We understand that everyone needs help with their wood/deck restoration and that not all projects are the same. Different species of wood, the age of wood, and types and brands of previous coatings make it difficult for homeowners to determine what is needed to restore their exterior wood or deck correctly.
We will ask some specific questions and reply to what you will need to do in your restoration process and the appropriate products and amounts to purchase, so it receives the proper prep and treatment required.
In the comment section below, you must include:
- Square Footage of Area to be Restored. See below.
- Type of wood if known:
- Approximate Age of Wood:
- If Applicable, Previous Stain Brand Used and Type (Examples of Type: Transparent, Semi-Transparent, Solid Stain, Oil-Based, Water-Based):
- If Applicable, When was the last time wood was stained:
- Wood Type to be Stained (Deck, House, Fence, etc.):
- Do you have access to a pressure washer:
- Miscellaneous Info:
- *Must Include 1-3 Photos of Restoration Project. There is a link to upload photos in the bottom right corner of the comment area.
How to Calculate Square Footage
Deck Sq. Footage
Flooring Length x width =?
Railing Length x height =?
Steps Width x Depth x #of Steps =?
Add up all 3 for the Total Sq. footage.
Fence Sq. Footage
Length x height =?
Multiply x 2 for both sides = Total Sq. Footage
Coverage Rate for RAD Stains
The specified coverage rate for RAD is 150-200 square feet per gallon for the first coat. Second will apply at 200-300 per gallon. This averages to about 100-125 sq. feet per gallon for 2 coats wet on wet. From this, and from measuring the surface you can calculate how much stain you need. For more aged wood you could easily factor in some extra stain. On newer wood that is still smooth and dense, you probably are not going to use as much.
For maintenance coats you are not going to use near as much stain as you did initially staining bare wood. There are just way too many variables to know the exact coverage rate of RAD for sure. There is really no way of knowing exactly how much stain you will need. It is better to buy more than you need than to not have enough. You can always save left over stain for next time. RAD has a shelf life of 1 year if opened and 3 years unopened as long as the can is properly resealed.
Restore A Deck Stain Application Tips
- Applying RAD Stain Wet on Wet Tips
- Restore-A-Deck Stain and New Wood
- Restore-A-Deck Stain Hot Sun Application
I’m just a regular home owner with a 35 year old deck and I got to tell everyone I did my testing on my deck with about 1/2 dozen stains and deck cleaners— I TRYED THEM ALL but hands down RESTORE A DECK STAINS, stripper,cleaner, and brighter are the best no question about it so for all you people out there who r going to do your deck this is it.
Thanks, Peter!
Any reason the Restore-A-Deck semi transparent stain cannot, or should not, be applied to a newly installed Cedar fence (in hot central Texas direct sun)?
Works great for fences!
I think I read somewhere on this site say it’s ok to walk on first coat but be sure to brush out footprints. If I am using the Restore-A-Deck Brush, will that be sufficient? Or do I need to use a regular paint brush?
See here for tips: https://www.restore-a-deck.com/Deck-Cleaning-Reviews-and-Tips/restore-a-deck-stain-wet-on-wet-application.html
The brush works well.
My deck is PT pine with some new wood (about 3 months old now) and the rest newly-sanded. Total area is 950-1000 sq ft including floor, rails, etc. I plan to use RAD ST stain after prepping with RAD cleaner & brightener. Since it’s new and newly-sanded wood, just one coat of stain per your articles and answer to a previous post. Looks like your stain-cleaner-brightener combo kit (5 gallons stain, 2 lbs each cleaner & brightener) should give me enough cleaner & brightener, but maybe not quite enough stain? Maybe another gallon or two of stain? Please advise, thanks!
You will be very close on the prep products and you will need close to 7 gallons for the one coat of stain.
I re-stained my deck about 2 years ago using your stripper, cleaner and brightener products. The stain is still holding up well. But the deck needs cleaning. Do you recommend using your cleaner and brightener products as stand alone products? Or do you have to re-stain after using the brightener?
