Wood and Deck Restoration 101 Wood Deck Restoration Tips!
Written by Scott Paul - Over 17 Years of Experience
Must Read! The Most Complete List of Do's and Don'ts for Wood Deck Restoration.
We
have been in business since 1993 and have used or sold close to a 1/2 Million gallons of wood stain. These wood and deck restoration tips have come from hands-on experience. A lot of them learned the hard way .
Please read this thoroughly as you are sure to learn a few that will make your deck project a success!
We suggest printing this article and reading it a few times before starting your deck restoration project.
Always – Wood Deck Restoration Preparation/Cleaning Tips you should Always Use:1. Use the best deck restoration products that are available. This will make a huge difference on longevity and when it comes time to restore again in the future.
2. Clean and prep the wood first! Even if it is new. Prepping the wood properly will ensure maximum stain performance.
3. Use biodegradable wood cleaners, strippers, and brighteners.
4. Wear protective clothing during the prepping process.
5. Thoroughly rinse the wood deck cleaner, stripper, and brightener after each step.
6. If a wood deck cleaner, stripper, or brightener comes in contact with your skin or eyes be sure to rinse immediately!
7. Use a wood deck brightener after the use of a wood deck stripper to neutralize the pH balance. Do this as soon as you are finished with the stripping process while the wood is still wet!
8. Use extreme caution when using a pressure washer to not damage the wood or yourself.
9. When washing with a pressure washer make sure to wash with the grain of the wood.
10. When using a pressure washer make sure to wash with a pendulum motion. Try not to reverse your motion until you are at the high point of the arc. If you do not do this you may see marks or gouges in the wood. Do not get too close to the wood. 8-12 inches away from the wood.
11. Rinse the house after the cleaning process. This will rinse off the wood fibers and dirt. It is much harder to get them off after they dry on windows and siding.
12. Move patio furniture at least 30 feet away from the wood or deck. This will minimize accidental over spray.
13. Cover any electrical outlets when washing the deck. You do not want to find out later that your freezer in the basement was off for a few days because the circuit breaker was tripped!
14. Close any doors or windows that are in close proximity of the deck when you are washing.
15. When hiring it is best to choose a Wood Restoration Contractor who is established and has references if you ask. Never hire a contractor who stuck a flyer in your mailbox.
16. Use Stainless steel or galvanized nails, screws, and brackets for replacement wood. You will see black rusts streaks if you do not.
Always – Wood Deck Restoration Staining Tips you should Always Use:
17. Pick the correct deck stain color. You really do not want to do the whole process over again or have your spouse upset.
18. Protect house from stain over spray by masking where needed.
19. Wear old clothes when staining. It will get on you!
20. Wear gloves when staining.
21. Apply the wood stain in the direction of the wood grain.
22. Apply stain evenly.
23. Tarp Plants and bushes from stain.
24. Back brush drips and "thick" areas when staining.
25. Use high quality brushes, stain pads, and rollers.
26. Protect stain from dripping into water if near a pool, lake, or pond.
27. Cover concrete and pavers! The stain will not come out easily of you drip on to them.
28. Use plastics or poly tarps when covering plants and concrete. Wood stains will bleed through canvas tarps.
29. Apply the wood stain to the verticals (railings, fencing, trellis, etc.) first and do the horizontals last. You do not want to walk on the fresh stain.
30. If you need to apply a second coat it may be okay to walk on the first coating prior to drying. Make sure though that you do not leave any footprints in your second coating. Please follow manufacturer's directions as all stains differ on the amount of coatings suggested and application methods.
31. Follow the wood stain manufacturer’s directions! They are there for a reason.
32. When using more than 1 gallon or pail, it is best to mix them all together first to ensure even color.
33. If you are sanding the wood make sure that it is even! Spot sanding can cause the wood stain to penetrate unevenly.
34. When "edging" out the house where the decking butts up, it is best to stagger your stain line. This will reduce the chance of having an overlap line when you finish the rest of the flooring.
35. When staining the flooring it is a best practice to stain the entire board(s) from end to end before moving on to the next board.
36. When using a pump sprayer it is best to use a high quality one. Cheap plastic sprayers that are not designed for wood deck restoration can clog and leak.
37. With a pump sprayer it is best to use a "fan" tip and not the circular "cone" tip. It will spray wood stains better.
38. Make sure to thoroughly mix your stain prior to filling your pump sprayer. Always pour directly from the can, never from your paint tray. This will reduce any chance of clogging the sprayer.
