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See independent customer how-to videos for the Restore-A-Deck Wood Prepping and Stain Products. All videos have been made in the field without any compensation from Restore-A-Deck, by actual consumers.
If you have a question, please ask below in our comment area.
How to Prepare A Deck for Staining with Restore-A-Deck Products
Products Used
- Restore-A-Deck Cleaner
- Restore-A-Deck Brightener
How to restore a 30-year-old deck with Restore-A-Deck Products
Products Used
- Restore-A-Deck Stripper
- Restore-A-Deck Booster Additive for Stripper
- Restore-A-Deck Brightener
- Restore-A-Deck Semi-Transparent Stain
How to prep and apply a maintenance coat of stain with Restore-A-Deck Products
Products Used
- Restore-A-Deck Cleaner
- Restore-A-Deck Brightener
How to clean and stain Decks and Retaining Wall In One Day with Restore-A-Deck Products
Products Used
- Restore-A-Deck Stripper
- Restore-A-Deck Brightener
- Restore-A-Deck Semi-Transparent Stain
Our old deck really soaked up the stain so I ran out, only able to apply the first coat to most of the deck but not all. Would I have any issue finishing the first coat and doing the second days later? Do you have any tips when applying the second coat a few days later?
You cannot apply a second coat after the first coat has cured. Second coats have to be applied wet on wet. You can wait 6-12 months and then lightly clean to remove dirt and apply a coat then.
My deck was stained with a SW solid stain which peeled and bubbles in months of staining due to improper prep. The painter is removing that stain and is willing to use Restore A Deck semi transparent stain. I choose cedar for the color. He did use your stripper but didn’t get the booster. He is willing to sand off what was not removed but showed me there is some stain remaining in small cracks in the deck boards which a sander can’t reach. Should I ask the painter to strip again with the booster? sandblast the deck to get in the cracks?
Thank you,
Pam
All the old solid stain will need to be removed if switching to a semi-transparent color.
If I use cleaner and brightened on my deck which was finished with SICO translucent oak coloured stain, can I apply restore a deck semi transparent light walnut stain
When switching stain brands, you have to remove the prior coating. Strip and or sand and then brighten.
Are these products safe to use on a boat dock? Safe for the lake, it’s inhabitants, environment? If not, what products would be recommended?
Yes, they are.
Best finish for a redwood table? It has imperfections but has been sanded down, and all weathered fibers removed.
Try the RAD Stain in Light Walnut color: https://www.restore-a-deck.com/restore-a-deck-wood-stain/restore-a-deck-wood-stain-1-gallon/flypage.tpl.html
Hi,
We are only seeing one order of stain from you and that was in 2019. Are you using the same batch for each staining? The stain does have a shelf life.
At this point you should strip and brighten for prep and reapply the stain on a bare wood. You may also want to go with a richer color as that will give better UV protection.
Ok. I will make sure to order new product and go with semi transparent cedar color rather than the semi transparent natural used in the past and also use the stripper and brightener rather than cleaner and brightener. My last question is with the fuzzies after power washing. I recall seeing something about using an orbital sander with a scotch brite like pad rather than a sanding pad. If I use a machine to remove the raised wood fibers do I do that in between stripping and brightening?
Yes, that would be correct. See this article about it: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/wood-fuzzies-furring-on-deck/
How long after a single coat of semi transparent stain is it safe to walk on and how long till furniture and outdoor rugs can be put back?
Thank you
6-8 for walking. 24 for furniture.
Hi John,
Can you post some pics in the comments?
This does the good and faded areas (sorry, it is a little dusty).
Best to strip and brighten all so it dries evenly. Use the stripper additives as well.
Uh-oh. This is very discouraging… I just spent a chunk of money ordering products this week gor 1st time, quite shocked to see such a difference in barely a year… 😮
Dont be discouraged. Most of my deck looks great. A few areas faded. I’m going to refinish those areas again and if I remember I’ll update this comment.
Faded and good.
Does the deck stain calculator include the spindles and the deck post?
If you add it into the railings section, then yes. It does not count for any framing posts under the deck.
