This post was updated on March 3, 2022
Blending New and Old Deck Boards
Here at DeckStainHelp.com, we strive to remain the Internet’s number one reference for your deck stain questions, opinions, and reviews. In this updated article, we suggest how to blend new and old deck boards for a beautiful even surface. We would like to hear what you think, so feel free to leave a comment below.
New and Old Deck Boards
There are many reasons why you would have a mix of new and old deck boards but it can be a common situation. The most frequent reason is that some of the boards needed to be replaced due to decay or wood rot while other boards were still in good condition. It is also very common for a deck owner to protect the deck with a stain once all the repairs have been made. The dilemma is that new boards and old boards look very different when they are stained.
To understand why this happens may help you to minimize the problem. Once old deck boards weather, the top layer of wood fibers begin to gray and become soft. Newer deck boards are denser and are very hard. The older boards will absorb more deck stain and appear much darker than the new denser deck boards which appear lighter.
To better blend new and old deck boards, it is necessary to wash the entire deck. Use a good wood cleaner and a pressure washer to remove any dirt, mold, mildew, and graying from the older deck boards. The newer deck boards will normally have mill glaze on them which can prevent good stain penetration. Use the same method to clean all the new boards as well to remove any mill glaze.
Cleaning the entire deck in this manner will also help the new coat of deck stain perform better. A clean wood surface prepped correctly will ensure better performance, coverage, and lasting protection.
After cleaning the wood, apply a wood brightener to the deck. A wood brightener will lighten all the older darker boards and open the wood pores of the newer deck boards for better stain penetration. This step can help a lot when trying to blend new and old deck boards.
It can also help to sand the boards once the deck is clean and dry. Sanding the old wood boards will remove additional soft wood fibers to create a harder surface. Sanding newer already dense boards will have the opposite effect and soften the wood fibers up a little and remove any mill glaze that cleaning did not.
In addition to these steps for blending new and old deck boards, using a quality semi-transparent deck stain will help. Follow these prepping and staining tips and your newly repaired deck will not only be safer, but it will also definitely look better as well.
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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.
Recently built a new deck with pressure-treated lumber. Did not think about the weathering process before putting an umbrella base on the deck. As a result, I now have this uneven weathering, and I’m afraid that it will come through when I stay in the deck down the road. Is there anyway to recover from this problem?
Weather all wood for 3-6 months and then clean and brighten for prep. It should even out.
Good deal. Thank you for the prompt response. Much appreciated.
Our deck is located in south Mississippi. Mostly shaded. Very humid. Pressure treated pine. Lots of rain. What is the best stain? We have used TWP 1500 in the past.
Try the TWP in their Semi-Solid colors.
I bought a home with a wrap around deck. It’s badly weathered in Florida. We had some of the boards with black mildew replaced with new boards as well as adding exterior wood stairs. How do I get the light and dark wood boards to match?
Weather the new wood: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/how-long-should-you-wait-to-stain-a-new-deck/
Once done, prep all with a deck cleaner and a wood brightener. The grease from a grail in the one picture will probably not come out of the wood.
Thanks for being available. I have pressure-treated 1 1/4 deck surface boards that were installed a year ago and weathered without staining.
I just replaced the steps this summer with different pressure-treated 2×8 pine, so it is lighter color.
If I put Thompson’s Water Sealer on the deck boards now and wait a year to do the steps, will they likely come closer to the deck floor color before I seal them, please?
Also, does water sealer application require all the preparation steps you described above for applying stain?
Thanks for your help!
Thompson’s is useless and can cause harm so do not use it. https://www.deckstainhelp.com/thompsons-waterseal-finish-review/
You will also have to strip it off before staining. Best to just leave as is and clear and brighen all in the Spring to stain.
Can I use cedar to replace damaged redwood planks? The available redwood is far too red in color and will not take the stain the same way as the older sanded original redwood.
Sure but it will not match your redwood.
Wait. See this for tips: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/how-long-should-you-wait-to-stain-a-new-deck/
some of my varnished mahogany porch partially peeled. how do I make old/ new varnished areas level? Thx
Sand it all off to remove the current coatings and then use a penetrating stain, never a varnish for a deck as they peel.
https://www.deckstainhelp.com/ipe-exotic-hardwood-stain-review/
It’s my covered front porch. How do I send a picture to you?
Post it on the comment thread.
handyman mixed old porch picks and new ones to fix my porch. I was told it is a bad idea. How do I paint them to look same color?
