This post was updated on April 4, 2025
Hi, I am Scott Paul, a leading exterior restoration contractor and business owner with over 30 years of experience in exterior wood decking. My Olympic RESCUE IT review is based on my history as a wood restoration contractor and actual hands-on testing, all designed to present you with the top deck stain choices. See here for more info about me.
Olympic Rescue It Review
Since our initial review of Olympic® RESCUE IT! Max Resurfacer®, we’ve received numerous comments from consumers sharing their disappointing experiences with the product. Many have reported issues with peeling, poor adhesion, and premature failure, which has led to a growing number of concerns surrounding its long-term durability.
If you have used Olympic® RESCUE IT! Max Resurfacer®, we encourage you to share your experience with us. Please feel free to upload pictures of your exterior wood or deck, along with a brief description of how the product performed. Your feedback will be invaluable to others considering this product for their own projects.
In addition to the widespread complaints, it’s worth noting that a class action lawsuit has been filed against the product. Furthermore, the product has undergone a rebranding and is now marketed as Olympic® RESCUE IT! Max Resurfacer. Despite the label change, many customers continue to report the same issues, making it a less reliable option for deck restoration.
We invite you to leave a star rating and share your own experience with the Olympic® RESCUE IT! Max Resurfacer below. Your input helps provide more transparency for those looking to make an informed decision.
https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/lawsuit-news/345686-olympic-rescue-it-class-action-says-sealant-defective/
Olympic RESCUE IT! MAX Deck Resurfacer + Primer + Sealant is ideal for worn or weathered wood and concrete. This 100% acrylic, high-performance deck resurfaced, and concrete sealer coating fills cracks up to ¼”, locks down splinters, and provides a safe, extremely durable surface that resists fading and creates a mildew and algae-resistant coating. Don’t replace it. RESCUE IT! Use this concrete sealer and deck resurfacer on your next project.
How I Rated Olympic RESCUE IT
My Olympic RESCUE IT review contains an 8-step process and the final average score. Each step is on a scale of 1-10.
- The appearance of Olympic RESCUE IT after Application
- Preventing UV Graying
- Peeling or Wearing
- Cost Per Square Foot Olympic RESCUE IT
- Preventing Mold and Mildew
- How Easy was the Application
- Color Shifting
- Ease of Reapplication
- Olympic RESCUE IT Final Score
8-Step Review of Olympic RESCUE IT
1. Appearance After Initial Stain Application: 6
The Olympic Rescue It version of “deck restore type” products is no different in that it still looks like a thick paint was applied. Overall though it did have a nice uniform appearance.
2. Preventing UV Graying at 2 Year Mark: 10
No graying of the deck as this product does not allow the stain to change the appearance.
3. Wear/Tear and Peeling: 5
The Olympic Rescue-It performed better than the Behr Deckover and the Rust-Oleum versions but not nearly as good as the Gulf Synthetics brand that we tested. After the first Winter, about 1/2 of the deck had some issues.
4. Cost Per Square Foot: 3
The coverage was about the suggested 50 sq. per gallon for the two coats. We used 12 gallons for the deck, which cost about $400 for 600 sq. feet.
5. Preventing Mold/Mildew/Algae: 8
There was some mold on the deck. Very little and could be related to a large tree nearby. Nothing to worry about, and the Olympic Rescue did a pretty good job with this category.
6. Ease of Application: 3
Applies like a thick paste. We had to dip into the tray with the roller every few sq. feet. It dries and sets fairly fast as well in direct sunlight
7. Color Shifting (darkening) after 2 Years: 9
The Olympic Rescue It did not darken in color in any way.
9. The Difficulty of Reapplication: 3
You must sand off the Olympic Rescue It for full removal before reapplying the same or a different brand of deck stain.
