Restore A Deck Stain and Prep on the Same Day!
Restore-A-Deck Semi-Transparent Wood Stain is an advanced, water-based, semi-transparent stain formulation designed to penetrate deep into wood pores for maximum protection and longevity. Restore-A-Deck Semi-Transparent Wood Stain protects wood from harmful UV rays and damage caused by water penetration. Restore-A-Deck Semi-Transparent Wood Stain is safe to use, has a low odor, and is easy to clean up with soap and water. It is ideal for all wood types including pressure-treated pine, cedar, fir, or redwood.
Recent advancements in water-based wood stain technology have allowed the active ingredients in the Restore-A-Deck Semi-Transparent Stain to offer better UV protection, excellent penetration into the wood grain, the ability to apply to damp wood, all in 5 beautiful semi-transparent colors that highlight the natural wood grain.
RAD Semi-Transparent Wood and Deck Stain will increase the life, appearance, and durability of all exterior wood surfaces. With the easy to apply and maintain Eco-Safe formula, you’ll be able to finish faster and enjoy your exterior wood or deck for years.
WHERE TO USE
Restore-A-Deck Semi-Transparent Wood Stain is intended for all wood types of weathered, exterior wood surfaces including decks, fences, siding, outdoor furniture, gazebos, and playsets. You can apply Restore-A-Deck Premium Semi-Transparent Wood Stain to hardwoods including mahogany, ipe, or other types of exotic hardwoods.
Restore-A-Deck Semi-Transparent Wood Stain can be applied the same day as the prep. Make sure that all standing water has dried off the surface after prep. Typically 2-4 hours at 70º F and less than 50% humidity.
Note: Restore-A-Deck Semi-Transparent Wood Stain can be applied to dry or damp wood.
New Wood Note: New wood is not the same as “damp” wood and needs to weather and be prepped before staining. Restore-A-Deck Stain and New Wood
Restore A Deck Stain Application Tips
- Applying RAD Stain Wet on Wet Tips
- How To Apply RAD Stain to Damp Wood
- Restore-A-Deck Stain and New Wood
- Restore-A-Deck Stain Hot Sun Application
- RAD Two-Toned Wood Decks
Coverage:
RAD Semi-Transparent Wood Deck Stain applies at about 100-200 feet per gallon. Actual coverage varies depending on wood porosity.
ADVANTAGES
- Stain the same day as the prep!
- Utilizing the latest advancements in water-based stain technology
- Cost-effective stain and sealer for your wood
- Deep penetration into the wood grain resulting in less chance of wear and tear
- Protects wood from damaging UV oxidation and graying
- Available in 4 beautiful semi-transparent finishes – Natural, Cedar, Light Walnut, & Dark Walnut
- For use on all exterior wood types and surfaces, not just decks
- Eco-Safe
- Dries to a flat, natural-looking finish
- Water-based, easy cleanup
- Easy to reapply as needed
- Easy to remove if needed
- Does not promote mold/mildew growth
- Low VOC content, compliant with all US states and Canada
AVAILABLE SEMI-TRANSPARENT COLORS:
NATURAL, CEDAR, LIGHT WALNUT, DARK WALNUT, COTTAGE GRAY
WARNING: This product can expose you to Ethylene oxide, which is known to the State of California to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm, and Cumene, which is known to the State of California to cause cancer. For more information, go to www.p65Warnings.ca.gov.
I’m looking to use the restore-a-deck semi-transparent stain for an IPE deck. Is natural the best color to keep it close to the original color? Also, what is the difference in longevity between the restore a deck stain & the AC oil based stain? Is one preferred over the other?
Any color that you like will work. Natural looks like a clean “wet” look. Both stains will last the same.
3 years ago I stripped, brightened, and stained my pressure treated pine deck with your products using the Light Walnut stain. Time to do it again this spring but am going with the darker Dark Walnut stain this time. Is cleaner, brightener and stain all I need since I am going with a darker color or is it necessary to use the stripper?
Best to strip and brighten for prep.
Is it necessary to pressure wash between 2-3 year stain applications or will cleaning it be ok, assuming I use the same stain product with each application? I normally strip/brighten/stain but I switched products. It would be nice, assuming I liked one color/product, e.g. dark walnut and just had to clean between. I like pressure washing but my deck is 2000 sq feet now (with new additions) and I’m not getting any younger (65 female).
You should pressure wash with the RAD Cleaner for prep.
Used RAD products (i.e. stripper, brightener & stain) on IPE deck a year ago. Plan to re-stain same deck again with RAD products. Can I just use cleaner and brightener before staining or do I need to strip again first?
