This post was updated on April 12, 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 Review of Restore-A-Deck Solid Color Wood Stain 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.
Restore-A-Deck Solid Stain Review 2025
This is my initial Review of the Restore-A-Deck Solid-Color Wood and Deck Stain. This review will be updated over the years. As deck restoration contractors, Restore A Deck Solid-Color Stain will be our go-to Solid-Color Stain for 2025 due to its ease of use, 5 pre-mixed solid colors (the only solid stain on the market that comes pre-mixed), and the ability to prep and stain on the same day.
Note: Restore-A-Deck Wood Stain is the only stain we have tested that can be applied to dry or damp wood. Applying damp wood allows you to prep and stain on the same day, saving you a tremendous amount of time.
Restore A Deck Solid Color Wood Stain Review
Summary: Restore-A-Deck Solid Color Wood Stain is an extremely durable synthetic-resin, opaque wood finish that helps protect against the damaging effects of water, fungi, and UV radiation on exterior wood surfaces. This V.O.C.-compliant water-based product provides exceptional protection for nearly all exterior wood surfaces in a beautiful matte finish.
Restore-A-Deck Wood Stain can be applied the same day as the prep. Make sure that all standing water has dried off the surface after prep. Typically 2-4 hours at 70º F and less than 50% humidity.
Restore-A-Deck Solid Color Wood Stain can be used on interior or exterior horizontal and vertical wood surfaces, including wood siding, log homes, decks, fences, outdoor wood furniture, pressure-treated wood, and all other natural wood surfaces.
How I Rated Restore-A-Deck Solid Color Wood Stain
My Restore-A-Deck Solid Color Wood Stain review contains a 6-step process and the final average score. Each step is on a scale of 1-10.
- The appearance after the Application
- Peeling or Wearing
- Cost Per Square Foot
- Preventing Mold and Mildew
- How Easy Was the Application Restore-A-Deck Solid Color Wood Stain
- Ease of Reapplication
- Restore-A-Deck Solid Color Wood Stain Final Score
6-Step Review of Restore-A-Deck Solid Color Wood Stain
1. Appearance After Initial Stain Application: 10
Note: We used a two-toned deck stain approach for this Restore A Deck Solid Stain Review. This review is for the White Solid color stain applied to all verticals. To see our review of the RAD Semi-Transparent Stain, Click Restore A Deck Wood Stain
The Restore-A-Deck wood stain color we used was the Solid Classic Color in White for the Railings and Semi-transparent Dark Walnut for the Floor. The two coats applied to our PTP wood covered nicely and did not show any wood grain, which is expected with a solid stain. The application was even, and there were no overlap lines.
Restore A Deck Solid Color Stain Review
2. Wear/Tear and Peeling: 10
At the 2-year mark, there is no wearing or peeling anywhere on the white verticals.
3. Cost Per Square Foot: 8
We applied two coats to our 350 sq. feet of verticals that included all railings and steps. 2 Gallons were used for $59 per gallon.
4. Preventing Mold/Mildew/Algae: 9
Like other water-based solid color deck stains, the Restore-A-Deck Solid Color Stain will not promote mold or mildew growth. This is one of the main advantages of using a water-based coating. At the 1-year mark, the deck showed no mold or mildew.
5. Ease of Application: 8
Our favorite aspect of the Restore-A-Deck Wood Solid Color Stain is the ability to stain and prep on the same day. We tested this by cleaning and brightening the wood with the Step 1 and Step 2 Restore A Deck Cleaner/Brightener Kit and applying the RAD stain 1 hour after the prep. The Restore-A-Deck applies more easily to damp wood than dry wood. We also found that the coverage was better when applied to damp wood.
We applied both coats of the White RAD Stain to the wood with a roller and brush, waiting about 30 minutes between coats. The second coat goes on very easily and covers twice as far as the first coat. Overall, application with the Restore-A-Deck solid stain is very easy. It spreads excellently and is easy to work with.
6. Difficulty of Reapplication: 8
Clean and reapply using their Step 1 Deck Cleaner and a light pressure washing.
