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!
Will the stripper remove new wood sealer so we can apply and semi-transparent stain?
What sealer brand? Do you have pictures?
Hello,
I have a 6yr old ipe deck that has never been treated. I washed it with deck cleaner and TSP and it looks good with a few hazy spots and areas of white and gray. When I wet it, the color of the wood looks great. Your Restore-A-Deck Exotic Hardwood Stain Semi-Transparent Light Walnut was recommended. Is your Restore-A-Deck Semi-Transparent Wood Stain Light Walnut the same product, and do I need to use your cleaner and brightening products before application?
Correct, clean and brighten all for prep and then use the RAD Semi-Transparent Stain in Light Walnut.
Hi, I purchased a semi transparent RAD kit two months ago and is now in the process of preparing the deck. My question is the optimal wait time after the brightening step before staining: should I apply the semi transparent stain after 2-4 hours wait or 48 hours or somewhere in between as I saw different numbers from different posts and instruction steps. The deck is about 700 square ft. Can I do cleaning & brightening the first day then stain on the second day or everything has to be done in one day for best results? Do I need to mist the deck before staining if it looks dry? I am looking for optimal wait time and max elapsed wait time before staining for the RAD product, thank you.
john
You can apply the RAD Stains to damp wood or dry wood. Up to you.
Can you use the combo of thickening gel & booster additive with the stripper using the Chapin clean & stain sprayer or will the solution be too thick to use the sprayer effectively?
Thanks!
You can spray it.
Can your solid stain be applied with an airless sprayer?
Yes.
The products are great! We stripped w/ all the additives, sanded the whole deck, brightened, then used the solid stain-but now we’re getting a few bubble areas. What can we do about this? Deck is a combination of 20yr old cedar and pressure treated replacement. All new boards weathered for about a year. Pics of the bubbles, and before we stained.
Spot sand those off and touch up. It is either air pockets or sap leeching from the wood.
Hi, I might have confused myself so I want to double check. I am in the process of sanding off tons of old paint and found redwood underneath. Two questions. (a) I will finish sanding soon, but can I hold off the cleaning, brightening and staining till the spring? (We have a long snowy winter here). And (b) about sanding. I took off the old paint with 60 grit which is rough. How fine should I sand?
1. Yes.
2. 60-80 grit is the finest you should go.
And here is the part of the deck that’s in full sun that’s looking pretty worn.
Hmm, not sure if all the pics posted, only looks like the doggy toenail damage pic posted. I’ll try the other’s in reply posts. This is the part of the deck that’s in shade for part of the day. Gorgeous stain!
Hi there! Stained my deck with Restore-a-Deck light walnut in September of last year and love your product! Gorgeous stain. Part of my deck gets full sun all day and looks like the stain is starting to wear pretty badly in that area. See pic. The rest of the deck is in shade in the later afternoon / evening and looks much better, although dog toenails have done some damage so I thought I’d just restain the whole thing. From what I remember, just need to apply the cleaner and restain, correct? Can you point me to the instruction for restaining using your product? Thanks! Love your product! Only lasted a year, but that’s a heck of a lot better than the first stain I tried which started peeling in only a few weeks! The Northern Nevada high desert sun and cold winters are pretty harsh on wood and stuff, so we don’t really expect the “typical” lifetime you might get in milder climates. First pic is the deck that’s in afternoon shade. 2nd is the doggy toenail damage. Last pic is the part of the deck that’s in full sun.
Sorry but no deck stain will be immune to a dog toe nail damage. tt is actually good though until next Spring. Just use the RAD Cleaner and reapply one coat.
Thanks for the reply. For some odd reason, the picture of the stain coming off the part of the deck that’s in full sun all day simply refused to upload. Will try to upload this pic again in this reply. This is the primary reason I think we probably need to restain this fall. Peeling pretty badly in these areas.
No need to use brightener after the cleaner? I only ask because the instructions on the cleaner specifically say to use the brightener after the cleaner to “neutralize and brighten the wood” and “any cleaner not neutralized and thoroughly rinsed will cause poor coating adhesion”. Thanks!
You can still do this in Spring, it will be fine. No need for a brightener in this case since it has a base coat but you can use it if you want.
