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Deck Stain Questions and Answers
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Topic starter
12/11/2026 6:28 pm
Hi Scott,
I have some questions similar to the previous "New Deck Color Needed" post. I live in coastal California and have two decks - a large clear heart redwood deck in partial shade and a small Fijian mahogany deck with a cedar rail in full sun.
The redwood deck received a heavy coat of what I believe was Cutek Extreme oil when it was built 3 years ago. The deck remained so slippery that it was unsafe to walk on for almost 6 months. The contractor was unsuccessful in trying to remove the excess. The deck eventually became usable, and now has a nice gray tone due to natural fading, but it is dirty and splotchy, and I want to get it cleaned and stained, hopefully retaining or replacing the natural gray with something very similar. Of course, I'm gun-shy about using Cutek Extreme again, and would like your advice on that product vs. perhaps a TWP 1500 series product, as recommended by the local refinishing contractors here - but TWP 1500 doesn't look to have a gray-range stain option. Can you suggest product and color options that won't land me with an unwanted "slip-and-slide" instead of an attractive, usable deck?
The mahogany deck and cedar rail received no stain or coating when installed, and have also taken on an attractive gray color - with some dirt and splotching. As with the redwood deck, I'd like to get these cleaned and stained (or in the case of the hardwood deck, I've been told that an oil like Messmers would be appropriate, instead of a stain). Can you suggest product and color options that will retain or replace the natural gray colors of the cedar and the mahogany?
Thanks!
12/11/2026 7:18 pm
The only reason CUTEK would be slippery is if the contractor overapplied. The key to any penetrating stain is to make sure to apply only as much as the wood will absorb. If overapplied, it will never have a chance to fully soak into the wood grain and will sit on top of the wood instead of in the wood. At this point, you should strip and brighten all wood with the Restore A Deck Stripper Kit:
https://www.deckstainhelp.com/product/restore-a-deck-stripper-brightener-kit/
If you want a gray in the TWP stains, then you would need their semi-solid colors:
https://www.deckstainhelp.com/product/twp-semi-solid-stain-5-gallon-low-voc/
Another quality stain that offers a gray is Armstrong Clark in Driftwood gray.
For the hardwood deck, Messmers is a tinted stain that will enhance the natural wood grain. No stain or sealer will hold the oxidized gray color you have now. No matter what, you have to prep the wood, and that will remove the gray oxidation that you have. You can then add a "clear" sealer that is not tinted to protect the wood from water, but a clear sealer will not offer UV protection, so it will start to gray naturally again. CUTEK makes a clear sealer, and so does TWP 1500 Series in clear. FYI, "Natural" colors are tinted, not Clear so they will not work in this scenario.
