Hello. I am Scott Paul, a leading exterior restoration contractor and business owner with over 30 years of experience in exterior decking. My blending of new and old wood help tips are based on my history as a wood restoration contractor and actual hands-on testing. See here for more info about me.
- Wash the entire deck with a wood cleaner and pressure washer to remove dirt, mold, mildew, and graying from older boards.
- Apply a wood brightener after cleaning to lighten older boards and open wood pores on newer boards for better stain penetration.
- Sand old boards to remove soft wood fibers and create a harder surface; sand new boards to remove mill glaze and soften dense fibers.
- Use a quality semi-transparent or penetrating semi-solid deck stain for maximum UV protection and the best blend between new and old wood.
Blending New and Old Deck Boards
At DeckStainHelp.com, I strive to remain the Internet’s number-one reference for deck stain questions, opinions, and reviews. This updated article suggests blending new and old deck boards for a beautiful, even surface. We would like to hear your thoughts, so feel free to comment below.
New and Old Deck Boards
You would have a mix of new and old deck boards for many reasons, but it can be a common situation. The most frequent reason is that some boards needed to be replaced due to decay or wood rot while others were still in good condition. It is also common for a deck owner to protect the deck from a stain once all the repairs have been made. The dilemma is that new and old boards look very different when stained.
Understanding why this happens may help you minimize the problem. Once old deck boards weather, the top layer of wood fibers begins to gray and become soft. Newer deck boards are denser and very hard. The older boards will absorb more deck stain and appear much darker than the new, denser deck boards, which appear lighter.
Prepping New and Old Boards
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 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 and remove any mill glaze.
New and Old Decking
Cleaning the deck this way 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 blending 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 softwood fibers to create a harder surface. Sanding newer, already dense boards will have the opposite effect, softening the wood fibers and removing any mill glaze that cleaning did not remove.
In addition to these steps for blending new and old deck boards, a quality semi-transparent deck stain will help. Follow these prepping and staining tips, and your newly repaired deck will be safer and look better.
My Pro Tip: A penetrating semi-solid stain will provide maximum UV protection and help blend the new and old wood better!
Need Help Blending Deck Boards? Ask Below
Can you use a bleach mixture instead of the wood brightner
No, bleach is not a brightener and bleach is bad for wood. It breaks down the lignin.
Love the website…I’m learning a lot! Nine months ago we replaced several rotten boards on our 20+ year old deck. The remaining boards were also sanded, but many of them are still in “rough” shape (cost considerations prevented us from replacing the entire deck). It’s now time to stain the deck, but I have a few questions that I’m hoping you can answer or provide some advice for:
(1) The old boards are grey when dry, but dark brown when wet (see pics). Of course, I’ll work on them when they’re dry…but will the stain change color (darker) when applied on the old boards? I’m trying to decide on a color, and this could impact that decision.
(2) Your “Pro Tip” says to use a semi-solid stain for better blending. How much difference is there between a semi-solid and solid stain when it comes to blending? Seems like there are disadvantages for solid stains (e.g., peeling), so I might want to go with a semi-solid…but I do want the old and new boards to blend well.
(3) I saw your other article where you advise against using an epoxy filler because it won’t look good (at least with transparent or semi-transparent stain). However, the old boards on my deck still have a lot of imperfections that I’d like to smooth out/get rid of if possible. You seem to say (in the other article) that using filler is OK if you use a solid stain, since that will cover everything. Would a semi-solid stain also cover-up filler?
(4) If I do use an epoxy filler and follow your prep steps above for best blending (wash, brighten, sand), when would I apply the filler? Between the brightener and sanding?
Thanks in advance for your thoughts!
Thanks for your response!
Should there be protection for the replaced wood while waiting for it to dry?
No, it needs to be exposed.
have new extension to the old deck. want to stain the whole deck. i’ve power washed. was going to sand but weather not cooperating. did some research and saw a bunch of articles that sanding isn’t always necessary. I used an orbital hand sander 60 grit on the stairs and not much changed color wise. the new stain i’m using is darker than the original. what do you recommend? thanks in advance.