Overall Score Olympic Rescue It at 2 Year Period: 6
The Olympic® RESCUE IT! Max Resurfacer® performed better than other big-box “Deck Resurface” products in our testing, but it still had limitations. If you’re located in a warm-weather state, you may experience better results compared to our tests, as these products tend to perform better in consistently warm conditions. However, we’ve found that in areas with freeze/thaw cycles, these resurfacing products—Olympic® RESCUE IT! included—are prone to peeling and failure. The freeze/thaw cycle exacerbates the product’s tendency to break down over time, leading to poor adhesion and unsightly results.
Olympic Deck Rescue-It Peeling Photos
Product Information:
Where To Buy: Lowes, Home Depot, and Select Stores
Cost: $45 per Gallon
Stain Type: Acrylic Solid Stain Resurfacer Coating – Water-Based
Available Colors: 142 Custom colors
Application Temperature: 45-95 F
Coats Required: 2 Coats.
Coverage Per Gallon: Covers up to 50 sq. ft. in 2 coats per gallon
Application Tools: Brush, Roller
Dry Time: 8-24 Hours
Cleanup: Water
VOC Compliant: 250 Compliant in all States
Manufacturer: Olympic
Test Deck Stats:
Deck Wood Type: Cedar Deck
Deck Square Footage: 600 Square feet
UV Exposure: Full sun
How Many Years Tested: 1 Year
Stain Color Used: Russet
*All products tested and results are from our experience. We offer no guarantee of similar results. Consider that results may differ due to different wood types, exposure to UV radiation, and natural weathering.
Looking For a Better Deck Resurface Coating?
Please read our article on Gulf Synthetics Deck Revive Review. We believe this product has real value if you are looking for products that actually work.
I used Rescue about 3 years ago.. this spring I noticed some bubbling and much peeling. Some was coming off in sheets, and other I had to scrape off. Some of it is stuck on there like concrete. Because some boards had much mildew underneath I want to remove all of it. How do I remove the part that is on there like concrete ?? Sand blasting it will only destroy the wood. Any suggestions?
Power sanding is the only way.
I applied Rescue it 4 years ago and many of my boards have rotted. It traps moisture and the ends of the boards rot. I don’t want to redo the entire deck. Is it possible to patch the peeled spots? I’ve replaced the rotted boards and they need to be painted. Could I use a different sealer?
No, you cannot patch the peeled areas or seal over the Rescue It.
I went to blow off my deck yesterday. It came off in sheets. I feel sick. Spent so much time and energy on this. What a joke.
Worst product ever. Looked great when we applied it. We followed the directions exactly as far as prep. 6 months later it started to peel. Niw 18 months later we were able to remove 98% with a garden hose.
To make it even worse, the last 2 % sticks like crazy glue and we have to use a sander to get it off.
Olympic help desk was useless.
After 2 years my deck look terrible the whole deck is peeling in large chunks……So much money and time prepping to specifiications…..and cost of the product …..was very happy with the finished look…..Last year started to peel this year no choice but to remove and redo deck….Do not recommend Olympic Recue It…this product did not hold up at all……
I am shocked by the negative reviews on this product. I have applied it to the front deck two summers ago and it is still in excellent shape. I have one back deck that I completed last summer and will do the final and very large deck this spring/summer. I am in the process of recommending it to a friend who is a landscaper. I came to this website to double check on the name "Rescue it". I hope it lasts a long time since it sounds like a nightmare to remove, which I do not plan to do before replacing the whole deck many years from now. I live in the foothills area of California; no snow and hot summers which may be a better climate for the product.
I was also shocked by these negative comments. Did they apply it properly? I am a big fan of this product.
After one winter, the deck looks terrible – much worse than it did 2-years after an application of the stain.
Did not last even one year.Installed in the summer ,after the winter snow melted I noticed some loose pieces
that I could peel off by hand.i took my leaf blower and went over the deck and found several areas that I
could blow small strips off. As the spring progressed the peeling got worst .would not recommend it.
It did look great when first done,but that's about all.now I am left with a mess real garbage….