We had a new cedar deck built in 2017 for our waterfront cottage on an island in the acadia region of Maine. In the summer of 2018, two of the three sides we stained (don’t ask) with in a solid gray from Behr. This was already peeling by the following spring and was subsequently power washed. Some stain remains only on edges and knotholes. It is almost invisible except when the deck is wet. Since then, our caretaker has been thinking about what to do, with the consequence that some boards on the west side of the deck have already rotted and had to be replaced. The deck wraps around three sides of the house: West, north, and East-facing. Only the east and west were previously stained. The deck is going to be cleaned with sodium percarbonate solution and power washed tomorrow. I am waiting on an oxalis acid brightener. But I’m not sure what stain to order—specifically whether I shd order a semi-transparent or opaque one. I have samples of both kinds from restore a deck. Should I try to sand off the remaining stain with my orbital sander so I can use a semi-transparent stain, or is that a fool’s errand? (The stain in the crevices can only be reached by hand if at all.) Please advise. I would like to order stain ASAP.
You would have to fully remove the solid stain to be able to use a semi-transparent. Not sure how much work that will be, sot that would be up to you if you decide to sand it or go with the solid stain again.
Have a deck with treated pine boards replaced 1-1/2 yrs ago. It is Sept 1st, the beginning of the season where it wants to rain often in the northeast. How long does the wood need to dry after cleaning/brightening before I can stain? Sorry….using DEFY semi stain – because that’s what I have.
48 Hours if using a different brand of stain than the RAD stains.
Can the stain be applied with a roller instead of the mop? There are some rough spots in my wood and I wont be sanding the deck. Worried that the mop will snag.
The solid stain yes, but not the semi-transparent stain.
How much cleaner and stain for 865 square feet of one year old never finished pressure treated pine.
Thanks
Marg
2 Cleaners, 2 Brighteners, about 8-9 gallons of stain.
I recently prepped my deck with your cleaner and brightener and then less than a week later applied 2 coats of your clear stain. It rained early evening the night before I stained. The deck is in 2 levels. I stained early morning and the lower level of the deck was not not dry. By the time I got to the upper level that portion of the deck was dry. There’s clearly a difference in the appearance of the 2 levels with lower level appearing duller than the upper. It’s been 5 days since I stained. Can I apply a 3rd coat to the lower level to make it closer in appearance to the upper level? This is a reapplication of restore- a-deck after 2 years. I am very happy with your product.
You cannot apply a third coat after it dries/cures as it will not take now. You can lightly clean and apply a light coat next Spring.
I have purchased the stripper/brightener kit to restore 1400 sf of uncovered decks. If it rains on these decks, can I apply the stripper/brightener the next day?
Yes.
Hi, I have a question about 2 years old Cedar deck. I tried Behr’s Semi-transparent water stain as my first stain application last year and in less than a year, the stain peeled off a lot. I have few questions before I correct this peeling issue and to do the project correct first time:
– Do I need oil based stain or water base stain based on the age of the cedar wood?
– If oil is better, what should I look to buy a good stain or if water, what should I need to look while purchasing stain.
– In future, does Oil or Water based stain need more stripping effort to takeoff completely.
Thanks.
-Either will work.
-You want a penetrating stain so it does not peel like our RAD Semi-Transparent Stain.
-Same
I applied your stain a couple years ago and need to re apply now on the heavy traffic areas. Do i need to clean and stain or do i need to strip the RAD stain that was previously applied?
That would depedn if it wore evenly or not? Pictures would help.
here are a couple pictures
Strip and stain.
thanks. what’s the shelf life of an open jug of stain.
12 months.
is there a way to tell if it’s gone bad? poor performance, etc?
Thickening and clumping of the stain. Separation, etc.
I have sanded and cleaned/brighten my deck, but have Douglas-fir sap spotted on many boards. Any recommendations on techniques/products/procedures to remove the sap before I stain cedar decking?
Sand it off.
Hi. I’m restoring a cedar deck – there’s some pressure washer damage (as seen in the photo). The wood is fine, just not visually appealing. I tried sanding with 60/80 grit with no luck. Just bought your stripper and brightener to try. Any thoughts if that’s the right approach? Also – do I need to take any steps to prepare patio pavers, electrical light boxes (black) from the stripper/brightener?
The only way to fix your pressure washer marks is to heavy sand. Prep products will not harm the pavers.
Thank you. What’s the lowest grit I can use on cedar without making the problem worse?
60 grit.
