[Sticky] Deck Staining Help

Quote from administrator on May 23, 11:47
The color looks normal and the dark is just the wood grain. I personally like it.

Oh well, to each his own I suppose.

Hi,

I live in Arkansas and have an oak deck that receives full sun. No mold or mildew issues. Two summers ago we expanded the existing deck. Last summer we used the restore a deck cleaner and brightner, followed by one coat of TWP 1500 rustic stain, on both the old and the new wood. The results were great. However, the wood has absorbed a lot of the stain, and the deck looks faded. What steps do you recommend taking to add another coat? Do I need to clean again, and then re-stain? Also, would you recommend more than 1 coat this time? If so, should it be wet on wet, or wait for the first coat to dry and come back and stain again?

Thanks so much!

I live in the Rocky Mountains and have a new redwood deck. I plan on using an orbital palm sander to prep the wood and then use a transparent stain on the horizontal surfaces. My painter wants to use super deck however the reviews are not very compelling. Do you recommend Armstrong Clark for this situation and if so, which product will showcase the redwood with the least amount of pigment? Thanks!

Quote from amandar on May 26, 15:24
Hi,

I live in Arkansas and have an oak deck that receives full sun. No mold or mildew issues. Two summers ago we expanded the existing deck. Last summer we used the restore a deck cleaner and brightner, followed by one coat of TWP 1500 rustic stain, on both the old and the new wood. The results were great. However, the wood has absorbed a lot of the stain, and the deck looks faded. What steps do you recommend taking to add another coat? Do I need to clean again, and then re-stain? Also, would you recommend more than 1 coat this time? If so, should it be wet on wet, or wait for the first coat to dry and come back and stain again?

Thanks so much!

Lightly clean and apply just one coat since it has only been a year.

Quote from tonyCO on May 29, 17:58
I live in the Rocky Mountains and have a new redwood deck. I plan on using an orbital palm sander to prep the wood and then use a transparent stain on the horizontal surfaces. My painter wants to use super deck however the reviews are not very compelling. Do you recommend Armstrong Clark for this situation and if so, which product will showcase the redwood with the least amount of pigment? Thanks!

You have to have pigment for UV protection. The least amount will be the aC Natural but that means you will have to reapply annually. The richer or darker the color will give better results. You prep is wrong as well. No need to sand but rather clean and brighten for prep. This article will explain better:

http://www.deckstainhelp.com/staining-a-new-deck/

SuperDeck is not a bad option. It just has in our experience and others turn black in color after a year or two.

Quote from administrator on December 29, 11:58
When asking questions on Deck Staining please include:

First and foremost, thank you for a great site.

Northern California Sierra Nevada mountains, about 4500 foot elevation. Mix of sun and shade. Some snow and rain, we hope.

We are building a new redwood deck and railings using Grade B with some sapwood.

We prefer as clear a stain as we can find that also holds up to the elements. We don't want to darken the wood.

Thanks for your kind help,
NV_Chuck

Read this on new wood: http://www.deckstainhelp.com/staining-a-new-deck/

Clear/no color means it will gray naturally in months. You need tint/color to block the UV rays from oxidizing the wood.

I live in Rhode Island. 15 year old deck. Cedar floor. Pressure treated rails. I have washed. I am about to use the brightener today, however my husband now wants to replace some cedar floorboards that have rot. My questions... do i replace,thenbrighten

Continued...oops, and my other concern is that i read that new cedar can't be treated right away. I am planning on staining with TWP 1500 in cedar tone. So what is my next step? Replace/brighten/stain? Or brighten/replace/stain?

You really should not stain right away with the TWP 1500. Does not matter the order. If you do stain now then brighten first. You will need to reapply to those new boards within a year.

So, you're saying that I shouldn't stain just the new cedar boards? Would it bebest to stain around them and wait until next spring to apply the stain to the new boards? Thanks for the help! Who knew a simple deck could beso overwhelmingly.

How may new boards are there?

1. State you live in: Fresno, California (hot dry summer, mild winters)
2. Full Shade, Partial Shade, or Full Sun: Full HOT Sun
3. Type of Wood: #1 and #2 or better Douglas Fir
4. Mold or Mildew Issues: No Experience
5. Main Issues with Previous Stains: No experience

Hi,
I'm putting up a large 20x20 Douglas Fir Pergola next month next to my pool. Ideally I'd like to stain it before assembly, and I'd like to pick a stain that gives it the best chance at a long life, but also not be too high maintenance. Would the DEFY Extreme Stain in a dark color fit that criteria (with the whole water soluble easy cleanup thing 😀 )?

I know Cedar/Redwood is better for longevity, but its very expensive. Fresno is very dry, but very very hot in the summer, so I'm thinking mold is not as much an issue.

We answered this in article section.

Thanks again. We are replacing about 6 to eight boards this week. We are now contemplating waiting until fall to again, rewash and then brighten and staining. The deck gets full sun for about 5 to 6 hours. do you think we should still stain around those new boards or just stain them in the fall? Or just wait and keep the whole deck in its washed and unstained state until next spring And do the entire deck then?