How to Apply Restore-A Deck Semi-Transparent Wood Stain with wet on wet application
Applying your Restore-A-Deck Semi-Transparent Wood Stain easily to exterior wood is a reality thanks to advancements in wood stain technology. It should be noted that there is a technique for applying to exterior wood for best results. This is called wet on wet application. Following this wet on wet application guideline is recommended when you wish to apply a second coat of stain on top of your first coat of stain before the first coat has completely dried or cured. This allows for fewer issues to arise over the drying period for a perfect, clean, finished product.
Our recommended guidelines for wet on wet stain application:
- Always properly prep your wood surface first with Restore-A-Deck Cleaner or Restore-A-Deck Stripper followed by Restore-A-Deck Brightener.
- Hot sun application tips: Restore-A-Deck Stain Hot Sun Application
- Start with vertical surfaces first, such as railings. Make sure horizontal and other surfaces are protected from excess paint. After the first coat is complete, apply a light second coat to the top of the railing only between 20 minutes to 1 hour after the first coat has been applied.
- Repeat this process for all benches or vertical structures.
- Once all vertical surfaces are stained, apply one coat of Restore-A-Deck Semi-Transparent Wood Stain to flooring and horizontal surfaces, ensuring the entire floor is covered.
- Reapply a second light coat 20 minutes to an hour after the first coat has been applied to all flooring and horizontal areas.
- Note that it is ok to walk on the first coat of stain even if it has not dried completely, but take precautions to not step in your second coat of stain to ensure a smooth finish.
Some final tips:
- Only apply 1 coat to new wood. Skip the second coat, you won’t need it. See here for tips on new wood: Restore-A-Deck Stain and New Wood
- Wear shoes and clothes you do not care about getting the stain on. It’s bound to happen.
- Apply the coats quickly to ensure you are not overlapping
- Only apply 1 overall coat to vertical surfaces while horizontal surfaces may require 2
- Avoid excessive application, filming of the stain may occur
- It is recommended to use the Restore-A-Deck Semi-Transparent Stain with the Restore-A-Deck Stain Brush, stain pad applicator, brush, or sprayer. If using the Restore-A-Deck Solid Stain, use a hand brush, roller, or airless sprayer.
If you need Restore-A-Deck Semi-Transparent Wood Stain application help, feel free to post a comment. If you have any suggestions or tips we are not mentioning, we want to hear from you. Leave a review including pictures of your finished product and indicate how well the project has been holding up over time.
Hello, bought your semi-transparent RAD stain. After I apply it and it dries, will it bead up rainwater so it doesn’t soak into the wood like a sealer? Is that how it protects the wood from getting wet and rotting? Thank you
High quality deck stains like the RAD stains are not designed to 100% seal the wood and bead water but rather “shed” water. You need the stain to be able to breathe as 100% sealing creates internal dry rot. The need to bead water is a misconception.
I have power washed and brightened our 10 yr. redwood deck. Planning on staining tomorrow which is the 2nd day after brightner was applied. Deck is in sun from 8am to 6pm in various stages as the sun travels across. I have a RAD semi-transparent stain and wondering if I follow directions for direct sun or wet on wet? I need to do 2 coats due to age of deck but the sun will be moving locations during the process. Also, how long do I wait to apply the 2nd coat in these circumstances?
Dampen the deck with water first and then apply 2 light coats wet on wet.
Can I use RAD prep one day, than apply RAD brightner and stain the next day
It is best to use the Cleaner and then Brightener on the same day. If you stain the next day, you can apply to dry or damp wood:
https://www.restore-a-deck.com/how-to-restore-a-deck-stain-to-damp-wood
I have a new pressure treated pine deck and will stain in a few months with RAD products. Chemical Cleaning and brightening is required for the initial coat. Is chemical cleaning and brightening recommended for all future applications? Or is scrubbing/power washing enough?
You always need to use the prep products while lightly pressure washing when recoating.
I apply RAD stain maintainance coat, every two years, clean, brighten, stain. Unexpectantly a thunderstorm popped up 10 hours after application. How do I tell if efforts were successful or do I need to start over?
It should be fine. If affected, you would see water spots about the size of a quarter. Check after the rain water dries off.
drying time for solid stain to walk on
1-3 hours.
What will remove RAD semitransparent stain that has dried on downspouts and roof trim on the facia boards?
Try a water-based grafitti remover like Goof Off.
I started my RAD project in mid April with all the vertical boards and 6×6 beams that support the deck. I then sanded with 60 grit orbital hand sander to remove the feathered wood. Unfortunately, weather and travel interrupted the project and I have not been able to stay in the two week intervals you have suggested. The original finish after the deck was built was a Behr stain that lasted less than a year after application. We then put down an Olympic semi-transparent oil based stain that also last a short period of time, ~ 2 yrs Last fall I began to sand the deck surface. This spring after reading multiple sites and reviews, your Restore-A-Deck products were the most consistently highly rated for deck restoration.
I started with the Stripper, Booster, and Thickening Gel. It has taken multiple coats to strip the vertical posts and deck steps, and still required sanding using the 60 grit sanding pads to get the Olympic stain off. The vertical support beams are having to be sanded to remove the stain.
I am now out 2 months on the project. I have to work on ladders because of the deck height from the ground, and am 75 y/o. I need to order additional Stripper, Booster, and Thickener to finish the deck surface and the remaining vertical wood surfaces. I have the Brightener, and 10 gallons of the semi-transparent stain.
Questions:
Thank you for your assistance.
Outside of doing what you are doing, there is not anything that can be done to make it stronger or more efficient. You could try the RAD PaintStrip for the difficult to remove areas. We do have test samples if you want to try it here:
https://www.restore-a-deck.com/rad-paint-solid-stain-stripper-sample-size.html
No time is needed after sanding to brighten. Brighten all wood after stripping and or sanding.
