This post was updated on July 16, 2025
Why Deck Stains Cannot be Shiny
We here at DeckStainHelp.com are proud to be the internet’s number one reference for all things wood deck restoration related. As before, we do not recommend the use of polyurethane stains on outdoor decks as they will peel. We always appreciate your input and questions, so feel free to leave a comment below.
Peeling Deck Varnish
Unlike some wood stain finishes on hardwood floors that have a reflective or shiny finish, most exterior deck stains are not meant to be shiny. A deck stain works best when it is applied to a clean wood surface. This allows the deck stain to penetrate deep into the wood pores to ensure a solid wall of protection against sun and water damage. The amount of deck stain that is applied depends on different factors like wood age, condition, and porosity. Not all wood surfaces will absorb the same amount of deck stain when they are being refinished.
It is important to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for applying a deck stain. Some deck stains will be sufficient with one coat while others may be applied in several coats for maximum protection. A deck stain that has cured or dried to a shiny finish most likely indicates an over-application problem. When deck stain is applied correctly it penetrates the wood giving it a natural finish. Most deck stains can enhance the natural beauty of the wood even without a shiny finish.
When deck stain is over-applied, the excess stain that was not absorbed by the wood remains on top of the surface and dries to a crusty shiny finish. This problem results in peeling, flaking, cracking and an overall decrease in appearance. You might think more is better when it comes to applying deck stain but that is not the case. A shiny finish can lead to premature failure of the deck stain product.
To avoid over-applying deck stain so it does not turn out shiny and end up failing prematurely work in small areas at a time. It is best to coat one whole board from end to end and wait several minutes for the deck stain to penetrate the wood. Try not to apply stain on a hot day or in direct sunlight as this can alter the absorption rate and dry time. Once the stain has had time to absorb, wipe away or back brush any excess stain puddles or runs before coating the next board. Applying only as much deck stain as the wood can absorb will result in a better finish ensuring the deck stain is not shiny when it cures. This will give you a longer-lasting finish.
Any Questions on this Topic? Please Ask Below!
My contractor evidently over applied Olympic semi transparent stain to my deck. A month later it is shiny and it rain is sitting on the deck leaving water spots. What should I do?
You may have to remove it fully. Post some pics in the comments for help.
Thank you for your previous response. We were originally hoping for second coat of Twp in a few months to darken it, But they put it on pretty dark. In fact there are a few places that are shiny. Should we just not put another coat on until maybe next spring? I do not want it shiny.
You should wait 6-12 months and you will have to prep again.
We just had Twp stain applied to deck after proper preparation. There are a few spots that are a little shiny. I have read that can be caused by over application. Will it eventually fade a little?
Also, the painter was planning to do a second coat. I’m thinking it will make it all shiny now. Advice?
You cannot apply a second of coat of TWP the next day, it has to be same day or within 60 minutes of the first coat.
https://www.twpstainhelp.com/twp-stain-wet-on-wet-application/
When sanding a deck to remove a shiny transparent oil-based stain, are you taking it down to “new wood” or does the shine go away with more of a light-sand / scuffing technique?
Take it all off.
My cedar deck lattice was stained 2 weeks ago with TWP 1530 “Natural” oil based stain. The stain was over-applied and there are many shiny areas. How can I fix this problem?
You would have to strip it off and start over.
Will stripping the lattice cause wood fuzzies? The lattice was first installed and stained with Super Deck transparent “Cedar 1901” stain in 2016. It was stained in 2019 with TWP 1530 “Natural” oil based semi-transparent stain.
My contractor told me today that the shiny areas of lattice are still protected. The lattice gets partial sun during the day. He said that would minimize the danger of the stain failing. There are pressure treated wood pillars behind the lattice. The pressure treated wood posts are painted with a different color than the lattice. Should I remove the lattice before stripping it? Also, the deck above the lattice was stained with TWP 1530 semi-transparent stain which was also over-applied. The contractor will use a citristripper on the deck, pressure wash, and then rag on the TWP 1530 stain.
What will this stripper do to the lattice and pressure treated pillars?
Hard to say if the wood will get fuzzy or not. You can remove it if you do not want to strip the lattice.
So parts of my deck is shiny and I have now learned that I over applied in those spots. How do I fix it at this point? Sand it back off?
You cannot spot sand to fix it. Try the mineral spirits to see if that removes the shine. If not, you will have to remove all and start over.
Just had my deck restained after about 5 years. Is there a reason why the stain is shiny in some spots? The guy that did the job said he put the stain down thick. Will it dry and even out? Just had it done over the weekend.
He over-applied it and clearly did not know what he was doing. Doubt it will even out.
How would I be able to fix it? Would it be better to just paint over it with stain colored paint?
You cannot paint over this, it will peel. You will have to remove it fully by sanding and stripping to fix this.
ok thanks
Defy xtreme cedar tone maintenance coat? 1 or 2 wet on wet? Thank you.
One.
