[Timborooni]

Hello Everyone,...this is my first post in this forum.

I have a customer(a neighbor actually) who recently had a deck installed. The wife wanted to surprise the husband. So, she went and bought some Behr Premium Plus Deck Stain. What a surprise!...and mess.

She was in tears when she called me. I feel bad for her,. There are extreme lap marks, runs on railings, the stain didn't look as if it had penetrated in some areas, etc etc. In the past with pressure treated wood it was necessary to wait quite a while before applying any coating. But I understand things have changed, they are treating differently which a by-product being that a coating can be applied much sooner.

I'm not going to touch it without doing a complete re-do.

I'm not necessarily a deck guy. I have pressure washed and sealed quite a few in the past, but never stripped an existing finish.

Any ideas and suggestions on the project?

Any suggestions on a stripper(brand/product)? I would like to use one that will get the job done, but is the least caustic as possible.

What are the down sides of applying a stripper to brand new wood(deck was installed about 30 days ago)?

Being that the Behr "Premium" has so recently been applied, 3 days ago, how difficult of a project will this be? Will I have to apply the stripper more than once?

Thanks in advance for any replies/advise.

 

[housepaintingny]

You may want to start from scratch. Sherwin Williams stain and sealer remover will strip the stain off. Sometimes more than one application is needed. Followed up with Sherwin Williams Revive, that will neutralize the stripper, balance the ph levels and brighten the wood. Then sand as needed. Make sure all gray is off of the wood, that is from uv rays and dead wood fibers. I like to use Deck Brite wheb cleaning a deck, as it removes all mold, mildew, rust spots from nails, dead wood fibers, opens poors, and brightens the wood. The wood should have been dried out for at least 2 months prior to staining. You can use a pressure washer, but use low pressure 500-800psi. High pressure will damage the wood. Using the proper chemicals low pressure isnt an issue as the chemicals do the work. I have never heard positive results with anyone using Home Depot deck products.

 

[Timborooni]

The deck was constructed approx. 30 days ago. I saw it after it was installed, and before the homeowner attempted to stain it, no gray wood, mold, mildew, etc. I suspect there was some mill glazing present, it doesn't appear as if the stain she applied penetrated very deeply in some areas.

Personally, new or not, I would have pressure washed the deck before applying anything, less pressure, more wash, to remove any contamination and open the pores to accept the sealer.

The homeowner used Behr Premium Stain, cedar. I will NOT be using that same product. My personal preference is to seal a deck rather than stain. Sealers tend to wear off over time more evenly. Stain wears unevenly, so after some time when it needs a new finish it will either need to be stripped, or it will have an uneven finish/color when refinished. We all know that decks require regular maintenance. It's a given. So I prefer to go with that and apply something I know is less permanent. I usually go with Flood(?) CWF-UV, clear. It dries with a slight tint, although clear.

My concern is the new wood. Will a stripper discolor the new wood? If so, will a conditioner/neutralizer resolve any discoloration problem? I would also like to use a stripper that is minimally caustic, yet will do the job removing that crappy Behr stain with the least amount of materials used and effort from myself. The Behr stain has been applied fairly thick in some areas.

I am aware that the entire process will raise the grain, fuzz the wood, so I will be sanding as needed prior to applying a sealer.

Tim

 

[housepaintingny]

The deck was constructed approx. 30 days ago. I saw it after it was installed, and before the homeowner attempted to stain it, no gray wood, mold, mildew, etc. I suspect there was some mill glazing present, it doesn't appear as if the stain she applied penetrated very deeply in some areas.

Personally, new or not, I would have pressure washed the deck before applying anything, less pressure, more wash, to remove any contamination and open the pores to accept the sealer.

The homeowner used Behr Premium Stain, cedar. I will NOT be using that same product. My personal preference is to seal a deck rather than stain. Sealers tend to wear off over time more evenly. Stain wears unevenly, so after some time when it needs a new finish it will either need to be stripped, or it will have an uneven finish/color when refinished. We all know that decks require regular maintenance. It's a given. So I prefer to go with that and apply something I know is less permanent. I usually go with Flood(?) CWF-UV, clear. It dries with a slight tint, although clear.

My concern is the new wood. Will a stripper discolor the new wood? If so, will a conditioner/neutralizer resolve any discoloration problem? I would also like to use a stripper that is minimally caustic, yet will do the job removing that crappy Behr stain with the least amount of materials used and effort from myself. The Behr stain has been applied fairly thick in some areas.

I am aware that the entire process will raise the grain, fuzz the wood, so I will be sanding as needed prior to applying a sealer.

Tim

I agree even a new deck should be washed prior to staining and a brightner applied. It shouldnt discolor the wood, but you do need to use a netaralizer after using a stripper and if there is any discoloration apply a brightner, that will even out the color restoring the wood to like new appearance.