Restore-A-Deck Prep and Stain Contest 2020

Entrant Name: Max Gilbert
Email: gmax47@gmail.com
Photos: Gmax47 Photos 1-8 attached separately and labeled per preprep, during prep and after prep stages

Deck Area Coverage: Approx. 450 SF
Deck Railings: Approx. 43 Linear Feet.
Deck Construction: Ground level. 15 month old deck not previously stained. Grade #1 ground contact pressure treated pine.

Project Description/Comments:

The restore a deck in one day marketing claim did not influence my purchase decision. A do-it-in-a-day concept was never a prime consideration. Personally, at age 72 and working alone, I planned to accomplish my project in sections. Additionally, I’m typically a very details oriented and quality-motivated person. I conducted hours of careful research before ordering RAD. So after committing to a substantial investment in the product, I was determined to take my time!

Another consideration for working in stages was my anticipated application during the month of August. The manufacturer’s instructions for such a hot weather application was thorough and much appreciated. I decided to time most of my work processes between 6-10 a.m. During the more moderate days I also worked between 5-8 p.m. I thus avoided most temperatures over 90 degrees. As extra precaution, I also hosed some portions overnight, or misted during the day as suggested to help ensure a wet-on-wet application.

Still another circumstance for dividing the job into parts was because I needed to allow a critical window of time to apply a second coat before the first had completely dried, as RAD recommended for the age of the wood involved.

Other factors that convinced this former oil-based stain user to try RAD were: (1) a thorough explanation of the water based technology; (2) the quality specifications and product descriptions; (3) user’s overall exceptional reviews and shared experiences; and (4) the responsive website and professional answers at restore-a-deck.com. These dedicated resources gave me the confidence to place an online order and wait nearly four weeks for delivery of a previously unheard-of product. The RAD items arrived as promised in a heavy duty, well-packed carton with no damage.

My first step was to divide each of the Cleaner and Brightener packages into five equal smaller bags measured to mix one gallon of solution each. I encourage doing this if you plan to work incrementally. It helps avoid waste. Proportioning the powder in this manner also facilitates a visual gauge as you go to help confirm if there is sufficient amount of the product to finish the job. For my project, I wound up using 5 gallons of cleaner and slightly under 4 gallons of brightener.

I allotted myself one day to perform the manual cleaning and rinse, one predetermined section at a time. I then scheduled the next day to perform the brightening. I timed the rinse late in afternoon to allow partially drying overnight, in order to begin staining while still damp the next morning. For the cleaning, I used scrub brushes, which took more time and energy, as my power washer had an untimely break-down. The brightening went much faster, since no scrubbing was required. I used two separate pump sprayers for the cleaning and brightening applications.

The northern exposure of my deck on a tree-shaded lot creates partial to direct sun during mid-day hours, while a portion next to the house remains in nearly constant shade. The shady areas especially presented green mold to be an obvious problem in the months following construction. Although the remainder of the deck fid not yet have the appearance of gray weathered wood, I was very impressed how much newer everything looked after the cleaning and brightening—a dramatic testimony to the take-no-shortcuts recommendations amplified on the RAD website.

As recommended, I began the staining process by working the vertical posts and spindles, for which I elected to use a new lambskin mitt to apply the first coat. Restricting myself to only an early mornings/late afternoon timeframe, I stained the railings over a period of three days. I covered no more surface area at one time than I could complete in an hour, because the instructions indicated I should wait no longer than one hour before applying the second coat.

One takeaway is I found no easy process to hand-stain the verticals. The stain seems to have about the same viscosity as water. It will run wherever gravity takes it, so you must try to achieve a balance between loading just enough stain to coat your objective, but not enough stain to drip. However, that is nearly impossible to control when you touch a tight cutout area to fill the corners on the hard-to-reach undersides—which inevitably squeezes out extra runs to chase down from whatever applicator you’re using.

Another lesson learned is to dedicate ample time to fully cover not just under the railings, but all around the vicinity. I thought I had adequately protected everything, but still experienced unanticipated splatters of stain. Some far-flung droplets wound up on our new concrete siding in spots nearly three feet away. Such airborne hits on innocent targets interrupted the process for additional cleaning action. Also, if you have to use tape on your bare wood to hold down a plastic covering or mask around posts–use tape that does not leave residue–or you’ll likely be forced into more surprise casualty response time.

I had mixed results using the hand mitt applicator. This was my first time using one, but whatever time it saved probably cost me in duplicate time, trying to correct the unknown runs on the blind sides opposite from me which I didn’t discover until too late. This probably led to over-application of the stain in some areas, as I tried to blend in the color tone to cover up my mistakes. I also attempted to use a foam brush and a bristle brush with limited success. That’s where the extra masking especially comes into play, for if not extremely careful–once a brush leaves the edge of the wood, it will flip stain into unimaginable far away places!

Needless to say, staining the railings sections was an intense first introduction to RAD! But I persevered through my messes and got it done. Covering the flat horizontal decking was stress-free in comparison. Using the ten-inch wide pole brush purchased from RAD, the stain went on smoothly and evenly. I easily achieved both coats in one afternoon, completing each coat in an one-hour process covering about half of the deck at a time.

I’m very pleased with the overall appearance. The Light Walnut matt finish provides a beautiful natural tone to the wood that we desired. Our deck is a proud renewal that RAD helped make possible after an extended delay to the normal wait period for new construction. Thanks RAD for your excellent product!