Overall Score Restore-A-Deck Solid Color Stain at 2-Year Period: 8.88
The Restore-A-Deck is a great Solid Color Stain. It is the only solid stain on the market that comes pre-mixed, making it much easier to choose a color. Restore-A-Deck Wood Stains have allowed the ability to Prep and Stain on the Same Day, giving it a huge advantage over other brands that perform just as well. If you are looking for the future of exterior wood and deck stains, consider the Restore A Deck Solid Color Wood Stain and its prepping systems.
Product Information
More Info: Restore-A-Deck Solid Color Stain
Cost: $59.99 per Gallon. Products ship free on their website.
Stain Type: Solid Color (Opaque) Wood Stain – Water Based
Available in Pre-Mixed Solid Colors: Classic White, Coastal Gray, Desert Taupe, Cypress, Brown Oak
Application Temperature: 45-95 F
Coats Required: 2 Coats
Coverage Per Gallon: 200-400 sq. ft. Coverage varies depending on the age and type of wood.
Application Tools: Airless Sprayer, Brush, Roller
Dry Time: 2-4 Hours
Cleanup: Water
VOC Compliant: 50 VOC Compliant in all States
Manufacturer: Restore-A-Deck
Test Deck Stats
Deck Wood Type: Pressure Treated Pine
Deck Square Footage: 350 Square feet
UV Exposure: Full Sun
How Many Years Tested: 1 Year
Stain Color Used: White
*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.
Restore-A-Deck Solid Stain Photos
How To Restore Your Deck All in One Day Video
Where can I purchase this? I can’t find it online..
https://www.google.com/search?q=restore+a+deck+solid+stain
Hello! We just bought a house that has a 600 square foot deck that is in need of repair. The previous owners used Rust-oleum Deck and Concrete Restore 2x One Coat Solid Stain. We have pulled boards that had dry rot and replaced them with pine because we thought we were going to use Behr Deceiver (no way after reading reviews). So we possibly have different types of wood down on the deck. We have narrowed our choices down to RAD Solid Stain, Gulf Synthetics Deck Revive or KILZ Porch and Patio Latex Paint. My question is, if we have different types of wood, will the solid stain cover that fact or will you be able to see the difference? Out of these three products, what would you recommend? My gut is telling me Gulf Synthetics, but that cost has got me scared. Do we need to strip the Rust-oleum Solid Stain completely or just power wash and remove loose pieces? Thanks so much for your help and advice!
Solid stains will cover the different wood types so it blends. The RAD and the Gulf both work very well. You have to remove all of the Rust-oleum.
Thank you so much!
12×12 pressure treated wood deck with Cabot semi_ transparent stain 3 years ago. No peeling. Small areas of mildew in corners. Do i need to prep first with RAD brightener and or cleaner then use RAD solid stain? Or just stain? Thanks
Use both cleaner and then brightener.
What would be the best way to apply a solid stain? Looking to redo a 1200 square ft deck with the solid Cyprus color. Power washed it, used deck cleaner and sanded. Now the final step.
We use airless sprayers, rollers, and brushes.
Your Wear/Tear Peel review for Restore-a-Deck was for the verticals. Did you test how their solid stain did on the deck itself, as in the horizontals?
Yes, we have. Works great for floors.
My deck is old, but clean and sanded, no rot. Some boards have a dent from removed split pieces. I am looking to cover with a paint or stain but do NOT want it to peel. What product is best to use to avoid peeling?
Our deck was previously coated in Deckscapes solid stain in black. We’d like to change it to a lighter color because it’s very hot on your feet midday (even here in Maine). I’m considering the RAD solid stain in coastal grey. What’s our best course of action for prepping? My husband wants to do it himself, but we’re new to deck maintenance. Thank you!
Just pressure wash off any loose paint.
No need to sand or otherwise treat? The grey stain will cover despite it being black currently? Thanks!
Only sand if you still have peeling paint after the prep. You may need 2-3 coats to cover the black.
No need to use a stripper? Thanks for your time!
A Stripper will help to remove the peeling paint when pressure washing.
Can this product be used with a HVLP sprayer?
No, too thick. Need an airless sprayer.