Hello, yesterday I finally got to do test boards/sections as this is first time with rad. Using stripper, thickening gel, and booster for step 1. Note- results have been fantastic. I’ll post pics in separate thread. I had one question/challenge. The thickening gel was tough to get out of the bottle, and then didn’t really mix fully. I can see clumps. I’m using drill & paddle to mix whole 5 gal at a shot. Did I miss something, make mistake, etc??
thx,
It should mix correctly and evenly. Is it not after using the paddle mixer?
It is not blending even after using paddle in drill. I’m going to empty backpack prayer into bucket & try to mix again.
hello, I was really looking forward to using your stain, I have prepped my deck using your cleaner and brightener. when I pulled out the stain to use, it was the wrong color!…, ordered semi transparent cedar and received cottage grey. no bueno!…., would like to know what your policy on this is?…., and how fast you can send out the proper stain. this project is on a timeline. thank you
Reply from your order email confirmation so we can help with this.
Also do I have to rinse Brightener with power washer? Already used power washer when I stripped.
Apply and then rinse with a pressure washer.
Finished stripping and sanding on Tuesday (see photo.) Rained off and on Wed-Fri. Calling for rain late this afternoon (Sat.) Forecast no rain and ideal weather tomorrow and Monday. Do I still need to brighten before staining with RAD Natural? If so, can I brighten today and stain tomorrow? BTW, am thrilled with your products so far. But really want this project DONE. Curses, rain. 🙂
You do need to brighten and wait 48 hours after to stain.
Is this because of the rain? In other posts I think you have said to stain the same day as using brighter. Am I incorrect?
Sorry, yes you can stain with the RAD to dry or damp wood. https://www.restore-a-deck.com/Deck-Cleaning-Reviews-and-Tips/how-to-restore-a-deck-stain-to-damp-wood.html
I have a 30 year old cedar deck which is in generally good condition. I just finished sanding it to bare wood in order to remove a semi-solid stain which was applied about 5 years ago. It took me quite a while to finish the sanding and now much of the wood has started to gray. The helpful folks at DeckStainHelp.com advised me to use your cleaner and brightener before staining. Since the wood is now quite clean do I need to use a pressure washer with the cleaner or can I apply it and then just rinse off with a hose? Also, will the cleaner cause furring of the wood? I had that happen when I used your cleaner some years ago and would prefer to avoid it as it was very unsightly. Thanks in advance for your help.
Apply and then rinse with a pressure washer. The cleaner does not cause furring, removing oxidation does. You should not have any of that.
Do the cleaner and brightener have expiration dates? I have a full kit remaining of the two I purchased 7 years ago. Will it still be good?
If in powder form they are probably still good to mix and use.
Regarding your answer about furring, I mentioned that the wood has grayed which means it has oxidized correct? You said that removing oxidation causes furring. I understood that the cleaner removes oxidation so won’t that cause furring Or am I wrong? Thanks.
Oxidation turns the wood gray and yes the cleaner helps to remove the gray. Furring is caused by heavy oxidation and removal of such. The heavier the oxidation/graying, the greater chance of this happening. There is not a way to avoid this from happening if you have heavy graying/oxidation. No matter what it has to come off first.
OK. Thanks so much.
I have a 260 sf, pressure treated pine deck that I scraped and sanded solid stain off of. What next steps do I need to take in preparation and finishing and how much stain do I need. Thank you.
Clean and brighten for final prep and about 3 gallons of the stain for two coats.
I posted this question moments ago but as I hit the “post” button I saw I had incorrectly submitted my email address. My question was, “What method of application (brush type, roller, pad, spray, etc.) would you recommend to apply RAD Semi-transperant stain (which is very viscous) to vertical walls of a log sided house?” Sorry for the mistake.
Stain pad or brush.
What method of application (brush type, pad, spray, sponge, etc.) would you recommend to apply RAD semi-transperant stain ( which is very viscous) to a vertical surface such as as log sided house?
Thanks, and as I have read a bit further…do I need to strip, or would the cleaner be sufficient.
You have to strip and brighten.
Thanks, I will. I’ll let you know how it goes.
…they must be too large, so one more time.
Not all the pics uploaded, so here ya go!
Background: We have a 2 year old Yellawood Pressure Treated deck with flooring of 381sf; and according to your calculation formula with rails and posts it comes to 542sf. As you can see from the pics there are no pickets, but there is a Pergola. Following curing in 2018 I applied 2 coats of Flood CWF-UV, which worked great. Now, as also shown in the photos, other than the need for a refreshing wood and mildew which is extremely slippery and calling for immediate attention, we have been pleased, and want to keep the same clear/clean look.
