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!
Live in Georgia. Stained deck 7 years ago using Sherwin Williams Oil BAsed Deck Stain, Semi transparent, color is 3513 Spice Chest. Needs a new coat so if I’m reading all your material correctly, and if I want to use the same stain assuming SW still carries it, your cleaner would be the way to go and then simply restain?
If you can find it, then yes. Not sure if they make it anymore.
They have something comparable to the stain that’s on there but after cleaning not sure if I need to start from scratch. See photos. Used the cleaner but it’s very inconsistent. It appears some areas still have old stain and others don’t so do I go ahead and stain over it or do you recommend stripping and brightening and then restain? Thank you.
PS This is a wonderful resource to have.
Strip with the RAD Stripper and both additives: https://www.restore-a-deck.com/rad-stain-stripper-additives.html
Brighten after.
Hello,
I have a fairly small deck to stain, and the calculator says I only need 1 kit of cleaner/brightener + 4 gallons of stain. Original deck was painted red (paint was peeling off in chunks), and replaced most of the deckboards, railing, skirting, but, problem is, all the posts the original ones. So, I need to order Cleaner, plus BOTH Brightener AND Stripper, but don’t see how I can do that on your website. I only see them in kits, and I don’t need 2 packages of Cleaner. Can you let me know how I can order 1 Cleaner, 1 Brightener, and 1 Stripper?
A stripper will not remove a paint so that will not work. You will have to sand off the red paint.
The red paint has already been completely sanded off.
So, should stripper still be applied to those particular areas, with the brightener on the new areas?
If already sanded off, you will need the Cleaner and Brightener on all wood.
Currently restaining our cedar deck. Used Rad products and TWP stain last year. I have some peeling and I believe it’s because I applied it on a hot sunny day. I have stripped the deck in sections and and applied brightener. Those areas look fantastic. Unfortunately, I ran out of daylight today and have a section stripped but didn’t get brightener on. So…
1) I am assuming I can’t apply the brightener in the morning, correct?
2) I have just enough Stripper to finish the section of the deck that I haven’t worked on yet, so if I have to reapply, could I use RAD cleaner instead and then apply the brightener?
1. Yes, brighten as soon as you can.
2. Strip all to make it look even. In the future, you can clean and reapply.
Just to clarify, can I brighten this morning?
Yes.
Wonderful!!
I have approximately 640 sq. foot deck floor to stain (railings are painted white). How many gallons of solid stain will I need.
5-7 gallons for the two coats.
5-7 gallons for the two coats.
I stripped, brightened and finished our small 400 sq foot deck on Saturday. The second stain coat (RAD semi-trans cedar) was applied around 5pm on Saturday. This is the first time I’ve refinished this deck- the previous stain had almost completely weathered off.
We had overcast weather on Sunday and most of Monday until rain came Monday night. The deck looked great before the rain came.
Now that the deck is saturated with rain, it still looks good but I’m not seeing any water pooling on the surface. It looks as if the wood is continuing to absorb water.
With previous deck refinishings (Behr something or other, TWP Cedartone 101) there was noticeable pooling of water for the first 6+ months.
Is this even dampness of the newly finished deck what is expected, or did I perhaps apply too little stain?
It is correct. RAD is a breathable stain that sheds water, it does not bead water.
Excellent- thanks for the clarification. It’s quite different from products I’ve used previously. Looking forward to watching how it weathers over time. The R-A-D stripper, brightener and stain were all far easier to use than what I expected!
Hello, old mahogany deck, need to prep for staining, there are a few new (3-4months) boards mixed in with the old. Fully restaining, what process do you recommend? Thanks for the help!
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
Stain with one of the RAD semi-transparent colors: https://www.restore-a-deck.com/restore-a-deck-wood-stain/restore-a-deck-wood-stain-1-gallon/flypage.tpl.html
I took my daughter’s deck down to bare wood with sanding and Restore-A-Deck cleaning (from peeling 3 coats of a Sherman Williams deck product. Then I completed the brightener step and sprayed the deck down for over an hour. I thought I got rid of all of the “suds” with my spraying. I then applied one coat of the Restore-A-Deck semi-transparent stains. When staining there were a few sections of some boards that made the stain seem “waxy”. Now on drying, the deck looks great overall, however there are a few boards that have a white look to them. Did I not get all of the brightener off? What should my next steps be?
Thanks,
Kathy
Pictures?
The first picture shows the deck the day I stained it. The second picture is a localized picture of the problem area today after many inches of rain on the deck (although this area is a bit protected). I didn’t want to spray it or anything until I check with you.