P S they did refund purchase price,,big deal.. Ralph
This was the worst product!! We are now into I don't know how many hours of scrapping and sanding our two decks because of the bubbling of the paint. We were told we were only one of many that had this problem. In fact the local paint expert later told us the paint was far too thick to be used on a horizontal surface. We should never have used it on our deck which was interesting since it was publicized as a "Deck Resurfacer." I am disguested!
We used this rescue it on two yrs ago now we have rotten boards, and the stuff is peeling. Do not recommend this stuff
Do you have any product recommendations for removing Rescue It and what to replace it with. I got my money back from PPG but one winter in Iowa and the deck is trashed.
You will have to sand or replace the wood. Strippers will not remove the Rescue It fully. Once removed, go with a semi-transparent penetrating stain that can be easily reapplied as needed every 2-3 years.
Like others who have commented, the Olympic Rescue It has been a huge disappointment for me. A lot of hard work to apply to my deck and didn't even last one season before starting to peel. I followed instructions.
Just hit 2 yr mark in central Ohio. Product has not peeled or weathered at all. My deck was 1 yr old. I power washed and cleaned then waited for 4-5 dry sunny days in a row to make sure wood wasn't wet before application. Looks great 25 months later. Applied Oct. 2013 now it's Nov. 2015. I'm so glad I don't have all the problems I've been reading here
I bought deck rescue by Olympia and it is two years and coming up. I have to try and scrape the deck and the deck is wet in places. Where water seeped in. These were new boards two years ago. This wasn't old wood but I like a maintain ezce free product.
ALL OF THE STATEMENTS BELOW ARE TRUE! We used Rescue-It and followed the directions completely. We had applied the product the end of Summer 2013. Early spring 2014 it was peeling. By the end of summer 2014 our deck looked awful & we didn't know what to do. The stain was literally coming up when we were sitting in a chair & ran our feet over it! Running a light stream from the garden hose would even peel it! We let it go until spring 2015 because we knew we had a lot of work to do. After hours & weekend of scraping, power washing, sanding it still looks bad, but, now we are going to try something else. We contacted Rescue-It company and they requested pictures & paint samples of what had peeled off. We were able to get a refund with a "little" extra to cover the hours of preparation (which could actually never be repaid because we still had work to do to try get it off). The only drawback from that is the requirement of signing a "General Release" that we'd never pursue legal action! Now……I wonder why a company would make a consumer sign something like that–unless they knew it is a lousy product! We wish we had researched this product more!
I used the Olympic "Rescue It" on my 15+ year old deck last summer. The deck was initially maintained with a variety of different stains/protectors through the years, and none held up to the harsh winters of mountainous northeast PA. Despite the use of these other products, the wood began splitting/cracking in areas. So, I decided to use the Olympic product because it received slightly better reviews than the comparable Rustoleum product. After another harsh winter, I was disappointed to see some peeling, mostly where ice formed on the decking itself. For the most part the railings held up well. So, I did some scraping and repainted the affected areas. Overall, I think the product performed as well as can be expected, given the environmental conditions of my area. I also used on my cement foundation and had no issues of peeling or cracking whatsoever.
do not use this product!! Peeled after one year! Lots of hard work for nothing…now more hard work getting it off!!!!! Nightmare
Kohn, Swift & Graf, a Philadelphia-based law firm which handles class action cases nationwide, is investigating claims for a class action law suit against Olympic for its Rescue-it deck paint, which peels and flakes prematurely resulting in costly removal after it starts peeling. Power washing alone won’t get everything, and some people have been forced to actually purchase new boards for their deck. We are gathering information about peoples’ experiences. If you purchased Olympic Rescue-It and had issues with the product, please send your complaints to info@kohnswift.com. All initial consultations are free of charge.
We used Rescue It last fall on our front steps. During the winter it started to peel and is looking worse as time goes by. I called customer service 800.441.9695, and was told we could get a refund with a store receipt. He said to power wash the steps then use paint stripper. I can only imagine the total mess we would have if we poured paint stripper on that thick stuff, whatever it is. Please NEVER use Rescue It on anything!!!