First of all, you cannot stain this new wood yet. See this for tips:
https://www.deckstainhelp.com/how-long-should-you-wait-to-stain-a-new-deck/
The only way you will get this to blend is to use a solid stain on all wood.
https://www.deckstainhelp.com/what-are-the-best-solid-color-deck-stains/
I had my cedar deck, privacy lattice and railings professionally stained 2 years ago with twp 200 series in honey color. I would like to change now to a light to medium grey color.
Can you recommend the correct product to apply? the deck is easily sanded if needed but the privacy lattice is and railings would be impossible to sand down. can I just go over the stain with a compatible oil stain??
No, you need to strip and brighten for prep to remove the current coating. Use the RAD Stripper/Brightener Kits for this. Once done you can choose any brand of gray stain that you like. BTW, don’t sand.
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 this time of stain, when I restain the deck, the color will match better since by then both of the part will be old? at that time can I restain with semi-transparent with just cleaning, brightening prior to staining? thanks
Yes, down the road it will blend much better.
Thank you. Now if I go with semi-transparent stains,
1. will you still recommend Armstrong or RAD semi-transparent since I have both old and new deck?
2. will either of these two semi-transparent also work better on older deck as well? 3. And since the newer deck is about 3 months from finishing, can I proceed with staining with semi-transparent staining with either of these two products in the next 2-3 weeks?
4. if you disagree with either of these, what else do you recommend?
Sorry, lots of questions, but I really want to get it done right this time. thanks
1. Try the AC in semi-trans. It will soak in better.
2. See above.
3. Yes.
4.
Thank you so much. Learned a lot from you.
Hi, Back with more questions. I have chose Armstrokng clark semi-transparent black walnut. And just deal with color difference for 2-3 yrs then may retain with same or choose semi-solid at that time to blend the color better. So,
1) for the old deck, as you can see we have a dark semi-solid stain from Sherwin William Superdeck, water based. I planned to sand the old one to get rid of the color as much as we can for the semitransparent stain. do you think it is necessary for the sanding or striping is enough?
2) if sanding is not necessary, then the steps to prep the deck will be: power wash->strip->brighten-> stain? No need for using a cleaner, correct?
3) If sanding is necessary, then power wash-> sand->brighten-> stain or power wash->cleaner->brighten->sanding-> stain? or you have different suggestion of the steps
4) For the new deck: cleaner-> brighten-> stain?
thank you
1. You will have to sand this off.
2.
3. Sand first and then pressure wash with a deck cleaner. Brightener last.
4. Yes.
Thank you!
Working on this deck had to replace some of the rotten wood with new wood. Plan on staining the deck next. What is the best and cheapest way to get the wood to blend together. Already been power washed.
You cannot get it to blend perfectly if you do it now. The only way is time or going with an opaque stain.
I recently purchased a home that has a cedar wrap around porch. It looked like it hasn’t been stained in a few years so I decided to pressure wash the deck. I had my friend over helping me and he stripped the wood down to bare wood with the pressure washing. The porch is a little over 800sqft and I would like to not strip the wood down so far to save hours and hours of time.
My question is when it is stained will it look different? If so should I strip the entire deck to bare wood?
You will have to strip it all as it will look bad if you do not. Use the RAD Stripper/Brightener Kit while pressure washing, it will make it much easier to remove: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/restore-a-deck-cleaner-system-review/
I’m not sure if this is the right forum for my question, but this is the only article I’ve found that touches on my current concern. We had to replace a rotting post on the stairway leading up to our front porch, and my husband used newly-milled redwood for the job. As you can see from the photo, the new post doesn’t match the wood on our stairway or the deck it leads up to, due to the fact that it’s been weathered over time. He said that the older wood is redwood as well and hasn’t been stained — although I’m not convinced that this is the case. It’s difficult to know because we bought our house last year and the previous owners didn’t leave information to that effect. Either way, I’m wondering if we can use a semi-transparent stain to darken the post so it blends in better with the other wood. After the pre-requisite period of weathering, of course. Any advice you can provide would be much appreciated! Thank you.
