[Sticky] Deck Staining Help

You would need to sand it all off to remove it. It is a filming acrylic stain that can peel in cold weather states. It may be fine in your are but in our experience it peels and is hard to fix.

Great results thanks to the advice on this site! This is a follow-up on our post from August 17 at 22:54 asking for advice. We were about to make a big mistake when we found this site with its terrible tales of products that don’t live up to the manufacturers’ claims.

Starting point: our pressure-treated wood deck is 22 years old. It has been protected with Thompson’s Water Seal twice and semi-transparent Olympic and Kurfees stains. Because “life happens,” it had been 12 years since we had touched the deck. The previous stain had chipped away in many places and there were worn traffic lanes.

As recommended, we used RAD stripper and brightener (3 passes to strip with a power washer so we used 3 boxes of stripper and 2 of brightener), sanded away what stain remained as best we could, then stained with two coats of Armstrong Clark Driftwood (semi-transparent) on the deck and one coat on the vertical surfaces (we plan to add a second coat to those also). There are still places where we could not get all the previous stain out, especially where it seemed deep in the wood grain (see close-up photo), but we are very satisfied with the results. It required 5 weeks of concentrated work. Next up – we have work scheduled to patch the hole where a tree once grew. Once the new wood weathers for a year or so, we’ll stain it to match. We should have done things in reverse order, but couldn’t get the patching scheduled in time. ("Before" photo is shown below)

You did a great job!

I would first like to say, this is a wonderful site! Loads of great information. Thank you!
I have a Redwood deck that we put in about 1 year ago.
Located in Ca.
Morning sun, shaded in the afternoon.
Half is covered, half is not.
Deck gets lots of dog traffic.
After reading your reviews, I think I will go with the TWP. Not sure if I should order the 100 or 1500?
Also, I purchased less than perfect redwood. It appears to need some sanding to smooth it out. I read that sanding was not recommended because it inhibits proper stain absorption?
Would it be best to wait until next year to do some sanding prior to the second stain application?
Thank you

Only the TWP 1500 is allowed in CA. Best to clean and brighten for the prep. Lightly sand only is needed if you need to remove fuzzies or small splinters. Do not heavy power sanding. Use 60-80 grit paper. After any sanding it is helpful to rinse the deck with water to remove sand dust and "swell" the wood pores. Let dry for 2+ days before staining.

Thank you. That is what I had understood from reading your replays to others. Now I just need to hide the sander from my helper! (He thinks the wood needs to be sanded smooth.)
Thank you for your quick reply. It is very much appreciated!

Sorry if this is a repeat, newbie here. In Spring of 2015 I built a 2 level, 400SF deck with cedar 2x6. This project prompted me to look into staining my privacy fences. After researching WAY too long on the internet (before finding this site), I've decided to pursue a part-time business in restoring fences and decks (I have a full-time job which allots a ton of free time). I'm aware that the prep work is the foundation for a superior final product, but application is my primary concern....I want to purchase a Graco 395 airless sprayer to apply stain to fences and decks , properly prepared by me, of course. My intent is to spray and backroll. Anyone have advice for or against this idea? Any thoughts/comments/ideas are appreciated!!

1. Colorado Front Range
2. the entire spectrum from full shade to full exposure
3. most likely Cedar and PT
4. in this climate, black mold and mildew exist
5. N/A, as I would eradicate these issues before applying stain

Thanks in advance. My research has been a fun and enlightening journey!

You can use an airless and back brush but we are not fans of the airless for most deck stains unless a solid stain. We prefer the pump sprayers like a good Chapin or Hudson. It goes on heavier and makes the back brushing easier.

This does vary though based on the stain being applied as not all deck stain can be applied well with a pump sprayer.

