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first time restaining a deck

2K views 6 replies 7 participants last post by  CaptRandy 
#1 ·
Hello,

I am in OH and my medium size deck needs restained. I think it's regular pressure-treated wood with a reddish stain. The water is not beading up on the barer spots so I am assuming it needs to be sealed, too.

I was thinking of just using a long brush/broom for cleaning/brightening. I don't have a tank sprayer or a power washer and don't want to use one if I don't have to.


- I want to go with a semi transparent stain, this would also be the sealer ?

- I should stick with paint stores regarding the stain purchase, right ?

- I can just stain over existing stain if going darker ? There is still a moderate amount of reddish color remaining.

- Is 48 hours of drying time in 70-80 degrees temps long enough to dry before staining ?


I will keep checking out the site. I can post some pics if this would help. Thanks in advance for any advice.
 
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#2 ·
If your not willing to put in the right prep work the end result will suffer.
A pump sprayer is only about $15.00 and can be used for other projects, and any rental place or Home Depot can rent you a pressure washer.
 
#3 ·
Prep is the most important job. Rent a pressure washer and make sure and let it dry for a few days before starting your project. Sherwin Williams sells a great deck stain. If you are going with a semi-transparent stain the original color may still show through. I would brush on but that's just me. You have more control with a brush. I did my deck last fall with a full color stain. It looks great. Good luck
 
#4 ·
Sorry, I'm going to disagree with using a pressure washer to clean wood. They are great for masonry but unless you are very skilled with the wand you will do more harm than good.

Incorrect pressure washing strips away the soft layers in the wood grain while leaving the hard ones behind. If you've ever been barefoot on a really old dock, you know how sharp those hard ridges can get.

Deck brightener cleaner, with a stiff brush is the better choice.

IMHO
 
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#5 ·
"All stain jobs eventually get painted." That's something I have quoted for years from an old-timer back when. (When I lived in Ohio) Re-staining a stained deck with a semi-transparent will produce uneven results. How stainable are the unworn areas, hmmm? A good quality solid-color stain should be considered for a good-looking even finish,
 
#6 ·
You will need to strip the existing stain using a sodium hydroxide based deck stripper. Then apply citralic or oxlic acid to neutralize and restore the ph balance. This step will also brighten the wood. You can use a pressure washer, but you really don't want to use much more than about 800psi or less. You lower the pressure by adjusting the unloader and/or by using a larger orifice nozzle. If your washer does not have an adjustable unloader you will need to use a larger orifice nozzle. Apply the stain with a brush.
 
#7 ·
Unless you know what the original stain is you must strip the deck the4n neutralize before you apply a new sealer. If you don not do the proper prep be prepared for your work to fail. There is absolutely noting wrong with power washing a deck. Keep the wand at least 15" from the wood and go with the grain in long even sweeps pulling away at the end of your sweep.
Study up on sealers and do not believe everything the paint jockeys in the paint stores tell you. They sell product not apply and reapply product on a daily basis. Drying time is not by days but when the moisture content reaches a certain %. I require 12% max moisture with a moisture meter before I will apply any sealer. I apply the sealer with a 3/4" nap roller and a brush always keeping a wet edge. Best sealers are Ready Seal and Armstrong Clark.
 
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