- Choose a Stain or Sealant. The first step in refinishing a deck is to determine whether your deck needs to be sealed. ...
- Clean and Prepare the Deck. An attractive, long-lasting finish begins with a deck that has been cleaned and prepped for staining.
- Sand the Deck. ...
- Stain the Deck. ...
What is the best finish for a cedar deck?
- BEST OVERALL: DEFY Extreme Semi-Transparent Exterior Wood Stain
- BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: Ready Seal 512 Natural Cedar Exterior Stain
- BEST CLEAR: DEFY Extreme Crystal Clear Exterior Wood Stain
- BEST SEMITRANSPARENT: SaverSystems #1 Deck Premium Semi-Transparent Stain
- BEST WATER-BASED: THOMPSONS WATERSEAL Transparent Waterproofing Stain
What is the best stain for a cedar deck?
- Toner: This stain is closest to a clear sealer. ...
- Semi-transparent: As the most popular opacity level, semi-transparent stains adds noticeable color to the deck, but the wood grain will still show. ...
- Semi-opaque: Also called “semi-solid,” this deck stain contains enough pigment to obscure most of the wood grain while imparting rich color. ...
How often do I need to restain my Deck?
Deck stain protects the wood from moisture and UV damage, helping to prevent rot, mold, and mildew. If your deck sucks up moisture like a sponge, or has begun to fade, flake, or is looking dingy, it’s time to restain it – normally every 2 to 5 years. Before applying a new stain over old, you need to clean or strip the decking.
How to restain a deck with solid stain?
If Changing Stain Color or Manufacturer:
- Read directions and safety precautions, wear protective clothes and devices as required.
- Apply deck stripper using a plastic bucket or watering can (NOT metal).
- Work backward from one end or side to the other.
- Use a stiff-bristled synthetic brush to spread the stripper.
Should I sand my cedar deck before staining?
If your cedar deck is newly installed, you'll need to sand* the cedar boards prior to staining. The boards go through a planing process at the mill that result in “mill glazing”. The planing process causes an oily surface on the boards that can hinder the wood stain from penetrating the wood.
Do I need to clean cedar before staining?
Even if the wood is new and dry, it's often a good idea to clean the surface with a deck cleaner before staining it.
How do you clean cedar before staining?
Prepare the surface. Clean textured cedar and new cedar lumber with an iron-free bristle brush. Scrub away stains with a mild detergent, rinse the wood thoroughly and allow it to dry before staining. Scuff flat-grained cedar lumber with 50- or 60-grit sandpaper to allow the stain to absorb.
Do I need to remove old stain before restaining a deck?
Generally speaking, it's a good idea to completely remove all traces of the previous coat of deck stain before applying a new one. The reasons for this may be fairly obvious -- a previous coat of stain might be peeling away from the surface in several areas.
What is the best stain color for cedar?
Rustic Cedar is a semi-solid stain color that is a great choice for cedar decks that may be a bit older. With hues of rusty red and soft natural browns, Rustic Cedar adds a coat of protection and a bit of classic color to hide slight imperfections.
What is the best stain for cedar deck?
Our Top PicksBest Overall. DEFY Extreme Semi-Transparent Exterior Wood Stain. ... Best Bang for the Buck. Ready Seal 512 Natural Cedar Exterior Stain. ... Best Clear. DEFY Extreme Crystal Clear Exterior Wood Stain. ... Best Semitransparent. SaverSystems #1 Deck Premium Semi-Transparent Stain. ... Best Water-Based. ... Best Oil-Based.
What is the best cleaner for cedar wood?
Pour one gallon of water into a bucket, mixed with 2 ounces of oxalic acid. This type of acid can be found at any hardware or home improvement store and works well on cedar.Dip a cleaning brush into the solution, then scrub the solution into the wood.Rinse outdoor areas with a hose.
Can you pressure wash cedar?
Can pressure washers be used on cedar siding? As long as the sprayer is set to a low pressure, pressure washing can be used to clean cedar. It is important to avoid damaging the wood's soft surface, so using a low pressure and not working too closely to the siding is necessary.
Can weathered cedar wood be stained?
Staining Cedar With a Semi-Transparent Stain Semi-transparent stains are your best bet when you want the real look of slightly weathered cedar with protection. The few solid particles in this mix will not significantly obscure cedar's wood grain.
Should you pressure wash deck before staining?
There is a common misconception that just pressure washing a deck prior to staining is all you need to do in order to prep your deck for stain. Pressure washing can help, but if you want your stain to last, using a good deck cleaner and brightener on the deck prior to pressure washing will provide you the best result.
Will pressure washing remove deck stain?
Pressure washing is a quick way to remove a deck finish, but it requires some care so as not to damage the deck. A pressure setting of 1500 psi should be strong enough to clean away deck stain.
Can I Restain my deck without sanding?
Do I need to sand the deck before staining? The answer to this is “it depends.” You won't hurt the deck by applying a light sanding. It really depends on the age of the decking and it's condition. Sanding is more for the feel of the deck than to prepare it to accept a new stain.
How long should you wait to stain cedar?
If a deck is new, we recommend waiting at least 90 days before staining and sealing the wood structure. Pressure-treated lumber or smooth milled cedar needs to cure three to six months prior to the staining process.
Can you stain rough cedar?
If you need to finish rough cedar, you'll find it much easier than staining smooth hardwoods like walnut and oak. Rough softwoods such as cedar are well-suited for inexpensive liquid wood stains. By properly preparing your work area, you can avoid permanent unwanted stains.
Can you stain old cedar wood?