It is virtually impossible to get new wood to match older wood when using a semi-transparent stain. It will eventually blend better but they may take a couple of years.
Got it. Thank you!
Here is a picture of a repaired deck. Red part is painted but the owner wants it all stained to match. How can I achieve this?
How can I match this in a stain…red part painted.
FYI, you cannot stain new wood right away: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/staining-a-new-deck/
Do you want a solid stain or semi-transparent stain?
Is it best to paint the old and new deck boards
I have a mahogany deck that has a few replacement boards and the whole deck is ready to be stained. Will adding a 2nd coat to new boards help blend the color or will it just lead to over application?
Will not blend by adding more stain to the new boards and will be over-applied as well.
Hi, the guy who helped me refurbish my deck has already cleaned and stained and the new boards he replaced look way different Than the old ones. I’m not sure if he cleaned and prepared the new boards the same as the old ones. At this point, is there anything I can do to blend? Add Another coat?
No, not possible to blend at this point.
Hi, I am in Toronto Canada. I have a slight dilemma that I hope you could advise on regarding staining my new pressure treated deck, which was built having the cut ends of each board sealed, which I expect is normally a good thing except some of the clear sealer was unfortunately lapped onto some surface areas. So I had some concerns when it comes to staining to ensure the stain absorbs and the lap marks are the least noticeable as possible. My questions essentially are:
1) How long would be too long for weathering? is there a suitable amount of time I can wait before staining (not so long that the non sealed wood starts to deteriorate, but long enough that the sealed portions will absorb new stain) ?
2) Or instead, should I sand the problem areas instead of waiting too long?
3) Which stain might be able to cover over the sealed sections most unnoticeably? Preferably water based.
The deck was finished 10 days ago (Aug 2nd)
Wood: MicroPro Sienna pressure treated wood.
The deck is in full sun.
The sealer used on the cut portions was “Wolman Clear Wood Preservative with water repellent” (an older oil based product).
The MicroPro Sienna website says 2 – 8 week wait is sufficient as long as wood is dry to the touch, unless the stain manufacturer says otherwise.
I am considering whether to wait until the end of May 2020 to stain it (about 10 or so months), or sand the problem areas now before staining this September (past mid Sept will be too cold). I was planning to use a semi-transparent water based stain if I can find the most appropriate brand … the sealer was however oil based.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
1. See this: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/staining-a-new-deck/
2. Sand off now and then let wood weather.
3. You cannot stain this now. Look at Defy Extreme if you want to use a water-based stain.
They are wrong on the weathering. Needs 3+ months. Sand now, prep and stain in the Spring is best.
Thanks very much for the advice!
Welcome
I have some deck areas that have pressure treated boards and others with cedar boards. Is there a way to reduce the redness of the PT boards so they stain more closely to the cedar boards?
No, that is not possible.
Does it make any difference whether you add new wood boards before stripping, cleaning and brightening an old cedar deck, or should you add them after?
Add them first.
Thanks. I’ve got to say, you have been the best help of any source I’ve turned to for advice on my deck work. Really appreciate it! Forgot to mention in my last question, I’ll be using a solid stain so I believe the new board/old boards difference will not be as apparent, other than checking in some of the old. Am I right?
Correct.
Our front porch had planters on the ends and the treated deck boards were never treated. We removed the planters and the wood under them looks newer. We would like to stain the wood now, using a Cabot product that is semi transparent. We plan on prepping the entire surface. Should I do anything different to the newer looking areas? Thanks
Nothing you can do to those areas so it blends with the rest of the wood. It will stand out slightly when you stain.
I am in much need of advice. We purchased a house with a 2nd story deck that seems to be pretty old and has a solid red paint. Last October I added a set up stairs with pretreated wood but was waiting to seal it, then this summer I replaced all of the boards with pretreated wood on the deck because of splintering and rot but I kept the support structure and railings because all of that was in good shape but it is still all red. I know I need to wait a couple of months to stain or paint the new boards. What is my best course of actions for the next steps to get everything to match(ish)? My plan was to try and power wash the existing red off but from there I am lost as to what to do because of the big difference in the age of wood between the boards/stairs and the structure. I am assuming the older wood is too old to stain but is it wrong to paint the new wood?