Olympic Rescue began to peel after the winter. Called company sent me a check to cover the cost of paint after I sent them my pictures. Told me to power wash the deck to get the peeled paint off. Power washed for several hours then rented a large industrial sander. This did not work only took off the paint where it was partially peeling which is about 50% of the deck. I am a total loss. Have not cashed the check. I need all of the boards replaced. What a terrible product. Help!!!
I used Rescue it last summer and my deck this year has peeled so bad it is a mess.I sent photos to Olympic June 8,2015 and have not gotten a reply.I was going to post the pictures on social media if I didn't hear anything but I guess after seeing this site they wouldn't care .What a waste of time and money.
I would suggest emailing them. I emailed my initial complaint and photos and was contacted within 1 day
Agree that you shouldn't waste your money or your time. Looked awesome after applying. Then Spring came and it all bubbled up and is still peeling off. Most of it is gone.
Do not waste your money on this product. Painted my deck last summeras instructed on can and it started coming off that same winter.
Don't do it. This has to be the worst deck product ever. Ours lasted all of 7 months, now even more work ensues because of using it. It's peeled everywhere, we drag strips of this junk through our house on our shoes. Wish we had never heard of it, please don't fall for this product.
My deck is a disaster …. Put the Olympia Rescue product on last spring, looked great for the summer and now I can peel it off with my foot! I will never use an Olympia product again . . .
Olympic rescue it is awful- peeled the winter after, but not completely, I have 40 hrs in pressure washing and my wedding cake stairs look like crap- they offer a 150.00 no question asked, no receipt, nothing-except they want us to sign a contract saying we will not sue them- I know their is a lawsuit against Behr, anybody know if there is one against Oylmpic??
Olympic Rescue It did not work. Applied spring of last year and majority already lifted and peeled off by April this year. Now deck looks like trash.
Now we must find another way and after spending so much money, we feel we should receive some sort of compensation.
i was very hopeful when using this product . I used the light restoration, as my deck was in pretty good shape. I carefully did all prep work required. Looked wonderful when completed . i waited 72 hrs before using the deck, as required. but unfortunately every place my dog went left scratches! After a couple weeks, it still continues to scratch. I feel sick. It looks terrible. I contacted Olympic and had some back and forth communication, with no resolve. If you have animals do NOT USE THIS PRODUCT!
Olympic rescue it is the sorriest product I've seen , totally ruined my deck and now we're gonna have to try and fix it. Our deck looks like crap and I wouldn't suggest anyone buy this product !!!
The product peeled the winter after application despite thoroughly following the directions. My deck needs to be completely redone.
Olympic deck restore is the worst product that lowes sells for decks after just one year it all peeled off even using the restore deck wash with it, if you use this product your are asking for more problems, they should remove this stuff from there shelves.
Unfortunately after the first winter, we are noticing many chipped areas where the "Rescue It" has come off. We cannot attribute this to wear and tear or use. Now we are faced with what to do. Do we try to strip the product off the remainder of the deck (almost 400 square feet)? Do we reapply in the chipped areas? Do we sand it down and then strip or reapply?
Honestly, do not use any of these products. You will be disappointed. I just wish we could get our money back!!
You will not be able to strip it off. Sanding is the only way and that is very hard to do as well. Would not reapply either as it will repeat the problem. This sounds bad but it might be best to replace the wood with new wood.
We feel bad for consumers that have been sold on the false claims this product has made.
Loved the product until the next spring. Was using my battery powered leaf blower to move leaves off the deck and Rescue It started flying off the deck. Couldn't believe it. The deck section under my roof is fine, the exposed section will have to be redone. My question is, where do I got from here? I can't take it off all the deck, spindles, etc. Do I just keep putting this awful product down in the exposed deck every spring?
It will just continue to fail every Spring and will most likely get worse. At least sand it off the floor if you can.