Use a solid stain: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/what-are-the-best-solid-color-deck-stains/
Contractors put wood putty in the nail holes will stain cover it
No, and it will not blend with a semi-transparent stain.
What do I need to use
You would have to use a solid stain.
I was planning on using thompsons how long do I need to wait for new steps that were replaced
3-4 months for the new wood to wether and prep. Thompsons is a very poor brand. Anything but really. See here for the best solid stains: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/what-are-the-best-solid-color-deck-stains/
Why is front and back deck 2 different shades. Thanks
The darker area has had more weathering or is older wood resulting in more absorption and a darker color.
Will another coat darken it up a bit?
Probably not to the point it will match.
Had one section that was too warped after power washing that I had to get rid of. Two new boards look so out of place. I’d like to keep the old boards since they have weathered beautifully and have character. Any suggestions on getting new treated wood to match? I’d really appreciate it.
Clean and brighten all and then stain with a semi-solid color like the TWP or Armstrong Clark.
We replace all
Railings, floor boards and stairs with new the frame still exists with the old dark stain, any suggestions on how to brighten them up to match the new lighter wood with black spindles? The desk is a dad rust terracotta color
You cannot get old wood to match new wood.
Hi,
I have a deck that my dog scratched up while jumping to chase his ball (silly mistake!). Anyway, my parents wanted to stain the deck so they sanded the scratches out as best as possible and tried to apply stain over top. Of course the stain did not apply evenly as the other boards have been weathered for two years and the sanding stripped some spots to be like new. Any suggestions on how to create an even stain across the entire deck and get rid of this blotchiness?
Thank you,
Kristen
The only way to fix is to remove all and start over. Strip and brighten for prep:
https://www.deckstainhelp.com/best-deck-stain-strippers/
Last June I replaced my deck boards all PT lumber and waited to stain this spring, but I had laid down a rug over the summer. Now the deck is unevenly sun faded where the rug and furniture were.
What is the best way to bring the areas all back to closest appearance before staining? Entire deck is same age, appearance only related to uneven sunning.
Clean and brighten the wood for the prep.
Thank you!
This is the answer to the question, I originally am looking for but not quite. We removed a shed and wasn’t stained. How can I blend that AND touch ups on other parts of fence? (You can see two failed attempts at matching but, 3rd time is a charm and I think we have the right color now, lol )
Only way to get this to blend using a semi-transparent stain is to remove all current stain and then stain with the same color for all. Other option is to use a solid opaques stain. that would blend as it will look more like a paint. https://www.deckstainhelp.com/what-are-the-best-solid-color-deck-stains/
What is the best wood brightening product?
We like the Restore-A-Deck Products. You can read some reviews here: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/category/deck-product-reviews/deck-brightener-reviews/
Would it help to put a light sealer like Thomson’s on an older deck before staining
You can never apply a sealer prior to or after a deck stain.
I guess my question is there anyway to stain old wood next to new wood and have them match in color
Thanks
No, new wood is less absorbent so the wood will stain lighter. The only way to get them to match would be to use a solid color stain.
My decking which has been down roughly 8 years hasn’t been stained probably for the last 3 years. I have last week had a handful of boards replaced and new rails due to them rotting(see pic back right and left side ) I really wanted to stain the old stuff before any further damage happens but have read online about waiting before painting new decking. I’m worried with winter coming more damage will happen to the existing deck. What should I do? I have currently brought screwfix own decking stain to apply.
Wait until Spring for the wood to season: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/how-long-should-you-wait-to-stain-a-new-deck/
The wood will be fine.
We have a five year old deck and have replaced nearly half of it with new pressure treated wood. We have used a deck cleaning product already in preparation to paint it with Deck Correct. My question is does this sound like a good plan? We are concerned that the Deck Correct will not adhere properly and eventually peel due to the difference in the wood. What process and product would you suggest if we don’t go with the Deck Correct?
The Deck Correct will most likely peel. If you want deck resurface coating then look at this one: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/gulf-synthetics-deck-revive-review-2015/
Also, read this about new wood: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/how-long-should-you-wait-to-stain-a-new-deck/
I am redoing a deck that is Redwood. All boards are being sanded. Bad end being cut off. Some of the old screw holes don’t line up and will be left empty. Some damage to the boards where to old screws were taken out. Should I ignore the old empty holes or fill them with a dowel (redwood) or “RockHard”. I am using Defy semi-transparent stain.
Another thought is that after staining should I fill in the old holes with putty?
Wood filler will not work or stain to blend with a deck stain. Just leave them as is.
I am staining my deck with light oak semitransparent Readyseal deck stain , it looks too orange can I immediately go over it with a darker stain ,? It is a oil base product
Probably not as it will not soak in and will rub off on clothes and shoes. That is one of the biggest issues with Ready Seal is that does not dry and rubs off.
I have a four year old pressure treated wood deck. I waited a year and used semi transparent Thomson water seal and it was blotchy and flaked within a few months. This year I power washed, stripped, and cleaned then applied ready seal. The coverage is very uneven. Some boards looks great. Others look dry for lack of a better word. But when it’s wet after rain it looks great and much more uniform. Any suggestions to get the wet look all the time?
You would need to remove it all by stripping and then brightening and go with a better brand of stain. The RS has issues as it never actually cures or dries.
I recently had a renovation done on my deck, the contractor replaced half the deck boards with cedar while the other half is a combination of new PT and old PT. I have already pressure washed, cleaned and sanded my deck( all the boards). I live in Calgary, Canada deck is east and south facing so alot of sun but also get alot of snow and cold weather. As the deck has different boards what type of stain would you recommend?
For a uniform appearance, you would need a solid stain: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/what-are-the-best-solid-color-deck-stains/
Would a semi-solid stain work or would the different type of boards hold the stain differently creating mismatch of colours?
The newer boards are less absorbent so they will stain lighter in color with a semi-solid or semi-transparent. Not really a big if you can deal with it as the next time you redo the deck in a few years, it will blend much better. New food by the wood, cannot be stained right away no matter what type you use: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/how-long-should-you-wait-to-stain-a-new-deck/
Does Thompson’s water seal peel? In a dilemma and don’t know how to go about it. Used behr semi transparent cedar natural tone and love the color but it peels terribly. Want to use the same shade but want something that won’t peel. Any suggestions would help! Thank you.
Remove the Behr and use a fully penetrating stain. Thompsons is a very poor product. Use one of these brands: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/the-5-best-deck-stain-reviews-and-ratings/
Is water based deck stain the same as acrylic based deck stain?
Typically, yes.
Here’s a pic
You will not be able to get that to match but you could do the contrasting color if you want.
Hello, ten year old deck was newly stained. Stairs to hot tub and railing being newer wood do not match. What’s the easiest way to fix This? Can I sand or apply kilz and paint over in a contrasting color? Thank you
One more question.can u apply oil based stain over water based stain ? Thank you !!
No, you have to remove when switching brands of stain and or type.
Would a white semi solid stain cover a semi transparent cedar stain ? Thanks.
No, you will have to remove the current stain first no matter what.
We have a covered wrap around porch. We are not sure if it is color stained or paint as the home was neglected for many years before we purchased it.
Now that we are restoring it I would like a darker wood tone color to the floor. It is now a faded green color.
I do not want to sand the entire floor so my question is what can I apply over this green to give it a more wood tone effect?
I do know that applying a darker stain over this green will create a unique color but what type of stain should I use?
Thanks in advance for any info
Send pictures.
I used an oil based penetration stain on my deck. Their are 2 different sections. One is four years old and the new section was added on last summer. I sanded both with 80 grit and washed and dried. The newer section is darker. Very noticeable. Looks like 2 different shades. Now what do I do??
There is not anything you can do as the older wood is more absorbent and will be darker. Adding more to the lighter section will probably not help. It will even out over time.
Thank you very much!!! So my understanding is as I apply they oil stain every 12 -18 months per manufacturer the shade will match better in time ?? Thanks!!
So when I reapply the oil penetrating stain annually according to the manufacturers direction the 2 sections will blend better in time?
Yes, it should.
Thanks for your expertise.
Hello,
I have a 15 year old mahogany deck. Many of my boards need to be replaced due to rotting. Im replacing the new planks with pre treated would. To minimize the appearance of the different species of wood. Im looking to use a solid paint color to hopefully have a non differential look between the two different wood species. Please let me know your thoughts and if I will be able to see difference between the different woods.
Thank you
A solid stain would blend best: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/what-are-the-best-solid-color-deck-stains/
See here about new wood: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/staining-a-new-deck/
1. I power washed part of my deck to prep for first time staining and I husband did the other half. They are now two different colors of clean. Do they have to match before putting a semi transparent (dark walnut) stain on them if we want consistant color? I am hoping the come out looking the same.
2. Also, I left track markings in the half I power washed. Can I get rid of those?
Thank you
1. If even in color when wet then it should be even in color when stained.
2. No, that is deep in the grain. You would have to power sand the entire deck to remove those lines.
Hey all – I have a question I was hoping to get some guidance on. I recently bought a home and am in the process of squaring off an old trex deck. Unfortunately they do not use the trex material anymore that I need, so I used normal pressure treated decking wood to square off the deck and make an additional railing. Now, the trick is to match the color of the existing trex deck (kind of a light grey) with a paint/stain for the pressure treated wood. I am not interested in painting over the old trex material, I simply want to pick a color that matches best with the current shade and paint the wood. I know by doing this it wont be a perfect match, but this is just a temporary solution, as the extended goal is to get a brand new deck in a few years.
What is my best approach here? Should I simply find the closest color match, then use a solid color wood exterior exterior coating on the new boards?
If any of you have any suggestions that may be better I would love to hear them, thank you!
Yes, that would be your best option. The closest solid stain color you can find: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/what-are-the-best-solid-color-deck-stains/
I’ve read a lot of the questions you’ve answered from others and they’ve been very helpful. My husband and I are attempting to fix our deck and we are learning as we go actually. There was more decking to be replaced than we thought so we have more weathered wood and new or I guess pressure treated I guess you call it right to match up but from what I’ve seen that your saying is the new wood needs to season but we have a dilemma here we need to do it in the next couple days so if we use the stain you’ve said looks like paint will that be good enough even if it’s not perfect. We’re going to do either a rust brown or brownish grey? Thank you
A solid stain will blend new and old wood.
We replaced some of our rotten deck board and are planning to use a solid stain when we repaint. Do we need to let the new treated boards season or can we just paint them?
Season and prep. 2-3 months.
They changed the chemical agents used to pressure treat wood. I recently started a deck and miscalculated the number of boards I needed. Most boards are installed and the additional boards I ordered are a different colour having a more reddish hue. Will weathering fix this so it’s not as noticeable. Other suggestions or solutions? I’m not sure yet if my supplier has any inventory left of the old PT deck boards.
George
Eventually, it will blend from weathering.
We had to replace a few rotting boards and of course they are not blending well with the old boards.can I stain the new boards right away or must I age them for awhile. We also added a new railing
You should wait: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/staining-a-new-deck/
How long should I wait?
Depending on the stain brand but 3 months is normal. It is in the article we sent.
Thank you for responding so quickly!
How can I get these new and old deck boards to match color? From question below.
You will not be able to get them to match using a stain like RS. You will have to use a solid stain or just accept they will not match for a couple of years.
Thank you – based on color can you recommend a solid stain that is like color?
Solid stains look like a paint and can be tinted to any color you like: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/what-are-the-best-solid-color-deck-stains/
I just stained my deck which is a combination of new and old wood. The old wood is Cedar, and the new Pine deck board I believe. How can I get the Pine as dark as Cedar to match? I used Ready Seal Dark Walnut. I will attach pic in another post above.
We have a large deck, built by previous owners, so we do not have information about the product used. It needs to be maintained and restained. It has privacy panels that I believe are cedar. It appears that the product used on it originally is a semi-transparent stain. We’re considering a semi-solid stain in a different color. Wondering how far can we stray on the color, (i.e. should we try to stay in the same color family), especially since the privacy panels are cedar. Could we stain the whole thing the same new color, including the cedar panels, or will it take the stain very differently?
You will have to strip and brighten this for prep when switching brands and types of stain. Once removed, you can use any color you like. Try the Armstrong Clark in a semi-solid color.
Thank you. Just to be clear, you are referring to the privacy panels?
All wood that has a stain needs to be stripped.
my old deck almost matches my new deck except for one area where there is about an inch difference in height
What can be done now?
Not sure what you are asking? You cannot fix the height without redoing the entire framing.
Well that is what I thought but was hoping for some type of way to make a smoother transition between the two parts.
Thank you for answering back.
I have a new deck…before adding a screened room the boards turned darker..had to replace a board which is lighter, how can I darken the new one?
See here about new wood: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/staining-a-new-deck/
Hi, I will use a stain remover for oil spots on the deck. What’s your suggestion on how to paint or stain afterwards so that the colour is even?
Send some pictures of the wood after the prep.
Hi, let me know and thank you for your help
You probably will not get out all those grease or oil spots. If you cannot, you will need a solid stain to cover it: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/what-are-the-best-solid-color-deck-stains/
So should I sand as best as I can, and apply the solid stain? Or will the solid stain hold on top of grease spots?
Just pressure wash and then cover with the solid stain.
1)What’s the difference between a semi-transparent and semi-solid stain? 2) what type of stain would you recommend for my situation?
I have a deck that sees partial sun (under a covered porch)and I need to replace the boards that are in direct sunlight. The deck has never been stained and are just treated wood. I also need to replace railings as well. I plan to do all that but am worried about the stain not matching the old and new boards.. it’s a high traffic area. I also have 2 dogs that are on the deck frequently… I’m trying to figure out the best type stain to use, and best method to achieve a good blend of new/old boards… I’m also looking for something that will last a decent length time ( 5-6 years). I also live in Nebraska so the weather varies from extreme heat to bitter cold winters.. any advice would be helpful, cost isn’t an issue as deck is only 14’x10’ roughly… I also want to do it right… I was debating on using an Armstrong Clark semi-solid stain as the reviews have been good.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated
1. Opacity. Semi-solid has less transparency than a semi-transparent.
-Nothing lasts 5-6 years. 2-3 is tops.
-See here about your new areas: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/staining-a-new-deck/
-You will not be able to blend the new and old wood when using a semi-transparent.
-The only way to fully blend the new and old wood is a solid stain.
AC semi-solid is a great stain but you cannot use it for the new wood areas until the wood has seasoned for 12 months.
The deck boards in the sun aren’t in terrible shape yet, we just thought about replacement while we were going to redo steps. We did discuss just flipping boards over for a smoother side on the sun exposed boards only….if we were to do that, would the semi-transparent stain still blend together?… it would be all old boards on the decking just a few flipped over to the side that hasn’t been exposed to the sun.
If so that may be route we go … and just wait for the stairs/railings to weather a year before staining them.
Flipping boards does not work well. There will be stains that does not come out from the joists.
We have a 3 year old existing deck stained with SW Superdeck semisolid stain, recently we added new deck area. We wanted the new and exciting deck has uniformed lighter color stain if possible. What will be the best way to do it? Sand the existing one? It is pretty big area including rails, a lot of work and I assume high cost. Use original stain for the new deck and leave the existing one alone?
My contractor recommended to paint over the existing and new deck with Valspar Duramax which is an exterior PAINT. Since it is a paint, we can whatever color we want. He said he has been using it for deck all the time and works well. I have talked to many people, they strongly recommended not to use the exterior paint since it is not for stand on surface. Any comment on using Valspar Duramax paint. I am scared to make mistake now which could lead to disaster later. Thank you for your help.
You do not want to use a paint on a deck. To get it to look even you will need a solid stain: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/what-are-the-best-solid-color-deck-stains/
Thank you for answering my question. What about the question to match the color between existing and new deck. Sand existing one then solid stain both the deck area or leave the existing one alone and stain the new deck to match the color? what it the average cost to sand deck per sq feet? thanks
Just cover both decks with a solid stain color of your choice is the easiest way to get them to match. You do not want to sand. We do not sand decks, too labor-intensive and costly.
I was told that you can’t restain a deck without sanding to open the pore of the wood, is it not true? My impression from this forum also seems to be the same. Any thoughts on this?
Sanding does not open pores but closes pores. https://www.deckstainhelp.com/why-sanding-a-deck-can-be-an-issue/
you only sand if absolutely needed to remove a coating that cannot be stripped.
Hi, I am back with more questions.
1. the new deck area was finished around beginning of 02/2020. I am planning to use either Armstrong clark semi-solid (no option for solid) vs RAD solid (no option for semi-solid). Will semi-solid be OK enough to make the older deck and new deck color look close to each other? or or you think the solid stain is the way to go. I hate to lose those beautiful wood grains on the new deck by covering with solid stain. I understand that semi-solid stain will only show minimal wood grain, but even just a little, I am OK with it since it is better than none.
2. If I go with Armstrong semi-solid, can I use it on new deck which is only about 3-4 month old by the time of stain. Armstrong website said for semi-solid, the wood has to be at least 12 months old
3.If I still sand off the old stain on the old deck (willing pay for the sanding part), then do prep as you recommended with cleaning and brightening the older part, can I use semi-transparent stain for the old and the new deck, will the color looked close enough to each other? or you still recommend semi-solid or solid in this case.
As you can see, my pitfall is that I don’t like solid stain, and only want to do it if it is absolute necessary.
thank you in advance for your answer
1. You cannot use the AC semi-solid unless the wood has weathered for 12 months. You would need a solid to blend it all.
2. 12 months
3. It will not match. The new wood will be lighter in color since it is less absorbent.
I would just do the semi-transparent and accept that it will not match until you redo the next time.
Thank you for your quick answer. for #3, When I redo the next time- did you mean that 2-3 years from