Replies

1. 
   WorkshopJon | Mar 24, 2003 05:25am | #1

   No definitive suggestions, but Consumer Report's has been doing an ongoing test for ~5 years on deck stains. Worthwhile reading.

   Jon

2. 
   Clay | Mar 24, 2003 05:43am | #2

   I like the Behr semi transparent natural cedar stain.  Home depot carries it.  A good professional paint store will custom mix stain for you.  Nothing will perfectly imitate the fresh original color, but you can get a pretty nice look, though slightly different.  I like the semi transparent stains best.  You can add some durability by adding a little polyurethane varnish to the deck stains ... but don't get greedy ... maybe 5% to 8% added polyurethane.  Otherwise you will have peeling finish and a big stripping job when you need to redo it.  Of course, this only works for oil-base stains.

3. 
   goldhiller | Mar 24, 2003 07:00am | #3

   I'd think you could pretty much remove the gray and restore the original color with a judicious power washing. 15° or 25° nozzle on a 1200 PSI or so, used at an appropriate distance so as not to tear up the wood. Maybe a deck cleaner/brightener, but might not be necessary. Then a good clear repellant with a UV inhibitor, like Penofin or Superdeck. That's what we did last year on a cedar spa deck we installed two years previous and it looked virtually like original when done.

   Knowledge is power, but only if applied in a timely fashion.
1. 
   dustmonkee | Mar 26, 2003 04:52pm | #15

   Goldhiller has the right plan.

   regards

1. 
   goldhiller | Mar 26, 2003 08:50pm | #17

   Well, I think so anyway and evidently you have some experience at this as

   well. As usual, I'm not here to argue with anyone and so I won't, but I will take

   this opportunity to reiterate my first response, illustrate what I mean by

   judicious use, and state why I feel power-washing isn't always an avoidable

   approach. Beyond that, all I can say is power-washing deck boards works fine

   for me; if..................I adhere to "the rules".

   I avoid using any washer over 1200psi and never use a tip tighter than 15°.

   Those 3500 psi washers are great for cleaning super-dried, super-hard

   encrusted livestock crap off of concrete floors, but IMO and experience have no

   place on a deck. Bigger and more powerful is not always better. They're just

   too difficult, if not impossible, to use with the type of finesse that's necessary

   when cleaning deck boards.

   Cleaning medium or large size decks takes time, frequently hours. One of those

   3500 or 5000 jobs causes arm fatigue in relatively short order and the end

   result is that the necessary control and concentration is lost almost

   immediately. To add insult to injury, I've seen too many guys attacking things

   with a 0° tip. (Those tips work great if you want to bore a hole clean thru a 2x4

   in 30 seconds, but IMO have few true applications.) As a result, things get

   chewed up and power-washing decks gets a bad reputation in general.

   We've found ourselves PWing wood decks constructed of treated SYP, fir, and

   cedar. The only time I can recall that we've created more than the slightest

   peach-fuzz on deck boards (which weathers away in short order anyway) with

   a PW is when there were incorrigible green algae stains in a few of the 25 year

   old fir deck boards, that lived in the shade near the house wall, which refused

   to respond to any type of chemical cleaning. We tried everything including the

   products used for removal of these stains by the local greenhouse operators.

   Nothing would totally remove them; bleaches, brighteners, you name its. And

   so we consulted with the homeowners and they said, "Do it". They'd sooner

   have a little sanded wood than live with the stains. And so, we simply moved

   the nozzle in close. Yes, it fuzzed things up pretty good, but it was either that

   or replace the boards, which would have been more apparent to the eye than

   our end result.

   I suppose that in an ideal world one wouldn't ever have to resort to a PW, but

   not everything can be accomplished with brush-on, rinse-off cleaners alone in

   the real world, it seems. It depends upon what one is facing and what the

   owners' desired result is. Nothing would please me more if brush on products always did the entire job because

   power-washing is more time consuming and fatiguing than using a brush-on,

   rinse off cleaner. But not everyone tends to their deck on the type of schedule

   that would be required to insure the result meets with customer satisfaction by

   the use of these products alone or at least I can say that this has been true in my world.

   Knowledge is power, but only if applied in a timely fashion.

