I just bought a house, and I have NO IDEA what I am doing...just learning as I go, and not ashamed to admit it, LOL.
The previous sellers have a gray roof with a dark brown deck/trim/concrete, I am thinking they used a semitransparent stain? Not a clue as to what brand. It doesn't seem splintered, just faded/worn in the high traffic areas.
I would like to take it to a dark blue (possibly solid stain? -- unless somebody has a better suggestion.)
I am trying to decipher as to I need to "strip" or "clean" the previous stain.
Any insight would be greatly appreciated!
I tried to attach the files below.
You will need a custom solid color stain for a Blue. Try the Flood Pro Series Solid Deck Stains. Just pressure wash for prep. You do not need to strip to apply a solid stain.
I have a mangaris wood deck next to a pool. The deck is about two years old and is showing signs of weathering. The original builder sealed the deck three times. The first was a water base that didn’t last long in the sun, 6 months. The second was so slippery when you got out the pool you nearly killed yourself. The last effort worked but hasn’t lasted long 9 months.
I want to do it myself. I hired a power sander and am looking for the best recommendation. I want to keep as much of the natural wood look as possible, if anything a slight brown to offset the red mangaris. It needs to be non-slip. It gets about 4 months of direct sun light. 3 months of dew. It is not extreme as I am in CA.
Use the Armstrong Clark Stain in Amber color. Prep with the Restore A Deck Stain Stripper and Brightener. No need to sand this.
Your wood types require an annual recoat. Just clean and reapply the AC as needed.
Thanks for the information. I want to make sure that I don't need to sand. The painting company that quoted me was going to sand this first! Its great news if I don't, but want to do it the best way possible. I'm new at this and appreciate the help.
I have a few more questions:
My deck is about 1200 sq feet how much stain do I need?
How many coats do I need of the stain?
Restore a deck has a cleaner do I need to do this first?
The stripper and brighter are separate applications, is that correct?
Can I do this all in a single day?
Should I spray or brush the product?
Can I spray the Armstrong Stain?
This is by a pool so wanted to check on how slippery the final finish will get?
Thanks again
You do not need to sand.
If using the AC stain, about 4-6 Gallons for the 1 coat
No need to clean if you are stripping. Strip and brighten for the prep.
You cannot do this on the same day. Prep one day and stain 48 hours later if the weather cooperates.
Do not spray the AC. Use a stain pad for the application. This is a penetrating stain so does not get slippery.
After 5 months, I eventually got around to staining my deck. I did what you recommended, thanks. I removed the stain, I used the brighter, I waited 4 days and stained the deck. It looked great. Thanks again.
Unfortunately after staining the deck, about 8 hours later we had some unplanned rain. It was not heavy but the deck got totally wet for about 4 hours and then 12 hours later it rained again.
Bottom line in areas of the deck the rain did not soak the deck still looks great, rich mangaris red with a tint of brown from the amber stain. The other areas of the deck look spotty and are a dull yellow as if it did not get stained.
My Question. Do I need to start again with the whole process or can I just re-stain the wood as if I am doing a second coat. I stained it 1 week ago.
Thanks again for all your help.
Kevin
This is an area that did not get much rain.
This is an area that got most rain.
I would test an area with another coat and see if it dries okay and looks correctly. If all good after 24-48 hours, then recoat the rest. If not, you will need to strip and start over.
You do not need to prep anything for the recoat test.