rescue-it cannot be stripped. Sand it all off or replace the wood is your best option.
What is the best way to remove semi transparent stain?
Use a deck stain stripper and pressure washing. Try Restore A Deck:
https://www.deckstainhelp.com/restore-a-deck-injectable-deck-stain-stripper-review/
Hi,
I purchases the Restore stripper and brighter. I plan on using this on my porch. I have plants around the porch. Will the run off kill the plants? How do I protect them?
When we use the products we will wet all the vegetation first, apply the stripper, and rinse again any over spray. Pressure wash the deck while watching any overspray again. Rinse the deck and then rinse again the plants. Basically, you want to alway rinse any overspray as soon as possible.