Cleaning/Staining Knotty Cedar Deck/Fencing/Planters Box - Deck Stain Questions and Answers https://forum.deckstainhelp.com/deck-stain-questions-and-answers/cleaning-staining-knotty-cedar-deck-fencing-planters-box/ Deck Stain Help Forum Discussion Board en-US Mon, 27 Apr 2026 18:00:05 +0000 wpForo 60 RE: Cleaning/Staining Knotty Cedar Deck/Fencing/Planters Box https://forum.deckstainhelp.com/deck-stain-questions-and-answers/cleaning-staining-knotty-cedar-deck-fencing-planters-box/#post-12672 Tue, 11 Jun 2019 20:41:50 +0000 You need to strip and pressure wash this. Brighten all wood after. Cleaning alone will not be sufficient. Look at Restore A Deck Stripper/Brightener Kits. Stay away from Wolman products, there are better stains and prep products: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/the-5-best-deck-stain-reviews-and-ratings/

]]> Deck Stain Questions and Answers Scott Paul ~ Restoring Wood & Decks Since 1993 https://forum.deckstainhelp.com/deck-stain-questions-and-answers/cleaning-staining-knotty-cedar-deck-fencing-planters-box/#post-12672 Cleaning/Staining Knotty Cedar Deck/Fencing/Planters Box https://forum.deckstainhelp.com/deck-stain-questions-and-answers/cleaning-staining-knotty-cedar-deck-fencing-planters-box/#post-12669 Mon, 10 Jun 2019 21:00:17 +0000 I just bought a house with this beautiful Knotty Cedar Wood Deck, fencing and planters box in NY. It accumulated tons of debris/leaves from all of the trees, so I was determined to clean this deck, especially after my wife saw the lighter color in the same spot as where the umbrella pole was. I thought I can flip this weathered wood into the lighter color.
 
After research, I opted to clean this with the classic recipe of Water/Bleach/detergent mix using a handpump with a soft bristle brush to do the initial cleaning. I cleaned everything on Saturday afternoon. The weather was 72 and sunny on Sunday so it dried for 35 hours. This afternoon (Monday) there's massive rainfall and its expected to last all week. 
 
Should I be really concerned about all this rainfall without a stain? It might not be until 2 weeks until I stain it. Several areas that took longer to initially dry at the time of cleaning are now showing nickel sized bubbles. Are those problematic?
 
Staining Questions (We want to keep the natural look with a translucent stain)
My local paint store suggested Wolman's Oil-Based Finish and Preservative. He gave me a 10" lambswool applicator and some nylon/polyester brushes. 
 
Are there any suggested spray tools to help do this job faster? Would the HDX 2-gal sprayer from Home Depot work? It feels flimsy for this oil-based paint.
 
The can says to "always apply either Woman's Deck Brite or Fence Brightener before recoating. This is confusing. Isn't this the 'cleaning' that I just did or is this an important step prior to staining (weeks after cleaning)

Are there any suggested spray tools to help do this job faster? 
 
How many dry days would I need to properly dry after this job? 
 
How do I know how much existing stain there is from previous work (14 months ago).
 
How many coats should I use? 
 
How terrible is it if some spots on the fence/deck are missed? 
 
Correct disposal suggestions? 
 
717,718,719
]]> Deck Stain Questions and Answers lesterdiamond https://forum.deckstainhelp.com/deck-stain-questions-and-answers/cleaning-staining-knotty-cedar-deck-fencing-planters-box/#post-12669