Hi! We are in the process of restoring our deck on our seasonal camping lot. We have bought last year an older deck and rearranged it to fit our need and camper. We had to had pieces to the deck to complete it with new wood. Plus, we added a brand new railing to it with new wood. The “old” part of the deck was solid painted. We have removed the paint last year with a pressure washer. Now, we want to stain or paint it this year, but we are wondering what would be our best solution: stain or a solid paint. And should we put the railing the same color? The wood on the older part doesn’t look too good….and I am afraid that stain will not cover enough and it will not look good… it’s grey and have cracks…perfect for a camping site though. Thanks for your help!
See here about new wood and when to prep and stain: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/staining-a-new-deck/
Using a solid stain for this would probably be best so it all blends.
I have a cedar Arbor I stained with Cabots Solid stain about 4 years ago no peeling and I want to use Restore A deck Solid stain can I just go over it or do I have to clean and brighten Or strip it?
No need to strip, just clean it well.
Hi, what Tip size do you recommend for airless spraying of the railings with the RAD Solid Stain. The two tone deck looks great. I want to do the same.
Not sure, we use rollers when we are applying solid stains.
The RAD app sheet recommends 0.013 to 0.015 for tip size.
cn this be used on a dock that sits over water?
Yes.
More of a comment than a question first. Just below my first question i looked again at JIMS pics. I have almost the EXACT same deck situation…peeling, divits/cracks and crowded boards. I wanted to know if the ballisters are in fair shape can I just scrape the bad areas, sand and wash. Then paint with a brush or roller?
By the way I am carefully running my circular saw down through the joints in order to re-space and remove old debris and paint.
??After I measure the deck surface square footage what is th best way to calculate the paint quantity for the ballisters, top railings and steps?
Yes, you can do that with the balusters. See here for measuring: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/how-much-deck-stain-should-i-buy/
Im prepping my deck for your solid stain. Im using PC pe reviewsetrfier on the questionable areas and fill divits with PC wood paste. Is this going to cause an adhesion problem with your solid stain? PS I love your reviews and hope that i am not to late.
Thank your John
No issue with adhesion.
I am getting ready to stain our deck. Not sure what was used on it before but it is peeling on the floor boards. The railings seem ok. Can I just pressure wash and clean it and use RAD solid stain over what doesn’t come off or are there additional steps I need to take. Thanks.
Use a stripper and pressure washer to remove what you can. let dry and sand any additional peeling areas. You can then cover the intact stain with a new solid stain.
Do I need to apply any type of primer before I use the RAD solid stain? Thanks.
No, you cannot do that.
My deck has 2 applications of One Time over the course of 8 years, the last being applied in 17. What would you recommend doing to freshen it? Could I use Restore a deck to restrain it or an other stain? What preparation would need to be done?
Strip and or sand to remove. Brightener after. Then you use the RAD Solid Stain.
Would I be better off just reapplying One Time again? Had hoped I could just restrain without sanding or stripping..
We would switch. Not fans of the OneTime as it has curing issues.
How many people have used restore A deck SOLID stain on there deck and at the two year mark how does it look now and are you happy with the results ?? Please people let me know !
My client has a newly built wrap around porch on their house. It has only been 4 weeks. It will be getting a lot of harsh sun so this product seems ideal. How long do you recommend waiting before the floors are stained? The builders are wanting me to go ahead and stain the post before they put up the screen on the section that will be a screen porch.. what would be your recommendation?
See this for new wood tips: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/staining-a-new-deck/
You cannot prestain.
Have pine deck refinished 3 years ago. Many new boards replaced at that time. Now time to refinish and used Deck Over last time. Unhappy with results. Replaced boards peeled badly while older boards seem to have held up better. Thinking of using Cabots solid cedar stain. What are your thoughts for prep and refinish?
You cannot apply anything over the Deck Over. You will have to sand it all to fix or replace all the wood.
Thanks for timely response even though it’s not what I wanted to hear!
Just bought a house built in ’96 that needs to be stained before closing. It is weathered, not sure if or what it was treated with last. See pictures of two tone appearance due to sun. Thinking of going with RAD solid stain product if available but was hoping for more colors, is it tintable or similar product? Looking to have a durable long lasting coating that stands up to Wyoming weather. Am I in the right track?