I will be using the opaque white on posts, railings and lath. Would the thickening gel be indicated?
Not sure what you mean? The gel is an additive for the stripper.
Didn’t realize it was specific to the stripper. I thought it would help prevent running on vertical surfaces. Also, does the solid stain adhere to metal, like paint?
The solid stain cannot be applied to metal.
Sorry, did not phrase that well; the deck has metal mesh (hog panel) in the framing and I was asking how difficult it is to get the stain off of metal
Don’t get it on the metal. Paint around it.
Do you ship to Canada
Yes.
Does this stuff remove Cabot Australian timber oil or Pro Luxe/sikkens
Post a picture of what you are trying to remove.
Sorry but no deck stain stripper will remove a varnish effectively.
I don’t think its a varnish, Just feels that way. Have you ever heard of those products? It’s like a hard film on top the way that it dries but it is a deck stain
When a coating is filming on top and has a shine, strippers have a hard time getting it off as they cannot penetrate through it. Even more so when it is vertical wood.
Somebody told me if you had RV antifreeze there’s butol and it that will heat it up more does that sound right
No, that will not work. You can use our additives with our stripper but you still will not get it off fully.
https://www.restore-a-deck.com/rad-stain-stripper-additives.html
We would not use any chemicals to avoid harming the new floor. Maybe just pressure wash with water for the verticals.
As I’m reading some of the Q&As below, it seems as though the advice is that after a couple-3 years, when deck is due for a touch up with the same product as original, that a full prep is required with a stripper, instead of cleaner, and then brighter. Is that so?
I had thought that a maintenance coat of the same product would just require cleaning and brightening.
also, does RAD solid stain require the same exact prep as RAD semi-transparent under all circumstances?
Depends on the condition and how many years between. If you have even wear and just fading, then clean and brighten for prep. If uneven wear/fading, then strip and brighten.
Stripping is no harder than cleaning, just removing the prior coating. Solid stain is typically just clean and brighten for recoat.
I have a 25-year-old pressure-treated deck that has been semi-transparent stained before. This was about 5 years ago. I bought some of your cleaner and semi-transparent stain. It looks great, but we put it down by wetting it lightly because S Florida sun is pretty hot. Anyway, after a week, it is still a tiny bit tacky. Will it ever dry out completely or do I need to do something else.
It should fully cure out over time.
I put restore a deck down 3 years ago and the stain is starting to fade on my deck boards. However, my deck posts are in perfect condition. I’m assuming the fade / flaking is because the actual deck boards are very old (even though I sanded them down to good wood before I did my first application 3 summers ago). If I was to reapply with my left over stain, what are the steps for using a stripper, but also trying to make sure i don’t doutch my deck rails and posts.
I know a stripper is available, but I don’t want to strip the posts. What are the steps I need to follow for my situation.
Just apply stripper to the deck, while avoiding the posts and then rinsing the posts from any over spray while you work. You may just have to touch up a few spots on posts when done.
Do I also need to apply a brightener? And if so, what are the steps? Stripper? Brightener? Apply original semi transparent stain?
Yes, you need the brightener. Steps are correct.
I just installed new stair with the Veranda (PVC) trim & kicker boards. Will any of the RAD cleaning and brightening products chemically attack the PVC?
No.
First two years I applied two light coats. This year the color is fading.(semi transparent) . Can I just clean with cleaner and apply an additional coat of stain. Or do I have to strip stain first.
Thanks Dan Sethner
We would strip and brighen to get it to a nice even surface.
Hello, I am going to be redoing my quite old deck this year and wondered if you had recommendations for your products. The stain that is currently on the deck is Timber Pro which is a water based stain. I would like to have this deck looking decent again and protect it. Thanks.
Prep with this kit: https://www.restore-a-deck.com/order-restore-a-deck/rad-kits-best-price/restore-a-deck-stripper-brightener-kit/flypage.tpl.html
and both additives: https://www.restore-a-deck.com/rad-stain-stripper-additives.html
Stain with this after: https://www.restore-a-deck.com/restore-a-deck-wood-stain/restore-a-deck-wood-stain-5-gallon/flypage.tpl.html
I have an Ipe deck and want to keep the natural color of the wood which is a mahogany with some lighter areas. What is the best color semi transparent stain to use to achieve this?