39. If using the pump sprayer to apply the stain to the decking floor, it is a must that you also back wipe to ensure uniformity when dry. The use of a stain pad attached to a pole is best for this.
40. If using a sprayer on the railings it is important to back wipe the excess stain that accumulates on the flooring below the railings. If you do not do this you may have shiny spots and or a darker color below the railings compared to the rest of the flooring.
41. Do railings that are directly next to the house with a stain pad or brush. Do not use a sprayer here as it will get all over the windows and siding. We would not suggest spraying the railings until you are at least 4-6 feet away from the house.
42. Use a tarp on the outside edge of the deck to catch any over spray.
43. Let wood stain dry completely prior to walking on the decking. Especially if you walk into your house as you can track stain onto the floor!
44. Leave furniture off deck until completely dry.
45. When using a water-based wood stain make sure that you clean your application tools with water as soon as you’re done.
46. When using an oil-based wood stain make sure that you clean your application tools with mineral spirits or paint thinner as soon as you’re done.
47. Final wood stain color is dependent on the age of the wood, type of wood, application of wood stain, and preparation (cleaning) of the wood.
Never - Wood Deck Restoration Preparation/Cleaning Tips:
48. Never hire a $99 deck wash contractor. Honestly common sense please!
49. Never hire a contractor who buys his materials at Home Depot. Any experienced wood restoration contractors knows there is much better materials and stains elsewhere.
50. Never use a pressure washer without cleaners. It can damage the deck if you do not use the proper cleaners.
51. Never use steel wool to sand the wood. This will leave metal in the wood that will turn black from rust.
52. Never sand the wood too smooth! This could cause the stain to not absorb into the wood and prematurely fail! 60 grit sandpaper is best.
53. Never use household bleach to clean the wood. Sodium Hypochlorite (bleach) has been proven to damage the cellular structure of the wood.
54. Never use the Red Tip that comes with your pressure washer. This is a "zero" tip and you will damage your wood.
55. Never let your wood stripper or cleaner dry on the wood during the washing process. Try to keep the wood wet throughout the entire process.
56. Never use interior wood filler on your outside deck. It will not work. The stain will not color the filler and it will just "fall" out after a short period of time.
57. Never allow pets to walk on the deck during the entire process. If they walk on the deck during the washing process they make get a chemical reaction from the cleaners on their paws. While the deck is drying it is best to keep them off if possible to minimize dirt and mud from being tracked on to the wood. If they walk on the stain while wet it can make them sick. Pets have a tendency to clean themselves and stain getting into their system is not a good idea.
58. Never plant new annuals near the deck prior to starting your refinishing. Tarps and cleaners can damage them. It is best to wait until after you are done. If it is too late make sure to tarp using stakes. In addition remove the tarps as soon as possible to reduce any chance of damaging the flowers from excessive heat.
Never - Wood Deck Restoration Staining Tips:
59. Never believe over-hyped extended stain warranties! Honestly nothing will look like new on a horizontal surface after 2-3 years. Warranties that claim 5, 6 and even 10 years are impossible. They are betting that high sales volumes will overcome their warranty claims. Typically these warranties are "limited" and if you were to make a claim all you would get is product replacement at best. Never will they reimburse you for your hard work and time. It's just a numbers game to these corporations. This is also why you will never see a high quality wood deck stain brand in a "big box" store.
60. Never use Behr Wood Stains. You have been warned!
61. Never use Thompson's Water Sealer. Why waste your time!
62. Never apply an oil-based stain over top of a water-based stain and vice versa. You can create an adhesion issue.
63. Never apply a new coating on top of an old coating that is already failing and peeling. You will be wasting your time as the new coating will not "fix" the failed coating.
64. Never apply an oil-based wood deck stain to a wet deck unless the manufacturer says you can.
65. Never apply a wood deck stain during rain or if rain is forecasted shortly.
66. Never over apply a wood stain. "Thicker is not better" Extra coats will not make it last longer. In fact the stains can fail prematurely.
67. Never over apply on New Wood. New wood is not very absorbent and too much stain will just dry on top of the wood instead of penetrating into the wood. In most causes you will only need one coat on new wood.
68. Never apply a semi-transparent stain over a solid (opaque) stain.
69. Never apply a wood stain below the recommended minimum temperature. The stain may not dry or cure properly if you do.
70. Never apply a wood stain if the temperature will fall below freezing over night. This may be okay of your stain has enough time to dry prior, but if it is still wet when it freezes it may have issues.