That looks like sap leeching from your wood. It cannot be prevented. You can try to lightly sand it off and then touch up with stain.
I forgot to ask you on my former post. I had a gallon of stripper ready to use when I had to abort the process due to a malfunctioning power washer. I assume I should discard the mixed stripper in favor of fresh when the process resumes.
Tom A Kohl
The mixed stripper is still good.
I am looking to stain/seal my deck.
– It is pressure treated pine, has never been treated and was installed almost 3 years ago.
– The left side gets full afternoon sun (in NE Georgia) the right side is shade.
– Does the Natural color in the Semi-Transparent Stain give UV protection?
– If I understand my situation correctly I need Cleaner/Brightener/Stain is that correct?
– I have a pressure washer.
Correct. Clean, brighten, and then stain. The Natural is tinted and will provide UV protection.
it will be unseasonably cold this weekend in Chicago. high of 65 low 46 at night. is that too cold to put on RAD solid stain?
The temps are okay to stain.
I will be staining a fence.
Hi I am the new owner of a property with a 40 year old deck. It had some rotting planks, beams, and joists so I’ve replaced them with pressure treated wood. The remaining existing deck wood is redwood and I want to either stain or repaint all of the deck so it is protected from the elements and an uniform color.
The measure of the deck is 13ftx20ft. The deck has an existing paint or a stain, I can’t tell but I am assuming it is paint b/c of the color and also b/c I scratched off a little and it had a latex like consistency. The paint/stain is in good condition and is not peeling. Here are some photos:
Questions
1.) Can I go from paint to stain?
2.) Do I use a cleaner or a stripper in preparation since the paint is still in good condition?
3.) Do I need to sand away all the remaining paint/stain before applying your stain?
Thanks
1. You have a solid stain. You will need a solid stai again: https://www.restore-a-deck.com/restore-a-deck-wood-stain/restore-a-deck-solid-stain.html
2. Cleaner and pressure wash.
3. Just any loose solid stain.
How can you tell if it is a stain or paint? Also can I put the solid stain over new pressure treated wood?
How do you tell if it is a solid stain or paint? Also we can stain over new pressure treated wood correct?
If it was paint it would be peeling in chunks as you do not use a paint on a deck. See here about me wood: https://www.restore-a-deck.com/Deck-Cleaning-Reviews-and-Tips/restore-a-deck-stain-for-new-wood.html
I treated my deck with RAD semi transparent stain the past two summers. The next time it needs stained can I use RAD solid color stain over the semitransparent stain?
Thanks Dan Sethner
Yes, you can. Prep first with the RAD Cleaner and pressure washing.
I just opened a gallon container of RAD. It says Cedar on the jug, which is what I ordered. However, the stain appears to be Dark Walnut. Can I get a refund?
Hello, The product is not mis-labeled and is the correct color. It has a brownish hue when in liquid form and applies and dries to a cedar color. See here about returns: https://www.restore-a-deck.com/Store-Policies/refund.html
I’d decided to use the RAD but ordered just one gallon to test the color first. Wow your cedar is dark compared to DEFY stain. The photo shows samples applied to a stripped and brightened section on the back of my house. The photo was taken 24 hrs after the Defy Stain was applied to the siding test area. From left to right: 1) Defy natural pine, 2) Defy cedar tone, 3) Defy light walnut, and 4) RAD cedar. I find the RAD cedar to be too dark, yet the Defy cedar seems too transparent. It looks like it could be a dark Walnut in the Defy line-up. Does this seem right to you that RAD is that much darker than Defy?
Teh RAD cedar is more of a brownish cedar color compared to the Defy Cedartone being more of an orange cedar color.
I have to correct myself. It is Grad A (no knots) red cedar..
What happens if you apply the stripper in direct sunlight? Does it just dry out to fast or does it stain or something?
It will dry out. Mist with water to keep it from drying out.
First, thanks for providing this website! I am staining a white cedar sided house. How many years will RAD semi-transparent (Cedar toned) last on my south-facing, and my north-facing exposures?
3-6 years, maybe longer.
Do I have to use the RAD Thickening Gel or Booster Additive with the Stain Stripper?
It would depend on what you are trying to remove and how difficult a strip it is?
https://www.restore-a-deck.com/Deck-Cleaning-Reviews-and-Tips/how-to-strip-your-stain-with-rad-products.html
are the prices canadiaN
USD.
I was not complete with removing the stripper and my power washer quit. The power washer is in for repairs. Should I start over and redo the portion completed because of step 2, brightner must follow stripper immediately? Tom A Kohl
Start over.