We have a wooden deck that was showing wear and rather than replacing the deck we wanted to find a way to extend its life. After researching various products and options we decided to go with Olympic’s Rescue It. My wife and I subsequently purchased from our local Lowe’s Home Improvement Store 6 gallons (2, 3-gallon containers at a price of $99.98 each) of Rescue It at a cost of $199.96 + $12.00 (sales tax), totaling $211.96.
Prior to applying the Rescue It, we consulted with not only the Lowe’s paint department representative but also the directions on the label of the paint can. We followed the instructions correctly on preparing the deck prior to applying the paint.
On May 25, 2014, we sealed our deck with the first coat of Rescue It. We then waited 24 hours and applied a second coat of Rescue It on May 26, 2014.
The finished product held up fine throughout the remainder of the summer and fall. It wasn’t until winter that we noticed some of the paint starting to come off. As winter went along, more and more of the paint began peeling off with only the help of the wind. Our yard became littered with strips of the Rescue It, some as long as 12 inches in length.
CURRENTLY: HAVE BEEN ON HOLD FOR OLYMPIC LINE TO SPEAK TO A HUMAN BEING AND GET AN E-MAIL ADDRESS TO SEND E-MAIL WITH PICTURES FOR 20 MINUTES ALREADY!!
Same here! Exactly… purchased at Lowe's – 2 3 gallons. Did just what you have listed… it looks worse now than it did before we even started! The entire deck needs to be done again. We purchased in May 2014… here we are May 2015.
Followed all prep, two coats and looked great UNTIL winter came. Snow covered winter and everywhere snow was is now coming off horrible adhesive product and now have to completely remove and restain. Stay away from this junk.
After first winter my whole deck was peeling. It's such a mess lm going to replace the whole deck. Would not but any type of product like this again.
used it to re-surface front porch. applied 2 coats as directed, after winter was over you can see it peeled away a lot on the steps. very disappointing. the deck still looks good. Going to have to pick up another gallon to redo the steps. Was hoping not to do after 1 year application..
We investigated the reviews on "Rescue It" last year. Some issues, but decided to try it.
Worst decision in my life.
Difficult to apply – hot surface after cure – cracks began appearing after 10 days – now 10 months later peeling in wholesale areas.
I called the tech line. They advised my to re-apply into the cracks. I just laughed.
I am now ready, after 8 months, to stain my cedar deck skirts and rails – and I guess I must tear up all the original pressure treated deck and re-install before staining.
Estimated cost: $350 for lumber; $2,000 for labor. => $2,350
Question: How much are you, Olympic, going to reimburse me for the use of your failed, miserable product?????
Can you say "Law Suit?"
Sorry to hear. As contractors it really frustrates us that some manufacturers make poor products with ridiculous claims that we know are impossible. They prey on the consumers frustrations with decks stains with their claims of unrealistic durability.
They deserve a class action. Rust-oleum\’s version already has one.
How disappointing! We spent considerable time preparing our deck in August 2014 and applying the Olympic Rescue It Wood & Concrete Resurfacer. The deck looked great! Much to our dismay, this Spring the whole deck is a disaster – the paint has totally peeled off on much of the deck. We are going to be forced to tear up the deck and start over with all new wood. It would be very nice if we would hear back from Olympic offering us a refund for the gallon of this product that we purchased.
This product is peeling up bad after only one year. We are considering legal action. Did exactly as the directions said. Also, our nieghbors is doing the same. They had a contractor put it down.
Applying this product was a HUGE mistake!!!! Since I assumed this was a good solution for my deck I took extra time and effort to do all preparations and applications according to instructions. Fortunately I only did one small deck and my front steps so it could have been worse. It's only been 8 months and the peeling is really bad . I still have unused gallons in my closet. I'm afraid I'm going to have to replace all the boards I've used this terrible product on. DEFINITELY would not recommend this………even to my worst enemy. So many headaches ahead of me.
I purchased 10 gallons of the product with plan to need 50. I power washed the wooden deck, allowed to dry about two weeks, then started to apply in late summer. Fortunately was distracted and only applied one coat of about half a gallon. At this point after only about 10 months nothing is left though the area applied is a lighter color. Would not recommend this product to anyone. Completely peeled away be early March.