Clean and brighten.
We worked hard all weekend completing all three steps. Last day was staining day from 8am to 3pm – six hours later at 9pm it started raining unexpectedly. Forecast was wrong. Is all of our hard work ruined?
It should be fine.
How long does fresh smooth wood need to cure before it is stained?
https://www.restore-a-deck.com/Deck-Cleaning-Reviews-and-Tips/restore-a-deck-stain-for-new-wood.html
A couple of my boards are still sticky a few days after application. I think I over-applied in that area. Anything I can do about it?
No, not at this point. Just let it cure and dry over time.
I just had an all-cedar fence installed about 3 weeks ago – all new wood. The vertical 1×6 pickets are rough-sawn, but the 2×4 horizontal rails are all kiln-dried and surfaced on all 4 sides. I’m planning to allow the fence to weather for ~6 weeks and then apply a RAD semi-transparent stain. Do I need to clean and brighten the kiln-dried 2×4’s after weathering, even if they aren’t dirty? Does the fact that most of the square footage is rough-sawn change the calculation for stain coverage? I have about 2300 square feet to stain. I’m in the Pacific Northwest so the rain season will likely preclude any staining opportunity from October through April.
Yes, you need to clean and brighten to remove oxidation and mill glaze. Rough-sawn wood is more porous so coverage can be less and stain color can be darker as well.
Thank you. Can I remove the mill glaze with a light sanding instead of cleaning and brightening? It seems it would be difficult to apply the cleaner/brightener to the 2×4’s exclusively without splashing onto the pickets, which don’t need it. I’m a bit hesitant to clean/brighten the entire fence since it’s such a huge area (and time required for rinsing) and only a fraction of the wood actually needs it.
Hi, we just finished 1st staining of my deck (unstained before) using your system.
It is great that we could finish this in a day!! As shown in a picture, it looks a bit patchy. We would like to know how to make this recover in the 2nd staining we are planning next year.
One thing to note is that we mistook our calculation and the cleaning solution we used was as half-thin as recommended. Is this the major reason or there may be other reasons for this result? And can we make this more smooth next year by simple repeating the process (clean, brighten and stain)?
Yes just clean and recoat next Spring to even out the appearance.
What is shipment time to Montana?
3-5 business days.
What are the methods of payment
Credit card and PayPal.
I’m building a deck out of rough cut lumber Do I need to prep it before I put stain on it
Not if all rough cut wood. If smooth wood, you need to weather and prep it.
Does this product work on woods previously stained with an oil based stain?
What brand and type of stain? Most likely yes but it will not remove a solid stain.
Sherwin Williams seni÷transparent oil base
If oil based then yes.
Hello, does anyone know of a contractor in the Washington DC area who uses RAD products?
Sorry, we do not.
Yes . New wood
See this about new wood: https://www.restore-a-deck.com/Deck-Cleaning-Reviews-and-Tips/restore-a-deck-stain-for-new-wood.html
Use the semi-transparent after wait and prep.
Any special prep or application instructions for Teak? Do I need to let it dry out and let the pores open up? I’m imagining that I will eventually apply a semi-transparent stain. Is that the right choice?
Is it new wood?
I will be applying the dark walnut stain. Will a roller brush work? If so what size? Would a pad work better? Thanks in advance!
Rollers are not suggested with the semi-transparent colors. Stain pads or brushes are best. https://www.restore-a-deck.com/decktools.html
your calculator says i need 7 gallons can I order 3- 2.5gallon containers thats not an option on your order forms
We do not sell the 2.5s individually.
What is the shelf-life of the semi-trans natural stain if stored in a climate controlled location?
Opened, about a year. Unopened, about 3 years.
How long does the semi-transparent stain need to be on the deck before it rains?
4-8 hours.
Hi
does the restore-a-deck semi-transparent is allowed on Canada ?
how much for shipping a 5 gallons kit to Montréal Québec
and how much Time to arrived?
thanks
Yes, we can ship the RAD Stain to Canada. For the cost, add products to cart and enter your shipping info. 4-6 days to ship.
Hi, I plan to use semi-transparent for my fence, that is 5500 sq ft. I’m thinking 1 coat. How many gallons would I need if using a sprayer to apply? Thanks
secondly,I’ll use the same semi-transp for my deck but will do 2 coats. My deck was previously stained with semi-transp stain. I’ve pressure washed it and most of it has been removed. I did this cleaner (before I knew about y’all’s cleaner) will that be enough to prepare for stain??
