Some help with staining my deck
- Thread starter ive
- Start date
floorcoatingsguru
Member
The best product I've found is a Natural Wood PRESERVATIVE. Cabot is what I use exclusively on my deck and fence. Needs another coat this year. The last application was 7 years ago and I'm in Atlanta, GA. The key is to find a product that is a true preservative, not a stain, or a parafin sealer like Thompson Waterseal and Behr deck sealer. Good luck.
Check out these ratings/reviews. They rate brands that aren't at your typical store:
http://www.deckstainhelp.com/category/deck-product-reviews/
http://www.deckstainhelp.com/category/deck-product-reviews/
Zeke
Well-known member
If there is any type of varnish or poly on that it will have to be stripped. Otherwise buy a wood brightener (different stuff for fir v. redwood) and get it nice and new looking. Then use Penofin or any of the penetrating products. Many of them work well. Consult Google.
I'd coat the handrail with resin, then a filler and paint it a nice accent. You're going to get splinters. Another thing to do would be to cap it with new.
jkdkaliman101
Member
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2014
- Messages
- 20
What you have on it will determine how you clean it. No stain at all and only grey lignin (wood fibers)- then use an oxygenated bleach (not sodium hypoclorite- which is house bleach)... it's a percabonate cleaner
From what I can tell though you have an oil based stain on their now. Oil based stains (most of them) will break down on a molecular level using a caustic like sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide. .. do NOT use a gel, soy or varnish stripper or anything with methlyen chloride. . Way too caustic.
Your going to want to apply the striiper heavier on areas with stain, lighter on bare wood. Let dwell and keep agent active by misting it. You'll know it's working when you see it wiping off with your finger. Power wash the deck with a white (40 degree) tip. Do not exceed 1200 psi.
There are two side effects with stripper and high psi.. one is furring (caused by two much pressure) .. the other is fuzzing (raised grain due to the lignin breaking down that holds the wood fibers together)...furring is damage. Fuzzing can be fixed with light buffing/sanding.
Wash the outside spindles, inside spindles and then floor last. Hold wand away from deck, pull handle and feather it into the wood. Walk the entire board out and feather it bwck out at the end. Do not start/stop/start/stop etc as this will cause pressure lap marks that will bleed through the stain.
Once done you will need to neutralize the deck if you are going with an oil base stain. Oil based stains "prefer" acidic surfaces. Use either citric or oxilic acid. The consumer brand sold as "brightner" @ your local box store should suffice. I mix my own from raw powder but I do a lot of decks
The brightner will swing the pH Back in line to accept an oil.
Let the deck dry for at least two da6s...I use a moisture meter and less than 12% is ideal.
If you Have any fuzzies, I've found green kitchen scrubbies sold in the paint section of menards work grear. Or you could use a palm orbital sander with 120 grit or an Osborn brush.
Product choice is up to you but like other's have mentioned stay with a true penetrating oil. Your deepest penetrators will be parafinic oil based stains like ready seal, armstrong clark and ABR (long oils)... other types are linseed and tung. Keep in mind linseed is full of starches and can be a natural food source for mold and mildew. I live in a "green state" and oil stains are getting harder and harder to come by. Personally I've had good luck with Floods UV-5 oil with Penetrol. It applies nice, penetrates pretty good and is easy to strip down the road.
Stay away from acrylics. I could go into all the reasons why but just take my word for it. Also some oil based stains still have a percentage of topical membrane properties and can be tough to strip... Like behr, Cabot and sikkens.
I forgot to add, stains like ready seal work best only if you can remove at least 90% of the old stain. So if there is a lot of residual stain left after stripping you will need to sand.
If you do like the solid look or want a two tone deck like someone mentioned don't go with a 100% latex. Stick with one of the hybrid solids that have an alklyd and waterborne polymer. They are sometimes referred to as self priming stains. Again o use Floods SWF in those cases but there are other good brands.
Hope this helps. I'm still learning the flooring trade but decks and exterior wood is my forte.
GL
From what I can tell though you have an oil based stain on their now. Oil based stains (most of them) will break down on a molecular level using a caustic like sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide. .. do NOT use a gel, soy or varnish stripper or anything with methlyen chloride. . Way too caustic.
Your going to want to apply the striiper heavier on areas with stain, lighter on bare wood. Let dwell and keep agent active by misting it. You'll know it's working when you see it wiping off with your finger. Power wash the deck with a white (40 degree) tip. Do not exceed 1200 psi.
There are two side effects with stripper and high psi.. one is furring (caused by two much pressure) .. the other is fuzzing (raised grain due to the lignin breaking down that holds the wood fibers together)...furring is damage. Fuzzing can be fixed with light buffing/sanding.
Wash the outside spindles, inside spindles and then floor last. Hold wand away from deck, pull handle and feather it into the wood. Walk the entire board out and feather it bwck out at the end. Do not start/stop/start/stop etc as this will cause pressure lap marks that will bleed through the stain.