The prep products are for recoating. Not just to clean general dirt.
Hi, just stained porch steps using RAD semitransparent cedar stain after RAD stripper and brighter. Looked good but a few days after white blotchy areas appeared. Any idea what is causing this and a solution to fix it?
It is not the stain so it is either something laying on top of the stain or something leeching out of the wood. If it is just mineral deposits from water, try wiping it off with a wet rag.
If we have thunderstorms after I’ve cleaned and brightened my deck, will I need to clean and brighten again before adding R-A-D stain? I thought I’d have a week of dry weather, but now the forecast is for thunderstorms.
No, you do not have to reclean as long as you stain within a couple of weeks of the prep.
Hi there. Couple quick questions. I have a 1k sqft redwood deck, 3 years old. I stained it with an Olympic Semitransparent stain (see pic) about 6 months after it was built. It started peeling within a few months. We pressure washed as much of the stain off as we could (see pic). Most of the stain came off but not all. Questions:
1. Will the stripper remove the rest?
2. Will the brightener bring back the red tones? Or do we need sanding to do that? (see pic of a small section of the deck that I sanded)
We ordered the sample pack and sanded / stained a leftover piece of the same redwood that we used to build the deck. Loved the color and the way the light walnut highlighted the reds so we’d like to see that in the deck (again, see pic). Just not sure the brightener will do as good a job as sanding would? Thanks!
1. Use the Stripper with both additives and pressure washing: https://www.restore-a-deck.com/rad-stain-stripper-additives.html
2. Brighernr does not bring back red tones but lightens the pH balance after the stripping. A stain would bring back the color in the wood.
Ok, so I could get the look I’m going for (the last picture shown, the one with the boards laying side by side on concrete) without sanding, just by using the stripper / brightener and then staining? (no sanding)
Yes, not need to sand but your exposed wood is more absorbent then these new boards so the stain will be darker.
Ok, one other question. Part of the deck will need to be sanded because it borders our koi pond and I’d rather not get the stripper in the pond as I’ve been told it’s pretty caustic and can cause PH swings in the pond water. So should I get some cleaner for just the small section that I’ll be sanding? Or can I just apply the brightener after sanding and then stain? Also, of course, I don’t want the small section I’ll be sanding to look different from the unsanded part of the deck.
It will look different if you sand some and strip the rest. More than likely the sanded area will be a little lighter in color. It would probably be best to sand all for an even appearance and then clean and brighten for the last prep. The other option is strip most, sand the small area, then lightly go over the stripped area with the sanding to even out the porosity. Still should clean and brighten when done.
When the water-based Superdeck stain (redwood) that I was using was discontinued I tried Defy Extreme (also redwood) but the results have been disappointing so I’m considering trying Restore-A-Deck. Under these circumstances, what should I know about R-A-D? I notice that you don’t offer a redwood stain, and that dark walnut is the only color you have which isn’t lighter than my current redwood.
You current stain has to come off. You cannot apply a stain of a different brand over the Superdeck and is most likely one reason why the Defy had issues. Strip off what you can and sand the rest if needed. Brighten lastly. Feel free to post a picture of the current condition for more help with the prep.
I treated my existing deck with RAD stripper and brightener yesterday, first time using a pressure washer. As you can see in the attached photos, I ended up with a lot of fuzzies and the surface is pretty blotchy (although it’s not completely dry yet). The deck is fir, about 5 years old and was originally stained with a natural or transparent oil-based Benjamin Moore Arborcoat. Seems like it’s not ready to stain.
Suggestions on next steps?
Would you also have a color recommendation for TWP 1500? We’d like to keep it as light as possible without having it be too inconsistent.
Best to sand or buff off the fuzzies before the stain. The lighter color of the TWP would be the Honeytone 1515.
My wife and I just stained our deck with RAD Dark Walnut. Prior to we stripped and sanded to remove the old solid stain.