Most use Light Walnut for IPE. See this for tips: https://www.restore-a-deck.com/Deck-Cleaning-Reviews-and-Tips/restore-a-deck-wood-stain-on-exotic-hardwoods-ipe.html
If I add the thickening gel additive to the stain remover, principally to handle the vertical components of our deck, can I still apply the combined solution using a typical hand pressurized garden sprayer? Will the longer dwell time with the thickener improve the removal strength so that 2 coats of 3 year old Behr Semi-Transparent Acrylic Stain (which is already shedding both coats on much of the deck, except for the 4×4 posts and the upper and lower horizontal railing lumber, which have not shed at all)? Your many very positive customer comments, speaking to the quality and performance of your RAD products, is reassuring. Unfortunately, as we live in Ontario, we face both the US exchange rate and shipping costs. I’m hoping to find the most affordable and, yet, successful solution. I am aware of the booster additive, but I’m unclear if our budget can include such. Any suggestions, regarding our deck challenge, will be greatly appreciated!! Thank you, in advance, for your time, effort, and kindness in providing us your guidance.
Yes, it can be sprayed with a quality pump sprayer. The longer it dwells, the better it will work. You need both booster and gel to remove Behr. Behr can be a very difficult strip.
Feel free to post some pictures of the deck for prep help.
2 year old pressure treated pine deck. Had it “soft washed” 3 mo this ago. Wood is lighter with few areas of fuzziness so I guess cleaner had bleach substance. How do I now proceed to stain? Going with semi-transparent natural.
Fuzzies happen from oxidation removal, not the cleaners. Redo the prep with the Restore A Deck Cleaner and Brightener Kit. If needed, lightly hand sand after and prior to staining with the Restore A Deck Stains: https://www.restore-a-deck.com/restore-a-deck-wood-stain.html
I have a twenty year old deck that’s been stained several times through the years with Olympic semi-solid mahogany stains. It hasn’t held up well. Others in my family have used your product and been very satisfied. Questions – can I use your dark walnut semi-solid on this, and which prep steps/products are recommended? Same questions if you recommend your solid stain. Thanks in advance for your guidance!
You cannot use the semi-transparent dark walnut over this but you can use the Restore A Deck Solid stains. Clean and brighen for prep.
Last year I did the whole thing…..stripped, sanded, cleaned, pressure washed, brightened, and stained with Defy water-based light walnut. It looks great except for dust/pollen accumulation on horizontal surface. I want to clean it and re-coat with Defy in May. Two Q’s;
If I just clean for a re-coat why would brightening be necessary since last year’s stain will still be on the wood?
Should re-coat be one coat or two wet on wet?
Just use the Defy Cleaner for prep and apply one coat.
Will the stripper and/or brightener cause any issues to the coating of our Fortress aluminum railing?
Will be stripping old TWP 100 stain off of Tigerwood decking.
Thanks!
It should not but always test spot first as all coatings are made differently.
I recently had my 9 month old cedar deck stained with 1 coat of Readyseal Natural Cedar stain, but the stain seems like it did not take. We’re not sure why. It rubs off on shoes so you can’t even walk on it even after 1 week. I recently purchased the stripper, booster, and brightener. In order to use the deck now, I need to remove the current stain, but given the current climate I cannot re-stain it until the spring (approx 3 months away). Is it okay to strip and brighten, but not re-stain right away?
Ready Seal has a known issue with rubbing off as it never dries or cures.
You can strip and brighen now but when the Spring comes, you will need to clean and brighen for the prep.
First off your products are awesome. I stripped, brightened and stained my deck back in 2019I used the Cedar semi-transparent stain.This coming spring I want to apply another coat of stain. Note: the majority of the deck has a roof.Most of the deck looks fine execpt in an area where sun has faded the floor (small area) and the railing on the same side.Do I Clean, or Brighten, before I stain againThanks
You do both. Clean and brighten for prep.
