RAD STAIN 1gal MenuWhen working with newly installed wood and decking surfaces, the Restore-A-Deck Wood Stain is ideal after 3-6 months of natural weathering. Restore-A-Deck Wood Stain’s long-lasting composition works hard to absorb quickly and penetrate deep into the wood grain to withstand the elements and stay true to its beautiful finish long after the staining project is complete.

Before beginning the staining process, it is recommended that new wood surfaces be installed 3-6 months before prepping and staining. To prep new wood surfaces after the waiting period, use Restore-A-Deck Cleaner. It’s concentrated powder formula is cost-effective, easy to transport, and especially good at removing dirt, grime, mold, and mildew that is prone to showing up on new wood surfaces.

Note: Kiln dried and KDAT wood still needs to weather after install. About 1-2 months. Rough sawn cut wood does not need to weather. 

After the new wood has been cleaned, the wood will appear slightly darker. To restore the wood and neutralize the pH, use Restore-A-Deck Brightener to lighten it to its original appearance. The RAD Wood Brightener further opens the wood pores for an ideal surface to apply Restore-A-Deck Wood Stain.

Following Restore-A-Deck Wood Brightener, continue with Restore-A-Deck Wood Stain. Unlike other brands of wood stain, Restore-A-Deck’s formula can be applied to wood surfaces following the Brightener on the same day on damp wood or can be applied to dry wood on following days. If applying to damp wood, it is recommended to allow the wood to dry 2-4 hours after prep is complete.

Only 1 coat should be applied to new wood that is less than 9 months old for the RAD semi-transparent stain. A light maintenance coat of the RAD semi-transparent stain should be applied 12-18 months after the first coat was applied. Every 2-3 years after that is normal.

For the RAD Solid Color Stain, apply 2 coats. Reapply as needed down the road.

Restore A Deck Stain Application Tips

If you have any questions, please comment below.

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  • We will reply to your comment shortly
    Margaret · 10/12/2019
    I have a 6 month old kiln dried pine deck. I purchased your Cleaner, Brightener, and Stain. The weather looks cooperative for the next 7 days so it's go time. Do I sand before using cleaner? Lots of other sites say sand after cleaning, so I'm confused on this point. Thank you!
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      RAD Products · 10/13/2019
      No need to sand at all.
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        Margaret · 10/13/2019
        Thank you, that is good news! On to cleaning, brightening, and staining!
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    Bob · 10/12/2019
    I have new cedar direct from the sawmill. Ian going to use it to wrap my posts. Do I need to wait before applying the stain since this will be a vertical surface?
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    Michael Todd · 09/28/2019
    I have new wood and will stain it. Ill clean and brighten first, but my question is it says apply maintenance coat after one year on top. The second part says apply ever 2-3 years after that...does that mean strip it again and reapply every 2-3 years or just put another coat on? also I have a 18x20 deck how much stain, cleaner and brightner do i need?
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      RAD Products · 09/29/2019
      Clean and recoat is needed. You do not have to strip but you can if desired.
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    Rob Ontario · 09/27/2019
    I have a new 1000sq/ft PT pine deck that has been weathered for a little over a year. I'm using Rad semitransparent to stain it. Should I still only use 1 coat of stain or 2 because it has been sitting for so long. I'm going to prep with the RAD cleaner and brightener as well.
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    JacobWI · 09/20/2019
    I'm restoring a 20 yr old 350 sqr-ft PT pine deck. 95% of the boards look good after power-washing + stripper + brightener. To still paint this year (WI) I'm replacing the 5% with untreated ThickDeck pine which I will separately pre-treat all-sides before staining the whole deck. Will Restore-A-Deck Solid Stain work to get this done?
    • We will reply to your comment shortly
      RAD Products · 09/21/2019
      You can use the RAD solid stain for this deck but do not pre-stain all sides. Just the exposed wood after weather and prep.
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    VV · 09/11/2019
    Hello, I have a newly constructed deck with heart redwood. 1) How long should I wait before apply RAD? 2) Is there a semi transparent stain color from RAD that retains the most natural color?
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      RAD Products · 09/11/2019
      1. 3-4 months as articles states.
      2. Natural is the lightest. Similar to a wet look.
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    Terry L. · 09/07/2019
    I had a new deck built in May, and it cured over the summer. I used the RAD cleaner and brightener per the instructions and applied semi transparent stain on my cedar decking with a stain pad. Removing the residue from cleaning was difficult - I tried brushing it off twice, and then pressure washed it twice. The stain looked great when I applied it, but the results after drying are uneven. Can I apply a second coat to even out some of the light spots?
    • We will reply to your comment shortly
      RAD Products · 09/07/2019
      Best to not apply a second coat once the first coat has cured and only one coat for new wood. It would be better to leave as is and do a second coat in the Spring after a light wash.
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    DBBlock · 08/28/2019
    Another question. The boards on our deck are about 2 inches wide, and there's a slight gap between each one. How wide of a roller do we need to buy in order to cover the deck most efficiently? We were told by someone with experience that the best way to do it is with a roller just wide enough to do each board and to stain the sides of each board with hand brush because a roller can't do that. But he also said it would a tremendous amount of work.
    • We will reply to your comment shortly
      RAD Products · 08/28/2019
      Do not apply with a roller if using the RAD semi-transparent stain. You can use a roller with the RAD Solid Stains. A normal 9" roller will work with a solid stain. Use stain pads or brushes for the semi-transparent stain.
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    DBBlock · 08/28/2019
    We have a deck that was built a few years ago. 3.5 months ago we had it power washed in preparation for staining. Do we still need to have it cleaned and brightened before staining? Also, how long can we expect the staining job to last before we need to re-do it?
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      RAD Products · 08/28/2019
      Hi, your answers for proper prep and reapplication is in the above article.
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    Maria · 08/21/2019
    Our deck was built in 2016 and stained with a water based semi-transparent stain that year. The stain hasn’t held up and we are looking for a product to apply to the old deck and the new addition we built in May 2019. We’ve been told the only way to blend the old with the new is to use a solid color stain- painters have recommended Sherwin Williams, which I am against due to all the negative reviews. Do you have any recommendations?
    • We will reply to your comment shortly
      RAD Products · 08/21/2019
      You can use our RAD Solid stain but might be best to wait until Spring as the wood still looks very virgin and it needs to dry out some more. Prep the new wood with the Cleaner/Brightener Kits. Strip off what you can of the old stain with the Stripper/Brightener Kits.
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    Goob · 08/19/2019
    New pine deck installed in July 2018. Since it’s weathered for over a year, one coat or two?
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    DJ · 08/18/2019
    We have a fairly large deck and would like to split the work cleaning and staining work over two weekends, rails one weekend, horizontal surfaces the next. Do we have to worry about any splash of the cleaner and/or brightener onto the surfaces that are already stained? Or are these products safe on newly stained wood?
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      RAD Products · 08/18/2019
      You should prep all until done and then stain all until done within 2 weeks of prep.
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    GM · 08/13/2019
    I recently replaced some bad PT boards with new PT and sanded all remaining PT boards because they were splintered. I plan to use RAD cleaner & brightener, then stain with RAD semi-transparent. Two questions:

    (1) Based on your article on new wood, I know just one coat for the new PT. Is one coat also OK for the newly-sanded PT?

    (2) I may not be able to stain the same day or weekend as applying the cleaner/brightener. What's the maximum number of days I can go before staining, after I apply the cleaner/brightener?

    Thanks!
    • We will reply to your comment shortly
      RAD Products · 08/13/2019
      1. Yes. The new wood does need to season.
      2. Two weeks.
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    Susan Musgrove · 08/10/2019
    I’m having to sand off old BEHR stain. Reading this article leads me to believe I need to wait 3-6 months before applying new stain. Winter starts here October 1.

    Or is this advice only for brand new installation? I’d planned to use cleaner, brightener and RAD stain as soon as I finish sanding. Advice?
    • We will reply to your comment shortly
      RAD Products · 08/11/2019
      This article is for new wood. Sanded wood is different. Do not sand finer than 60-80 girt. Clean and Brighten after for final prep. Only one coat of stain for sanded wood.
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    Corbi Sayler · 08/09/2019
    New cedar deck addition is for a new hot tub - which we will install immediately. So, the 'pad' where the hot tub will sit needs stain immediately (can't let sit as we do not want to wait 3-6 mos. for hot tub installation). This tub is sunken, so deck it sits on is 7' x 7' just for tub. Suggestions and anything else I should do to this pad like a varathane/lacquer overcoat? Once hot tub is installed - it won't be moved again. It's early August in the Co. Rockies.
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      RAD Products · 08/09/2019
      Hi, you cannot stain immediately with RAD products. You can never cover a deck stain with a sealer or varnish. it will blister and peel. You actually do not even need to stain under the hot tub. No advantage. Deck stains like RAD are for exposed wood areas and protection.
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    GM · 08/08/2019
    I have an older deck made with PT pine. At the end of June I replaced some really bad boards with new PT pine, and sanded all the remaining ones because they were splintered. The sanding removed the oxidation/graying, mildew, dirt, etc. Here are my questions:

    (1) Is 3 months long enough to wait before staining? That would put me into early October, when the weather here in northern Maryland should still be good enough to stain. If I have to wait much longer than that, I'll probably have to wait until spring.

    (2) Since the sanding left the wood looking almost new, I'm almost positive that in just 3 months it will still look that way (lots of sun and warm temps here in July, August, and September). If that's the case, can I just stain without cleaning & brightening (after thoroughly blowing off all debris)? If not, why not?

    (3) If I absolutely have to clean before staining, can I use water only, or a cleaner that doesn't change the pH of the wood, so I don't have to brighten?

    (4) If there's some light oxidation/graying in some small areas, how will that affect the stain: will it just not look as nice in those areas, or will it prevent the stain from penetrating properly, possibly causing it to peel or blister?

    Thanks!
    • We will reply to your comment shortly
      RAD Products · 08/09/2019
      1. 3 Months should be good.
      2. No, you have to clean and brighten the wood for final prep. It opens the pores after sanding so the stain can absorb better.
      3. Yes, you need to brighten as well.
      4. Both.

      No doing all the proper steps could result in premature stain failure.
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    Sandy · 08/02/2019
    My deck was finished in late June. If I wait longer than late September, I will probably run out of sun here on the Pacific NW Coast. Should I prep and stain in September, or wait til spring? In the spring, would one coat be okay on new cedar and PT fir? Also, if I always use RAD, should I just clean rather than strip as prep? Many thanks!
    • We will reply to your comment shortly
      RAD Products · 08/03/2019
      Either September or Spring will work. Just one coat. Clean and recoat as needed.
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    Kris · 07/26/2019
    We are using new cedar deck boards as a floor in our 3 season porch in Kansas - so the decking will actually be indoors. Can I still use a Restore-a-Finish solid stain indoors? Do I need to let the decking 'weather' for 3 months if it won't be in the 'weather'? Or do you have a better suggestion for a product to use?
    • We will reply to your comment shortly
      RAD Products · 07/26/2019
      You can use the RAD solid stain here. Yes, you should let it dry out.
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    Karen · 07/11/2019
    Hello, I live in NC plan to paint my new Pressure Treated Pine deck (installed Feb '19) with a solid color paint (Behr Waterproofing Stain & Sealer). Do I need to use Restore a Deck Cleaner and Brightener before I proceed with painting the deck? Thank you for your advice.
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    robert wolford · 07/08/2019
    Do you suggest 6 months or 1 year for aging oily woods such as redwood be fore staining?
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    Scot · 07/06/2019
    Why do the instructions say to wait 48 hrs before staining after the using the brightener yet your web site instructions state you can stain the same day? Please elaborate on this.
    • We will reply to your comment shortly
      RAD Products · 07/06/2019
      48 hours is for other brands of deck stains. The RAD stain is same day if you want.
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    Kristie R · 07/05/2019
    When my new deck was installed late October I was told the stamps would just wear off. Fast forward, they did not. I recently sanded the stamps off but now those areas are lighter. My question is will the cleaner/brightner even the color or at this point will I need to just sand the entire deck?
    • We will reply to your comment shortly
      RAD Products · 07/06/2019
      No, the cleaner will not even this spot sanding out. Either let it weather for a few months or sand it all evenly.
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    Matthew Poncato · 06/30/2019
    I see that rough sawn does not need to weather before applying stain. Would this mean that I could apply a transparent stain on a cedar pergola immediately after being milled and installed? And if so would I need to prep the wood before staining? Thx
    • We will reply to your comment shortly
      RAD Products · 07/01/2019
      If the new wood is rough sawn, you can stain without any prep right away.
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    Scott Vorhees · 06/29/2019
    I built a new con-hart redwood porch about 3 months ago, will wait another month, I plan on using the stripper/brighter and then your stain, would you suggest the natural On redwood? I want to keep the redwood color.
    • We will reply to your comment shortly
      RAD Products · 06/30/2019
      Cleaner, not stripper. Than brighten. The Natural is tinted and will enhance the grains similar to as if wet with water.
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    Jerry Lane · 06/28/2019
    I have a new cedar fence and red wood deck 3 months old. I will be using the RAD cleaner and brightener. The brightener directions says to wait 48 hours before using the stain. The stain directions says that I can stain the same day.
    Please clear up my confusion.


    Thanks, Jerry
    • We will reply to your comment shortly
      RAD Products · 06/28/2019
      The 48 hours is for different brands of stain. The RAD stain can be the same day.
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    Jeff · 06/25/2019
    I have a cedar wood deck in Texas which was stained shortly after installation (new wood). I used Sikken's semi-transparent stain the first time. I've since stripped and re-stained twice with TWC semi-transparent after using your stripper and brightener. We recently had a hail storm which completely ruined the appearance of the deck. I've since power washed the deck and most of the stain has come off. I now need to re-stain and I'm looking for advice. We have thus far had to re-stain every year or two. I plan to use your semi-transparent stain this time based on review at DeckStainHelp.com. Should I wait 2-3 months to allow the deck to weather before cleaning/brightening and re-staining or is the deck old enough to press ahead? (Deck has never gone long without some stain on it) I'd like to get more than a year or two before having to redo this again. Thanks for the advice!
    • We will reply to your comment shortly
      RAD Products · 06/26/2019
      You should not have to wait since this is older wood. Make sure you strip and brighten to remove all the TWP first.
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    Jackie · 06/20/2019
    Will the stain work if I used a different brand cleaner and brightener. Was going a different route and then due to the non-stop rain in the NE and online reviews have decided to use now use RAD stain but have already cleaned deck. Also deck is new was installed last summer and has been weathering since.
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    Janet Rice · 06/19/2019
    On our deck, we have fir 8 inch beams and columns that we want to stain with solid stain. They have been up for about 6 months now. They have some rough spots that could use some sanding. Can I sand them and then apply the stain? What is the sequence? Sand, clean, brighten or clean, brighten, sand? i have a glulam roof beam too that I would like to put semi-transparent stain on. It really could use a good sanding. It's an architectural feature of the house that goes from outside to inside. Thanks
    • We will reply to your comment shortly
      RAD Products · 06/19/2019
      Lightly sand, yes. Not heavy power sanding. Lightly clean, sand, brighten, then stain.
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        Janet Rice · 06/24/2019
        Can you tell me what lightly clean means? I have the RAD cleaner. Do I need to power wash it off? Thanks.
        • We will reply to your comment shortly
          RAD Products · 06/24/2019
          Yes, pressure wash off but not at excessively high pressure.
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        Janet Rice · 06/24/2019
        Thanks. You guys are great! Helpful too :)
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    Ilie · 06/19/2019
    My deck it is one year old , never been stained or painted , which Restore -A-deck stain u recommend ,i have 900 sq ft !how much i need ? Thank you
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    Mark · 06/18/2019
    I built a new deck with kdat pressure treated pine three weeks ago. I was planning on sanding before staining/sealing. Should I sand after cleaning/brightening and right before staining or can I sand anytime ahead of cleaning/brightening/staining process?
    • We will reply to your comment shortly
      RAD Products · 06/18/2019
      Sanding is not suggested as it could hinder the stain's ability to soak into the wood. Just clean and brighten for prep.