I applied rescue it to my pool deck in September. Thought it was great at first. Now 6 months and 1 winter later this stuff is horrible- peeling, cracking, coming off in small and large pieces in places and holding firm in other places. I contacted PPG and complained. I had a 40 year professional take a look . $400 worth of product is going to cost about $2,400.00 to have removed. What a mess for a product touted by the manufacturer to be of the highest quality and durability. This is an extreme misrepresentation by the product makers. I am furious and expect compensation.
Worst product I have ever experienced.Rescue It is daily removing all of the finish on my deck and porch.
There is absolutely no way that Olympic tested this product before placing on market. I am thinking of legal action.
Same as other reviewers, followed directions exactly. Spent a week applying Rescue it. Over the winter began to peel. Now I have to hand scrape it all off. Olympic is refunding $ but what about all of the lost time and work???? Now the deck is worse than before.
We had the same problems as all the other posts. Wish we would have read these before we purchased this horrible paint.
worst paint after all the reviews painted deck floor july 31 had bad winter but on april more than 3/4 quaters of the paint bubbled and is flacking wouldn' recomend this product to any body would like to get some feed back from olympic but probably will just be brushed off.i prepaird the deck that was on the can and what the salesman told us from lowes,told us to use the olympic deck cleaner there we go again premote a product that does't work as they say.
Product looked great after applying last summer. During the winter started to flake and peel. Now looks horrible. Applied product to bare treated deck exactly as instructed. Still looks great on porch which is protected from the elements but looks horrible on deck which is exposed to the elements. EXTREMELY disappointed after all that expense and work. Would not recommend product and would rate it zero if possible. No more Olympic products for me!
Looked great this summer. First winter had peeling & bubbling off in many spots. Handrails started showing wear within 3 months of application. Application was followed per instructions Not worth the money! Now it will be more work to remove it before applying something else. I personally will need to hire a professional this time just to remove it. Can Not and would not recommend this product.
It peels off on all of the flat surfaces after the 1st winter and at the store they blame you for "improper application". Don't waste your money or time with it. I don't know what the real solution is. I wish I had looked this stuff up before I spent so much money having it put on.
RETIRED PAINT CONTRACTOR. New decks, leave alone for at least a year. For nice look , use Thompsons Wood Protector. Leaves a nice deep wood finish. Lasts for 1 0r 2 years. To renew, wash with a bleach solution, lightly use prerssure washer to clean. Can use a pump up sprayer to reapply wood protector. Yea. It's a pain every two years but you will never have a peeling deck to worry about. Hint. Never use a oil base stain or paint on a treated deck. Stay with water based stains. Always start with a semi=transparant stain if you go the stain route. Comments. Would like to leave my e=mail address but afraid of the large amount of traffic in return. GOOD LUCK.
I had a contractor paint my deck with Rescue IT as I had heard it was so effective. After one winter it started to peel off and after two winters I have peeled spots all over my deck.I went out on the deck just a few days ago to feed the birds and if I scuffed my shoe on the paint and it peeled right off. I asked Pittsburg Paints a year ago to come and look at the damage but they never showed.
As far as I am concerned that Rescue It is junk.
03/05/15
I agree, I am having the same problem with my deck. I am not happy with this product at all. This summer I plan on sanding down the peeling and then priming the area and reapplying the Rescue to the deck.
I did that it does not work it keeps peeling!
Having same problem!!!!!! Olympic should refund our money!!!!
Rescue It was used to coat both vertical and horizontal surfaces of a deck and also a cedar wood picnic table. On both surfaces after 6-months there were large bubbles and pealed patches. These started occurring immediately after a Fall cool rain and expanded significantly after a snow storm. It has now been about 8-months since application. All horizontal surfaces have peals on them. The vertical surfaces still look good.
Seems to me that you need some kind of bonding agent maybe Peel Stop clear binding sealer would work? Mines peeling too.