I do not believe it is tintable. It comes in stock colors. It would work well for this.
We used a solid stain on our deck about two years ago. I know it was Cabot brand but I’m not sure what the actual product was. I think it was the solid color acrylic deck stain in redwood. I have never liked the color and now it is mostly peeling off. We power-washed with a brush attachment and just water. Do we need to do any additional prep or can we just cover over the remaining Cabot stain? And which product would you recommend?
As long as the rest of the Cabot is intact to the wood you can now cover it with a solid stain. The RAD stain is very good.
I purchased a house that has a deck that needs some love. Looks like the previous homeowner used a resurfacer as it has a gritty surface and the parts peeling off are really thick. I’m guessing I would need to strip and sand the deck before using the RAD? Also, I need to replace 8 boards that are rotting. Would those need to season before using the RAD on those?
You will have to sand off a resurfacer. Strippers will not work. Once removed you can use the RAD solid stain. New wood does need to season.
Hi,
I have a very large deck that was stained with Sikkens Mahogany many years ago. I would like very much to change the color to a much lighter one. One of the contractors I spoke with said he would simply power wash the deck with water, allow it to dry and then apply two coats of any stain – however, he warned that staining lighter might take a third coat. Is this the type of stain you would recommend to go lighter. Thanks so much for any advice.
The only way to make it lighter is to fully remove the previous coating. Not sure your contractor understands this but we have not seen the current condition. Post some pictures.
Here are two photos. Thanks again for your time and advice.
That looks like a solid stain on there now so you will need another solid stain to cover it. You can go lighter but you may need the 3rd coats as he suggested,
Can the white solid stain be tinted to another color? If so, do you recommend it?
I would think so but you would need to take it to a paint store that would be willing to do this.
We live in a house that was finished in 2008 and is located 120 miles north of NYC near the Mass. border. The deck has only been re-stained once and that was 3 years ago. I am uncertain as to what stain was used but based upon can I found in our basement and my recollection I think it was Penofin Verde. Meanwhile I will ask our contractor to see if he can recall what he used 3 years ago.
Since our house faces due south without any shade (passive solar) we would prefer to use Restore-A-Deck Solid Color stain over Restore-A-Deck semi-transparent stain because of UV exposure.
We have not discussed choice of stain with our contractor but his estimate includes sanding the deck prior to applying the stain.
So, can we use either Restore-A-Deck stain if deck is sanded to bare wood, and if so, then will reapplying the Restore-A-Deck stain every 2-3 years be more costly (will deck require additional preparation in short or long term with solid color stain) or difficult if we use the Solid instead of the Semi-transparent Stain?
Sanding is not the best way to prep. Better to strip and brighten. This will leave the surface in a porous state while sanding closes the wood pores by smoothing the wood. Best that he does not do the sanding.
Application and the time to redo is about the same between the semi and the solid. Solid may give a little longer results.
I used Cabot’s solid deck stain about year ago it all peeled so I power washed , sanded to bare wood, power washed again, cleaned with Deck cleaned and used twp100/ temp outsider was 80 and Deck temp 85 , used two coats 30 min between coats looked ok but bubbling on top and weeks later white spots started to show but when rained spots would go away, spoke to twp rep he told me to wait a couple months and it should go away then it started turning like black ( like old decks need to be brighten) sent rep pictures of deck again he said try cleaning which I did but used oxi clean now all stain is peeling. What did I do wrong ? Right now stripped deck to bare wood with resore A deck( this stuff is the best of the best) and going to clean, bright, and use solid Restore A deck because like the colors better then stain, will I have better luck this time and I used twp 100 which has top reviews from everyone. What did I do wrong so it won’t happen again, please help,want to use solid restore A deck this time
You should be fine with applying the RAD solid stain. If the black was dirt, etc, then there is not a way to prevent this from returning. You will have to clean it off every few months to avoid a buildup of dirt.