Shiny spots / areas after applying defy extreme semi transparent. Over looks good. Any way to lighten those shiny spots.? Or will they dull out in time. And a maintenance question also with defy. Is it recommended to lightly sand deck boards before applying a maintenance coat. If so what grit of sandpaper. Thanks.
No, you cannot lighten the over-applied areas once dry but it will probably even out over time. Do not sand for reapplying. Clean and brighten.
We used this stain to do out front porch. We did 2 coats which I now know that we shouldn’t have. After a few days it’s still a tad sticky. I ran to Lowes and bought mineral spirits, will that solve my problem?
It should help some but may not fix the issue. It may just need more time to cure.
We’ve recently used messmers uv plus in natural on a cedar deck. Cleaned prior with the messmers wd liquid renewer and let dry for 48 hours in drought like conditions where we live. The sealer we rolled on and brushed within the cracks. 24 hours later this was the result. What can be done to remove the shine and tack?
Wipe it down with rags and mineral spirits. Make sure to soak all oily rags in water when done.
I have just used Behr solid stain in black for our railings and I really dislike the matte finish, but really like the black. Is there something I can use to give it more gloss?
Exterior paint? Stain sealer?
Nope, it will peel on outside wood if you do this.
Can I paint over the railing top with a satin paint the same color as the solid stain?
It will peel if you do this.
Same. I don’t like the matte finish either. Looks chalky. Trying to find some solution – super disappointed.
Deck is 11 years old pine wood. We just had it power washed with a cleaner and it still looks discolored. We had it power washed eight years ago and we stained it with Olympic Maximum Exterior Acrylic oil stain. We live in northern virginia – cold winters, hot, humid summers. We get all kinds of mold and mildew – black, green and white fungus on the deck. The contractor is going to come back and re-do the power washing with more cleaner. What else can we do to clean the deck? Do we need to sand it? What to use to rebel water? Stain or seal? Water or oil based? I read on the TWP website that they don’t ship the 100 series to VA. Thank you.
Use a deck cleaner while pressure washing and then a wood brightener after. Use TWP 1500 Srues if you cannot get the 100 in your area. No need to sand. Do not seal it. Use a stain that is penetrating.
Only way to make it look new is sand it
Based on the comments below it seems like we over applied our semi transparent deck stain. The whole deck is super shiny. When applying mineral spirits what is the best approach when going at the entire deck?
What brand and type of stain did you apply and do you have pictures?
It is Olympic Elite semi-transparent. We did two coats.
Mineral spirits will not fix this. You will have to remove it all to remove the shine.
With what?
Sanding is the only way to remove this.
Hello, I stained a deck Saturday August 8th, I went back today (Wednesday, August 12th) and there are shiny spots on some of the boards. I used Cabot Semi-Transparent Oil Based stain. I Sanded it down and used wood brightener before applying stain. I rolled on and back brushed the stain into the wood and spaces between the boards. I called Cabot today and they said it usually takes 72 hours for a full cure. Monday August 10th (2 days after application) we had heavy down pour rain, I went back to see if I could stain today and the section I still need to stain is still soaked, so no go. As far as the other section that had stain applied; I read that you can apply mineral spirits to try and rub off the shiny spots. I’m letting the deck dry out for another day. If there are still shiny spots on it tomorrow is it safe to say that section is fully cured and I need to either; try mineral spirits or re-do completely..? Possible cure time interruption from the rain is what I’m hoping for.. Any comments and words of advice are appreciated.
We paid a contractor to stain our decks with Cabot Australian Timber Oil Pre-Tinted Jarrah Brown Transparent Exterior Stain (5-Gallon). Thank goodness he only showed up and worked a half day on front porch only because when i got up the next day and looked I was just sick to my stomach as we spent so much money on this remodel and loved our decks. It looks awful, It is shiny in spots, wish I had just done it myself. Please tell me we can fix it!!
You will need to power sand fix. Once removed, let the wood sit for 3-4 months and then clean and brighten for final prep. Stain with a true penetrating stain: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/the-5-best-deck-stain-reviews-and-ratings/
as in belt sander?
See for sanding tips: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/how-to-sand-your-wood-deck/
Two days after staining new wood deck behr semi transparent drift grey deck still has just a very very slight tacky touch although I rub hard and it is dry…also has slight shine…can I wait and see? I did try very very light 220 sanding and it deglossed and no longer tacky. Should I wait another week? Or light sand entire deck 550 sq ft. Thanks
Best to just wait and see what happens as long as it is usable. Eventually, it will have to come off.
My new wood deck was dried cleaned and brightened And dried. After 20 hours of drying it is shiny and just slightly tacky. I used behr premium acrylic water based stain
It will peel most likely so to fix either now or later will require power sanding.
What should I do in a few areas where the stain dried shiny ?
That would depend on the brand and type of stain? It may go away over time as well.
Our deck was restained with an oil based stain 6 years ago. It tuned out very shiny. I hated it. It was not like that before. We have done nothing to it until this summer. We have spent many hours cleaning and trying to sand the area but still shiny spots remain. Not sure what to do. Do not want to finish it and have it become shiny again. Seeking advise.