After I stripped and neutralized/brightened my deck yesterday the weather changed and I wasn’t able to stain. It might be a long time before I get a long enough dry spell with a daily low above 45 degrees. The pores of the cedar wood are very open with some raised grain here and there. The wood looks normal when dry but almost black when wet. Will leaving it as is until spring ruin the wood? Any advice on how to proceed? What are the potential downsides of staining in too-cold temperatures or when there might be fog or dew overnight versus letting it weather until I get proper conditions for staining, which might be 3-4 months from now?
You will have to wait until temps are warmer. Next Spring if needed. Clean and brighten for prep before you stain.
Just purchased your cleaner,brightener & stain. Live on 3rd floor condo… no pressure washer or access to hose. Deck is almost 6 month old & has a fair amount of green streaks in the boards… some almost iridescent? Do not know what kind of wood was used. Should I be concerned and is it unrealistic to do this jub with a bucket & brush?
You can scrub and rinse but you will need a hose to rinse. Hook a hose to your kitchen sink or utility sink.
We used the stripper without the booster, it supposedly only had one coat of stain on it. As you can see by the pictures some of the stain came off really good, but others not so much. We hate to continue if our new new stain won’t stick what do we do with this?
Send pictures when the wood is dry. Cannot tell from these.
Here are a couple of pictures since it has dried.
What are the white spots and did you brighten the wood yet?
It’s old stain in the indentation in the wood. And we have not used the brightener yet.
Strip it one more time and then apply the brightener.
After using the Restore -A- Deck Stripper and Brightener, afterwards am I able to Stain my deck with another Stain/Sealer Product? The name of the Stain/Sealer is “Ready Seal Exterior Wood Stain and Sealer”. Didn’t realize you guys sold Stain as well until after the purchase.
You can use any brand of stain after our prep products. Be careful of the Ready Seal. It has drying issues and rubs off. Also does not last more than a year.
Thank you for the swift reply
My understanding is that if I strip and brighten one day and stain the next day or even a week later that I should moisten the surface before staining. Correct?
https://www.restore-a-deck.com/Deck-Cleaning-Reviews-and-Tips/how-to-restore-a-deck-stain-to-damp-wood.html
My intention is to strip one day, brighten the next day and stain the following day because of time constraints. Any problem with that approach? Thank you.
Strip and brighten the same day. You can stain the next day if you want.
I scrubbed, then used an orbital sander to prep my very small 8X12 deck on my townhome. Do I need to wait until spring to stain? Do I have to use the cleaner / brightener before staining if I wait until spring?
You can clean and brighten and then stain now. One coat.
So I need to use your cleaner even though it is sanded?
P.S. I am in Portland OR, ordered your stain onrline. I’m guessing I will need to do the same with the brightener and cleaner – i.e., no distributors here in Oregon?
You need the prep products after sanding to open up the wood pores. We sell online only.
Hello. I’ve purchased the cleaner/brightener/sealer kit for my cedar fence. My plan was to do all three steps on a single day but due to circumstances I was only able to get through the cleaning step. This took place two weeks ago. I plan on finishing up the project this weekend. Do I need to do a quick clean again?
What is the max time between applications of the brightener and sealer?
Thanks! BTW, the cleaner worked very well!
Wash lightly with water and then brighten the wood. Stain within two weeks of prep.
Thanks for your confirming that after stripping my cedar deck this week, I can wait until spring to take the next steps. This lets me avoid the stain degradation that will surely occur over the harsh Chicago winter. Just to confirm, the next steps in the spring will be cleaning, brightening and staining, with no need to strip or power wash again?
No need to strip but you do pressure wash lightly when cleaning.
Hello,I ended up sanding my deck because it had too much of the previous stain on it.
Originally I purchased the stripper, brightener, semi-stain. Deck is about 30 years old.
…The deck looks really good after sanding.
…I have not been able to find a power washer to rent.
…If I had the cleaner I would use it, but I don’t…should I still use the stripper to hose it off or skip it
…I need to get this done tomorrow, and I did not realize how important the power washer was or how hard it was going to be to find one.