This is a picture
The only way to the red paint is to sand. Pressure washing will not remove it. The best course of actions is to go with a two-toned deck: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/why-have-a-two-toned-deck/
I have a deck that I built and stained 3 years ago with a (supposedly) 6 year semi-transparent stain. Since then I’ve had a deckboard or two split and crack so I replaced those boards today with new wood. I stained a sample piece of the new wood (see the orange-ish 2 ft. section lying in the one picture) with the same stain that I used 3 years ago but it doesn’t match my existing deck boards closely at all. The current deck boards aren’t in terrible shape so I’m thinking that stripping them probably isn’t necessary, but what steps would you recommend I do to get these new boards matching the old as best as possible? Thanks in advance.
Here are the pictures.
If switching brands of stain you will have to strip. New wood needs to season as well: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/staining-a-new-deck/
It will be virtually impossible to blend these new and old boards when using a semi-transparent stain.
What is the best brightener? I have a super clean deck but very dark, i need something that really brightens the wood.
Brighteners are designed to neutralize and brighten the wood after using a deck cleaner or stain stripper. They do not work as standalone products to lighten the wood’s natural tones. You can try it but no guarantee it will do anything. Try the RAD Wood Brightener.
Pictures for my comment below. The boards at the top and bottom of the picture are the new boards that I stained, the board at top of pic I sanded with 150 grit to see if that would help…it didn’t. The other picture is the “before.” Thanks!
You will not be able to get the new wood to match the older wood in this scenario. Nothing you do will make it blend when using a transparent stain. The brand new wood is just not absorbent enough to accept the stain the same way as the older wood.
Thank you so sand off or leave it alone?
Hi, novice here. I have a pressure treated deck and hired someone to stain. They replaced 2 boards and I am trying to get a stain that somewhat matches because the mismatch is driving me crazy. I have a semi transparent cedar stain down, they also put on new boards which turned yellow. I tried different stains to get to match, and it seemed I needed to go really dark, so I applied Moorish teak opaque oil based. Looked okay until it dried. I sanded one of the boards with 150 grit, only made it worse. Some dried a bit shiny which makes me think it didn’t absorb. Glad I found your site!
Questions:
1) should I try to brush paint thinner on these boards to decrease the darkness?
2) should I try to sand off with belt sander and apply another stain?
3) Should I sand some off and put another stain down?
Thanks in advance for your help. I will post pictures in another post because I don’t think my previous post worked with pictures. Thanks!!
When blending new and old deck boards together do you still have to wait months to stain the new boards? It seems kind of crazy to stain all the older boards and railings and not the new boards? Please help! Our handyman who is going to be doing the job is not quite sure himself which way to proceed?
If you stain the new boards without weathering, you will most likely have to apply another coat to those boards on 6-12 months.
Thank You
I have a deck that was improperly painted with an opaque stain (probably Behr) by the previous homeowner the year I got my house. It started flaking off within a few months. Fast forward several years and it’s time to do it right!! I’ve taken off all the flaking stain that I could so it would dry and will sand off the rest with a drum sander and edger. There will be some wood that will need to be replaced. I’m interested in using Restore-A-Deck Wood Stain. Do I need to use a cleaner and brightener before I stain or is the complete sanding sufficient? Thank you for this website; as a first timer, the information here and the accessibility of its presentation has been very helpful.
Do not sand with a grit finer than 80. Clean and brighten for the prep after. This will help the new stain to soak in deeper. You may only want to apply 1 coat of the RAD stain this time around. Another light coat to the floors in 12-24 months.
Thank you. Time to put the order in! Having spent an hour or two reading Q&As on your website, I’m still not clear on a few things:
1) Do I need to let the sanded wood weather before I do the clean, brighten, and stain? Or can I do it as soon as weather permits? It seems I read both options as viable. And that said, do I need to time it so all 3 tasks get done within a few days of each other? (I don’t know the waiting time or the effort involved in the clean and brighten steps).
