This post was updated on June 18, 2024
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
When restoring an older wood deck, it’s essential 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 properly cleaned and prepped surface. This article discusses the importance of using a quality deck stain stripper when you have an old coating on your deck that needs to be removed.
I always appreciate your input, so feel free to comment below with pictures of your deck stain projects.
Failing Wood Deck Stain
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
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.
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.
My How To Strip A Deck Stain Video
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:
https://www.deckstainhelp.com/restore-a-deck-injectable-deck-stain-stripper-review/
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.