Once done you will need to neutralize the deck if you are going with an oil base stain. Oil based stains "prefer" acidic surfaces. Use either citric or oxilic acid. The consumer brand sold as "brightner" @ your local box store should suffice. I mix my own from raw powder but I do a lot of decks
The brightner will swing the pH Back in line to accept an oil.
Let the deck dry for at least two da6s...I use a moisture meter and less than 12% is ideal.
If you Have any fuzzies, I've found green kitchen scrubbies sold in the paint section of menards work grear. Or you could use a palm orbital sander with 120 grit or an Osborn brush.
Product choice is up to you but like other's have mentioned stay with a true penetrating oil. Your deepest penetrators will be parafinic oil based stains like ready seal, armstrong clark and ABR (long oils)... other types are linseed and tung. Keep in mind linseed is full of starches and can be a natural food source for mold and mildew. I live in a "green state" and oil stains are getting harder and harder to come by. Personally I've had good luck with Floods UV-5 oil with Penetrol. It applies nice, penetrates pretty good and is easy to strip down the road.
Stay away from acrylics. I could go into all the reasons why but just take my word for it. Also some oil based stains still have a percentage of topical membrane properties and can be tough to strip... Like behr, Cabot and sikkens.
I forgot to add, stains like ready seal work best only if you can remove at least 90% of the old stain. So if there is a lot of residual stain left after stripping you will need to sand.
If you do like the solid look or want a two tone deck like someone mentioned don't go with a 100% latex. Stick with one of the hybrid solids that have an alklyd and waterborne polymer. They are sometimes referred to as self priming stains. Again o use Floods SWF in those cases but there are other good brands.
Hope this helps. I'm still learning the flooring trade but decks and exterior wood is my forte.
GL
Zeke
Well-known member
^^^^ Excellent post.
spotco2
Well-known member
I've never been a fan of FLOOD products. I have fallen in love with Armstrong Clark for decks that see a lot of weather abuse and Cabot's for covered areas.
You'll have to strip whatever is on there off before you put anything else on it.
Check out The Grime Scene forums for details on what to use and how to use it. It's the Garage Journal of pressure washing and wood restoration.
http://community.thegrimescene.com/forum/5-wood-cleaning-restoration-decks-fences-etc/
You'll find everything you need to know there and then some.
You'll have to strip whatever is on there off before you put anything else on it.
Check out The Grime Scene forums for details on what to use and how to use it. It's the Garage Journal of pressure washing and wood restoration.
http://community.thegrimescene.com/forum/5-wood-cleaning-restoration-decks-fences-etc/
You'll find everything you need to know there and then some.
jkdkaliman101
Member
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2014
- Messages
- 20
To each their own I guess. I use flood for a few different reasons. One being it costs me a fortune to have AC shipped to me ( I've used it and it is a very good product. ..no complaints).
FLOOD is one of the very few VOC compliant stains I can get locally anymore through PPG/Glidden. Their UV-5 oil is actually a very good stain. No acrylic resin, penetrates very well (considering its a short oil), has virtually no film forming properties (grays out vs scuff/chip), transoxide pigments give better than avg UV protection, is easy to apply even through a HVLP sprayer, does not dry tacky or gummy, can be walked on almost immediately without leaving prints, has a good color selection, doesn't have a pungent smell like say ready seal or other petroleum based stains do, gets pretty good life (routinely surpass the 18-24. Month avg) and is priced good (I get for about $31 a gallon)
PS...been a member of The Grime Scene community for years...tell Beth and Rod I said hello
kmcphee
Well-known member
Sikkens has some great deck sealing products for northern climates. Their "DEK" line comes out looking like furniture if done right. Definitely clean, strip off the old stuff but most people skip the most important step: sanding the wood. It's a pain in the *** but if not done it won't matter what product you use it will just sit on the top and not penetrate properly.
jkdkaliman101
Member
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2014
- Messages
- 20
Yes and no. Sanding residual stain off or to remove surface shine or to sand fuzzies is one thing. But over sanding a deck is not advised as it can actually close pore structure especially if the deck has wide latewood bands or is flatsawn lumber.
Power washing in addition to removing grey fiber, mold spores and old finishes also serves to open up the pore structure. This is why a weathered deck oftentimes will hold a stain so much longer than a new one. In the forest products laboratory determined it was difficult getting an oil or water molecule to penetrate new cedar.
Don't over sand.
I should add that kmcphee is right in respect to penetrating stains not being effective if there is a barrier. A film forming product like an acrylic, latex or even some high solid oil based formulations can and will create a continous film that will prevent fiber saturation or penetration. So in that case, sanding or stripping is advisable. But you should power wash the deck AFTER sanding off the old stain to open those pores back up.
Other products (like Ready Seal which is a non drying long oil) does NOT need to be sanded off. In fact you want to leave some color in the wood as a foundation. Ready seal can go on top of ready seal. Ready seal cannot go over a film former though.
Last edited: