Deck staining question

[30-30remchester]

Good morning. I have a question I hope others have experience with. I live in a house that has wooden decks and sidewalks. Over the years and different owners, decks have been replaced and stained. The problem I am having is, each deck has a different color stain. It has been 5 years since we stained any of the decks or walkways to let the sun bleach the boards as much as possible. I would like to redo all the same shade. A medium brown color is most desired. Is there something I can do before I re-stain? Any type or brand of stain better at this type of job better? Any advice is appreciated.

 

[acer66]

I would sand em all and let the weather do the coloring unless you have shady mixed with sunny areas.

 

[gba2331]

I’ve had very slow success with sanding. You can’t use a big machine because decks are uneven and usually have nails at the surface, and a hand-held takes forever.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Hard to match colors.
Try a solid color stain for a good equalizer.

 

[Treeman]

I found this forum below to have the very best deck stain information. Maybe check out the forums and the deck restore products.

Wood Deck Restoration Expert: 30+ Years Experience | Wood Deck Restoration Help Advice Tips

Restoring an old wood deck or building a new one? Know exactly which stains to use, what tools you need, and what to avoid for long-lasting results.

www.deckstainhelp.com

Here's one article on that site:

How to Prep a Deck for Staining - Deck Prep Reviews

It's important to properly prep a deck for stain. Learn how to prep a deck for staining with our reviews of the best methods and products.

www.deckstainhelp.com

 

[Youngandfree]

I'd strip it all first. This company has great support and forum.

EXPERT Clean & Bright | Wood Stripper: Deck Stain Remover

This is our go-to Wood Stripper. Made with Sodium Hydroxide and an added Sodium Metasilcate boost helps to lift old old based stains, extreme organic growth and some water based coatings. A butyl booster can be added to remove tough water based stains. Sodium Hydroxide / Sodium Metasilicate...

restorativewoodproducts.com

 

[benwah]

Use a 17 inch swing buffer with a red buffer pad and 80 grit paper for your initial sand. Once you have done both ways, switch to 150 grit and sand it all again. That will give you a nice new surface to stain.

 

[dcg9381]

They've got deck "re-do" stuff that seems to be a UV stable composite. I've seen people have good luck with in here in Texas, where decks take a beating. It's not transparent, so you'd be redoing everything in the same color.

Personally, I'm DONE with wood decks. It's composite decking for me from here on out, but you guys farther north, decks last a lot longer than they do here.

 

[frankd]

Tough to say without more detail. What condition are the decks in? Are they all the same type of wood? Was a solid stain used or semi-transparent? Solid stains tend to stay on the surface of the wood and can peel over time. I always go with semi transparent because of the peeling issue.
If you had a solid stain on the deck currently, you'll probably need to sand/scrape it off. But if you currently have a semi transparent stain then I'd just soak with 50/50 bleach and water or specific wood bleach, then powerwash off, and apply a semi-transparent stain that is darker than the current stain.
Also keep in mind that if the prior stain was oil based, then a water based stain might have trouble adhering.

 

[pioneer1]

TWP Wood Stains | www.twpstain.com

TWP Wood Stains For Decks, Fences, Exterior Wood Homes, Log Cabins TWP Wood Deck Stains and Preservatives. Enhances and protects all exterior wood from natural decay and UV discoloration. Use TWP Wood Stains for professional results.

www.twpstain.com

Strip and Brightener first