[french_guy]

Hello
My deck needs to be restained
It's pressure treated lumber (3 years old) and it was stained by a company something like 8 months later (they used TWP)
I don't think it was properly done though (1st job faded out quickly, so they came within 1 year under the warranty to reapply a coat, but without washing the deck)
Anyway, I will try to do it myself this year
I DO NOT WANT to sand though
What cleaner and brightener would you recommend?
What stain (I might go solid color) would you recommend?
My plan is:
-) Spray cleaner and scrub the deck
-) Rinse (only water from garden hose or pressure washer)?
-) Apply brightener ...Should I scrub as well?
-) Rinse (only water from garden hose or pressure washer)?
-) Apply stain with foam pad on a pole, or should i use a bruch?

Thanks

 

[SPS-1]

I just finished cleaning and staining my deck.

I recommend Penofin deck cleaner. But its ingredients is same as Oxyclean, so I buy generic oxyclean at a fraction of the price. I keep one empty tub of the Penofin just to remind me of the mixing strength (1 cup to 3 gallons hot water --- but I always mix it stronger). Spray on with a pump sprayer. Let it sit. Don't let it dry. You can either scrub hard with a stiff brush and garden hose it off, or scrub lightly and pressure wash it off. Really, the hard scrubbing works better, but I am getting too old for that s&%t. My decking is hard wood, so I have less concern about damaging the wood. Be careful with pressure washer on PT.

Brightener does not really brighten, but it restores the PH to the wood, so I use it. Should scrub. You can use hose to wash it off.

I use a brush to apply stain. But suppose just follow manufacturer's instructions.

 

[french_guy]

I just finished cleaning and staining my deck.

I recommend Penofin deck cleaner. But its ingredients is same as Oxyclean, so I buy generic oxyclean at a fraction of the price. I keep one empty tub of the Penofin just to remind me of the mixing strength (1 cup to 3 gallons hot water --- but I always mix it stronger). Spray on with a pump sprayer. Let it sit. Don't let it dry. You can either scrub hard with a stiff brush and garden hose it off, or scrub lightly and pressure wash it off. Really, the hard scrubbing works better, but I am getting too old for that s&%t. My decking is hard wood, so I have less concern about damaging the wood. Be careful with pressure washer on PT.

Brightener does not really brighten, but it restores the PH to the wood, so I use it. Should scrub. You can use hose to wash it off.

I use a brush to apply stain. But suppose just follow manufacturer's instructions.

Thanks.....what is your "preferred" stain brand?
Also, I was thinking going solid color......

 

[SPS-1]

My deck is not pressure treated, so I can't rally suggest what would work best for your situation.

 

[lenaitch]

I just finished cleaning and staining my deck.

I recommend Penofin deck cleaner. But its ingredients is same as Oxyclean, so I buy generic oxyclean at a fraction of the price. I keep one empty tub of the Penofin just to remind me of the mixing strength (1 cup to 3 gallons hot water --- but I always mix it stronger). Spray on with a pump sprayer. Let it sit. Don't let it dry. You can either scrub hard with a stiff brush and garden hose it off, or scrub lightly and pressure wash it off. Really, the hard scrubbing works better, but I am getting too old for that s&%t. My decking is hard wood, so I have less concern about damaging the wood. Be careful with pressure washer on PT.

Brightener does not really brighten, but it restores the PH to the wood, so I use it. Should scrub. You can use hose to wash it off.

I use a brush to apply stain. But suppose just follow manufacturer's instructions.

Hardwood? Were you mentioned in somebody's will? :devil3:

 

[Gymschu]

I've become the grumpy old man when it comes to staining decks. After 42 years, I'm giving up on doing them. Nothing lasts for more than 2 years no matter how impeccable the prep is and no matter the price and/or quality of the coating you choose. I've tried Cabot, SW, Olympic, CWF from Flood, TWP, Deckscapes from SW.......the list goes on and on. It will frustrate you to no end. You will spend countless hours doing the recommended prep. You will spend even more hours applying stain. Two years later, you will be doing it all again.