How do I remove your stain from vinyl siding?
Try a water-based graffiti remover cleaner from your local paint store.
I just received my order of your Deck Stripper and Brightener. Can I clean and brighten the deck in sections moving the furniture from one area to another or is it better to clear the deck completely and do the entire deck in one application process? Also, I read one review regarding pealing which said it was applied to heavily. With a Semi-Transparent stain is 1 or 2 coats? How much is needed for 325 Sq. Ft. Deck? Thanks much!
Clear deck and do it all at once. 2 Coats wet on wet is normal unless wood is new.
I had some stain that I purchased that I had left in my garage for 2 years. When I opened the jug the stain came out separated like this. I assume the stain was separated due to freezing during the winter. Is that right?
Yes, it has gone bad from freezing.
Would you recommend I might apply a product like- Concrobium Mold Control- BEFORE I treat siding with Restore-A-Deck to provide for more protection against mold?
No, that will not work.
This is what it look like before applying sealer
The discoloration is the natural grain of your wood and the joists marks from where the bottom of the boards sat on the joists. Basically deep discoloration that cannot be cleaned or sanded out of the wood.
I will probably let this sit until next year, but wondering if you suggest a stain that would better suit the discoloration? Also, I have a front porch that went through the same prep stages. Some existing boards, some flipped boards, and replaced some last year. Do you have any suggestions for an optimal stain? Preferably that shows The wood grain?
You would need a solid stain to cover this so it does not show the discoloration: https://www.restore-a-deck.com/restore-a-deck-wood-stain/restore-a-deck-solid-stain.html
Thank you for your advice and for your quick reply!
Hi, I have a 25-year-old deck It was not maintained well, But was stained on the underside from patio below. So, I turned all the boards. I cleaned the deck with sodium percarbonate, Used RAD Stripper and then use the Brightener. The boards were inconsistent and some had a hint of red in them. I simply applied a water sealer and it turned out less then desired. From the pictures can you tell what happened and can it be corrected? If so, how? I prefer to have the woodgrain show.
If I buy stain and cleaner now and dont get around to it this fall, will it be OK to use in the Spring? What is the shelf life of stain? I will store it in climate control room over the winter.
It will be fine as long as the stain does not freeze.
I stained my deck 6mos ago with the RAD semi transparent (cedar) stain. I was wondering when should I apply another coat, it has already started to fade in areas where it holds more water. I’m also curious what steps I need to take prior to staining because I’m not wanting to remove or damage the stain that is left on the deck. Is pressure washing enough to prep before staining? (the before&after pics are from when I first stained it 6mos ago)
Whenever you recoat you need to prep first with the RAD Cleaner and pressure washing: https://www.restore-a-deck.com/RAD-Cleaner-Only.html
Is the ‘natural’ color deck stain and sealer basically clear? I don’t want to change the color.
Natural is not clear but tinted. If you use a color with no color then you will have no UV protection and the wood will gray in months. It is not possible to not change the color and have UV protection from graying.
Do you sell sample packets of the stripper, cleaner, or brightener?
We do not.
At the end of May I had four new smooth cedar 6 x 6 posts installed to support my second story deck. Now after 3 months I am ready to use RAD semi-transparent stain on the posts. We love the color of the original reddish-orange posts when they were brand new. Would the RAD natural semi-transparent stain or the RAD cedar semi-transparent stain better depict the original natural cedar appearance? Would the proper prep and treatment be to use the RAD Cleaner and RAD Brightener on the “new” wood (that has now aged 3+ months) followed by a single coat of RAD semi-transparent stain?
Hard to say which color will give the look you want as colors vary based on wood, type, age, etc. Prep and stain are correct.
We have sanded our red wood deck so there is no stain on it, just the bare wood. Do I still need the cleaner and brightener? Can I just wash it, let it dry and apply the stain?
Clean and brighten for final prep.
Ready to apply 2nd coat of RAD semi transparent stain. Applied 1st coat 12 months ago. How do I prep deck wood before applying stain. How many hours after applying can the deck have rain on it?
Use the RAD Cleaner for prep: https://www.restore-a-deck.com/RAD-Cleaner-Only.html
It can take a rain in 6 Hours.
Do you just clean for second coat or use brightner too?
Just clean will work.
What do you recommend for this deck. stripper and brightener? then I can stain? any sanding?
Use the Stripper with both additives to remove as much as possible: https://www.restore-a-deck.com/rad-stain-stripper-additives.html
Sand if needed to remove any stubborn stain that does not strip. Brightener on all after.
thank you
What is shelf life for mixed stripper and brightner?