71. Never apply a stain in extreme heat! The stain may "flash" dry. This can create unevenness and "shiny" spots.
72. Never stain your deck the day before a party. Due to weather conditions, stains may not be completely dry for a few days. The last thing you want is one of your friends leaning on a wet railing 
73. Never add mineral spirits or thinner to the stain. You will degrade its performance.
74. Never stain half the floor then take a long break. You may get overlap lines
75. Never roll around a heavy grill! These stainless steel grills weigh a lot and typically have small wheels. Rolling the grill back and forth across the decking will leave small dents. Applying a semi-transparent stain will enhance these dents leaving marks all over your decking.
76. Never fill your stain trays on grass. Any spills and the grass will die.
77. Never spray a wood stain on a windy day. One gust and the stain can get all over your windows, siding, or neighbors home.
78. Never wear black soled shoes when using an oil-based stain. The petroleum in the stain can soften the soles leaving black footprints all over your deck!
79. Never try to make your deck "shiny" like your interior hardwood floor. The stain will peel and it will be extremely difficult to remove. This happens when stains are over-applied or a film-forming varnish stain is chosen. An example of a film-forming varnish type stain is Sikkens Cetol. In our opinion this should never be used on decking surface.
80. Never step off your newly stained deck on to concrete or pavers. You will leave footprints.
81. Never worry about the knots of the wood being lighter in color. This is normal for a lot of the stains as the knots have a higher density, causing the stains to be less absorbent.
82. Never use water to clean oil-based stains.
83. Never leave oily rags or canvas tarps near or in the house! They can start a fire. Water down first if needed to reduce any chance of this occurring.
Consider - Wood Deck Restoration Tips you should Consider Using:
84. Pressure Washing - The use of the proper wood and deck cleaner, stripper and or brightener will make a huge difference. They will allow you to use less pressure and not damage the wood.
85. Use of a wood brightener after the use of a wood cleaner. While it is a must to use the brightener after a stripper, it is not always needed to after a cleaner. Best to follow directions. If you are unsure it will not hurt to use the brightener and it is the easiest step!
86. When stripping the deck from an old coating it is best to remove as much as possible. Try and shoot for 90-100%.
87. Choosing a penetrating non-film forming stain. The better the stain penetrates the better it will perform from wear and tear.
88. Use of a stain that is tinted. The tint is vital in absorbing the UV rays. This keeps the wood looking natural, prolonging the graying. If you want a “Crystal Clear” wood stain we strongly suggest the Defy Extreme Clear.
89. Understand that new boards that have been replaced on the deck will not match the older wood exactly.
90. The use of a sprayer to apply the stain will make the process a lot faster. Just make sure to wipe drips and cover/mask the over spray.
91. Having a friend or relative help! It will make your project much faster.
92. Look over your friend or relative's work as they may miss spots and may not have read these article's tips
Occasionally - Wood Deck Restoration Tips you should Occasionally use:
93. Strip the old stain off prior to adding a new coating. If you keep adding coatings every 2-3 years, you will get a buildup of stain. The best practice is to remove the old coating prior to applying a new coating. For best results it is our opinion that you do this every time you refinish your deck. This is not always possible so you should consider removal of the old coating(s) every second or third time.
94. Take short breaks. This is hard work. Not too long when staining as you do not want those overlaps!
95. Wipe drips from the bottom edges of vertical boards. They have a tendency to accumulate there and it is easier to wipe them off while the stain is still wet.
96. Go over your newly stained areas to check for missed spots prior to the stain drying.
97. If after 24 hours you still have a few areas where that stain is still wet it is okay to wipe off the excess with a rag.
98. Stain the underside of the deck. This is completely up to you. It will not have much effect on protecting the wood. This should be considered for homeowners who have walkout basements and are concerned about the aesthetic look. Less than 1% actually does this and be warned, you will get the stain all over you!
99. Clean the wood with a mild wood cleaner during the off years of staining. This will keep the stain and wood looking better.
100. Blow dirt, debris and leaves off deck. especially during the Fall season.
When Completed:
101. Relax, have dinner or a party on your beautiful newly refinished deck!
Thanks for reading this all the way to the end! It is a lot to absorb all at once. Please scroll down to bottom if you would like to ask a question or post a comment.
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Other Related Must Reads!
- 10 Myths for Wood or Deck Restoration
- Stain a Deck in Two Hours
- Wood and Deck Cleaning Tips
- Wood and Deck Stripping Tips
- Wood and Deck Brightening Tips
- Wood and Deck Pressure Washing Tips
Comments (70)
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nuetrualize or not
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re: neutralize or not
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Boat dock
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re: Boat dock
For maximum UV protection make sure to use a stain that is tinted. The tint acts as a UV blocker, prolonging the graying of the wood. Make sure that all previous coatings are removed prior to using a different brand of stain.