2) Same for the new wood: one commentary said to let it weather, then do the clean, brighten, and stain. Another said to sand it along with the rest of the deck and go ahead and prep and stain it along with everything else.
3) once all is done, would it be wisest to NOT put down an outside rug? I read about rug outlines. I never had that with the opaque stain, but am wondering if it would interfere with the natural weathering that I’m guessing will take place, especially the first year after applying the Restore-A-Deck Wood Stain.
Thank you again for your help. It is a life-saver and great anxiety reducer!!!
1. Either. Weathering after fine grit sanding is suggested. If not weathering, do it all within a week or so.
2. New needs to weather: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/staining-a-new-deck/
3. Rugs will cause inconsistent fading when using a semi-transparent. Not really an issue if the rug is always in the same place.
‘weathering after fine grit sanding is suggested.’ I thought one did not use fine grit when sanding because it made the wood pores less penetratable, but did all the sanding with the 60 to 80 coarse grit sandpaper.
Correct but not all follow the sanding directions and sand too fine. If you sand with no more than 60-80 than you should be okay. Your new wood is an issue though and that needs to weather.
Can you hear me yell “Arghhh!”? It became clear after 3 hours of sanding with a drum sander that it would take several days to get the crappy (Behr) solid stain removed, if I was lucky. Plus after reading other comments about using pressure washing, stain removing products, and sanding and still not getting it all off, I realized the time and money would be better spent on new pressure treated wood. An improvement since the current deck was rotting on a number of boards and likely not PT. I even briefly contemplated composite decking (there is some the same price as PT wood) until I read the really bad reviews. I suppose I could have painted over all the blotches with a better solid stain, but I feel really untrusting of opaque stains and am wanting just wood and a semi-transparent stain. So soon I will have a new deck of PT fir/hemlock in WA state with some hot afternoon sun for our brief summer, and lots of wet for the rest of the year. Current deck gets some algal growth. Not too much traffic, but lots of pots (on wheeled plant caddies). I was aiming for RAD. I like everything you say about it and am drawn to the eco formula. But I’m wondering if an oil based stain would be better? Or if it doesn’t really matter which I use. Thanks. And yes, I will let it weather for the appropriate period of time before prepping and staining.
RAD would work well. If you want oil based, try Armstrong Clark.
I’m still here! Just purchased the PT douglas fir decking at my local lumber store and they were adamant that it did not need to be stained; that the pressure treatment chemicals are filling any available pore space already. And yet on your website I’ve read repeatedly about staining PT wood. Mostly pine–don’t know if that makes a difference. I am also thinking that if I don’t stain now, in a few years of weathering, staining might be needed, as well as possible. What are your thoughts on this?
You have to stain PTP and not it does not fill the pores. They are a little clueless there. Treat like new wood: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/staining-a-new-deck/
When restaining a fence with old panels and new panels…how do you make the stain be the same color
Prep all with a deck cleaner and then a wood brightener. Stain with a semi-solid color so it blends better. Try the Armstrong Clark Wood Stain.
Great read. Thanks for putting this post together.
Question in redwood decking. I am in a new build home (Colorado, so sun and snow through the winter) withmall redwood deck. Been here 6 months, haven’t stained or treated the deck. I’d like to extend the deck but am trying to set my expectations for how that will look.
With no staining or seal on the original deck it’s now greyish after 6 months. If I add new redwood decking to extend it, should I let it get a similar weathered look through the winter and then in the Spring power wash and seal or stain? Should I do something to the current deck to stop the weathering so that the new addition can catch up? What’s my best bet for matching those colors and then protecting a redwood deck (I like the natural color so I wasn’t planning on any colored stain)?
Yes. Add now, let weather, and prep/stain in the Spring. You must have a color in your stain if you want UV protection from graying. Clea will not filter the UV graying. Look at one of these semi-transparent brands: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/the-5-best-deck-stain-reviews-and-ratings/
Hi there!