A few months or longer.
I have a half gallon of your RAD solid stain. what is the shelf life of this? would I be able to use it in the spring?
About 12 months as long as it is closed well and it does not freeze.
After thoroughly cleaning my deck (260 sq. ft.) in May 2020 (power washing/sanding) I applied approximately 2 gallons of Restore A Deck (light walnut) wet on wet. Looked Great, but….after a hot full North Texas summer, deck began to fade and flake. Please advise. I was hoping I could repair the damaged areas without stripping the whole deck and doing a restart?
Clean and recoat is all that is needed.
Is there a shelf life for unopened stain?
2-3 years.
Please STOP sending me emails. Thank you!
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I was starting my deck project today and decided to start with mixing 2 1/2 gallons of cleaner. I weighed the package of cleaner so I could then divide by 2 for the correct ratio. I was surprised to find that the weight fell considerably short of the 2 lbs it was supposed to contain. I have three packages of each cleaner and brightener so I weighed the other packages. Here is what I found:
Cleaner: 1#13.3oz, 1#14.4oz, 1#15.1oz.
Brightener: 1#12.7oz, 1#9.9oz, 1#15.7oz.
So, should I use the recommended mix ration (2#/5gal) and combine the packages to get the correct amount and hope I don’t come up short? Or..??
If you need another, let us know via your order email. BTW, it is by volume when you measure, not weaight. 6-8 oz per gallon for each.
We (in Northern Vermont) have a deck (400 Sq Ft; wood is spruce, fir, or maybe hemlock or something like that) that was treated with Sikkens about 4 years ago. The deck is about 10 years a old. We just used the RAD system: Stripper, then Brightener, then TWP stain (2 coats, wet on wet). Did not use pressure washer, used garden hose with nozzle. Read your directions, read many comments, and were aware to not apply in high temperatures; and also not to apply too much when doing second coat, wet on wet. Stripped and brightened on Saturday (temps Sat were in low 70s, mostly sunny, partly cloudy). Applied TWP stain on Sunday. Results after stripping and brightening looked fantastic. Temperatures on Sunday for application of TWP were in the low-mid ~60s F. Day was partly sunny for periods, partly cloudy. Misted deck before we applied TWP. Coverage seemed good with one coat, but your directions seemed to indicate a second coat should be applied. Second coat was applied wet on wet, and we tried to be conservative with it. Except for one unobserved puddle about 6 x 7 inches, there were no pools of stain visible after finishing. Application was by pad. Finished about 3:30 PM. It was a relatively cool late afternoon, and fairly dark here by ~7:15 PM. Deck was still fairly wet at 7:30 PM. This morning (Monday) deck is still not completely dry (at noon), moist / oily to touch, getting a little better by noon. Sections where it gets direct sun in AM seem to be better than sections where direct sun is blocked by gazebo on the deck until afternoon. Today (Monday)is again mid to low 60F, little sun, mostly cloudy, with brisk winds. Questions: Given the cool temps and lack of sun, is the slow drying normal? Will it dry and cure? When? How should we manage this if it fails to dry completely?
You cannot mist the deck with water before applying TWP! Also, you need 48 hours after prep to let the wood dry before using the TWP. You applied to a wet deck and you cannot do this with an oil-based product like TWP. We are not sure it will cure it correctly. Hopefully, it does in a few days otherwise you will need to strip and remove all. Brighten after.
Can I, or do I need to, put Thompson’s Water Seal on my recently gorgeously restored deck ? Fantastic products, by the way, and I am thoroughly pleased……..!!
No, you can never top coat a deck stain with a sealer. It will ruin it.
See the answer to my question on the page now. Missed that somehow. Thanks!
Love your customer service! The finished product
Looks good!
I applied one coat of solid stain yesterday morning. This morning it rained. Do I need to be concerned about the bubbles that formed when it rained. Please see picture. Is this because I didn’t rinse off brightener well enough? Please tell me I don’t need to start over.
You should be okay but if needed, touch up those spots next year.
I am restoring an entire 2.5 story house sided with cedar clapboards. I would like to avoid using an oxalic acid brightener such as RAD’s brightener because I would get the acid all over myself and kill bugs and worms in the bordering areas. If I was restoring an easy to access deck, I might use it.
My well water in New Hampshire is pH 5.0, which is much lower than most people’s well water. A heavy rinse with the well water should bring the siding’s PH down from the RAD stripper’s (pH 13?). I am using RAD semi-transparent cedar toned stain. So, I am also not certain that I need to brighten with strong acid, when I am partly staining over my clapboards anyway.