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DAMAGED WOOD
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re: DAMAGED WOOD
Paint is not strippable but transparent and semi-transparent stains are.
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how to stripp opaque stain?
i saw the regular stain stripper will remove transparent and semi transparent stain only.
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re: how to stripp opaque stain?
1. Sand the stain off.
2. Strip then sand the rest off.
3. Strip multiple times. This can vary widely as it depends on the stain and how many coats.
Unfortunately there is no easy solution to removing solid stains or paints. As a restoration company in Metro Detroit, we will not do them as it is very difficult.
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so much confusion about best prodct type
the only way to achieve uv protection so that i can at least make my horizontal deck last 2 years is to have my stain tinted and so that eliminates clear finishes and sealers
next if I need penetration and not film build up then i need an oil based product and not to leave much on the top so probably I need one coat only.
decks that have build up of multi coats or solid stain are probably impossible to have stripped so i probably will have to recoat with a solid deck stain
thanks---great info and fantastic manner in which you share your expertise
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re: so much confusion about best prodct type
Oil based stains typically penetrate better then water based. Mainly because an oil based stain molecule is "smaller" then a water based. Defy also has the best penetrating water based stain.
Multiple coatings of semi-transparent stains can be stripped. Solid stains (opaques) cannot be stripped in most cases.
Thanks for the praise!
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re: Wood Deck
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Great site...very informative!
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re: 6 year old treated deck
Deck Stain Strippers
Your local store is very uninformed when it comes to deck products.
When choosing a sealer it is best to pick a penetrating but pigmented stain.
Wood Deck Stains
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re: pressure-treated deck
Cabot 1400 is more of an opaque stain.
TWP is one of our best selling stains and is a very good product.
Sikkens is way over priced for a mediocre stain.
Benjamin Moore wood stains in the past have been mediocre at best. They make great paints but have never been known to offer high quality wood stains. Hard to say if their new stain will be better. It does contains nano-particles of zinc oxide which helps with UV protection. My one concern would be that it may film on top of the wood. This could cause peeling and wear patterns. This is just speculation though.
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Pressurized wood - never been stained
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re: Pressurized wood - never been stained
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stripping BHER soild color paint
Thank you for your help.
Les Kuczynski
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re: stripping BHER soild color paint
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Sanding decks
It seems that would be even easier and cleaner than using a stripper.
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re: Sanding decks
Typically sanding is you last resort if the stain will not come off with a deck stripper. This usually happens if the deck stain is an opaque/solid stain.
Using a floor/drum sander can be used but you will show sanding marks. These are designed for interior hardwood floors. The majority of decks are made from softwoods such as Cedar, Redwood, and Pressure Treated Pine.
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Which products for LI, NY?
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re: Which products for LI, NY?
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i live in kansas
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re: i live in kansas
All of the stains we sell are higher end. What is the main reason(s) that you are displeased with the Penofin? If you could list a couple then I could suggest a brand.
Thanks
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i live in kansas
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re: i live in kansas
TWP Stains
Defy Extreme Stain
Armstrong Clark
TimberOil
Wood Tux
Messmers
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Dark Spots
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re: Dark Spots
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re: dirty deck
Which deck stain did you use?
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correct damage to wood fence and deck
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semi-transparent over semi-solid?
Thanks for your help.
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re: semi-transparent over semi-solid?
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RE: Fading Color - Brazilian Redwood decking
Long Island, New York Area
I installed a Brazilian Redwood deck approximately 2 years ago and have tried to retain the original reddish color but both products used have failed to perform as advertized. The decking is now brown/grey in color, I originally used Messmer's U.V Plus after the deck was completed - I allowed 6 weeks before appling the sealer in order for the mill glaze to fade but after two months I noticed that the deck boards were turning brown. The following season I consulted a local deck contractor and he recommended Penofin Rosewood Oil, I sanded the deck in order to remove any old sealent and restore the original red coloring. The deck looked great for about a month and it then started to fade to it's current brown/grey color.
What can I do refinish the deck and what products would be recommended in order to retain the natural red tone of this wood - any recommendation would be helpful as the deck is perfect (no warping or cupping and very minor checking) it just looks terrible.
Thank you
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re: Brazillian Redwood Deck
I would suggest removal of any old coatings with a wood stain stripper followed by a wood brightener. This should prep the wood properly for a new coating.