Last year I used a Flood semi-transparent stain on my elevated deck . I paid close attention applying the stain on the bottom of the deck because I plan to enclose with a deck ceiling. But I’m not happy with the results on the rest of the deck so I want to do a solid RAD stain. Do I need to strip first? If so would that hurt the stain on the bottom because I want to leave that intact, then cover it with the ceiling. The deck is typical pressure treated wood, about 6 years old.
Strip what you can and then cover the intact stain with the RAD Solid.
We need to restain our deck using the solid deck stain. We did it about 5 years ago with Behr solid deck over and it did not last very long. We are leaning toward using Restore-A-Deck. Since we already have a solid deck stain on our deck, what steps will need to follow to properly stain using the Restore-A-Deck solid stain? Thank you.
If it is Behr Deckover than you cannot cover it with any solid stain brands. That product has to be sanded off to fix.
*Just found our old can. It was not Behr Deck Over. We used Behr solid color waterproof stain and sealer. Now, how do we prep our deck to use Restore-A-Deck, Defy or Flood? Also, any preference out of these 3?
Prep by pressure washing and or stripping to remove any loose stain and dirt. You can then cover the “intact” stain that is not peeling with a new solid stain. All of those brands are good.
Restore-A-Deck Solid Color Stain vs. Armstrong Clark Wood Stain
No real idea as to how old our deck is; the home itself was built in roughly 1914 and was “flipped” in 2015. We have owned the home now since 2016. It does not appear that the deck has ever been treated. We power washed and applied a cleaner and brightener this weekend and have a crew coming to stain Wednesday. Our question is for an older deck, that has never been treated and with 3 dogs, which would be the better choice out of the two I listed above? I narrowed it down to those to as they seem to be the best for older decks, strong protection, etc.
Thank you!
Both would work very well. It really comes down to the appearance you would like. Solid stains will not show the wood grain. The AC products will but they range between transparent, semi-transparent, and semi-solid.
Thanks for your quick response. I am having trouble locating either the AC or Restore-A-Deck in any of the small or big box hardware stores here in Louisville, KY. Any similar products that would be more likely to be available at a Lowes or local hardware store?
You will not find anything decent at a big box store. See if you can find TWP 100 Series or Defy locally.
Can Restore A Deck Solid Color Stain be used on 20 year old redwood railings after they’re stripped, cleaned , & brightened?
Yes.
Redwood 400 sq ft roof covered patio deck has several coats of oil based solid ( Ace Royal) which is no longer available. Can I use Cabot OVT solid ? Is there anything else preferable or will it require removal. The deck is in very good condition and mainly needs fresh coat.
You will need an oil-based solid stain.
I wish I’d found this website before I bought Behr solid stain. The stain I got is nothing like the color I expected (what they call Redwood looks burnt orange). My husband stained an ungodly amount of square footage while I was away on a trip for 3 days. I came home and was horrified at the color. I want to re-stain with the RAD Coastal gray. Do I need to do any prep or can I just go over the ugly Behr that was just applied?
You can go over it but you may need a few coats to cover it all correctly.
37 year old chromated copper arsenate deck, in rough shape now. See photos. I like the idea of the 20x stuff to fill the cracks but as I understand it such resurfacing stains can be problematic. Can you please suggest some options that might help? The last photo is of a sec ond, lower deck. Thanks for your help.
Use a solid stain like the Restore A Deck or if you want a deck resurfacer that actually works, try the Gulf Deck Revive: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/gulf-synthetics-deck-revive-review-2015/
The RAD solid stain would be the easiest and less expensive way to go.
One coat of your grey restore a deck solid stain looks good. Do you really need to apply two coats on the horizontal wood of the deck?
Typically one coat will not cover fully the grain but that would depend on the wood. If yours did then you should be okay with one coat. You could always lightly clean and add another as needed down the road.
This is certainly not the result I expected when I ordered the solid stain in a shade of “dark oak”. It appears on the website as a deep mahogany brown, but more like a café latte on application. Hope I don’t have a problem with the HOA board at my development. The web color chart is extremely misleading.
It is a sun reflection and looks correct. This is from their webpage.
I used the taupe color and it was much lighter than the website as well
It is all a sun reflection. See these pictures of Taupe of the same deck in shade and in the full sun.