So, in reviewing your product data, and following your calculator, I would need 1 each of the Stripper and Brightener, probably a thickener? But my big question(s)…
1) what product do you recommend for finishing, there seems to be more than one on your site, can I, should I, continue with the Flood CWF-UV as I was advise at the time it was the better product for the new Yellawood once cured and I still have 1 unopened gallon left, or is there a better product that you can recommend? ( Note that it doesn’t matter that I have 1 gallon left, IF there is a better product on the market that makes financial and strategic sense. )
2) will I need the 6 gallons as the calculator shows, I actually do not recall the volume used in the original application, but it seems like a lot. ( though I would rather have extra than to either stretch what I purchase or delay completion while waiting for a second order. )
Thanks for your help, your direction will be greatly appreciated as this is a replacement deck and we didn’t really attend to the other as diligently as we have and will continue with this deck.
1. Use the Restore a Deck stains:https://www.restore-a-deck.com/restore-a-deck-wood-stain/restore-a-deck-wood-stain-5-gallon/flypage.tpl.html
2. 5-6 gallons for two coats is correct.
Thanks, and as I have read a bit further…do I need to strip, or would the cleaner be sufficient.
I made the mistake of using Behr Deck Restore on my pressure treated pine deck. Within a year it was pealing. I have stripped and sanded the entire deck but there are still spots where I didn’t get 100% of the paint off. If I use RAD Solid stain will it bond to the paint I wasn’t able to remove?
I live in NEPA and the deck is SE facing. We have a lot of oak trees around the house and end up with a black dirt, mildew that is very difficult to clean off the current paint. How easy will this clean off the RAD Solid stain?
Post some pictures of the prep. Dirt and mildew will clean off the RAD Solid stain when prepping for recoating.
As you can see 99.9% of the paint is gone but there is still some in areas that I couldn’t get a sander.
Yes, you can use the solid stain over this.
What can I use for a cleaner every year until it needs re-stained.
Not our products as they are only to be used for prepping when reapplying. Any mild detergent should work.
Hi. About 11 weeks ago we got a new 600-700 sq ft cedar deck. We cleaned it with a cleaner that we got locally it lifted some of the fibers off the deck so we had to sand it. After really cleaning it and sanding it it still has some grey in the boards. We also built a pergola. My question is what do I need to do now……a brightener and what stain do you recommend….we live in the Midwest it gets a lot of sun in the summer and in the winter it gets a lot of snow. I would like to apply a stain that is low maintenance and semitransparent I think? What do you recommend? Do I need to apply something different to the pergola? What do you suggest? Thank you.
Clean and brighten for final prep and then use the RAD Semi-transparent stains.
Would you recommend waiting until the spring to seal it? When would you recommend sealing it – we got it about 12 weeks ago and we live in the Indiana. Thanks
You can do it now or in the Spring.
I did the cleaner and the bright we and ordered a semi transparent in cedar. I power washed the brighter off to make sure it all got off well. I got a little too close on some boards and the power washer left marks. Will the stain cover most of it up? I hope so!
The stain will not cover pressure washer marks from being to close.
Should I lightlysand it?
Lightly sanding would not fix it either and would also mean the stain will absorb unevenly there. The only way to fix would be heaving to sanding to all floors so the stain will apply evenly.
Hi. It rained here heavily on Tuesday I was planning on starting to stain tomorrow (Friday) went out on the deck this morning and there are black dots on some of the boards and the side of the deck after cleaning and brightening……can I stain over this? Frustrating it is a brand new cedar deck. If I stain Friday and Saturday and it rains on Sunday is that ok?
Looks like rust spots from some kind of metal that got on the wood. You will need to redo the prep.
That was supposed to be a thumbs up. 🙂
Not so much a question, but just sharing that the combo punch of the stripper (with booster) and brightener works crazy good. See before and after pics (prior to staining).
Thanks for sharing!
Hi- need some advice. 20 year old cedar deck in SE Mich. Stripping off Behr Deckover. Some old stain underneath. pics below. Still a little sanding for the small patches of remaining deckover. Or let the winter take it off.
Long term want a gray color to match house trim. Willing to clean and re-stain every couple years but not scrapping/sanding. Initially thinking semi-transparent but want to confirm solid does not need removing to re-stain every few years (clean/brighten/stain)
I assume I need to get the reddish soaked in stain off to allow new stain to penetrate. Just use the plain stripper and then brightener from both solid and semi?