About 25-30 gallons. You have to strip off the prior coating, not just clean it. Post pics for prep help.
Used RAD products to strip, brighten, and stain using the semi-transparent Cedar stain last summer. My deck is growing some mildew but I think I can power wash it away. Once I get the mildew off can I restain the deck right on top of the old stain or do I need additional prep?
Use the RAd Cleaner if recoating while pressure washing.
Do I apply the RAD cleaner and then pressure spray, or add the cleaner to the pressure washer?
Apply with a pump sprayer and then pressure wash off. It cannot be applied through a pressure washer.
Can I add a white universal tint to the natural semi-transparent to get more of a white wash look?
No, and you cannot do this to any deck stain brand. Sorry, it just will not work.
Thank you very much for your reply!
Do you need to use the cleaner and Brighter on a new deck that is only 6 months old? Can I just pressure wash it and use the stain?
You need the Cleaner and the Brightener for proper prep.
https://www.restore-a-deck.com/Deck-Cleaning-Reviews-and-Tips/restore-a-deck-stain-for-new-wood.html
Can the semi-transparent stain be used on indoor furniture (with polyurethane top coat)?
No. You cannot add a top coat over the RAD Stains.
We have a very small section of redwood fencing that was stained very recently with RAD semi-transparent dark walnut. Application went great, but we’re now considering changing to a different color semi-transparent (cedar) to lighten things up a bit, and wondered if you have any tips on how to go about it.
You will have to remove the current stain if you want to go lighter in color. Use the RAD Stripper and Brightener Kit with both additives.
Working with old wood, has been stripped, sanded, cleaned & brightened with RAD products. Using RAD semitransparent cedar stain. Can I do one coat now (SW Ohio) and another in late spring ?
One coat now and one coat as needed in 1-2 years.
I have a deck that was stained with TWP 100 series semi-transparent stain. If I want to restrain with Restore-A-Deck semi-transparent stain, do I need to strip the oil base stain before applying your water base stain.
Yes, you do need to strip and brighten for prep.
I`m going to start clean and prepping the deck but it is starting to look like rain. There is a slight chance but this is Texas so it can rain anytime. My question is if it starts to rain while I`m in the process of cleaning will it hurt it? And can I continue to clean and wait till the next day and apply the stain?
Rain does not harm prep. You can stain the next day.
Went over with cleaner, brightener, then 2 coats of semi-transparent stain. Overall looks great, but some areas seems white-ish. Is it normal? Should I add one more coat?
That is part of your wood grain and is normal.
Great. Thanks
Hello, we built our 3-story porch in 2017, waited a year for it to weather then in 2018 the porch was stained with RAD semi-transparent. We are now re-staining again using the same color, after cleaning and brightening, should we use one coat or two? Also, photo shows how stain has worn on the horizontal surfaces but hardly on the verticals, do we just re-stain everything with the same amount of coats? Thank you in advance
Clean and brighten for prep and one coat to rails and two to the horizontals.
Can i use Restore-A-Deck in a shaded area (like the decking on a screen room floor), or does it require sun/UV to cure?
Shaded is fine.
Does the second coat have to be applied 20 minutes to 1 hour after first, or is that just the soonest second coat can be applied?
20-60 minutes: https://www.restore-a-deck.com/Deck-Cleaning-Reviews-and-Tips/restore-a-deck-stain-wet-on-wet-application.html
We would not worry about this as it is probably just not 100% cured yet.
Does Restore A Deck semi-transparent “Natural” color stain have UV protection in it? If, so, is it the same amount of UV protection as the other colors available from RAD?
Yes, it has the same UV protection as the other colors and it is tinted, not clear.
I purchased 5 gallons (two 2 1/2 containers) of light walnut semi-transparent. Can I “mix” the stain by shaking it in the container, or does it have to be put into a bucket in order to stir?
Shaking is the easiest way.
use sprayer to apply?
You can spray the RAD Semi-transparent stains.
Hi, Can I stain if it’s 80% humidity and will rain approx 4 hours after application? I read 4-6 hours and it can handle rain but not sure how the humidity affects that
Humidity does not affect the drying time. 4 hours is the minimum so you are cutting it close.
is the coverage of 100 to 200 sq ft for 1 or 2 coats
One coat. For two coats it averages about 100-125 sq feet per gallon.
I am looking to apply this weekend, but there is possibly rain in the forecast for the afternoon. What is the time needed to dry for rain the same as the walk on time? 4-6 hours?
4-8 hours.