Questions: Without the RAD brightener will I be missing something in addition to pH adjustment that is critical? Could I use all Citric Acid instead? What are the properties of Oxalic Acid that causes it to be the choice for RAD brightener?
You do need to neutralize after using the Stripper as it will leave the wood in a high pH. Not using it could create an issue where the stripper if still in the wood could deteriorate the RAD Stain. The RAD brightener is a mix of both oxalic and citric acid resulting in a much less aggressive formula compared to straight oxalic acid.
deck put in one year ago. looks good. I have all your products already and I am ready to go since its cooled down a little. Even though it looks pretty clean should I use both the cleaner and then the brightener too or just one of them? Also what is the best way to apply products(cleaner, brightener and stain to the posts in order to not get them on the non-wood posts.(metal posts are put in the wood sections on the top and bottom of the posts)also I am a little confused about making the deck damp first, please explain and finally what is the time frame for applying all 3 products(cleaner, brightener and stain) do you wait a day in between? I’m not sure how to send you a picture. Thanks for your help.
Clean and brighten the wood now and then you can stain the same day if you want or the next day when dry. If doing the same day, see here for tips: https://www.restore-a-deck.com/Deck-Cleaning-Reviews-and-Tips/how-to-restore-a-deck-in-one-day.html
can you brush the cleaner and brightener on or do you need a sprayer of some sort. also how to apply to wood and not get it on the non wood posts as mentioned above?
Spray them on and then pressure wash off. You would have to test the metal posts to see if any reaction to prep products. If so, you will need to cover them. In most cases there are not any issues.
I just cleaned and brightened with RAD–a two year old deck, pressure treated pine, never stained. The cleaning process wasn’t what I expected. Wondering if I did it wrong. We had lots of wood pulp come off. Like lots! I sprayed the whole deck (dry) with the cleaner, it of course dried in the sun, then I had to spend about 4 hours hand scrubbing every board. Rewetted throughout. But boy, seemed like all I did was remove wood pulp. Is that normal? Brightened. (It’s amazing what that does!) But there are still green algae type spots (deep in the board) on some boards (largely under plants)–ground level deck (about 2 foot off ground). Can I go ahead and stain with RAD semi-transparent? Or do I need to spot clean again, now that all the grey is gone? (I’d have to reorder cleaner.) (Also the cleaner I used was about a year or more old–meant to do this last summer!–could that have meant less effective?)
When you leave the wood untreated for two years the exposed wood fibers will get heavily oxidized from the UV and that is what you end up removing. You should be okay to stain now and not worry but the alage deep in the wood grain.
Thanks, we stained, wood was still somewhat wet from day before, and I think it’s looking good! Thanks for your quick reply and confirming the cleaning process went as expected (loving all this Q&A area–learned a ton), given condition of wood. I know 24 hrs till putting things on it. How soon till we can walk on it? Thanks again!
24 hours is okay.
Hi, I have three different fences I want to clean and put on solid stain. The first is new cedar put up 4 months ago, 1320 sq. ft. One side is rough and the other smooth. The second is 305 sq. ft. of 20-year-old cedar with several new cedar boards and a treated lumber board to repair it. The third is 187 sq. ft. of 20-year-old cedar including a lattice top. Both old fences had Columbia UV Clear Finish, oil based, put on when new. One side of the lattice fence is very worn, the other side still shows finish.
Would it be best to get 2 cleaners, brighteners, and thickening gel for the new fence, and 1 stripper, brightener, booster, and thickening gel for the old fences, or would a different combination work better? Would I need 3 brighteners and thickening gel or would 2 do all three fences? Do I need to rinse any or all of the steps with a power washer or would a hose work? How many gallons of solid stain would you recommend? Would semi-transparent be the same? Thank you for your help. Carol
Are you counting both sides of the fence in your sq. footage?
Yes, that counts both sides.
-2 Cleaner and 3 total brighteners
-1 Stripper with a thickening gel.
-You need a pressure washer for all.
-About 15-20 gallons of stain for either Solid or Semi-transparent and that will cover two coats.
Can I use this stain for an outdoor wooden planter box? Is it safe for plants?
Yes, it is.
I’m about to do maintenance staining reapplying TWP Stain. Last year’s stain is peeling in some places. I believe the problem was applying it during really hot, sunny weather. Should I use Stripper or Cleaner during prep?
Stripper and then Brightener.