Also- can I just order just gray samples and forgo the other colors? Do they sell samples here locally in Michigan?
Thanks.
Probably best to go with a solid stain once you are done to cover this. You can recoat with the solid stain later on an ass needed after a good pressure washing. You can pick up all products and samples at our store in Bloomfield Hills otherwise you would have to order online.
The Sealer Store
2388 Franklin Rd
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302
How long does shipping take once the product is ordered?
2-4 days to ship out.
I have close up pictures of my deck, but not sure if they’re getting through to you.
Trying to post more photos to my earlier question.
My deck is about 425 sq. ft. It’s green treated wood (pine, I assume). It’s probably 25 years old or so. It was stained by someone else at least 12 years ago. They used Cabot stain but I’m not sure what kind. I have a 1900 psi electric pressure washer. Pictures I submitted show black areas and a generally worn condition. I was thinking of using your stripper, then brightener. I thought maybe a solid stain, due to the age and condition of the deck. If that sounds right, can I apply stripper & brightener with a sprayer, then wash them off with the pressure washer? What’s best to apply solid stain? I like the looks of the wide yellow brush you sell, but it says not to use for solid stains. So use a roller, pad or something else? Apply 2 coats? Wet on wet? How long between coats? Thank you!
Yes, use a solid stain for this after prep. Apply with rollers and a brush, two coats. The second coat goes on after the first coat dries with the solid stains. Prep by stripping off as much as you can and then brighten the wood.
I just ordered a kit from you. My question is , can I stain over some boards that have been hardened and 2 part epoxy woody wood filler. Some of boards are partially rotted but can’t be replaced without MAJOR MAJOR complete removal and replacement of benchs.rails & stairways.
The RAD semi-transparent stain will work over a wood filler and will not “stain” the filler to blend. The solid stain should be okay.
We ordered the Wood Stain/Cleaner/Brightener combo kit to go onto a 5 year old deck that has never been stained. The materials should be here in two days. Meantime, the weather has brought rain today and tomorrow, but looks clear from then through the weekend. My question is: how long should we let the deck dry out from the rains before starting the cleaning/brightening/staining process? Thank you.
Rain does not affect the prepping. Make sure to apply the stain to damp wood or dry wood.
Here are the photos you requested.
I replaced 30 year old decking from several decks early this spring, but kept the balusters which appeared to be stained with a semitransparent stain. Two and a half weeks ago I (1) stripped the balusters using RAD stripper (with both additives), (2) cleaned the new(ish) decking using RAD cleaner, and (3) neutralized all wood with RAD brightener. Due to high humidity, it took nearly a week for the wood moisture to drop below 15% in certain areas. Then, when the moisture level finally dropped low enough to be stained, the weather did not cooperate with significant chance of rain each day.
This last weekend, the forecast finally looked ok (overcast but no significant chance for rain until the evening). However, when I was just finishing up staining my second deck, a pop up shower appeared out of nowhere nowhere. The stain had been on my first deck for a couple hours and it doesn’t look great but it doesn’t look terrible. But the second deck just looks awful. Splotchy, washed out, just bad.
What are my options?
Send some pictures.
Leave the first deck alone. The second deck will need to be stripped and brightened on the floors and then recoated to fix.
Ok. Thanks
Is there any difference in the type of sealant / semi-transparent product for treating exterior cedar siding of a house, as compared to a deck?
Does the coverage area change when treating vertical versus horizontal surfaces?
Anything else?
No difference.
We just stained our deck today using 2 coats of RAD semi-transparent in Cottage Gray. We purchased the application pads at Ace Hardware, and they appeared to be good quality, designed specifically for deck staining. However, the application did not come out evenly, and there are several places that are significantly lighter than other places. Is it okay to wait a few days and then go over those lighter spots again?
Sorry but no, it will not take once it has cured and it will not blend.
I’m having trouble posting more than three photos with my contest entry even after resizing the to less than 1 mb each. What am I doing wrong? Can you delete my previous attempts at entry? Thanks.
my name is jim peacock my left overs leaked or exploded in my basement . i think i bought BROWN SUGAR from you before , could you check your records to see .jim
In 2015 you bought TimberOil in Brown Sugar.
My deck is 2 years old. The boards came stained. (See picture) Do I clean it or strip it for a RAD semi transparent stain.
What brand and type of stain is on the wood now?
I am not sure. It looks to ke like is a tinted preasure treatment.
What do you think?
To be safe, you should strip and brighten for prep.
Thanks