I’ve already been through what feels like a lifetime of aggravation on this deck that I built. I originally did a lot of research on finishes & determined then that Cabot ATO [old oil formula] was the best for my needs. First time I went to re-stain, found out it was taken off the market. Ugh! Lots of HD-80 & was ready to have another go at it. I ended up choosing Armstrong Clark, Unfortunately I went with a Solid stain, & hated the color. Again, more HD80. The hardest part was the masking. There are 37 posts that are painted as well as having cedar trim all over them & the spindles, all 300 of them needed to be masked. They are made of copper & have a custom patina on them. What a PITA~!~ I’ve been through 2 other AC colors since. While I love AC, I’m not a fan of the algae & mold. My deck wraps from the front of the house, down the side & into the back. Regardless of the time of day, there is always shade somewhere, which is nice, but shade/mold, again. Ugh. One of the beauties of the AC is the ease in maintaining it, a good cleaner melts the finish off, as long as it’s the semi. Your cleaner is superb. I’ve never used a packaged cleaner before, I just made my own with great success.
I received my samples & did a test. Just this morning I made my decision & put in my order. I just hit the test spots with the cleaner, thinking it would melt like the AC does, but no it didn’t. I haven’t tried the stripper yet. I’ve read on here that for maintenance all that is needed for future coats is a cleaning then re-coating. Will the stripper take off the test finish? I don’t mind stripping but with all the cedar milling that is on the post, I’d die if I ever have to sand those again.
The Stripper will remove the AC stain.
My apologies for not being clear. My experience with AC is that Dawn will strip it. I was actually referring to the RAD Semi. Will the RAD stripper remove the RAD Semi completely?
Yes.
I have just finished my deck and it looks like new. However, in fixing the steps, there has been dried mud and even a few cement stain. What is the best way to clean this without undoing the stain? Thanks
You probably cannot clean off the cement without harming the stain. Use warm water and dish soap for the mud.
Do guys have any experience using paint sprayers to apply the prep or stains. (Airless or otherwise) I’m thinking of prepping and staining with RAD Natural Semi-Transparent. I really like the convenience, but I don’t want to shortcut my way into poor results.
You cannot apply the prep with an airless sprayer. You can apply the stain with it but make sure it applies evenly without any drips or runs.
Just finished applying RAD semitransparent stain on my cedar deck (after the proper prepping: cleaner, power wash, brightener). Very happy with the result! However, I have two issues:1. How to fix some drips that I have not noticed in time to wipe them off, and when staining over them they look like dark spots? Should I sand the area and reapply?
2. I also have some areas that look a bit lighter than the rest. Should I apply a light second coat to blend the area in better?
Thank you!
1. You cannot spot fix or apply and have it blend. It may make it worse. Just leave as is.2. You cannot apply a second coat once the first coat has dried as it will not take. You can prep and recoat in 6-9 months.
I have weathered my deck for over a year. I power washed it and it looks OK – not completely the same color. My question is – the deck is 815 Sq Ft. How much product will I need for two coats of semi transparent or solid – including cleaner and brightener. Thank you.
About 8 gallons for either stain. One of each prep.
What’s the best coating on IPE – clear non gloss ? How best to apply the cleaner and brightener – with a roller or brush ?
See here about IPE: https://www.restore-a-deck.com/Deck-Cleaning-Reviews-and-Tips/restore-a-deck-wood-stain-on-exotic-hardwoods-ipe.html
Use a pump sprayer to apply prep products and then pressure wash off.
Today I applied the cleaner on a never treated cedar fence and deck. Waited 20’ or so, then pressure washed it nicely. Applied the brightener, waited another 20’ and washed thoroughly. My problem is that there is still a lot of fuzzy stuff on the wood. Mostly on the privacy fence. Before staining it, should I sand it lightly, or wash it more, or..what?
Also, while wet, it looked great but it dried quite white in color. If I apply the stain on damp wood, would it keep the great wet look? Thanks
The stain will restore and enhance the color. Does not matter if applied to damp or dry wood. The fuzzy stuff is oxidation that was not removed fully. That typically does not show when stained.
Typically the RAD stain will last 2-3 years but harsh conditions and different wood types can cause some decks to be done annually.
About 10 months ago I flip the horizontal surface of my deck because I was not able to sand off the solid stain. Some of the boards were in bad shape so I replaced them with new boards they have weather now like I said for about 10 months. I plan to stain with a semi-transparent stain. I will need to put two coats on the boards that I flipped and one coat on the newer boards or just just apply either one or two coats to both the flipped board and the newer boards?
Just one coat on all after prep.