If you use an airless sprayer to apply RAD semi-transparent stain to vertical walls should you back brush as you apply or, just spray without back brushing? Is 1 coat usually sufficient on walls or should I plan on 2 coats? Thanks, Mike
You should always back brush verticals to catch any drips or runs and to ensure an even application of spraying. Most likley 2 coats wet on wet. Spray a section and then have someone back brush a light second coat within 20 minutes. Don’t forget to enter our contest when done:
https://www.restore-a-deck.com/restore-a-deck-prep-stain-contest-2024
I have a large deck, will strip and brighten one day and stain the next. Should the wood be damp when staining? It states reapply 2nd coat 20-60 minutes after the first. Should I apply the first and second coat in sections if I cannot reapply the 2nd coat within an hour?
RAD stains can be applied to damp or dry wood but we find that damp can be easier You should be able to apply the first coat to the flooring within an hour and then apply the second right after.
Around 7-8 years ago I had a deck constructed from pressure treated pine. I allowed the deck to go for a tad over a year before applying a Baer solid tinted stain, around June. This was done approximately 6 years ago. The following Winter, after the snow melted the deck was flaking and peeling. It was then stripped about 4 years ago, using a diamond bit disc. Once stripped it was stained using “Ready Seal.” The Ready Seal finish was recently power washed and appears to have been completely removed from the deck boards. Questions as follows.
(1) Do I need to use any of the following prior to staining (Cleaner, Stripper, Brightener), or can I simply do one more power wash? It is my opinion that the stripping, using the diamond encrusted disc, probalby somewhat closed the pours in the wood, which made removing the Ready Seal stain much easier.
(2) Prior to staining with one of your semi transparent stains, would it be more effective to dampen the deck with water prior to staining? One or two coats? And should staining be done on an overcast day, or approaching evening when the house has completely shaded the deck?
(3) Once the stain dries and cures, is it safe to seal the deck with something like a Thompsons Water Seal. I have a large dog and during the rainy season, and fall months, she tends to track mud onto the deck, which I ultimately is tracked into the house by me from the tires on my wheelchair. My objective is to do the deck in such a way that I can use the garden hose to spray off any dirt she has brought onto the deck. It seemed that despite the Ready Seal claiming to be a stain with a sealer, dirt and mud was absorbed into the wood.
1. Based on your picture, we would clean and brighten to get rid of some of the white/graying you have. RS is very easy to remove as it never cures. That is why it comes off.
2. If using the RAD Stains, it is easier to apply to a damp deck. Same if not in direct sun.
3. No, you can never top coat over a deck stain. It will not work and it create issues when trying to fix.
Thank you for your prompt reply. My nightmare is the dog tracking dirt and mud al over the deck, which ultimately I track into the house and then spend an inordinate amout of time trying to clean the dirt and tracks off my hardwood floors. Are RAD stained decks easily cleaned to remove dirt, and mud? It seesm that the Ready Seal simple absorbed it and hosing off with a garden hose was innefective. How would I go about cleaning the deck once I have stained it? Thanks again.
Unfortunately, no stain is immune to this, can you do anything additional to prevent this? The issue with cleaning a deck stain in between reapplications is that if the cleaning is too aggressive, it will degrade the stain over time, and it could fail faster.
If it’s just minor dirt, we suggest warm water and some dish soap, but heavy mud or ground dirt will not just clean off without potentially damaging a deck stain.
I have a 25 year old deck and just used the semi-transparent stain with the wet on wet technique, going over everything twice while wet. However, the deck floorboards are patchy in some places. Can I apply another layer of stain now, to even it out?
No. It will not take a 3rd coat right now. It will most likely even out over the next few weeks. You can lightly clean and recoat next Spring.
Hi, I used RAD system restore my deck two years ago and was happy with the result. Now the deck has some mildew and pretty bad grayish color. Here are my questions:
Thanks a lot!
The mold is on top of your stain. No deck stain can prevent mold or mildew on top of the coating. Just one coat should be sufficient. The older stain should be okay to use.
How much semi transparent stain is required for 450 sqft machine sanded pt deck with wood rails and spindles on two sides. Only one coat for machine sanded?
Please add in the railings, stairss, etc into the total sq. footage for a proper total amount.
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.
That would be 648. Thanks
One coat since you sanded. We would suggest one 5-gallon of the stain.
After prep with stain stripper and brightener Should Armstrong and Clark stain be applied wet on wet if two coats are desired
Yes, that is correct.
After use of paint stripper do I need brightener before applying semi solid stain
Yes, we do suggest it.
Do I treat my decks rim
boards like railings or deck boards?
Not sure what you mean by “rim”. Can you post a picture in the comments?
Hi there,
I’ve got a 30 year old Douglas Pine deck that hasn’t been maintained. (See pics)
Do I
A: Sand and apply Semi Transparent stain?
B: Sand and apply brightener then the stain?
C: Strip, then apply stain
D: Strip, Brightener, Stain?
TIA
You need to sand or use our RAD PainStrip to remove it. Brighten after.
Hello There ~ I cleaned, brightened, and stained with semi-transparent in the spring of 2023. I’d like to hit it again with another coat now after a VT summer and winter. Do I need to brighten or simply apply the cleaner?
Thanks.
Clean and then brighten.
I have the semi-transparent RAD stain. I’ve already bought a roller brush. Can i use that even though its not sold stain?
Rollers do not work very well with our semi-transparent stain. It splatters and is hard to get on evenly. Use a stain pad or brush.
I put 2 coats on wet wood. Can i put a third coat on after the second coat dries?
No. More is not better and the wood will not take a 3rd coat.