When working with newly installed wood and decking surfaces, the Restore-A-Deck Wood Stain is ideal after 3-6 months of natural weathering. Restore-A-Deck Wood Stain’s long-lasting composition works hard to absorb quickly and penetrate deep into the wood grain to withstand the elements and stay true to its beautiful finish long after the staining project is complete.
Before beginning the staining process, it is recommended that new wood surfaces be installed 3-6 months before prepping and staining. To prep new wood surfaces after the waiting period, use Restore-A-Deck Cleaner. It’s concentrated powder formula is cost-effective, easy to transport, and especially good at removing dirt, grime, mold, and mildew that is prone to showing up on new wood surfaces.
Note: Kiln dried and KDAT wood still needs to weather after install. About 1-2 months. Rough sawn cut wood does not need to weather.
After the new wood has been cleaned, the wood will appear slightly darker. To restore the wood and neutralize the pH, use Restore-A-Deck Brightener to lighten it to its original appearance. The RAD Wood Brightener further opens the wood pores for an ideal surface to apply Restore-A-Deck Wood Stain.
Following Restore-A-Deck Wood Brightener, continue with Restore-A-Deck Wood Stain. Unlike other brands of wood stain, Restore-A-Deck’s formula can be applied to wood surfaces following the Brightener on the same day on damp wood or can be applied to dry wood on following days. If applying to damp wood, it is recommended to allow the wood to dry 2-4 hours after prep is complete.
Only 1 coat should be applied to new wood that is less than 9 months old for the RAD semi-transparent stain. A light maintenance coat of the RAD semi-transparent stain should be applied 12-18 months after the first coat was applied. Every 2-3 years after that is normal.
For the RAD Solid Color Stain, apply 2 coats. Reapply as needed down the road.
Restore A Deck Stain Application Tips
If you have any questions, please comment below.
Also, I’m in south central Virginia. What temp is required for using restore a deck stain? Is this the product to use on barn doors or might something else be better for vertical surfaces such as this?
55-90 degrees. Works great for vertical barn doors.
Just built exterior barn doors. Used kiln dried untreated yellow pine. Boards were run thru planer to remove ink stamp and to tongue and groove the verticals. Will the boards weather enough if stored in the open air barn rather than hung and exposed to weather? Will they change color less this way? If so, what is the least amount of time before prepping and staining with your product?
No, you still need to weather the wood outside for exposure. Wait for the 3 months and then prep.
The wood facing inside cannot weather outside so how do I deal with that? Doors are very large so i don’t want inside surface coatt to fail.
We live in Georgia and have extremely hot summers. We have a new deck that has weathered for 9 months and we used the RAD cleaner and brightener and then applied the semi-transparent stain last weekend. Some of the deck looks darker than other areas. We followed the directions to a the letter and made sure we washed off all the cleaner and brightener. What could cause this? When can we apply a second coat to see if we can even out the color? When applying the second coat do we need to use the cleaner and brightener again or just the cleaner?
Feel free to reply with a picture to help determine what went wrong in your prep and or application.
My husband and I are building a bridge over our pond in the back yard. The slats to the bridge will be redwood. I see it says to wait 3 to 6 months before staining new wood. Why is that?
New wood needs to weather and then needs to be prepped so the stain can properly penetrate in.
I have a 3-month-old PT pine deck, about 1000 sq. ft., that I have just cleaned/brightened with an all-in-one wood cleaner (it has the brightener in it). I’ve also just read not so great reviews about the stain I had planned to use, and am now thinking I’ll use RAD. Will I still need to use the RAD cleaner and brightener?
Yes, you will need to prep with the RAD products.
I hired a team to stain the PT fence put up 2 years ago. We used RAD Cleaner, then Brightener. They didn’t rinse off either solution within the time frame given in instructions. The fence has dried in some spots looking like these photos (ignore neighbor’s older fence in the background). Should I rinse again? I plan to put Armstrong Clark semi-transparent stain on fence, once dry. Thank you
Go over it again with cleaner and pressure washing and then brighten again. They did not remove the oxidation fully.
We used a different brand’s cleaner to clean our new deck. It’s been weathering for about 12 months. Haven’t brightened yet but am I ok using the RAD brightener? If so, how long do I have to wait to stain with the RAD semi-transparent after using the RAD brightener?
You cab brighten now. You can stain the wood while damp or dry. https://www.restore-a-deck.com/Deck-Cleaning-Reviews-and-Tips/how-to-restore-a-deck-stain-to-damp-wood.html
I just pressure washed my new deck (4 months) before learning about your products. Do I still need to clean and brighten?