Your posting and responses are very helpful! We have an old deck (~20 yrs old). We prepped it by power washing and sanding and deck cleaner. We are now staining with a semitransparent oil stain, using a pad. My question is, do we need to stain between the boards? Of course, a little bit has dripped down, but not sure if this is something we need to stain directly, I assume by taking a pad a running it along each edge.
Thank you!
Nicki
You do not have to stain between the boards but many do if you have wide gaps. Only for appearance.
Thank you so much for your response! I think we will end up doing so, only because the gaps are wide enough that you can otherwise see the drips. But based on your input, we will keep it to a very light coat!
I have replaced rotten boards on Deck. I have stripped and cleaned old stain. I want to put a water sealer on next. Can I do it now or do I need to wait 30 days and let the new boards dry out so they’ll be the same color. I’m afraid to let the old boards set too long without a water sealer.
Let it sit for 2-3 months and then prep before applying. https://www.deckstainhelp.com/staining-a-new-deck/
Everything has been power washed and restained. New replacement boards stick out like a sore thumb. Is there anything we can do besides just adding extra stain to new boards? Too late to start from scratch.
Adding more stain will not darken these boards to blend and will not soak into the wood. Just leave alone. They will blend next year when you redo.
Just had my deck restrained and the outline from the outdoor rug is still visible.
Is there a way to correct this?
Sorry but no. You could put the rug back in the exact same spot so it does not show.
Thanks.
AskHahahaha….that was actually funny! a Question or Post a Review…
We removed outdoor carpet from a pool deck that is 17 years old…Replaced a few boards and put up new railing.. Was surprised how good the deck looked under the carpet…it has always been carpeted. Now we are contemplating a sealer such as Rust-Oleum Restore. I’ve read nothing but bad reviews on this product. Suggestions for a good sealer? Any suggestion would be appreciated…My son is determined to use Restore…
Don’t use the Deck Restore by Rustoleum. If you want that look but have a product that actually works, try the Gulf Deck Revive: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/gulf-synthetics-deck-revive-review-2015/
We have a 5 year old pt pine deck, partially covered. Stained for first time 1 year after construction with semi solid oil based. 2 years later, sanded bare and restained with solid water based. Built pt pine privacy fence 6 months ago. Still unstained. Beginning to grey. Built addition to deck, onto uncovered portion 2 weeks ago. Still unstained. Would like advice on getting most uniform look to all surfaces. Planning on using oil based semi solid in a darker cedar or maybe walnut (something that will hide paw prints). Thanks
Sand off the old solid stain and brigthen the wood after. Clean and brighten all wood that is unstained. Use the Armstrong Clark in a semi-solid for all.
Can I successfully apply semi transparent or semi solid stain on this newly cleaned two year old deck? I prefer textured luck. My goal is to preserve wood from Midwest temperatures (uv rays and cold temps).
Yes, you can use a semi-solid or semi-transparent now.
We have old cedar deck. Stained every two years. We have totally sanded and ready to stain. Our boards are many different colors due to replacement. Plan to use semi-transparent stain. Do we need to use brightner 9brand?) and how long after using it do we stain? Thank you.
Clean and brighten for the final prep. Wait 48 hours to stain after the prep.
Can I use Yenkin Majestic Paint Stain on my deck over Cabots after pressure washing? Both are cedar in color.
Thank You, Scott
Sorry but do not know. Never used or heard of that brand.
what are the chances that the Armstrong semi solid deck stain will peel if the deck is properly cleaned.thanks
It is a penetrating stain so it does not peel when properly prepped and applied.
Spent the time and effort to properly prep deck for oil stain. Finished applying stain and wouldn’t you know it, rain, about 12 hours after I finished. That was a week ago. Can I simply reapply stain to the entire deck now that the weather is clear for several days? Please tell me I don’t have to prep all over again.
Depends on the brand of deck stain you used but you may need to remove all and start over.
As in whether or not the brand is the same? Can you elaborate what it depends on? Thanks
Depends on the brand and type you used? Not all are the same and how to fix varies.