During application we were very careful to apply the new semi transparent RAD stain evenly. Later that night we were very surprised to see that when fully dry the stain was very uneven. It really looks like it needs a second coat but I saw on your site that you a very adamant about applying only 1 coat to freshly sanded wood.
Do we have any options at this point to try and even out the color or are we better off waiting a year and reapplying then? It just seems that the stain soaked into the wood more in some areas than others. I should add that we did use cleaner/ brighter after sanding. Deck is 3 year old cedar.
Thank you for your time!
Jeff Englund
Best would be to wait until Spring. Lightly clean and apply a coat then. More than likely the color will even out as well.
15 year old Redwood deck. Used Superdeck Cleaner, brightener and oil based transparent stain multiple times, the last 2 years ago. The deck is only a little more than 200 sq. ft. and the wood has darkened over the years and has some cupping, probably from using a small hand brush to clean. Never been power cleaned as i use a hose and spray nozzle. This year after cleaning I decided to use a pole sander with 60 grade to knock down some of the cupping and try to sand the darker areas. It was a lot of work and
only somewhat successful leaving some graying and coloring. I want to try the RAD water based, semi transparent stain, Light Walnut. It has been almost 2 weeks since using a cleaner and there has been wet mornings from fog. Since i have sanded, should I re-clean, use a stripper, and brightener using RAD products? Thank you.
Lightly reclean and brighten the wood for the final prep. BTW, it looks like your nails are rusting. You would have to replace them to stop that.
RAD Products · 08/03/2019
Best o clean and brighten after the sanding as this will remove sand dust and open the pores of the wood. Just one coat of stain to a sanded deck.
I read the above statement on your website but when I talked to someone on the phone, I was told I should still use two coats after re-cleaning and re-brightening my 19 year old deck (unfortunately, I sanded it with 80 grit after brightening because I’d read on another site to do so to smooth out after pressure washing). Which instructions should I follow: do I use one or two coats?
Also, how long does it take to ship to Grand Rapids?
Thanks.
One coat if you sanded. 1-2 days to ship to GR.
My question is about maintainance coats of semi-transparent stain. This summer, I used the 3-step process (stripper, brightener, 2-coats of stain) for the first time on our 25-year-old cedar deck. It worked great! Best solution I’ve found after years of trying other things. (see attached photos for before-and-after sections).
In terms of a maintenance re-staining, I see conflicting advice on your website under FAQs. Sometimes you say to just use RAD cleaner and then one coat of stain; in other places, you say use RAD cleaner, then brightener, then one coat of stain. How should I do maintenance re-staining with a semi-transparent RAD stain: RAD cleaner, then one coat of stain, or RAD cleaner, RAD brightener, then one coat of stain? Thanks for a great product, great advice, and a very helpful website full of lots of good information.
To use the Brightener or not depend on the condition of the wood stain and how many years between coatings. If cleaning removes down to the bare wood then use the brightener. If not and you still have a base coat of stain, no need to use the brightener but you can. Same with the amount of coatings of stain to apply. Bare wood would be two coats. Having a base coat after prep would be one coat.
I have a new home in Galveston Island TX with a raised deck of approx. 450 square feet of pressure treated SYP. The deck is 12′ above grade so the underside is clearly visible but not subject to direct sun. The house is typical for the beach area as it sits on 12′ tall piers and a portion of the supporting beams which are also pressure treated SYP are exposed. Everything has weathered for about 5 months. I would like to stain the deck with light brown semi transparent stain. 2 questions please. Would you recommend also staining the underside of the deck boards or is it a waste of material and labor? Would it be beneficial to stain the supporting beams that are exposed under the house or would that be just cosmetic and not worth the expense? Thank you for your assistance
The only reason to stain the undersides would be appearance. Up to you. Same with posts.
How soon will I receive the order after shipping?
Depends on where you live?
I used your products and my deck looks great with one coat (solid). I think I read that a second coat would have needed to be applied right away, or else wait. If I want to add a second coat in the near future, do I need to wait until spring?
