I finished stripping and using the wood brightener and it looks fantastic. Now the question is do I use an oil or water base transparent stain. Does one last longer than the other? Does one look better? Is there any advantage to using one over the other?

LAST QUESTION I PROMISE.....WILL THE STRIPPER HARM CONCRETE. UNDER MY DECK IS A CONCRETE WALKWAY. THANKS

I recently received the stripper packet and brightener packet from you. I am a little nervous to begin stripping my redwood deck. since my deck is second story level, not ground level, I wonder if the 6 x 6 posts that hold up the deck and which are painted a very dark color will be damaged by the stripper. Do I need to cover the posts that are about 8 feet in height and there are 6 in all. Can I strip one day and rinse and wait several days before I use the brightener. I understand that the wood must be wet to use the brightener, so I would just wet it down before I use the brightener. I am 83 yrs old and am going to do this myself, but won't have the energy to strip and brighten in a single day.

One correction to the question I posted yesterday. The stain I put on my redwood deck was Preserva wood's semi transparent oil based stain not transparent stain. This may not be a concern as to whether I use an oil or water based stain now on my deck.

My redwood deck is 9 years old. Two years ago I had it sanded, cleaned and stained with preserva wood's oil based transparent stain. This year it was black with mildew and I had the deck cleaned with "Mold Armor E-Z Deck, Fence & patio wash. The deck now looks great but needs to be stained. I was going to use another oil stain, not Preserva-wood, and was told by a Behr Representative that a water based stain is a better way to go. I would like to use another transparent stain but am at a loss which way to go-oil or water base. There are pros and cons on each side. What do you suggest, and what brand is the best.

I'm trying to get a few more years with existing deck; 20 years old, PT fir or pine in Upstate NY. I will be using RAD stripper and brightener to remove a peeling/failed semi-transparent Olympic stain. What is the best stain to use in NY?

On your page you show Armstrong Clark as best for mahogany decking. Yet you say that Defy-Extreme will last longer. Please explain.

I will not use the full 5 gallon of Armstrong Clarke stain how long can I store it to use at a late date

have a large cedar deck that was treated with Thompson water seal and Sikkens deck sealer about 5 or 6 years ago - it has mostly worn off except in a few upright railings - we pressure washed the deck and caused lots of the wood grain to be raised - especially on the vertical surfaces. I have read that I should apply brightener - right after washing - I did not use a cleaner as the pressure washing took most of it off.
Some areas are exposed to extreme sunlight and some of the railings have dry rot. Other areas are i shade and had lichen growing on them. I intend to reseal/stain - have a mixture of light brown pressure treated wood as posts [Sienna micro] which matches the cedar color fairly well and Cedar [new railings] and posts.
Questions:
1. do I need a brightener since I did not use a cleaner? if so - which one
2. Do I absolutely need a cleaner and if so - which one
3. Can I apply brightener if needed weeks after pressure washing? or do I need to pressure wash again.
4. Which product for staining/sealing would you recommend? I am in Ontario, Canada - harsh winters and hot summers?
5. Must the cleaners , brighteners and stains all come form the same brand?
6. Is there a product that meets my requirements that I can just reapply every 2 or 3 years as needed without pressure washing and removing it all?
7. Coverage - my deck is 33 feet by 13 feet with railings and pickets [?] all along 3 sides - do I use same product on deck as on railings and pickets?

Looking into stains for recently installed PT deck boards that are about 8 months old. We think we have narrowed it down to Defy, Armstrong-Clark or TWP because from what we have read they all seem to be good options. We would greatly appreciate any additional information to help us make our decision.

I used Armstrong Clark semi-transparent rustic brown stain on my cedar deck 3 years ago . I would like to redo in the AC driftwood color. Do I need to strip the previous stain before assuming the color is satisfactory going over the old?

Hi, We live in Central Florida and just built a NEW Dock and Boathouse. The deck will get Direct Sun. In an effort to expedite protection of the PT Pine that is rated for Direct Burial and Fresh Water submersion- I have sanded the flat surface area to open up the pores and remove milling protection. Moisture Content after noon ranges from 5-14%. If I wait until it reaches 10% or less would I be good to stain with semi transparent Timber Oil at this point or could I go for it now? I was not planning on sanding (lots of work with orbital sander) the sides or Posts but just stain to give a darker trim appearance. Would the sides & posts require pressure washing, cleaning, and Brightening as would a deck that hasn't been sanded?

Sealer Store folks, thanks for the response to my question about redoing my deck previously stained with AC semi-solid. Maybe you missed it in my initial post but I want to paint it now rather than stain again as I wasn't pleased with the stain results; your response said to stain with AC or TWP stains.

So, would you please revisit my initial post/question and reply with application instructions for painting, including whether you sell appropriate paint products?

Thank you.

Approximately three years ago I purchased 5 gallons of Armstrong-Clark semi-solid stain from you,
in oxford brown color. I applied it myself, per the instructions. This was on a treated pine deck that had been constructed about 10 months earlier, which should have been plenty of drying time. Even though I tried to apply it in accordance with the instructions, having never done this before and not knowing what it should look like, I evidently applied it too thick. I conclude this because when walking on it, the reddish pigment would come off it onto feet/shoes/socks. I thought maybe after the first winter it would have "weathered" and the "extra" pigment would be gone, but that did not occur.

So that's the background of our situation. I've pretty much decided I want to redo the
deck (not railings and balusters, as they are fine) with paint, not stain. My question for you all is, what do I need to do in order to prep it? My tentative plan is to use a pressure washer and cleaner to remove the remaining stain. Is there anything else I should do? And what type of paint would be best? I live in the St. Louis, MO area.

less than 2 yrs ago, sealed yard fence with clear seal. Fear of fence turning
gray soon. CAN WE RE-SEAL & STAIN THIS FENCE to prevent graying?? thanks
Charles Baxter

Live in Central Florida, heat & direct sun. Have 20yr+ PT treated 2x4 dock. Dock weathered, over fresh water lake. Only used clear box store sealers in past, but not 5+ years. Very little dock use. Replacing 2x4 dock flooring with higher grade 5/4 pine next week. Will use one of your your wood cleaning product after about 1-2 month of drying. Looking for sealer with UV protection.

1. What wood cleaner do you recommend?
2. What sealer do you recommend?
3. If tinted sealer, since dock floor is new brighter wood, will putting a tinted sealer on entire dock keep the difference in wood color, weathered & new, or would they blend together over time?
4. Any other suggestions for new wood on dock?

I made a mahogany riser stand for our dogs water and food, we want to have it dark in color to match other cupboards and have a clear protective finish from water as he is a messy when he drinks.
what would you recommend?

I live in Baltimore, where the summers are very hot, and the we get a lot of rain year round. I've used TWP 1502 to treat my deck railing. I stained it 5 years ago and then reapplied it two years ago. The railing looks like it really needs a new coat as we've had record rainfall this year. Do I need to prep the surface first, or just apply the stain? If I do prep the surface, what should I use and how long should I let it dry before applying the TWP 1502?

I stained my deck with Restore-a-Deck wood stain in light walnut. It is absolutely beautiful. I could not be more happy with my decks appearance. The problem is that it is easily scratched. My dogs claws leave scratch marks in the stain. What is wrong? how do I fix this?

I have 2,800 linear feet of 3-rail horse fence to stain or paint. I used TWP 200 on a deck before, but I would like the darkest color possible, and with this much fence, cost is a factor, too. Any recommendation? Thanks, Jeff.