Wood and Deck Restoration

strip deckPreviously Stained Deck/Wood

When removing a failed transparent wood or deck coating it is needed to use a Deck Stripper similar to Restore-A-Deck Stripper or RAD PaintStrip Gel This will soften the old coating allowing easier removal.

*This process will work on the majority of transparent and semi-transparent stains. It will not be as effective on solid or opaque stains.

  1. Wet wood or deck down thoroughly with water. Take extra care to pre-rinse vegetation and house.
  2. Apply Deck Stripper following manufacturer's directions. Most deck stripper can be applied with a pump-up sprayer. The stain stripper should dwell on the wood for 10-15 minutes. The wood will "darken" in color during this process. Make sure that you mist the deck with water if it starts to dry. Use protective clothing, glasses,and gloves. We sell environmentally friendly products but they can still cause a reaction to skin and eyes.
  3. Pressure Wash or Hand Scrub the wood to remove the old coating,dirt, graying, mold, mildew. See here for proper pressure washing instructions.
  4. When done washing take time to rinse the wood, home, vegetation, stripper suds, dirt and wood fibers.
  5. Use a Wood Deck Brightener to "brighten" the wood and neutralize the wood back to the proper pH balance. This should dwell on the wood for 5-15 minutes. Once done make sure to rinse the wood, home, vegetation, etc.
  6. Wood should dry for 48 hours prior to a Deck Stain application.

*Make sure that you follow all manufacturers instructions:

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  • We will reply to your comment shortly
    Lynn · 04/27/2021
    I have sanded off our Jarrah deck and haven"t quite completed it and we are expecting rain in the next day or so, will the deck be ok until I get to stain and seal it on the weekend.
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    The Sealer Store · 06/22/2014
    No just let dry for another 48 hours.
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    Stephane Brousseau · 06/20/2014
    After stripping the old finish off of cedar deck, then brightening and waiting 48 hours, if it then rains before new stain application does one of the steps need to be repeated? Will the rain
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    The Sealer Store · 06/27/2012
    Strip off what you can then sand the rest.
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    Rob · 06/27/2012
    So what's the best way to remove solid or opaque stain?
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    The Sealer Store · 06/09/2012
    As long as you remove the previous coating you can.
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    Val · 06/09/2012
    Can I put an oil-based stain on a deck that was previously stained with a waterborne stain? Of course, this would follow a 'Restore-a-deck stripping and brightening.
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    The Sealer Store · 05/23/2012
    The only thing you could do is trip it all off and start over. A good stain stripper such as Restore-A-Deck Stain Stripper will work.
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    Kim Conroy · 05/23/2012
    I stained my new cedar table with TWP in dark oak and I HATE the color. Is there any easier process for removing the color and so I can try something else? Can I wipe it with mineral spirits to remove some of the color? Help!
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    The Sealer Store · 04/23/2012
    Have you tried to mix the HD80 stronger and then let it dwell on the stain longer?
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    STEVE BRODT · 04/23/2012
    I stained my deck with Defy Extreme, it set up too quickly and now I am stripping it with hd80. It is not coming off in some of the areas. Any suggestions! :cry:
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    The Sealer Store · 02/22/2012
    Strippers work by penetrating through the old stain and "softening" the top layer of wood cells. This allows the stain to be washed out of the wood without damage to the wood.

    Excessive fuzziness can happen for a few reasons:

    1. The deck stain stripper was not neutralized with a wood brightener. Sooner the better.

    2. A stripper was applied to wood that did not have an old stain on it. Example: new wood or heavily grayed wood.

    3. Some woods are softer and therefore are more prone to fuzzies.

    The "fuzzies" can happen when stripping. The key is to minimize this as much as possible by neutralizing ASAP and or lowering the strength of the stripper for gray and extremely deteriorated stains.
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    Pat · 02/22/2012
    How come some decks that I strip and powerwash seem to get fuzzyness from the wood? Usually happens on newer decks, have tried very light stripping to no stripping. I'm always stuck sanding for hours to fix it.
    Thanks in advance
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    The Sealer Store · 09/17/2011
    I would start over.
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    Pat Peters · 09/16/2011
    I power washed the decks, the put Wolman stain sealer on it, It rained the same day I put it on my deck, looked terible, so in about a week I re did it...Biig mistake...Now how do I get this mess off to start over. It is just oily...
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    Aries · 02/28/2009
    I hate it when the stains and such mess up. It's always an expensive mistake, especially when you've been hired to do it. If you screw up, and the customer is mad, well you're gonna be out a good few dollars.

    By my estimate, my own screwups have lost me... $166 total.