1. 
   cheakamus | Mar 27, 2003 01:27am | #19

   Just wanted to add a plug for my little 1200 psi power washer—made in Italy, all plastic body, compact so it stores easily, $160 @ Sam's Club. That's about three rentals of the big machines from HD. It did a great job on my pressure-treated deck, which hadn't been done since it was built, probably 6-8 years ago (I just bought the house). Best of all, it got all the cr*p out of the gaps so air can circulate all round the decking. It was so easy, I plan to make this an annual ritual (including refinishing with preservative).

4. 
   AaronRosenthal | Mar 24, 2003 08:18am | #4

   A few years ago Jon Tovey (sp?) from Seattle had an article in FHB on redoing decks and getting the colour up before staining.

   I can't remember it all but it did involve a light acid wash and power washing with a pumper, then a stain (Flood, if I remember).

   Good luck.

   Quality repairs for your home.

   Aaron the Handyman
   Vancouver, Canada

5. 
   ProDek | Mar 24, 2003 08:37am | #5

   Any natural colored stan will gray quicker than a stain with color because it is the color that helps block the UV rays that grey the wood.

   We use Superdeck DB1906 Valley which has a brown tint to it.

   1. get a good cleaner "30 second" Lowes $8.97 per gal.

   2. pump sprayer, scrub brush on pole, spray it on scrub lightly, hose off

   3. wait 2 dry days then apply stain using the same sprayer.

   4. Do this after all the leaves are on the trees or you will trap tree pollen under the stain and the deck will turn black.

   Stay away from pressure washers, they are abbrasive to wood.

   Behr is bad news in the stain department. Their cleaners and paint are great but their stain is like motor oil. They currently are in litigation for millions of dollars from stain problems.

   Good luck!

   Bob

   "Rather be a hammer than a nail"

   

1. 
   CAGIV | Mar 24, 2003 10:06am | #6

   3. wait 2 dry days then apply stain using the same sprayer

   Wish I would have known that 10 years ago when I was using a 4 in brush to put the stuff on my parents 18' x 40' deck...

   Seriously, never heard of it, but since your the expert... How can you be sure to get an even finish color/tint?View ImageGo Jayhawks

1. 
   ProDek | Mar 24, 2003 05:38pm | #7

   Cut in perimeter about 1' out from house spray with the grain - spray between the decking - this will allow the stain to penetrate the cracks and the over spray will cover the decking.

   You have to walk on your work so wear some old crumby tennis shoes.

   I back wipe wit terry cloth rags - I use a 16" deck board fasted to a 2x2 for a stand up mop and just back wipe the whole surface with the grain.This eliminates any puddlings. Do all this on and overcast day if you can, it allows the stain more time to penetrate.

   Be sure and throw the used rags in a bucket of water when done- They will ignite from spontaneous combustion.

    Bob

   "Rather be a hammer than a nail"

1. 
   rebildit | Mar 24, 2003 11:28pm | #8

   What is your take on Penofin.  I had great success with it on a mahogany deck two summers ago, kept the color of the deck beautifully and prevented the mahogany from doing any unnecessary cupping.  I know the customer followed with a rewash (simple green with a brush and a hose) and a recoat the following spring, but know I think it is holding up great.

   How often do you recommend recoating with your technique.  I get the impression that few understand just what kind of a beating a deck takes from all the uv's and acid rain etc.

1. 
   ProDek | Mar 24, 2003 11:42pm | #9

   Bill, I do mine every year- Penofin is the best! Superdeck is a very close second and cost about $7.00 per gallon less and that is why I use it, plus it cleans and re-applies nicely.Bob

   "Rather be a hammer than a nail"

2. 
   FastEddie1 | Mar 25, 2003 03:00am | #10

   I just finished doing a deck.  Used a power washer (3500 psi) to clean the wood, worked well.  Deck is pressure treated 5/4 boards, about 5 yrs old.  Have to be careful to get even overlap of the spray, and at the same time not linger too long in one place or get the tip too close, or else you'll be etching the deck.  After it dried I applied Olympic semi-transparent linseed oil based stain...Lowes sells it with a chart of about 50-60 different colors.  Just about lost my butt on this one...the label says it will cover 200-250 sf/gal on smooth wood, half that on rough.  I figured the pt lumber was smooth, and calculated about 6 gallons would do the job (1,200 sf deck).  Today I finished applying the last of 18 gallons.  Looks good, but the man-hours and material costs ate up everything.  Customer is happy, though.

