Hi, I am Scott Paul, a leading exterior restoration contractor and business owner with over 30 years of experience in exterior wood cleaning. My Restore-A-Deck Stain Stripper with Additives 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.
9.8 Rating Restore-A-Deck Stain Stripper Booster & Thickening Gel
I would love to hear if you have used the Restore-A-Deck Stain Stripper with the Booster and/or Thickening Gel additives on your wood or deck. Please post a rating in the Consumer Star Ratings below.
If you have any questions as to the effectiveness of your deck or wood stripping project, please ask below with the name of the stain brand and type being removed. Please add a couple of pictures as well.
Note: These are 2 additives for the RAD Stain Stripper. They only work as additives for the Restore-A-Deck Stain stripper and will not work by themselves. This article reviews both additives when used together in the RAD Stripper. We tested this on two extremely hard-to-remove finishes: Behr Acrylic-Based Semi-Transparent Wood Stain and a White Solid Color Deck Stain. Both of these coatings were applied 3 weeks before removal. Pictures of the test boards are below.
Restore-A-Deck Stain Stripper Booster – Up to 300% More Effective
Restore-A-Deck Stain Stripper Booster Additive is a special blend of solvents added to premixed 5-gallon containers of the Restore-A-Deck Stain Stripper. The Restore-A-Deck Stripper Booster will increase the effectiveness of stain stripping by up to 300% by helping to break down the surface tension of difficult-to-remove wood stain finishes.
Restore-A-Deck Booster should be used to increase the effectiveness of stripping difficult-to-remove wood and deck stain coatings. Stripper Booster improves effectiveness on removal for most exterior wood and deck finishes, including:
- Acrylic-based (water-based) wood and deck coatings such as Behr, Olympic, Sherwin Williams, etc
- Oil-based wood and deck coatings
- Clear wood and deck sealer
- Transparent wood and deck stains
- Semi-transparent wood and deck stains
- Most semi-solid exterior wood and deck stains
Behr Stain Before Stripping with Booster and Bare Wood After Stripping with RAD Stripper + Booster
Restore-A-Deck Stripper Thickening Gel Additive – Clings up to 1 Hour
Restore-A-Deck Stain Stripper Thickening Gel is a special blend added to premixed 5-Gallons of the Restore-A-Deck Stain Stripper. With a longer dwell time, Restore-A-Deck Stripper Thickening Gel will increase the effectiveness of stain stripping by adding the ability to cling to vertical and horizontal surfaces for up to 1 hour. Works especially well on improving the stripping performance on vertical wood, such as wood railings, wood fences, and wood-sided homes.
Restore-A-Deck Thickening Gel should be used to increase the effectiveness in stripping difficult-to-remove wood and deck stain coatings. RAD Stripper Thickening Gel improves effectiveness on removal for most exterior wood and deck finishes, including:
- Increased effectiveness for vertical surfaces such as railings, wood siding, log homes, and wood fences
- A longer dwell time for horizontal and decking surfaces
- Clings to wood for up to 1 hour
The pictures below show the RAD Stain Stripper with Thickening Gel combined with the Booster Additive. The before picture is Behr Acrylic Stain. The middle is after 30 minutes leaning against a wall. Notice how the stripper did not run off the wood with the Thickening Gel Additive. The after picture shows the stripping results.
RAD Stain Stripper with Thickening Gel – Before – During Leaning Against a Wall – After Stripping
How I Rated Restore-A-Deck Stain Stripper w/ Additives
My Restore-A-Deck Stain Stripper with Additives review contains a 5-step process and the final average score. Each step is on a scale of 1-10.
- Removal of Graying and Dirt
- Cost Per Square Foot
- Removal of Old Stain
- Ease of Application
- Final Appearance after Cleaning
- Restore-A-Deck Stain Stripper Additives Final Score
5-Step Review of Restore-A-Deck Stain with Additives
1. Removal of Graying, Dirt, Grime:Â 10
The RAD stripper will easily remove all oxidized graying, dirt, mildew, mold, and algae.
2. Cost Per Square Foot: 9
-Restore-A-Deck Stain Stripper covers 500- 1000 sq. feet for the 2 pound, $39.99. The RAD Booster and Thickening Gel Additives retail for $29.99 each. All mixed, this will make 5 liquid gallons for a total cost of $90. That equates to $18 per gallon. Excellent price for an extremely effective product.