The RAD Solid stain can be applied with another coat now or in the Spring. Lightly wash to remove dirt if you wait until Spring
Plan to purchase RAD System ie cleaner, brightener and stain. Do you ship to Vancouver, Canada?
Yes, we do!
I started staining my deck with TWP 100 (oil based, semi-solid), but do not like the color. Can I apply a RAD solid stain directly over the TWP stain?
As long as you pressure wash for prep with the RAD stripper.
I just applied the TWP 100 a couple weeks ago – does it still need to be pressure washed?
Yes. If only two weeks, you should strip it as well since the TWP being so new, it may repel the solid stain.
Brighten after the stripping.
How do I get stain splashes off my vinyl siding?
Try a graffiti remover cleaner like Goof Off.
I have a large deck that was painted with Benjamin Moore Deck paint last year….it is terrible. How would I prepare deck? I would like to use the solid stain, Gray. Deck is 20 years old , but very good shape.
Pressure wash to remove any loose stain. Let dry and then sand any remnants of loose stain. You can then stain over the intact stain with the RAD Solid Stains.
I have a new deck that I stained with valspar semitransparent stain 2 days ago. I did a horrible job staining. I need to strip it I think. Can your products help?
It will be very difficult to strip off a newly applied acrylic stain like this. It can be done but you may need to go over it a few times and with both of the additives as well: https://www.restore-a-deck.com/rad-stain-stripper-additives.html
Where at in michigan can i find your products?
We are located at:
The Sealer Store
2388 Franklin Rd
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302
Or check this link but call first to make sure they have products in stock: https://www.restore-a-deck.com/store-locator.html
I purchased the RAD Deck Cleaner and it did a fabulous job! However, i used it all up and now see that there are few spots that need more cleaning. Is there anything I can use besides plain water on these small areas before I stain?
No, just water or pressure washing.
I have previously been advised to sand my very large deck that was stained three year ago with Behr solid stained rather than use a stripper and then use a sander to remove remaining stain. That advice has been based on the belief that a stripper is very ineffective in removing Behr solid stain. However, after learning about your booster and gel products, I need to know if the Restore-A-Decker stripper would be effective when use with the Restore-A-Decker booster and gel in removing the Behr solid stain.
No, deck stains strippers will not remove a solid stain effectively.
Going to stain my IPE deck. Deck is 4 months old and has some greying from the sun (Pacific Northwest, so not a lot of sun!)
After cleaning, power washing and brightening, the IPE in the sun has quite a bit of white exposed. I’m assuming this is from the oxidation and greying. Do I need to clean and brighten again to get rid of the white? I’ve attached a picture.
No pic.
Sorry – Original file too big. Resized Picture attached.
This is fine and normal. It will stain nicely.
Thanks. I ended up sanding the whole deck, cleaning again and then staining. Once dry, and I touch up, I will post a picture. It does look amazing!
Finished, stained IPE deck using Restore-A-Deck prep, Anderson-Clark, Amber.
Hello, House is 3 years old. Builder used Sherwin Williams water based semi transparent stain (river wood). Want to use ur dark walnut semi- transparent stain.
Can I use ur RAD cleaner then pressure wash before applying stain. Difficult area to navigate? Thanks
The current stain will need to be fully removed when switching brands. This would require stripping and or sanding. Birghener after.
My customer wants to preserve the “old gray weathered look” of the barn wood on his property. There is algae that needs to be removed (cleaner & brightener stage). If these two stages are done with out a pressure washer will the “gray color” stay? And then I could apply a tinted sealer?
Whats the best way to make this work for them? Thanks for your help.
No, the gray will be removed. There is not a way to just remove the algae/mold without removing the gray as well.
I plan to use Restore-A-Deck Cleaner, Brightener and then Solid Stain on my new PT pine wood dock. Will any of these products harm the aquatic wildlife in my pond (fish, turtles, etc.)?
No on the prep. Try not to get the stain in the water. It would not harm them but it would be messy.
Can I get expedited shipping?