   Do it right, or do it twice.

3. 
   rebildit | Mar 25, 2003 04:19am | #11

   I would like to take a moment to repeat and reemphasize what was said earlier (by Pro-Deck I believe) that power washing a deck is not a good idea.  First, as you yourself pointed out it is easy to etch and damage the decking, second you raise the grain of the wood tremendously, and third, you are forcing water into the inner cavities of the wood itself, and therefore need to allocate a much greater amount of drying time prior to the resealing of the deck, unless you want mildew to form and the finsh to fail.  A deck is always accessible to foot traffic (it is a deck for goodness sake) scrub it with a brush on a pole, hose it off, then let it dry and pick a good quality product for a finish, and be prepared to do it again next year, and the year after.

2. 
   CAGIV | Mar 25, 2003 10:14am | #12

   Thanks,

     I sprayed their deck once with an air sprayer off a compressor and the overspray in any wind sucked, and it seemed to waste a little to much stain for my liking, Next time I have to stain a deck, I'm using a garden sprayer.View ImageGo Jayhawks

1. 
   DANSW44 | Mar 26, 2003 08:32am | #13

   I have to agree, I used the super deck on many decks and i love the look and how easy it is to apply.  I also always use a garden sprayer and brush to cut in.  some times.  For cleaners i use a brightner and cleaner, sometimes i will make my own with some tsp and bleach and use it in the garden sprayer.  I do have to admit i power wash some of them too just to get it done faster but i know, i usally have to wait up two 3 days dependant on weather conditions to let the wood dry.  I also and any wood that frays i usally knockdown with steel wool or sander paper.  I also dependant on the material and what the deck was previously sealed with also matters alot.  With cedar you can't power wash it with any higher pressure then 1200 psi and you have to be very careful let the chemicals do the job use it to rinse and clean more then anything.  On pressure treated lumber you can go with higher pressures such as 3500 psi but you also have to be careful or you will have alot of splinter wood.  I usually only use this high of pressure if i am removing a latex sealer and putting it the deck back to natural wood.  So there is my tidbits.

2. 
   CAGIV | Mar 26, 2003 10:06am | #14

   I was so happy when my parents let me go buy a pressure a washer to wash their deck the first time, I had to be about 15 because I couldn't drive.  I thought it was the greatest thing in the world, deck washed in less then an hour.  (cleaning and staining the deck was my summer "job" around the house as a kid).  

    Walk out the next day and the deck has peach fuzz all over it.  Since I have not and will not chance using a pressure washer on a deck.  Now its some cheap scrub brushes with a handle and some decent cleaner.  View ImageGo Jayhawks

3. 
   DANSW44 | Mar 28, 2003 01:56am | #20

   I have to admit it takes practice too power wash a deck and you have to practice with scrap wood, before you can just go out and power wash a deck.  I have done this for years and most professionals will powerwash to eliminate time and you have to make money doing it.  If you don't trust your self then be my guest with the scrub brushes and labor.  If you use sikkens and let it fail, then you are going to renting a floor sander and having alot of fun removing the finish.  I think you have seen in some of the other posts you have know what you are doing to use equipment that can damage things.

4. 
   G80104 | Mar 28, 2003 03:55am | #21

                 Just saw 22 reasons to say" I am glad my Deck is Made of TREX!"

5. 
   bobl | Apr 17, 2008 09:21pm | #22

   planning on washing our deck.anything new? 

   bobl          Volo, non valeo

   Baloney detecter    WFR

   "But when you're a kibbutzer and have no responsibility to decide the facts and apply the law, you can reach any conclusion you want because it doesn't matter." SHG

6. 
   GCourter | Mar 26, 2003 06:06pm | #16

   Built a 1400 sq ft cedar deck three years ago and used "SIKKENS" brand deck sealer/stain.  Cost about $44/gal.  Great product, you have to sand the deck first and apply two coats of "DEK BASE" about 10 days apart, then come back in 7 months and apply a coat of "DEK".  Like I said, great product just takes time.  When the deck I installed is washed (using water and a small amount of cleaner) the deck looks like it was just stained.  Good Luck

7. 
   JMartindal1 | Mar 27, 2003 01:04am | #18

   Consumer Reports said that Cabots was 2nd best (approx. $25.00 / gal). Sikkens best ( $75.00 / gal. ) 2 step process. I use Cabots.