I have a front and back deck made with PT pine, just replaced several old, damaged boards on both. Would it be wise to let the deck age and weather for around 10-12 months to get a more uniform blend between the boards before staining, or is that unnecessary? (Was thinking of a semi transparent for the front, possibly solid for back.)
If waiting is preferable, should I also wait to strip, clean and brighten until closer to staining time or go ahead and do that now?
Wait until Spring. Clean and brighten the wood then.
Thank you. My other question I forgot to mention was the back deck has some semi transparent that needs to come up. Does stripping take the place of cleaning, or will I need to strip, clean, then brighten?
Sorry if this has already been addressed elsewhere.
No need to use a cleaner is using a stain stripper. Brighten after.
We have spent weeks and lots of money getting solid stain off the deck. Finally done. We added an addition 5 years ago to a 10 year old deck after solid stain removed the newer side is still very much lighter. We have stained it thinking we could just add mote stain to newer side to make it darker. This has only made it redder than the other side we used dark walnut transparent stain. I don’t want to go through the stripping process again! Are there anyway to blend this with out solid stain or redoing?
Post a picture please.
Are you seeing this pic
No way to blend this with a semi-transparent stain at this point. Natural weathering and a recoat in a year or so and should blend then.
I have this situation (different aged wood) is semi transparent the best option?
Semi-solids will blend better. Try Armstrong Clark in one of their semi-solid colors.
what if i mix new boards and old boards , wash it, then solid color stain it? would that work better? Thanks.
Solid color stains will blend better but they can be prone to peeling.
I wish I had found this great site LAST weekend! I have a redwood deck of unknown age previously stained with a very dark purplish opaque stain. I pressure washed. The stain stayed in the few shady areas and in knots of the wood. I took out my belt sander to fix those areas (35 grit). The deck looks gorgeous. But after reading this site – oops! – What should I do now before staining? Or just PW, Brighten, stain?
Second, when do you know to replace the boards? I have 6 with minor surface cracks that go down about 1/4″. All are still as solid as their neighbors. And if I should replace, should I age the whole deck? THANKS for the help!
The boards sound like they do not need replacing. As for the stain, the only way to effectively remove a solid opaque stain is to sand it all off.
Just installed this new step and it’s raining for about a week before I installed. Should I wait until everything dries up to try to match the older boards or does it not matter? Also should I pressure wash everything then try to stain the older boards too? Thanks!
When to stain the new wood really depends on the stain brand you are using for the rest of the deck. I would suggest reading their directions. New wood, in general, should season and be prepped:
https://www.deckstainhelp.com/staining-a-new-deck/
Have a treated deck, already stripped and used brightener… But looks like I should have replaced the rotted boards first oops…I was thinking of sanding the old boards to see if they would lighten up more(I prefer transparent stain and the color dif between new and old is still significant) so would I have to re brighten the deck?
Sanding will not lighten up the boards much or at all. You will have a slight difference between the new boards and the old boards no matter what the first time staining until the new boards become more absorbent.
I have an older deck that will need about 20% replacement of the deck boards. Is there a way to tell if they were PT or Cedar 2 X 6 boards? If PT, how to prep and stain to match old wood?
If pressure treated, it will most likely have a \”greenish\” hue on the inside if cut. Cedar has a light orange/red color and the smell is more aromatic if cut.
I have a deck that is all messed up, the whole thing needs to be sanded, stain stripped, and some boards definitely need to be replaced. Is this the correct order of operations:
1. Replace Boards
2. Stain strip
3. Sand (What grit? I have a power sander and brush, and was thinking for the more damaged poles and railings, to use the power sander, and for the furred deck boards, to use the brush.)
4. Brighten
5. Refinish/stain/everything else (I'll worry about this at a later date)
Yes that is correct.
Three new boards added to replace rotten ones. Deck has already had every thing done to it before new boards were added. Now a problem. What to do to the three boards to blend them in to old deck that will be acceptable. No thought was put into this issue when the decision to replace the boards due to safety issues.
Try to blend with a semi-solid color. Use Armstrong Clark stains. Prep well first.