Berkeley, CA; Bay Area has Meiterranean climate, but cool, with fog, temp avg 55-70 year round. 15 year-old 400 sq ft redwood deck, with full 3X5 planks, half-day sun. Treated (saturated) all redwood deck materials (planks, railings, posts, etc.) with linseed oil before assembly. No stain, no treatment since. Deck dark with mold. Locals recommended Messmer's A/B for cleaner/brightener, and Messmer's UV Plus for stain.
Questions:
1. You think Gemini RAD is better than Messmer's A/B for cleaning and brightening?
2. You think TWP 1500 better than Messmer's UV PLus for staining?
3. You employed by them, or get a kickback from them?
4. We're trying to clean the deck thoroughly before staining, doing the following:
a) on dry deck, scoured off the black mold with industrial strength scour pads, and vacuumed off black powder; done twice
b) misted deck thoroughly, and treated deck and rails with Messmer's A, made hot and fresh, used within 1 hr, applying liberally with Shur-Line paint pad, letting sit 5-10 min, misting to keep moist, and scouring with pads, rinsing thoroughly with garden hose spray. Did a second time. More came off. Now doing a third time using stiff brush. More comes off. Worth going to RAD for deeper clean? Considering it.
5. IF you like RAD, we'd do final with it, and brighten while still wet from cleaning.
6. We have deck (400 sq ft), 4X6 rails (75 ft), 6X6 posts (3 ft; 15 of them), 2.5 X 2.5 verticals (3 ft; 103 of them), plus 14 steps, step rail (15 ft), etc., so we think 5 gal TWP is best.
7. You recommend a back-pack garden sprayer for cleaning? Brightening? Staining? Easier? Or requires skill to use?
8. We've done a lot of work, but want to make it right. Looking forward to your thoughts.
Thanks much for your help. We've read most of the articles and posts on this site. Excellent. We think helpful. But who funds this? (Suspicious, from Berkeley!) A labor of love?

Also, advice on color? We don't like too much red, so redwood is out. California redwood seems better, natural pine also. Suggestions/thoughts? We should try test samples, we think. Wood, lighting, site, etc. affect color decision.

1. They are very similar but not the same. Both work well.
2. Yes we would use the TWP 1500 over the Messmers UV plus. Both are penetrating oil based stains which is good. TWP is registered by the EPA for wood preservation while the Messmers is not.
3. Not employed by any stain manufacturers.
4. No using the RAD will not make a difference in your technique. You will have better results if you use pressure washer with the Messmers Part A.
6. It will be close with your total sq. footage.
7. Use a stain pad for applying the stain. Pump sprayers will help to apply the cleaning products and make that easier. If you apply the stain with one you will need to back pad to ensure it is evenly applied.
8. http://www.deckstainhelp.com/who-are-we/

Definitely get some samples to test colors first if you can.

1 year old deck never stained in Florida. Full Sun copper azole pressure treated I think cedar. I purchased Behr premium weatherproofing but now seeing terrible reviews so will likely return. I cleaned and brightened it 1 week ago. What is your recommendation for stain?

Defy Extreme or TWP 100 Series.

1. State you live in: Louisiana
2. Partial Shade
3. Type of Wood: Premium yellow pine treated lumber
4. Green / Black Mold / Mildew since we're partially under an oak tree
5. Main Issues with Previous Stains: Bad experience with Rust-Oleum® Restore

We are looking for suggestions on how to proceed with refinishing our wood deck after a disastrous experience with the Rust-Oleum® Restore product. Here is the story to date.

About 2 years ago we applied Restore to a 450-square-foot, premium treated yellow pine lumber, over-water deck located in South Louisiana. The coating began chipping and peeling almost immediately, in spite of being applied per the manufacturer’s instructions. We attempted to remove the Restore with vigorous pressure washing which removed some but not all of it.

When we contacted Rust-Oleum® about the problem, they sent us 4 gallons of Rust-Oleum® Restore Deck Stripper, which we applied with tank sprayers and then brushed into the wood with a deck scrubber. After a 30-minute wait, pressure washing and a hand paint scraper removed just about all of the remaining Restore; a second application and further hand scraping and pressure washing got the last of it.

So now we have a clean deck, with a couple of new boards to replace ones that rotted out due to the failure of the Restore to protect the wood. Due to the vigorous pressure washing, a couple of spots have been “feathered” and will need to be sanded smooth. Which brings us to our questions:

• What are the best sealer and/or stain to use? We’re looking for a clear or grey tint that will match the other decks around us.
• What grit sandpaper should we use to clean up the “feathered” spots in the wood?

Thanks for your help! If you have any questions or need any clarification don’t hesitate to let us know.

-Use a floor buffing machine with a sanding screen of 80 grit. This will easily sand the deck. Rinse with water after to remove sand dust and let dry for a day or two.
-Apply one coat of the TWP 100 Series this year. Lightly clean and apply anothe coat to the floors only next Spring. After this you should be on a two year maintenance schedule.