Please call to enquire about this. 866-856-3325
Our deck is 2 tiers approximately 768 square feet in total. Approx 10 years old or so, pine. We used Behr semi transparent or so we thought looked more like solid. We did it a few years ago and the entire floor is peeling. Railings are fine. We are in the process of sanding down to the bare wood. We do have a pressure washer, which we tried first. What process should we do next and what products do we need to complete the project? Your advice is much appreciated
Once you sand off the current stain, use the RAD Cleaner and Brightener for the final prep. Stain with 1 coat of the stain after.
Time acceptable between coats for solid stain? Is wet to wet applicable for solid stain?
If you wait a few days after prep do you recommend a rinse and drying period prior to painting solid stain ? If ok to wait a few days prior to second coat, do you recommend any additional cleaning.
From Louisiana where humidity, rain and heat are near impossible guesses and shooting for the best. Thanks
You cannot apply the solid stain wet on wet. Apply as soon as it is dry. A couple of hours. No need to clean again if you wait a few days between prep and stain.
Attached are 2 pictures of my ramp that were not attached to last message. Can see residual clear stain on railings. Should I apply stripper again and stain or finish sandinding, apply brightener and stain.
Tks scott
It is mostly gone. Give it one more round of stripping and then you should be good. Brightener after.
The Thickening Gel additive would help with this: https://www.restore-a-deck.com/rad-stain-stripper-additives.html
I have a 600 sq ft wheelchair ramp that had a previous coat of clear sealer. I applied RAD stripper and brightener. The deck was mostly stripped but little sealer was removed from railings and most vertical wood. I used both supplements u recommend and not sure why it did not work better. I I ended up sanding most of my railings but there is still residual sealer in hard to get areas.
I tried putting on RAD semi transparent stain and areas I sanded and was surprised at how watery it was. Dont see how u can put it in anything verticlewithout it dripping.
So my questions are : do I need to reapply stripper and if so, what is best application method. I used a sprayer last time with power wash, but thinking should apply with brush and rub it in?
Scott
Are you apply the stripper and then pressure washing off? Feel free to post a picture of the deck.
The RAD is a deep penetrating stain and is supposed to be thin in consistency because of this.
I applied the stripper, then pressure washed. This was followed up by sanding. So picture if handrail I’m sending has had mist of clear stain removed. I’m trying to decide whether to sand more, than reapply brightener or to apply stripper again. Also can see residual stain on deck, which has not been sanded
Thanks
No picture was uploaded.
We have 2 pressure treated decks that have an oil based sealers with a solid latex deck stain, ie Shark Skin. Can we use the Restore-a-deck stripper with booster? We purchased four gallons of Armstrong-Clark semi solid Woodland Brown. One other question please? On the Armstrong-Clark cans it states to call the company if the decks are less than 18inches off the ground. Ours are and perhaps that’s why both Behr and Shark Skin both failed. Perhaps the same will happen with the Armstrong-Clark.
Regards,
David Waterhouse
Victoria BC Canada
No, the RAD Stripper will not remove a solid stain fully. You will need to power sand to remove the Sharkskin. The AC will not fail like the other brands you used.
Can you recommend one of you products for removing solid stain. It’s about 3 years old and some of it is peeling off pretty easy; but a lot of it still has good adhesion. Ideally I would like to take it to bare woo and do a semi-transparent stain. Pressure treated wood. the deck is 32ft x 14 ft and about 20 years old. Thanks
Sorry, but it is not possible to remove a solid stain fully with a deck stain stripper. You may be able to remove some or most but you will need to sand to get it all off.
would you recommend a drum sander that you would use on a hardwood floor or is that overkill
You could use one.
Hi There! Just discovered your site and I’m interested in your product. I have a large deck (1,200 square feet) and a good portion of it is adjacent to and partially over a koi pond. I read that your stripper and brightener is “eco friendly”. Does that mean that I can trust that runoff from the deck into the koi pond won’t harm the fish? Thanks!