Staining the cedar is the absolute best way to ensure this, especially in areas that have four-season climates. Since Western Red Cedar naturally lacks pitch and resin, it allows for countless staining options and will accept stain very well if applied correctly.
How do you prepare cedar siding for Restaining?
Cedar Siding: When and How to Restain ItClean the Siding. The first thing you need to do when restaining cedar siding is to clean the surface. ... Remove the Finish. Once you've cleaned the siding, remove the existing finish with a power sander and 220-grit sandpaper. ... Apply Stain. ... Seal It.
Deck Stain Stripping vs. Deck Cleaning
Deck stain protects the wood from moisture and UV damage, helping to prevent rot, mold, and mildew. If your deck sucks up moisture like a sponge, or has begun to fade, flake, or is looking dingy, it’s time to restain it – normally every 2 to 5 years. Before applying a new stain over old, you need to clean or strip the decking.
Do You Have to Remove Old Stain Before Restaining
Deck stains resist moisture and protect the wood from UV, rot, and mildew. They are either oil-based or water-based and come in transparent, semi-transparent, semi-solid, and solid or opaque. Transparent stains show the wood grain, color, and texture while the solid stains mask the grain and color, but not the texture.
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.
Staining a Previously Stained Deck: Step by Step
Once the deck has been cleaned or stripped and brightened, and the wood has dried, it’s time to stain – and time is the key.
Conclusion
Restaining a deck not only improves its look but can add years of enjoyment to its use. Using the same kind of stain from the same manufacturer saves having to strip or sand the old stain off the boards. Hopefully, you better understand how to prepare and stain your deck, so it looks like new.
Prepare your deck for refinishing
For that matter, remove all the deck furniture and sweep it with a broom to get rid of the leaves, dust, and other outside debris. After that, inspect your deck for damaged, deteriorated or lifted boards, splinters and popped nails, fix them and make sure to clear out the gaps between the boards.
Protect your plants growing around the deck and put on some protective gear
As you’re going to work with harsh chemicals designed to dissolve stain and major dirt, you need to protect your plants from their impact by soaking them with water and covering them with plastic sheets so that no deck stripper or cleaner drops fall on them. Put your plastic apron, protective glasses and long rubber gloves and rain boots on to prevent those chemicals from damaging your skin..
Strip the old finish
Read this HomeRepair guide to determine whether you need to do that or can skip this step.
Deep clean your wood deck
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to do that without a deck cleaner, which removes the dirt that’s penetrated deeper into the wood, rust stains from nails, mold, mildew, and deck stripper remains.
Wait for your deck to dry for a few days and apply the stain
You may choose paint, tinted stain in the solid or semi-transparent finish, or clear deck sealer depending on the desired look. Most carpenters suggest painting deck railing with the tinted stain, but sticking to the clear sealer on the actual deck to show off the beauty of the wood grain and make sure that the finish doesn’t show the wear signs for a long time.
Skill
5 Easy Somewhat easy, the work is a bit tedious, but not all that difficult.
Estimated Time
1. In the backpack pump sprayer, mix a one-to-one ratio of biodegradable wood cleaner to water.
Does your decking need to be stained and resealed?
Before you begin, you should check to see if your deck needs to be resealed. Check the deck and see if the water is beading up or being absorbed by the wood. If it’s being absorbed, your deck isn’t being protected, and you should restain and seal your deck. If you continue to leave it, it will begin to rot a degrade.
Deck Staining Preparation
Before you stain your deck, you will need to inspect it and see if there are any boards that need to be fixed. You’ll also want to take note of any other fixing that needs to take place, like screws sticking out. Loose spindles on the railing and other issues that have arisen from wear and tear. Now is the time to fix these things.
Selecting a wood stain
I’m not a professional with this, so I immediately sought out help. I’ve made my share of mistakes staining my deck, and I hope by sharing this will help you avoid pitfalls like I did.
What do you need to restain a deck?
The materials you will need to restain a deck are the following products:
Staining a Deck
The best tool to stain a deck is a wood stain pad applicator. This can be attached to the end of a mop handle and allows you to save your back staining the deck while getting consistent coverage. It’s well worth getting! We have used them twice, staining our deck, and it has taken us a fraction of the time to get the staining done.
Clean up
Once you are done, you can clean up using some mineral waters or paint thinner. Make sure to dispose of the paint in an environmentally safe way and be careful of what you do with the rags. Oil-based paints and rags have been known to spontaneously combust and cause house damaging fires.
Enjoy Your Newly Restained Deck
Finally, you are done. Return all of the items to the deck and enjoy your newly stained masterpiece. Since we did the deck, we find we are using it more as it is no longer an eyesore, and we are happy with it. Sure we made some mistakes staining the deck. But the way I look at it, it’s protected, and it looks way better than it did before.
CAN I PRESSURE WASH MY DECK
Yes, but you need to be carful. Use a fan tip at no more that 600psi, 4-6 inches away from the deck boards. Any closer and you risk damaging the deck boards.
DO I NEED TO SAND MY DECK BEFORE RESTAINING IT
If your deck is a little older you may want to sand down the high traffic areas or areas that might cause splinters.
Materials to restain a deck
Water based stain- Allows for easy clean up. Fairly fast drying. May chip in high traffic areas over time.
STAIN FROM THE TOP DOWN
Start by thinking about where you’ll be exiting the deck. If you also plan on staining the railings, start with the railing and work your way down.
PAINT THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE BOARD
To avoid lap marks it’s important to paint the entire length of the board and not repeat over any areas that might already be dry.