Brighten, rinse well, and then stain.
I just applied the deck cleaner to my deck which about 2 years old, never stained. It now looks fuzzy and didn’t seem to get all the mildew looking stuff off. I sprayed an area then took a broom to try to scrub. I then rinsed with power washer. What else do I need to do? Don’t want to neutralize yet as I don’t feel it got clean enough!!
Reapply the cleaner and then pressure wash off, not just rinse. Brightener after.
So yesterday I ended up going to get a deck scrub brush. Once I wet down the deck again I was able to scrub a lot of oxidation off. I did power wash after to rinse the product off. I went ahead with the brightener and rinsed as directed. Today I’m just not sure if I got enough oxidation off or do I need to repeat these processes again? There is some white still on the boards but also the fuzzies. Are these boards sufficient to start to stain?
Yes.
Here is another pic
My covered deck is 9 Feet off the ground and serves as a porch from the underside. Do i need to stain the underside? Deck is 10×24 Never been stain or sealed Its about 10 month old How much product do i need? Transparent is what i think in using.Please advise.Thank you.
No need to stain undersides unless you want to for appearance only.
I have an year old cedar deck that has black spindles 1inch wide x 1/4inch thick attached to my cedar rails. Do i need to remove or protect them during the cleaning, brightening or staining with the semi-transparent process?
You should be fine with the prep. Do not get the stain on them.
We have a new-wood deck-zilla with 450 deck railing spindles.We have to stain it ourselves because no local contractors are familiar with RAD products.
1. Can I use a paint/stain mitt to apply RAD semi-transparent stain to deck railing spindles? 2. Can I use a mitt to apply cleaner and brightener to spindles?3. Can I use a mitt to rinse off the brightener from spindles?If not, what’s best to use?3. I don’t have a power washer. Can I use a strong spray from a regular water hose?Thank you.
Yes on stain no on prep products. Use a sprayer and then pressure wash off. You need a pressure washer for best results.
We have a rebuilt deck of PTP. The railings have a lot of wood components: verticals and cross pieces. What would be the best tools and procedure to use for the cleaning, brightening and RAD semi-transparent staining?
See this about new wood tips: https://www.restore-a-deck.com/Deck-Cleaning-Reviews-and-Tips/restore-a-deck-stain-for-new-wood.html
You can mix the two together to cancel each other out and then dispose of in your dirt outside.
Finally getting a break in the weather and ready to do the 3 step process. The deck wood is 12 months old and has never been stained. It is graying a bit and is exposed to hot sun. Should I still apply only one coat? Secondly, do you recommend applying the semi transparent stain with the wood damp or dry? Does it really matter? Is one better than the other?
One coat should be fine and we like damp wood as it is easier to apply. https://www.restore-a-deck.com/Deck-Cleaning-Reviews-and-Tips/how-to-restore-a-deck-stain-to-damp-wood.html
An unexpected rain fell on my deck about 6 hours after applying the second coat. This morning it had areas of white liquid. I swept off the extra water and the white areas smoothed out. What do I need to do next?
Let it dry out for a few days and it should go away.
After applying semi transparent stain with a sprayer does it need to be brushed or sponged in to be effective
Yes, to ensure it applies evenly and dries correctly.
I have stripper, brightener, booster and thickening agent left over from two years ago when I only did the base of my 200 sq. foot deck. Is it still good to use when I re-stain my entire deck this year? I don’t see an expiration date. Thanks.
It should be as long as it all mixes evenly.
I had recently a cedar board fence installed I was interested in applying a clear sealer using your Restore-A-Deck finish however I would like to know if your product when applied turns yellow when applied?
We do not offer a clear sealer and a clear sealer will not provide any UV protection from graying. It must be tinted for UV protection and that means the color will be enhanced based on the color chosen.
I have a 15 month old unopened container of Light Walnut that I plan to use this week.I am an 85 year old curmudgeon and hardly a weightlifter so…..My plan to mix it is to set it on the counter and slide it vigorously back and forth, sloshing the contents and rotating the container occasionally. How long should I slosh to ensure thorough mixing?
1-2 minutes should be okay.