How about the semi-transparent Dark Walnut for the Floor of the deck? Shows the grain? How did it perform.
See this for the semi-transparent review: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/restore-a-deck-wood-stain-review/
Can this product be used to cover Duckback Superdeck acrylic latex solid stain 9602 base? Stripping the cedar deck with their stripper seems to come with too many drawbacks. 1/3 of deck that is under roof eaves is great but the other 2/3’s is peeling. Hoping to get peeling paint off by using pressure washer. The deck is cedar and we are loathe to sand off paint. Help!
As long as you remove all the loose and peeling stain, you can apply over the solid stain that is fully intact to the wood.
Do we need to use a chemical cleaner besides the pressure washing before applying another solid color stain? I do not wish to use the Duckback Superdeck acrylic latex stain again so any recommendations for solid color stain that won’t peel as quickly. The rain here in Oregon really beats the deck. Also, am I correct that unless we strip the paint off deck, that our only option is solid color latex stain?
Using a stripper while pressure washing will help to remove the peeling stain that is not intact. You cannot strip a solid stain fully so to get it all off you would have to power sand as well. The RAD Solid stain works well and will cover your current stain but anything you apply over the Superdeck will still be at the mercy of performance of the Superdeck underneath it.
Just finished cleaning and staining my 20 year old deck with Restore A Deck products. Very happy with the outcome. Used the RAD cleaner with a pump sprayer and pressure washer, followed by the RAD Solid Stain. Looks great! Don’t know how it will last yet, but so far it was everything it was claimed to be.
Could you post a picture or two? Thanks.
Before I could take pictures, the weather changed and unexpected rain came in after 18 hours. Not sure what it will look like after the rain stops. 🙁
It will be fine.
You are right again! See attached photo.
Looks great, what color was it?
Cypress (looks like cedar)
I can’t find a color chart for the costal gray in the solid stain. Need to see before I buy.
Check the Restore A Deck Website. It is on there.
Can RAD be sprayed on a deck or is that not wise?
Airless sprayer, not a pump sprayer for the solid stains.
I have a deck approaching 20 years old that has very old (8 years?) behr solid stain. The horizontal surfaces are mostly bare now and have small cracks in the wood. After power washing and prepping, will the RAD solid cover the remnants of the Behr (I believe so from what I’ve read here) and will it partially fill in the cracks to provide a somewhat smoother/consistent surface? I was looking to use a thicker deck restore type stain/paint to fill the cracks but the reviews of that stuff are not good; sounds like a potential nightmare?
I live in south Jersey with a few hours of direct sunlight on the deck each day plus occasional snow build up in the winter.
Great site and Thanks!
The RAD solid will cover the Bher as long as the Behr is not peeling. A solid stain will not fill in cracks. Cracks are normal in wood so bets to just leave them as is.
Thanks for the help! I think I’m sticking with stain but is there even a decent deck restore type product on the market? Seems like the reviews of that stuff no matter the brand are all bad and the mess it can make once it starts bubbling and peeling sounds like a nightmare to remove or fix.
Yes, this one works well: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/gulf-synthetics-deck-revive-review-2015/
You could maybe get away with putting wood putty in the cracks before staining.
Wood filler putty does not work well for exterior decks.
Have bluish gray latex stain on already. Hard to get off in areas. Will the solid covers cover these areas or will they show?
With two coats it should cover.
Like any painting or staining preparation is the key. I used a Zep multi-purpose cleaner and did it work great. I also took time to clean the deck twice using the Zep concentrate and a hard bristle broom and scrub brush, rinsing the daylights out of everything with a garden hose. Waited till there was no puddling and applied the 1st coat of Restore-a-deck. Used 1-3/4 gal. on 1st coat. 1st coat really soaked in. Waited 2 hours and applied 2nd coat. Finish was awesome. Looked great and water beads up perfect.
Have a pergola (pine and cedar). It is now one year old, never been stained. We plan on going with a solid white stain. What steps and products do you recommend?
Prep first with the RAD Cleaner/Brightener Kits: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/restore-a-deck-cleaner-system-review/
Once prepped, you can use the RAD Solid Stain in White.