Since you have already tried the Messmers and Penofin, I would suggest going with the Defy Stain for Hardwoods.
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re: Oak decking
Defy Stain for Hardwoods
Messmers UV Plus For Hardwoods
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Coating for a cedar deck
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re: Coating for a cedar deck
In your area I would suggest:
Defy Extreme Stain
Armstrong Clark Stain
TimberOil Stain
TWP Stain
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Use of an Airless Sprayer vs Pump Sprayer
Can I use an airless sprayer vs a pump sprayer? I used a pump sprayer first time to do my fencing and it was a slow and messy process.
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re: Use of an Airless Sprayer vs Pump Sprayer
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I want to do this once this year...
1) Strip
2) Sand (what grit? I read 60 is preferred, that seems pretty coarse)
3) Seal
4) Stain with a semi transparent good quality product
Great site too BTW, never seen this sort of detail and expertise freely available before
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re: I want to do this once this year...
1. Clean and or strip the old coating of the wood
2. I am not a fan of sanding exterior wood unless needed. You can allow less penetration for the wood and if sanded uneven, your stain will dry uneven.
3 Stains are sealers in that the "seal" the wood and add pigment to "stain" the wood. They are not two components.
Thanks for the praise
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they were painted with what looks like barn red deck paint.
our spindles are new as well as our posts.
we built the deck last fall.
what are your suggestions to stain it.
we live in northern Illinois.
Is sanding the rest of the paint off the best to do? what brand of stain is the best to use?
Thank you for any help you can give.
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re: old deck boards
There is not a "best" stain that we sell. All of them are high end products.
For Northern IL you would want a stain that is tinted and penetrates into the wood. Here is some that will work:
TimerOil
TWP Stains
Defy Stains
Armstrong Clark
Penofin
Messmers
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Cabots semi-solid
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re: Cabots semi-solid
Here is list from most easiest to most difficult type of stains to remove. 1. being the easiest:
1. Transparent oil based stains
2. Semi-transparent oil based stains
3. Semi-solid oil based stains
4. Semi-transparent acrylic water based stains
5. Semi-solid water based stains
6. Solid oil based stains
7. Solid water based stains
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Dude
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retired
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Oil-based or water-based old stain unknown
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re: Dude
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re: retired
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re: Oil-based or water-based old stain unknown
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Oil-based or water-based over old stain
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re: Oil-based or water-based over old stain
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pre-1994 pressure treated, painted and LARGE upper deck, painted by previous owners
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re: pre-1994 pressure treated, painted and LARGE upper deck, painted by previous owners
This particular article has become our most popular to date by far! Sanding would be a huge chore and you probably will not get it all off from the railings. If possible you might want to keep the railings painted and sand all the horizontals. This will give you a nice two tone effect where the railings are a solid color and the flooring is more of a natural color. It is easier to sand the horizontals and it is easier to maintain in the future if the flooring is more a natural penetrating stain.
Transparent and semi-transparent stains do offer protection from the CCA wood that you have.
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new IPE stairs & railings.
Do I need to protect the spindles (painted aluminum) and or the stone tiles during the cleaning/ brightening steps?
The same question for the staining step using the Defy Extreme product.
Without the directions available, how long between cleaning - brightening - staining.
With IPE, water vs. oil based products - which is "best" - "easy"
There were hose spray products for the cleaning/brightening steps. any comments.
Thanks for your attention. I will order product from you after your answers.
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re: new IPE stairs & railings.
The spindles and stone tiles should be fine during the cleaning process. Do not get any stain on them though. I would use the Defy Wood cleaner and and the Defy Wood Brightener when suing the Defy stains.
There is not a best or easy stain with IPE. The issue is with the density of the IPE wood and not the stains. It is so hard that all stains have an issue with penetration which usually results in a quicker color fading.
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Defy Extreme question
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re: Defy Extreme question
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Dufus
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re: Dufus
It would be better to apply a very light coat of stain to the entire deck. This should help even it out. Use a flat exterior stain pad instead. You can pick one up at our store in Rochester Hills if you like.
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footprints on the stained porch
1.Could the stain still be drying after three days?
2.Would it be a good idea to cover the stain with DEFY extreme clear stain?
3.Could it be because my husband's shoes are 20+ years old?
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re: footprints on the stained porch
2. No do not put a different stain on top of the CWF! It will not work or penetrate.
3. Probably not.
Defy is not prone to turning white. Most likely this may be due to the sanding. Sanding can cause the stain to not penetrate properly into the wood.
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