I have a 30 year old cedar deck which is in generally good condition. I just finished sanding it to bare wood in order to remove a semi-solid stain which was applied about 5 years ago. It took me quite a while to finish the sanding and now much of the wood has started to gray. The helpful folks at DeckStainHelp.com advised me to use your cleaner and brightener before staining. Since the wood is now quite clean do I need to use a pressure washer with the cleaner or can I apply it and then just rinse off with a hose? Also, will the cleaner cause furring of the wood? I had that happen when I used your cleaner some years ago and would prefer to avoid it as it was very unsightly. Thanks in advance for your help.

I have a 260 sf, pressure treated pine deck that I scraped and sanded solid stain off of. What next steps do I need to take in preparation and finishing and how much stain do I need. Thank you.

I posted this question moments ago but as I hit the "post" button I saw I had incorrectly submitted my email address. My question was, "What method of application (brush type, roller, pad, spray, etc.) would you recommend to apply RAD Semi-transperant stain (which is very viscous) to vertical walls of a log sided house?" Sorry for the mistake.

What method of application (brush type, pad, spray, sponge, etc.) would you recommend to apply RAD semi-transperant stain ( which is very viscous) to a vertical surface such as as log sided house?

Thanks, and as I have read a bit further...do I need to strip, or would the cleaner be sufficient.

...they must be too large, so one more time.

Not all the pics uploaded, so here ya go!

Background: We have a 2 year old Yellawood Pressure Treated deck with flooring of 381sf; and according to your calculation formula with rails and posts it comes to 542sf. As you can see from the pics there are no pickets, but there is a Pergola. Following curing in 2018 I applied 2 coats of Flood CWF-UV, which worked great. Now, as also shown in the photos, other than the need for a refreshing wood and mildew which is extremely slippery and calling for immediate attention, we have been pleased, and want to keep the same clear/clean look.

So, in reviewing your product data, and following your calculator, I would need 1 each of the Stripper and Brightener, probably a thickener? But my big question(s)...

1) what product do you recommend for finishing, there seems to be more than one on your site, can I, should I, continue with the Flood CWF-UV as I was advise at the time it was the better product for the new Yellawood once cured and I still have 1 unopened gallon left, or is there a better product that you can recommend? ( Note that it doesn't matter that I have 1 gallon left, IF there is a better product on the market that makes financial and strategic sense. )

2) will I need the 6 gallons as the calculator shows, I actually do not recall the volume used in the original application, but it seems like a lot. ( though I would rather have extra than to either stretch what I purchase or delay completion while waiting for a second order. )

Thanks for your help, your direction will be greatly appreciated as this is a replacement deck and we didn't really attend to the other as diligently as we have and will continue with this deck.

I made the mistake of using Behr Deck Restore on my pressure treated pine deck. Within a year it was pealing. I have stripped and sanded the entire deck but there are still spots where I didn't get 100% of the paint off. If I use RAD Solid stain will it bond to the paint I wasn't able to remove?

I live in NEPA and the deck is SE facing. We have a lot of oak trees around the house and end up with a black dirt, mildew that is very difficult to clean off the current paint. How easy will this clean off the RAD Solid stain?

Hi. About 11 weeks ago we got a new 600-700 sq ft cedar deck. We cleaned it with a cleaner that we got locally it lifted some of the fibers off the deck so we had to sand it. After really cleaning it and sanding it it still has some grey in the boards. We also built a pergola. My question is what do I need to do now......a brightener and what stain do you recommend....we live in the Midwest it gets a lot of sun in the summer and in the winter it gets a lot of snow. I would like to apply a stain that is low maintenance and semitransparent I think? What do you recommend? Do I need to apply something different to the pergola? What do you suggest? Thank you.

That was supposed to be a thumbs up. :)

Hi- need some advice. 20 year old cedar deck in SE Mich. Stripping off Behr Deckover. Some old stain underneath. pics below. Still a little sanding for the small patches of remaining deckover. Or let the winter take it off.
Long term want a gray color to match house trim. Willing to clean and re-stain every couple years but not scrapping/sanding. Initially thinking semi-transparent but want to confirm solid does not need removing to re-stain every few years (clean/brighten/stain)

I assume I need to get the reddish soaked in stain off to allow new stain to penetrate. Just use the plain stripper and then brightener from both solid and semi?


Also- can I just order just gray samples and forgo the other colors? Do they sell samples here locally in Michigan?