 

[french_guy]

I've become the grumpy old man when it comes to staining decks. After 42 years, I'm giving up on doing them. Nothing lasts for more than 2 years no matter how impeccable the prep is and no matter the price and/or quality of the coating you choose. I've tried Cabot, SW, Olympic, CWF from Flood, TWP, Deckscapes from SW.......the list goes on and on. It will frustrate you to no end. You will spend countless hours doing the recommended prep. You will spend even more hours applying stain. Two years later, you will be doing it all again.

Out of those you listed, there must be one better than the others, no?

 

[ZTMAN]

I agree with Gymschu about deck stain products.

I resigned myself to staining our deck surface once a year. Railings seem to be good for four to five years.

I found what I think is a fast and easy way to do it. I put the stain in a cheap pump sprayer, take of the nozzel and apply the stain to the boards, then use a pad to spread. I do three or four boards at a time the full length of the deck to keep a wet edge. If you have someone that can help you, one pumps, one spreads, job is done in no time.

Rollers never really suited me because I had a concrete patio under the deck and the stain could drip through the spacing with a roller.

I would not over think, just get out there and stain.

 

[Gymschu]

Out of those you listed, there must be one better than the others, no?

My go-to for years was CWF-UV from flood. Although technically it's a "toner" not a stain, it gave the wood a beautiful, rich, warm look. It generally lasted at least 3 or 4 years. Loved it. Easy to apply (wet on wet application) and then easy to re-apply, it was the best alternative for the type of customers I work for. The last 2 or 3 times I've used it, well, results aren't any better than Thompson's water seal which is absolute garbage. I do immaculate prep and always follow the instructions. I was ashamed of these jobs after going back less than a year later. One deck was COVERED, very little sun hit it. It should have looked like new for many years. The coating was nearly weathered completely off! Deck was almost black. I just couldn't believe. I'm sure the likely cause is that they cheapened the product without anyone's knowledge, and, as usual, the poor painter takes the brunt of the complaints.

 

[mark sr]

I still like the look of CWF. I applied a double coat on my deck a few months after building it and it lasted 2-3 yrs. After 3 yrs I cleaned and applied another double coat [wet on wet] and within a few months it turned black with mildew I stripped it the next year and only applied one coat. That was a yr ago and it still looks good. My deck has morning sun and afternoon shade.

 

[Gymschu]

I still like the look of CWF. I applied a double coat on my deck a few months after building it and it lasted 2-3 yrs. After 3 yrs I cleaned and applied another double coat [wet on wet] and within a few months it turned black with mildew I stripped it the next year and only applied one coat. That was a yr ago and it still looks good. My deck has morning sun and afternoon shade.

@mark sr, which means only one thing.......they watered down the great formula that worked for years. So frustrating. I have a customer who did his own deck. He used Australian Timber Oil and loved it. It had the look CWF gives you, yet again, I think he told me he re-did it every other year.

 

[french_guy]

I was looking at different websites, and found some reviews such as "What is the best deck stain" or something like that
It seems Armstrong Clark is a good oil stain
They recommend to use a stain stripper first, then brightener....I understand the brightener is to neutralize the stain stripper, but....is a stain stripper really necessary? Can a pressure wash clean the deck good enough, with the help of oxiclean mix?

 

[SPS-1]

Can a pressure wash clean the deck good enough, with the help of oxiclean mix?

Yes.

When I "clean" as written in earlier post, it actually removes a lot of the old stain. I put down tarps around the perimeter of my deck when doing this, to avoid staining the paving stones with all the stain run-off.

 

[Jtce]

Out of those you listed, there must be one better than the others, no?

Cabot is the best I have used in solid stain. I did a deck almost five years ago with Cabot solid stain and it still looks pretty good. But any stain or paint you buy today will most likely not be the same stuff from a year or two ago. As paint manufactures constantly reformulate their products. But Gymschu is right. Two years is about all you will get on semi transparent, less with clear. Depending on how much sun and traffic the deck gets, you could get far less time than that.

 

[french_guy]

Any opinion on Armstrong Clark stains?