Yes, that would help the stain to soak in deeper.
I have a 6 month old kiln dried pine deck. I purchased your Cleaner, Brightener, and Stain. The weather looks cooperative for the next 7 days so it’s go time. Do I sand before using cleaner? Lots of other sites say sand after cleaning, so I’m confused on this point. Thank you!
No need to sand at all.
Thank you, that is good news! On to cleaning, brightening, and staining!
I have new cedar direct from the sawmill. Ian going to use it to wrap my posts. Do I need to wait before applying the stain since this will be a vertical surface?
If smooth wood, yes.
I have new wood and will stain it. Ill clean and brighten first, but my question is it says apply maintenance coat after one year on top. The second part says apply ever 2-3 years after that…does that mean strip it again and reapply every 2-3 years or just put another coat on? also I have a 18×20 deck how much stain, cleaner and brightner do i need?
Clean and recoat is needed. You do not have to strip but you can if desired.
I have a new 1000sq/ft PT pine deck that has been weathered for a little over a year. I’m using Rad semitransparent to stain it. Should I still only use 1 coat of stain or 2 because it has been sitting for so long. I’m going to prep with the RAD cleaner and brightener as well.
Two light coats applied wet on wet.
I’m restoring a 20 yr old 350 sqr-ft PT pine deck. 95% of the boards look good after power-washing + stripper + brightener. To still paint this year (WI) I’m replacing the 5% with untreated ThickDeck pine which I will separately pre-treat all-sides before staining the whole deck. Will Restore-A-Deck Solid Stain work to get this done?
You can use the RAD solid stain for this deck but do not pre-stain all sides. Just the exposed wood after weather and prep.
Hello, I have a newly constructed deck with heart redwood. 1) How long should I wait before apply RAD? 2) Is there a semi transparent stain color from RAD that retains the most natural color?
1. 3-4 months as articles states.
2. Natural is the lightest. Similar to a wet look.
I had a new deck built in May, and it cured over the summer. I used the RAD cleaner and brightener per the instructions and applied semi transparent stain on my cedar decking with a stain pad. Removing the residue from cleaning was difficult – I tried brushing it off twice, and then pressure washed it twice. The stain looked great when I applied it, but the results after drying are uneven. Can I apply a second coat to even out some of the light spots?
Best to not apply a second coat once the first coat has cured and only one coat for new wood. It would be better to leave as is and do a second coat in the Spring after a light wash.
What would’ve caused this issue? Getting ready to prep and stain 4mth old kiln dried pine for upcoming wedding. Definitely want to avoid this residue from cleaning ing problem and blotchy stain.
Over oxidation around the knots, etc during the prep and not rinsing all thoroughly. That would leave the wood in an uneven porous state.
Another question. The boards on our deck are about 2 inches wide, and there’s a slight gap between each one. How wide of a roller do we need to buy in order to cover the deck most efficiently? We were told by someone with experience that the best way to do it is with a roller just wide enough to do each board and to stain the sides of each board with hand brush because a roller can’t do that. But he also said it would a tremendous amount of work.
Do not apply with a roller if using the RAD semi-transparent stain. You can use a roller with the RAD Solid Stains. A normal 9″ roller will work with a solid stain. Use stain pads or brushes for the semi-transparent stain.
We have a deck that was built a few years ago. 3.5 months ago we had it power washed in preparation for staining. Do we still need to have it cleaned and brightened before staining? Also, how long can we expect the staining job to last before we need to re-do it?
Hi, your answers for proper prep and reapplication is in the above article.
Our deck was built in 2016 and stained with a water based semi-transparent stain that year. The stain hasn’t held up and we are looking for a product to apply to the old deck and the new addition we built in May 2019. We’ve been told the only way to blend the old with the new is to use a solid color stain- painters have recommended Sherwin Williams, which I am against due to all the negative reviews. Do you have any recommendations?
You can use our RAD Solid stain but might be best to wait until Spring as the wood still looks very virgin and it needs to dry out some more. Prep the new wood with the Cleaner/Brightener Kits. Strip off what you can of the old stain with the Stripper/Brightener Kits.
New pine deck installed in July 2018. Since it’s weathered for over a year, one coat or two?
Two light coats applied wet on wet.
We have a fairly large deck and would like to split the work cleaning and staining work over two weekends, rails one weekend, horizontal surfaces the next. Do we have to worry about any splash of the cleaner and/or brightener onto the surfaces that are already stained? Or are these products safe on newly stained wood?
You should prep all until done and then stain all until done within 2 weeks of prep.
I recently replaced some bad PT boards with new PT and sanded all remaining PT boards because they were splintered. I plan to use RAD cleaner & brightener, then stain with RAD semi-transparent. Two questions:
(1) Based on your article on new wood, I know just one coat for the new PT. Is one coat also OK for the newly-sanded PT?
(2) I may not be able to stain the same day or weekend as applying the cleaner/brightener. What’s the maximum number of days I can go before staining, after I apply the cleaner/brightener?
Thanks!
1. Yes. The new wood does need to season.
2. Two weeks.
I’m having to sand off old BEHR stain. Reading this article leads me to believe I need to wait 3-6 months before applying new stain. Winter starts here October 1.
Or is this advice only for brand new installation? I’d planned to use cleaner, brightener and RAD stain as soon as I finish sanding. Advice?
This article is for new wood. Sanded wood is different. Do not sand finer than 60-80 girt. Clean and Brighten after for final prep. Only one coat of stain for sanded wood.
New cedar deck addition is for a new hot tub – which we will install immediately. So, the ‘pad’ where the hot tub will sit needs stain immediately (can’t let sit as we do not want to wait 3-6 mos. for hot tub installation). This tub is sunken, so deck it sits on is 7′ x 7′ just for tub. Suggestions and anything else I should do to this pad like a varathane/lacquer overcoat? Once hot tub is installed – it won’t be moved again. It’s early August in the Co. Rockies.
Hi, you cannot stain immediately with RAD products. You can never cover a deck stain with a sealer or varnish. it will blister and peel. You actually do not even need to stain under the hot tub. No advantage. Deck stains like RAD are for exposed wood areas and protection.
I have an older deck made with PT pine. At the end of June I replaced some really bad boards with new PT pine, and sanded all the remaining ones because they were splintered. The sanding removed the oxidation/graying, mildew, dirt, etc. Here are my questions:
(1) Is 3 months long enough to wait before staining? That would put me into early October, when the weather here in northern Maryland should still be good enough to stain. If I have to wait much longer than that, I’ll probably have to wait until spring.
(2) Since the sanding left the wood looking almost new, I’m almost positive that in just 3 months it will still look that way (lots of sun and warm temps here in July, August, and September). If that’s the case, can I just stain without cleaning & brightening (after thoroughly blowing off all debris)? If not, why not?
(3) If I absolutely have to clean before staining, can I use water only, or a cleaner that doesn’t change the pH of the wood, so I don’t have to brighten?
(4) If there’s some light oxidation/graying in some small areas, how will that affect the stain: will it just not look as nice in those areas, or will it prevent the stain from penetrating properly, possibly causing it to peel or blister?
Thanks!
1. 3 Months should be good.
2. No, you have to clean and brighten the wood for final prep. It opens the pores after sanding so the stain can absorb better.
3. Yes, you need to brighten as well.
4. Both.
No doing all the proper steps could result in premature stain failure.
My deck was finished in late June. If I wait longer than late September, I will probably run out of sun here on the Pacific NW Coast. Should I prep and stain in September, or wait til spring? In the spring, would one coat be okay on new cedar and PT fir? Also, if I always use RAD, should I just clean rather than strip as prep? Many thanks!
Either September or Spring will work. Just one coat. Clean and recoat as needed.
We are using new cedar deck boards as a floor in our 3 season porch in Kansas – so the decking will actually be indoors. Can I still use a Restore-a-Finish solid stain indoors? Do I need to let the decking ‘weather’ for 3 months if it won’t be in the ‘weather’? Or do you have a better suggestion for a product to use?
You can use the RAD solid stain here. Yes, you should let it dry out.
Hello, I live in NC plan to paint my new Pressure Treated Pine deck (installed Feb ’19) with a solid color paint (Behr Waterproofing Stain & Sealer). Do I need to use Restore a Deck Cleaner and Brightener before I proceed with painting the deck? Thank you for your advice.
Yes, that is correct.
Do you suggest 6 months or 1 year for aging oily woods such as redwood be fore staining?
3-6 months.
Why do the instructions say to wait 48 hrs before staining after the using the brightener yet your web site instructions state you can stain the same day? Please elaborate on this.
48 hours is for other brands of deck stains. The RAD stain is same day if you want.
When my new deck was installed late October I was told the stamps would just wear off. Fast forward, they did not. I recently sanded the stamps off but now those areas are lighter. My question is will the cleaner/brightner even the color or at this point will I need to just sand the entire deck?
No, the cleaner will not even this spot sanding out. Either let it weather for a few months or sand it all evenly.
I see that rough sawn does not need to weather before applying stain. Would this mean that I could apply a transparent stain on a cedar pergola immediately after being milled and installed? And if so would I need to prep the wood before staining? Thx
If the new wood is rough sawn, you can stain without any prep right away.
I built a new con-hart redwood porch about 3 months ago, will wait another month, I plan on using the stripper/brighter and then your stain, would you suggest the natural On redwood? I want to keep the redwood color.
Cleaner, not stripper. Than brighten. The Natural is tinted and will enhance the grains similar to as if wet with water.
I have a new cedar fence and red wood deck 3 months old. I will be using the RAD cleaner and brightener. The brightener directions says to wait 48 hours before using the stain. The stain directions says that I can stain the same day.
Please clear up my confusion.
Thanks, Jerry
The 48 hours is for different brands of stain. The RAD stain can be the same day.
I have a cedar wood deck in Texas which was stained shortly after installation (new wood). I used Sikken’s semi-transparent stain the first time. I’ve since stripped and re-stained twice with TWC semi-transparent after using your stripper and brightener. We recently had a hail storm which completely ruined the appearance of the deck. I’ve since power washed the deck and most of the stain has come off. I now need to re-stain and I’m looking for advice. We have thus far had to re-stain every year or two. I plan to use your semi-transparent stain this time based on review at DeckStainHelp.com. Should I wait 2-3 months to allow the deck to weather before cleaning/brightening and re-staining or is the deck old enough to press ahead? (Deck has never gone long without some stain on it) I’d like to get more than a year or two before having to redo this again. Thanks for the advice!
You should not have to wait since this is older wood. Make sure you strip and brighten to remove all the TWP first.
Will the stain work if I used a different brand cleaner and brightener. Was going a different route and then due to the non-stop rain in the NE and online reviews have decided to use now use RAD stain but have already cleaned deck. Also deck is new was installed last summer and has been weathering since.
What brand of prep? Post a picture of prep if you can.
Product was Behr all in one cleaner and brightner and attached are some pictures. Note it’s been about 2 weeks since the prep process and I plan on rinsing it off again beore applying the stain. Also there is discoloration I couldn’t remove from a rug I had there year round.
The prep should be okay to stain with the RAD.
Thanks. I notice in some of of your other comments that you mention applying only one coat for new wood less than 9 months. What if it’s weathered for over a year, should I apply two coats?
Yes.
On our deck, we have fir 8 inch beams and columns that we want to stain with solid stain. They have been up for about 6 months now. They have some rough spots that could use some sanding. Can I sand them and then apply the stain? What is the sequence? Sand, clean, brighten or clean, brighten, sand? i have a glulam roof beam too that I would like to put semi-transparent stain on. It really could use a good sanding. It’s an architectural feature of the house that goes from outside to inside. Thanks
Lightly sand, yes. Not heavy power sanding. Lightly clean, sand, brighten, then stain.
Thanks. You guys are great! Helpful too 🙂
Welcome!
Can you tell me what lightly clean means? I have the RAD cleaner. Do I need to power wash it off? Thanks.
Yes, pressure wash off but not at excessively high pressure.
My deck it is one year old , never been stained or painted , which Restore -A-deck stain u recommend ,i have 900 sq ft !how much i need ? Thank you
Use the RAD Semi-transparent stain and the Cleaner/Brightener Kits. You will need about 8-10 gallons for 2 coats: https://www.restore-a-deck.com/restore-a-deck-stain-combo-kits.html
I built a new deck with kdat pressure treated pine three weeks ago. I was planning on sanding before staining/sealing. Should I sand after cleaning/brightening and right before staining or can I sand anytime ahead of cleaning/brightening/staining process?
Sanding is not suggested as it could hinder the stain’s ability to soak into the wood. Just clean and brighten for prep.
I just finished staining the deck. While staining the horizontal planks some stain dripped down the onto the already stained and dried frame and dried before I could rub it off. Now there are large drops of stain on one of the boards. Is there a way to remove the dried up drops of stain? Can I lightly sand the drop to remove it? What is my best course of action?
Sanding would be the easiest thing to do.
I installed a cedar fence 6 weeks ago and cleaned the wood with Rocksold Deck&Patio cleaner 2 weeks ago, before discovering your highly recommended products.
I’m planning to use RAD semi-transparent cedar, but after reading several posts suspect there is additional prep required? (1) Is the full RAD new wood treatment still needed?
(2) Is next week too early to stain my cedar fence? 2 months old.
I live in San Diego and it has rained since I cleaned the fence, but anticipating sunny skies for next several weeks.
Your wood is rough sawn. It can be stained now. No more prep is needed.
Outstanding! Thank you.
Post some pictures when done in our contest: https://www.restore-a-deck.com/Deck-Cleaning-Reviews-and-Tips/restore-a-deck-prep-stain-contest-2019.html
Good morning
we have a 10’x16’ new, covered porch we would like to use your cleaner, brightener, and stain. 14 steps, 3’ high rail, app 33’ of railing
What are your questions?
How much product do I need?
thank you
What is the total sq footage when all added up that needs to be cleaned and stained?
I replaced 3 rotted boards (not in sequence) with pressure treated wood a week ago and plan to strip, brighten, and stain the rest of the deck over the next two weeks. Any tips on how to handle those 3 new boards?
Leave them alone for now or plan on applying and prepping another coat to the new wood in 6-12 months since they are not ready for stain yet.
Thanks for your response. I admire how much attention you folks give to the questions/posts your customers bring to you. Here’s another:
We applied your stripper (with booster and thickener) and brightener to our deck and here’s the result. We’re contemplating a second round. The vertical surfaces are tough (they had pretty solid coverage whereas the decking was already flaking). Any thoughts on how to proceed? Thank you!
You have a solid stain and the stripper is not designed to remove a solid stain even with the additives. While it did remove much of it, you will need a couple more rounds of stripping and some sanding to get it all off.
Hi there. I prepped and stained the deck this weekend and looks pretty good. Think I maybe didn’t apply the stain evenly or was too hot and i missed a couple or areas and between the boards. Should I touch up now or will this cause an issue with the already stained areas? Thanks for your help.
Best to leave as is.
We have a cedar deck that was installed one year ago in June 2018, but has not yet been treated in any way. 1) Do we do the clean, brighten, and stain regimen for this? 2) One or two coats of semi-transparent natural? 3) Do we do the same for the cedar posts and PT horizontal rails? 4) We have vertical black aluminum tubes between the top and bottom rail. Will the cleaner or brightener harm them?
1. Yes, that is correct.
2. One coat of new wood.
3. Yes.
4. Shouldn’t but always do a test spot first.
I have a PT deck replaced 18 months ago in GA. Plan to wash and brighten but would this deck still be considered ‘new’ after 18 months? Asking if I should follow new deck instructions.
Not new at 18 months.
I just noticed the following in your instructions: “Only 1 coat should be applied to new wood that is less than 9 months old for the RAD semi-transparent stain.” My unfinished deck was built nearly a year ago. Since I’m past the 9 months do I need another coat. I just ordered enough for 1 coat.
Just 1 coat will be good.
I have a red cedar deck in Western Oregon, with full sun and rain exposure. I replaced some boards last year – they are untreated, clean, and grey from Winter. I just replaced the rest of the boards, so they are brand new. I want to stain transparent or semi-transparent, and want the old and new boards to be uniform in appearance/color after it’s done. What’s the best approach?
1) Let the deck rest for 3-6 months, then treat and stain.
2) Something else?
Thanks!
1. Yes you do have to weather and prep.
2. It is impossible to have new wood match older wood exactly with a semi-transparent stain. The new wood will always be lighter in color as it is less absorbent.
I installed a new redwood deck last week and would like a transparent stain to protect the deck from water, sun, and keep it looking new. I want the natural redwood look. I have a few questions:
1) What product would you recommend?
2) Can I apply the product immediately?
3) Do I need to do any special prep work?
See this about new wood: https://www.restore-a-deck.com/Deck-Cleaning-Reviews-and-Tips/restore-a-deck-stain-for-new-wood.html
Use the RAD semi-transparent stain in Natural color.
I want to use RAD semi-transparent stain for a lodge pole pine log cabin we just completed. The logs are untreated and have been exposed to the weather for 3 – 6 months. We have had heavy rains recently. Do I need to wait until the logs are visibly dry to begin the prep? Will adding an insecticide additive such as Bug Juice alter the performance of the stain? The carpenter bees are attacking! Terri Sherwood
No, you can prep now. The Bug Juice does not harm the stain.
My deck is pine approx 600sq 2 years old. Verticals posts are cedar. Never been treated. How much stain do you think I need. 1 or two coats. If two, how long after applying should I do the second.
Apologies as I am sure you have answered this dozens of times.
For 2 coats applied wet on wet, about 6 gallons for a two-year-old deck. It is applied wet on wet: https://www.restore-a-deck.com/Deck-Cleaning-Reviews-and-Tips/restore-a-deck-stain-wet-on-wet-application.html