Thanks.

How long does shipping take once the product is ordered?

I have close up pictures of my deck, but not sure if they're getting through to you.

Trying to post more photos to my earlier question.

My deck is about 425 sq. ft. It's green treated wood (pine, I assume). It's probably 25 years old or so. It was stained by someone else at least 12 years ago. They used Cabot stain but I'm not sure what kind. I have a 1900 psi electric pressure washer. Pictures I submitted show black areas and a generally worn condition. I was thinking of using your stripper, then brightener. I thought maybe a solid stain, due to the age and condition of the deck. If that sounds right, can I apply stripper & brightener with a sprayer, then wash them off with the pressure washer? What's best to apply solid stain? I like the looks of the wide yellow brush you sell, but it says not to use for solid stains. So use a roller, pad or something else? Apply 2 coats? Wet on wet? How long between coats? Thank you!

I just ordered a kit from you. My question is , can I stain over some boards that have been hardened and 2 part epoxy woody wood filler. Some of boards are partially rotted but can't be replaced without MAJOR MAJOR complete removal and replacement of benchs.rails & stairways.

We ordered the Wood Stain/Cleaner/Brightener combo kit to go onto a 5 year old deck that has never been stained. The materials should be here in two days. Meantime, the weather has brought rain today and tomorrow, but looks clear from then through the weekend. My question is: how long should we let the deck dry out from the rains before starting the cleaning/brightening/staining process? Thank you.

Here are the photos you requested.

I replaced 30 year old decking from several decks early this spring, but kept the balusters which appeared to be stained with a semitransparent stain. Two and a half weeks ago I (1) stripped the balusters using RAD stripper (with both additives), (2) cleaned the new(ish) decking using RAD cleaner, and (3) neutralized all wood with RAD brightener. Due to high humidity, it took nearly a week for the wood moisture to drop below 15% in certain areas. Then, when the moisture level finally dropped low enough to be stained, the weather did not cooperate with significant chance of rain each day.

This last weekend, the forecast finally looked ok (overcast but no significant chance for rain until the evening). However, when I was just finishing up staining my second deck, a pop up shower appeared out of nowhere nowhere. The stain had been on my first deck for a couple hours and it doesn't look great but it doesn't look terrible. But the second deck just looks awful. Splotchy, washed out, just bad.

What are my options?

Is there any difference in the type of sealant / semi-transparent product for treating exterior cedar siding of a house, as compared to a deck?
Does the coverage area change when treating vertical versus horizontal surfaces?
Anything else?

We just stained our deck today using 2 coats of RAD semi-transparent in Cottage Gray. We purchased the application pads at Ace Hardware, and they appeared to be good quality, designed specifically for deck staining. However, the application did not come out evenly, and there are several places that are significantly lighter than other places. Is it okay to wait a few days and then go over those lighter spots again?

I'm having trouble posting more than three photos with my contest entry even after resizing the to less than 1 mb each. What am I doing wrong? Can you delete my previous attempts at entry? Thanks.

my name is jim peacock my left overs leaked or exploded in my basement . i think i bought BROWN SUGAR from you before , could you check your records to see .jim

My deck is 2 years old. The boards came stained. (See picture) Do I clean it or strip it for a RAD semi transparent stain.

How long after 4 days of rain can I stain my deck. Can I prep the deck days before staining.

can your RAD solid stain be used on patio pavers? it would match my deck that I just stained

I’ve just finished staining my deck and I’m very pleased with the results. I had to aggressively sand my deck and thus it’s a bit lighter than I would like. What is the absolute minimum I have to wait to put on a second coat? Thanks!

I have just finished staining my deck. I’m very pleased with the results. I had to strip and sand like a madwoman because I did not know what the original product on the deck was, and the two coats on top of that was the semi-transparent Behr. It’s very light though and a bit splotchy since the sanding was so aggressive. What is the absolute minimum time I need to wait to put on a second coat?

Thanks! Miriam

Sorry if posting twice. My deck area is approximately 600 Sq ft, 7 years old, treated lumber, last stained 5 years ago with I believe a solid acrylic stain. Please confirm that I understand the steps if I decide to use solid stain: lightly power wash, apply cleaner, rinse, apply brightener, rinse, let dry. Apply 2 coats of solid stain, letting dry between coats. If I decide to use semitransparent, then I need to strip and/or sand? First step? And apply wet? Thanks! Would you recommend solid or semi-transparent based on the picture?