They are eco-friendly but it would be best to avoid getting the stripper in the water as it is caustic and will raise the pH balance.
Ok, I can sand the deck wherever there’s a danger of runoff getting into the pond. How about the brightener?
Less or no issues with the brightener.
I have a new 12X14 deck with pressure treated decking, cedar posts & railings, and black aluminum balusters. The deck has weathered for 12 months and I am ready to stain. I was going to use the RAD cleaner and brightener and then stain with RAD semi-transparent light walnut.
1. Is there anything special I need to do to protect the metal balusters before prep or staining? Can the cleaner or brightener damage metal balusters?
2. When staining how do I know how much stain is enough yet not too much? What application method typically has the best result (pump sprayer, deck brush, pad applicator)? If I use a pump sprayer do I still need to run a pad or brush along the boards to ensure even coverage?
1. It should not harm them but best to test first.
2. Use a stain pad or brush. https://www.restore-a-deck.com/decktools.html
Only apply as much as the wood will allow it to fully absorb.
Can you apply RAD stain with an airless sprayer?
Yes.
I’ve used your cleaner and brightener on my nearly 1 year old redwood fence. A couple of questions.
1- the stain from the nails are still present. How can I best remove them?
2- will the RAD semi transparent stain prevent the nail stains from returning?
That is rust from your nails. There is not a way to remove that fully as it is deep in the wood. You will have to replace the nails to prevent the rust.
BTW, the fence installer or manufacturer should be liable for this as they used the wrong type of nails.
Thanks for the reply. If I remove the nails, can the rust discoloration be removed with a product? Or with sanding / planing?
The RAD wood brightener works best to remove the rust but it may not remove all if the rust is deep in the wood grain.
We have a new deck made of pressure treated wood. Can we use RAD on this kind of wood immediately or do we need to wait for a few months for it to weather a bit?
Need to let it weather: https://www.restore-a-deck.com/Deck-Cleaning-Reviews-and-Tips/restore-a-deck-stain-for-new-wood.html
About a year ago I used RAD cleaner and stain on a 100 sq. treated pine hot-tub deck that had aged in the sun for about 6 months. The stain has worn off in some high traffic areas. Do I just pressure wash and re-stain the entire deck, or do I need to do more? I love your products. I might have applied stain too thickly the first time.
Use the Rad cleaner and pressure washer for prep.
Should I use the RAD neutralizer/brightener also? The underlying wood shows no signs of greying.
No need for the brightener this time.
I used RAD cleaner and brightener 3 weeks ago to prep my deck for staining but, due to weather limitations, was only able to stain rails. I still need to stain Ipe floor boards with Defy hardwood stain. Do I need to use brightener again? I’m afraid it will possibly ruin stain on rails when applying or rinsing floorboards. If I need to brighten again, can I use a diluted strength mix? Thanks
Yes, brightener again. Do not dilute. It does not harm stain.
I need to remove Behr premium acrylic solid stain from my deck. Much of it is already peeling in areas. Deck is 5 years old and I was told never to use solid stain in New York environment. I would then like to re-stain using semitransparent stain instead. How do I remove the Behr solid stain and what semitransparent stain do you recommend? Deck is 16′ x 22′, 5 years old, New York
You will need to sand to remove a solid stain. After sanding, clean and brighten for prep. Stain with the RAD Wood stain: https://www.restore-a-deck.com/restore-a-deck-wood-stain/restore-a-deck-wood-stain-5-gallon/flypage.tpl.html
Got the samples yesterday and stained a block of sanded redwood today to chose the color. Here is the picture. We are trying to decide between Cedar and Light Walnut.
The deck has been fully sanded and I think we will just do the brightener before the stain. What do think?
How smooth of sandpaper grit did you use?
36->80
Best o clean and brighten after the sanding as this will remove sand dust and open the pores of the wood. Just one coat of stain to a sanded deck.
Perfect, thanks! Will post pictures when done. Cheers!
I am using TWP 1500 on a RAD stripped and brightened deck. The stain advises that you should not apply stain if rain is expected within 48 hours. I live in VA and it can rain or thunderstorm without warning. What can you do to preserve the work done if it unexpectedly rains after 24 hours but prior to 48 hours?
You cannot do anything about rain but typically the TWP is forgiving as long as the stain has at least 12 hours to dry.
Any recommendations for redoing barn wood? Or is this product mainly for treated wood?
It would work very well for this wood. Prep with the RAD Cleaner/Brightener Kits first: https://www.restore-a-deck.com/RAD-Kits-Best-Prices.html
What color do you recommend to “redo” a redwood deck. These desks were stained with transparent SuperDeck #1903 initially. Do you have any pictures of you colors on redwood? Or anyone ready this post? Thanks,
Dennis
For prep, you will need this to remove the Super Deck. It comes off easily: https://www.restore-a-deck.com/order-restore-a-deck/rad-kits-best-price/restore-a-deck-stripper-brightener-kit/flypage.tpl.html
Best to try samples as all wood turns out differently: https://www.restore-a-deck.com/restore-a-deck-wood-stain/restore-a-deck-wood-stain-samples/flypage.tpl.html
I’m having trouble deciding which color semi transparent stain to choose.
Do you have any pics of cedar decks with different stain colors…cedar, lt walnut and dk walnut?
Bst to order some samples: https://www.restore-a-deck.com/restore-a-deck-wood-stain/restore-a-deck-wood-stain-samples/flypage.tpl.html
There are some pictures on these pages: https://www.restore-a-deck.com/Deck-Cleaning-Reviews-and-Tips/restore-a-deck-prep-stain-contest-2019.html
and
https://www.restore-a-deck.com/restore-a-deck-prep-wood-stain-contest-2018.html
Help! We are in the process of power sanding (NOT easy) our pressure treated deck to prepare for stain. Had a mess of semi transparent, covered with either semi solid or solid (no prep in between) that actually lasted for a good 5 or 6 years. It is about 13-14 years old. We are down to bare clean looking wood on railings (replaced spindles with new to avoid sanding) and the floor is close to bare/clean…but has some marking that looks almost like it’s wet. Deck is our main entrance so very used, it is covered so only the edges see direct sunlight and also as the sun rises and falls it sees some direct. Husband wants to stain directly after sanding, I think we should at least use a brightener. He wants to use a dark color to cover any of the darkening on the floor and I’m somewhat ok with that but really want the wood to show thru some, after all our hard work. Will the brightener hurt surrounding grass, plants, animals? And how long after brightening can we wait to stain? I want to see the results (if brightening, will only do floor as railings are perfect at this point) before I decide what stain/color to buy so would probably need a week or two. I think 2 weeks would be ok? Also, your stain is water based, I’ve heard oil is better…really, what is the difference? I want to do the best this time around!
Hello,
Post a picture or two of the prep. What grit paper did you sand with? Best to clean and brighten after sanding. Also only one coat of the stain. RAD is water-based and is a penetrating stain. Better in many ways then oil-based. Less chance of mildew and better UV resistance.
Sorry for the delay – this sanding is kicking our butts. Hours upon hours upon hours. We started with 100 grit (what a joke, lol) and are now down to 40 to try and get the job done. Still extremely hard but praying it will be worth it when we’re done. Hoping we can get away without cleaner – don’t want the chemicals near our animals.
The Cleaner and Brightener are Eco-Friendly and will not harm them. You should at a minimum use the Brightener.
Our deck is 13 years old. We power sanded the entire deck. It is redwood. The wood is in perfect condition now. Looks new. Do we still need to use the brightener before applying the RAD Light Walnut semi-transparent stain? Since the RAD stain is water soluble, do you know if it is compatible to be applied over a product such as FlameSeal? Thank you!
It cannot be applied over a different product. Yes, you will need to clean and brighten the wood after sanding. What grit paper did you sand with? Just one coat of stain as you will need to treat this like new wood.