We wanted our cedar deck posts to look natural, so our contractor added a clear sealant (before the posts were installed). Within 2 months the posts had turned nearly white because of the sun (lake house-facing east, Indiana). What can we use now to restore the natural color as best we can and protect this from happening again? Do we need to strip off the old sealant even though there is no beading or sign that the sealer is doing anything? If we need to, how would we strip off the old? You can see the front post is almost white while the ones in the back (in the shade) are what they should look like. We'd like to get back to natural as best we can.
You should strip and brighten to remove the clear sealer. Try the Restore A Deck Prep Kits.