Should i strip my deck before restaining

Note: A light sanding using 60 to 80 grit may be necessary after cleaning or stripping if the surface grain lifts or feels furry. Different Manufacturer Even wear Use cleaner on decking and recoat Strip the planking and stain Use a cleaner and apply new stain Strip, brighten, and apply new stain Uneven wear Strip boards, brighten, and apply stain Strip deck, brighten, and stain Apply a cleaner to deck and then stain Apply a stripper to deck, brightener, and then stain Absorbs water and graying Use cleaner, brighten decking, and restain Strip and brighten planking, and stain Use a cleaner and stain Use a stripper, brightener, and then stain Peeling and flaking in traffic areas Strip peeling areas, cleaner whole deck, stain Strip the boards and apply stain Remove peeling stain, use cleaner, and stain Strip, brighten, stain Embedded dirt Use cleaner.

If still dirty, strip and apply stain Strip the deck and stain Use a cleaner and apply stain Use a stripper, brightener, and apply stain Faded or sun bleached, and absorbs water Use cleaner, brighten boards, and apply stain Strip boards, brighten, and apply stain Use a cleaner and apply stain Strip old off, brighten, and apply new stain How to Prepare a Deck for Restaining Before applying a cleaner, stripper, or restaining a deck, there are several steps to take.

Some are important for the task at hand, and some are for domestic harmony and safety. Preparing a deck for staining is different from spring cleaning, although there are some similarities. Take the time to read reviews about different stains and spend the money on a premium product to get top-notch results.

Read the instructions and check the temperature range and drying times. Check the forecast, will there be time for one or two applications to dry before a heavy dew or rainfall. Is there enough time to complete one coat before something or someone requires your time? Finally, take your time — a hurried job frequently means more spills, splashes, and missed spots — more time. Restaining a deck not only improves its look but can add years of enjoyment to its use.

Any quality brand will work:. Sand with grit. Deck was built in May and stain applied in Nov North Carolina. A painter power-washed the deck and applied a new coat of Cape Cod in April The deck now needs maintenance.

We recently sanded the deck in the areas it needed it most and pressure washed it. Now, we have some places the stain is great — no peeling, still semi-solid and water just sits on the surface. In other places the stain is gone or spotty not really peeling off and water readily absorbs. Before we re-apply more semi-solid stain, should we: 1. Apply a cleanser and brightener 2. Apply a stripper and brightener 3. Sand the entire deck and apply a cleanser and brightener?

Or some other combination? If switching brands you will have to remove the TWP. Sand and strip. Otherwise clean and brighten unless the stain has worn unevenly. That would require stripping and or sanding to remove.

Hello, I have spent the entire day trying to get some answers but the big box stores give mixed into. My deck is 5 years old. I stained it with Olympic transparent canyon brown. The rails and post still look good but the flooring is faded and cracking. Can I clean it and reapply the same stuff or do I have to strip and sand it. This resulted in almost immediate peeling 6 years ago after we stained the deck and has gotten worse over the years. I pressure washed the deck for the first time last Fall and I want to properly clean and re-stain the deck in the coming weeks.

The pressure washing last Fall removed a lot of the old stain on the deck floor itself. What type of deck stain solid, semi-transparent etc do you recommend for my situation dogs, lots of sun exposure? I really hope I can avoid sanding. I will attach pics to this as well so you can see the condition of the deck. No stain will be immune to wear and tear from dogs. So no need to strip or sand anything? Why do you recommend solid over another semi-transparent?

Thanks so much for the quick reply. What you have on there now is already a solid stain in appearance and performance. It is not a semi-transparent Olympic lies about this and therefore you are stuck with a solid or you will have to sand it all of if you want to go to a semi-trans.

I bought TWP to redo. Do I really need to strip? I was just going to clean with a all in one cleaner and brightened. Will this be ok? We have restrained it in the past.

I like the look of the wood now. With this age of deck, can we just apply a clear sealer? Also, will new stain even penetrate if there is still old stain on the surface? If being able to see the wood grain is a priority, would I need to strip the old each time before restaining?

If it wears evenly and is a penetrating stain, then you can clean and recoat. If it wears unevenly then best to strip and brighten for prep othweise it will look blotchy in color. We do not use the Flood anymore since they changed formulas so not sure if repeated coats will penetrate or not. Doubt it. We have a 4 year old deck that I built and had someone else apply a Sherwin Williams Semi-Transparent sealer.

After years the sealer started to peel in a few spots, and then this year kept getting worse. Next step is some sanding of benches etc. Any recommendations, do all old sealants have to be stripped before applying new, or can some just be laid right over the top? Also, the original stain was applied after months at least, so in theory the Pressure Treating chemicals on the surface should have weathered off.?.? Thanks again, for any guidance! Once all of the SW is removed, you want a penetrating semi-transparent stain that can be cleaned and reapplied as needed:.

Reply Jacob Stigleman 2 years ago Is there a difference between deck stripper and paint stripper? I have a deck thats been painted and have been using deck stripper and a pressure washer to get try to get the paint off.

But its really not working. Yes, very different. Deck stain strippers will not remove a paint or solid color deck stain. Paint strippers do not work much better but let us know if you succeed. I have a very large levels, stairs, bannisters etc redwood deck that has been untreated and sun bleached and drenched for decades. If unstained, clean and brighten for prep. I recently stained my deck with twp series and shortly after it rained 7 hours now I have water spots as well as some running stain areas and spots where the stain has pooled.

I was told by a twp rep to strip, brighten and reapply. I would rather sand, clean, and re apply. Can you tell me the difference between stripping freshly applied stain vs sanding? It is fairly easy to strip TWP. Sanding is a lot more work. If you sand, do not sand finer than 80 grit. I used it 3 yrs ago and has about faded completely.

Do I have to strip the deck? Or can I simply pressure wash and reapply the stain? So it sounds like a brightener will only work if I use a chemical cleaner or strip it? If switching brands, you will need to strip and brighten the wood.

If staying with the Super Deck, clean and brighten. I have sanded and scraped all the old color stain off my red cedar railings do I need to put a primer on it before I put new color stain on it? Our deck is about 6 years old. We stained it approx 5 years ago with a Behr semi-transparent stain.

We are using the exact same stain as we did previously. Do we also need to use a brightener to neutralize since we did use a stripper in some areas? I stripped and sanded our deck and now will brighten before using Armstrong Clark semi transparent stain. First, is it okay to stain the new boards now or do I have to wait a period of time and two what prep should be done to the new boards assuming I can stain them now?

Technically you are supposed to wait but since it is just a few boards we would go ahead and do it. Staining A New Deck 4. It has peeled in some areas and just overall worn out in others. Any suggestions? Can I just used a solid stain over it or a darker transparent? Options are to strip it or sand it down if switching brands of semi-transparent or cover what you have with a solid stain.

I put in a new cedar deck last summer. Avoid cutting the surface of the wood. Follow this by a quick peeling of the tape. If you see flakes of the stain on the tape, you will have to strip your deck before you restain. You can use paint strippers for wood to remove the stains. If previously you used a semi transparent deck stain in the coating of your deck, you need first to clean it thoroughly and allow it to dry in the air for four hours or more.

Follow the above procedure by pouring a small amount of water on areas of high traffic of the deck as well as areas that see less traffic. If you notice the water remains in a puddle then starts to absorb into the wood in 10 minutes or less, then it means the layer has worn off enough for you to restain without necessarily stripping.

Staining a previously stained wooden deck surface is a process that involves steps. It would help if you got these steps right for you to end up with the best finish possible on your projects.

It is the very first and the most essential step towards achieving a perfect restaining. It would be best if you cleaned the deck. If, by chance, you are a pressure washer for the cleaning, begin the process from the corner as you move across the deck, make multiple passes over every section in the process. After you are through, allow the deck to dry for 72 hours. And they must handle foot traffic. Two double whammys. No way is a 2-year "sealer" going to ever last more than 2 years and I would honestly say one year is all you should ever expect.

Good Sealers? There is one on the market now that is showing some promise and is originates from Australia where they have sunshine and temperatures even higher than Texas. It is called Cutek. I would check this out. Stripping The Deck? Truthfully, if you want a sealer to do the job properly and if it was acrylic you should strip it off. Otherwise you are layering more on top of some areas which are barely adhered to the decking anyway.

The reason I like what I have seen so far with Cutek is that is penetrates deep into the wood like an oil - I belive it may indeed be partially made of oils - and it seems to last a long time. Here is my deck after a tough winter. And then after sanding - but not stripping completely - but applying a very thin second coat of Behr 2-year semi-transparent acrylic deck stain. It still doesn't look great because the deck was not completely stripped.

But the second coat has withstood the following winter. Other Professionals - Please Share Your Experience I have just shared my personal experience and it is limited but it is real. I know there are lots of very seasoned builders and contractors in different parts of the country who are steeped in experience. Tell us what you have found and help our visitor out. Click here to post comments.

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