You will have to sand it all off first.
What about stripping off the rest. The deck is about 500 square feet plus a set of stairs.
Stripping will not remove a shiny sealer. Sanding will be needed.
It is not a sealer. It was an oil based stain. Can the left over stain be removed by stripping?
If it is shiny, then no. You will have to sand to remove.
Hi. I applied messers u v plus for hardwood decks. My deck is shinny The wood is mahogany. How do I fix it. Thank you. Joan
Post a picture.
Deck is 5 years old and never been stained yet. Could that be a problem?
No, just prep and stain.
I mistakenly applied a gloss deck stain sealer on the steps of my deck. Of coarse now its very slippery. How can I tone down the gloss, is there a chemical I can wipe over it to take some of the shine off. Its an older deck so sanding is not really an option, as a last resort I guess I can flip the boards over.
Only things you can do to fix this is to sand, replace boards, or flip them,
Hi. I had my deck stained this week and there are a couple problems. Unfortunately the contractor does not seem to know how best to fix so I am searching for guidance. There are some parts that are fine, but there are shiny spots where it seems obvious the stain was over applied. The wood was about 8 months old so it would have been dry enough. Used TWP 1500 in dark oak. We tried mineral spirits today but that didn’t work. Sanding will work, but the deck is nearly 2000 square feet so sanding by hand seems excessively hard. Is it possible these spots will dull down or wear off on their own in time since it’s not extremely thick? Is there any other possible solution to be tried short of stripping and starting over?
It is not that bad. Just leave it alone for a few weeks for full cure and it will look better and not be that shiny.
If there is an open space between boards should I stain between these boards with a brush before using pad ?
No need.
Thanks
Using Sikkens Cetol Dark Oak. I have a few shiny spots where I had drips and brushed them in instead of wiping them off. I have heard to use mineral spirits, sand the spots or use pinesol on the areas. I have also thought about just leaving them as they are around the edge and not too bad. Thoughts, ideas or suggestions are appreciated. If I do use any of the above ideas, what do I do after doing them? Apply stain over the area again?
Just use the mineral spirits and then leave alone after.
Hi. I used ‘Flood’ solid stain but there is no shine,it’s very flat. Is there a product which I can put on top of this to give it that finish?
No, you cannot add a shine or sealer over a deck stain. it will peel.
Used Olympic Elite Solid Stain and Sealer in coffee… doesn’t look like the color AT ALL. Followed instructions for 2 coats. It looks a little shiny (not in spots, evenly all over). Will this dull down? Should we be concerned it will peel?
The sheen should dull down. Not sure about the peeling. Only time will tell.
How do you remove the Sheen and tackiness
Depends on the brand and type of stain you used?
After careful and rigorous prep including deck wash, brightener, dry time, and sanding, we spent the whole of yesterday afternoon staining our old deck with Valspar Semi-Transparent Stain & Sealer (water-based) in a dark brown color.
The directions said that rolling was an appropriate way to apply to the deck boards, so we did so with “deck” rollers and had one dry roller specifically for back-rolling any excess stain. For the railings, we used a “stain mitt”, which is pretty much what it sounds like (dip mitt in stain, wrap hand around railing).
We ended up with an over-application that just looks like paint (too much/opaque coverage), and is uneven and shiny (but thankfully, not sticky). It’s kind of blinding when the sun shines on it. It’s been about 24 hours and I’m considering wiping over it with lacquer thinner to try to remove the excess and the shine – is that a terrible idea? We spent so many hours prepping and staining this thing, I’m beyond depressed!
Any advice would be highly appreciated!
Wiping it down will not work with a water-based stain. Sorry but you are stuck with this opaque looking stain.
We have a shiny deck and didn’t mean to. How can we fix it!
Depends on the brand of stain and type of stain you used? Pictures would help as well.
How can I get rid of a smaller area of shiny decking so it will match the rest of the deck please? Thank you
Try using some lacquer thinner.
I have a Merbau deck that is about 5 years old . When I reapply a coat it is shiny in some parts and stays that way but literally right next to the shiny part there will be dull patches . It used to look fantastic but now is very patchy . I must admit I have been guilty of the thinking more is better . I guess now its coming back to bite me in the butt . I don’t see an easy solution . Do you think I have to sand the entire deck back to bare wood ? I have been using a timber oil product by Intergrain .
The only way to fix this is to sand it all off down to the bare wood.
Would going over the whole deck with a matte clear deck finish help with making shiny spots dissapear ? or probably make it worse?
No. Make it worse.
My deck needs to be re-stained. I'm planning on using the same color, so am not really concerned with stripping the old finish. However, I have one small section that has a very slight shine to the old finish. I'm afraid that this would be an area where the new stain would not fully penetrate. It's a very slight shine, so what would the best way to eliminate that shine before re-staining. Can I do a light application of stripper only one that area?
Spot stripping will not work. What stain are you using. Best to follow the advice that the stain brand suggest for reapplying.
By same color I assume you mean same brand as well? If switching brands you will need to strip, unless you are applying a solid color stain.