Since I just found this article today, I was wondering if I need to go back and do the deck cleaner when I used a pressure washer and sanding the old boards.I did nothing to the new boards yet. Can I just sand them like the rest of the deck and then do the brightener or go back and follow your suggestions? It's been a lot of work sanding if I can get the same effect as the cleaner and then move on to the brightener–would be great news! Thanks!
Since you already started to sand it would be best to sand all so you will have an even appearance when staining. Do apply the brightener after the sanding. Rinse well with water.
Could you reckoned a deck brightener brand for me? Thanks for all the help too.
Restore A Deck products.
I have a cypress ceiing in my den that we put up 31 years ago. The ceiling also had box built cypress beams, which we recently removed. We whitewashed the ceiling and it is beautiful except for where the beams were. That area won't blend with the rest of the ceiling no matter what we do. Also, there is a dark line that seems to outline where the beams were. It is a slight line but we can't get rid of it. We have tried sanding, that made the differences show up more. We tried stripper, denatured alcohol, etc and nothing we do blends the two. Any help would be greatly appreciated. We are trying to find a solution other than having to spend a fortune to put new beams back up to cover the discolored wood.
You will not be able to remove this discoloration or get it all to blend.
I am staining my deck with 1501 cedartone. Some boards are a nice golden color and some are dull greyish after the application. The deck was powerwashed three weeks ago. Why do you think there is such a noticeable difference.
The wood itself is the issue, not the stain.
I am doing the final sanding on a cedar deck. Some of the boards have been replaced. The total deck has been sanded with a 60 grit. I have three questions:
1. what grit should I use for the final sanding?
2. do I still need to use the restore a deck products since I have removed the previous stain on the old boards?
3. my preference is to use a brush, do you have any other suggestions?
I will be using the Armstrong Clark Amber Stain
Thanks
1. 60-80 grit
2. Yes that would help the stain to absorb better.
3. Brush or stain pads for exterior wood.
I am trying to restore a 20 year old cedar deck (2×4). I have used a stripper and a power washer (turned down to about 1500 PSI) to remove the layers of old staing, mildew and crud. I'm having to also replace some of the boards due to rot. I have found some weathered old cedar boards at a used building supply store. The boards look very porous and grainy so I'm thinking of renting a drum floor sander to smooth out the deck. Should I still use a cleaner before I stain after I sand? BTW, I'm going to apply TWP 100 natural cedar semi transparent.
After the sand it would be best to use the cleaner.
Thanks, I thought so. Someone told me the cleaner would prepare the wood to receive the stain better. I going to use Behr Premium Wood Cleaner. Is that okay?
what is the best way to get semi-transparent stain off the vertical spindles (my are 1 inch square by 3 feet)?
Thanks!
John
Deck stripper and pressure wash off. Use the Restore A Deck Stripper or HD80 Stain stripper. Brighten the wood when done.
i have an old redwood fence that I'm attaching a new redwood trellis/posts. I was advised to use a semi transparent stain and I am planning on using the Arborwood brand but don't know what stain is going to match them both. I want something along the cedar or natural color. Do I need to buy two different colors of stain or will one work? I am getting it pressure washed and could put a brightener to it if necessary. any suggestions?
FYI. you might want to read our reviews and consumer comments on the Arborcoat: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/benjamin-moore-arbor…
Clean and or strip to make sure all wood is clean and free of any old coatings. Brighten the wood when done. It will not be exactly the same but hopefully close.
What grade of sandpaper would you use to sand old and new wood?
60 grit.
Question – Blending old and new deckboards. Undecided on final product. Completed cleaning of deck floor and stripping of old, oil-based stain that was mostly on the spindles. Next up: first sanding, then a brightening product. Haven't used a power sander before, but can rent one pretty cheap. Can an amateur power sander handle a heavy-duty sander without making a grievous, irreversible mistake? My deck nails/screws are countersunk fairly well, so I think I can go across them with no issues — at least, lightly. But how skilled to do you have to be to sand the entire floor evenly with no bad cuts?
You should be okay with a power sander. Just do not gauge the wood by trying to hard in certain areas.