This review is for the solid stain on the railings and the Semi-Transparent on the deck. Have you reviewed the RAD solid deck stain when used on the deck surface? This is your top rated solid stain, but color choices are limited to five. Based on how this was reviewed, I’m not sure how it will compare to others on the deck surface.
Works great on deck floors as well. The best solid stain we have ever used,
Thank you!
My deck was stained several years ago with Behr opaque solid in a dark color (btw, this stuff is garbage) I was going to strip and sand and then apply an oil based semi transparent TWP. After reading your reviews and forums, I am considering using the water based RAD so that it will not be quite as much work and I won’t have to try to remove every bit of the Behr stain.
I am only doing the floors as the railings are ok.
Would you recommend the RAD in a somewhat dark color? and if so, what will the stripping and prepping protocol be?
Thank for this amazing site!
Pressure wash with a stripper to remove the loos stain and dirt. You can leave the stain that is not peeling. Cover with their dark brown color.
Would you recommend RAD stripper? I had read in an earlier post that strippers will not remove the Behr solid stain. After stripping should I sand also?
If you want to remove all then you will need to sand. If you want to remove the loose stain for another solid stain, then use the RAD Stripper.
I have an older (1995) PT pine deck that has peeling solid stain (Behr, about 5 years old). I’ve read that the pre-2004 PT wood doesn’t hold paint or solid stains well. I’ve tried stripping off the old stain, but some is still stuck on pretty well, and I really don’t feel like investing the time and energy sanding off the rest.
Is there any product or treatment I can use to get a solid stain to stick to this wood? It’s not in the kind of shape where I want to use a semi-transparent and see the wood.
You can use a solid stain as long as the current coating is not peeling.
We have a Trex deck that is 20 yrs old. It’s structurally sound, but has weathered to a light gray. I’m thinking a solid color to stain it would be best since there is no wood grain. What would you recommend?
Sorry but no, you cannot use this or any solid stain on Trex.
Can I use this restore a deck solid stain over a deck that was previously stained with behr solid stain? I have power washed and cleaned the deck and will be sanding a few rough spots prior to applying the new stain. Thanks
Yes.
We have not had great luck with deck stain lasting on our deck. See photos of deck in current state. In May 2016, we applied Benjamin Moore Arborcoat semi-solid stain in cordovan brown. After 1 year, floor boards had signs of peeling, and progressively deteriorated each year and now floorboards and some of the railings and seating areas are also significantly peeling. Because Arborcoat is water-based, what is the process we must follow to prep and reapply a stain? And what would you suggest in a stain? Semi-solid again or a solid stain? Water-based or oil-based? The deck is about 25 years old so there is signs of age meaning when stripped there are some splintering boards. Also, it is in full sun from 10am-4pm. Because it is a big job, I have hired a carpenter to complete. WE would appreciate any advice. Thank you.
For best results, you should remove the Arborcoat by stripping and sanding. Stripping will not remove all of this stain. If you remove all, then your new coating will have a much better chance of working correctly. Once it is prepped well, you can use the RAD Solid Stain. It will work very well for you.
Is your advice the same if it is Arborcoat solid?
We recently bought a house that has about 500 sf on one deck and 700 sf on another, and its all painted in a dark green Arborcoat solid. I don’t know when it was applied, the deck is probably 20 years old, but the Arborcoat looks good and is in good shape. But we’re considering changing the color and anticipating future maintenance. I really want no part of sanding and stripping and was wondering what solutions would work if we went right over the existing Arborcoat solid?
You still should strip off what you can and then cover the rest that is intact with the new solid stain. Stripping will remove any loose solid stain and any dirt, mildew, etc.
You always have to prep when reapplying.
What was the process for the two tone look? Did you do the horizontal areas first and then tape it off and complete the railings in white? I like this look, just trying to figure out how to best complete the two tone without overlap.
Verticals first and cover the floor while doing them. Floors last.
Hi,
I have a deck in Indiana that has a Behr Solid stain on it. Can this be applied over it? I really do not want to sand.
You should strip and pressure wash to remove all the loose and peeling stain. You can leave the stain that is solidly adhering to the wood. The RAD Solid stain should cover this.