Question from a non-customer:
“I have a client that had their deck stained two weeks ago. Red stain. It is all over the black railings( I think they are aluminum), concrete and vinyl siding. Do you know how to remove stain from these items? Can it be done? Do you remove stain? Thanks for your help.”
Answer:
First and foremost, thank you for your question. This is not uncommon when staining is done by the inexperienced, but rest in the fact that if you approach the situation carefully and patiently, the results can get better.
There is a product line that can be found at Home Depot called Lift Off, by Motsenbocker. I have had success on all of those surfaces with their lift off #4. When using it try it on a small area first, and apply it in small amounts a couple times until you have reduced the stain.
I have found that excessive application or rubbing on the stain will begin to take off the original surfacing, so please read the bottle carefully and follow their instructions above my suggestions. Also, depending on the surface you may not be able to remove all of it, however you will probably be pleased over the current condition.
The content included is for educational purposes only. Deck ReDo LLC is not to be liable for any actions taken as a result of this message. Please respect product details and instructions at all times.
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Tags: apple valley, burnsville, deck renu, deck stainer, lakeville, minneapolis
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Whether you are staining the deck yourself or having it professionally stained, there are 3 things questions you need to ask.
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First and foremost you need to ask yourself what color you want. You may think this is just a personal preference question, but in reality the amount of pigment in the stain will affect UV (ultra violet) protection from the sun, can prohibit you from colors in the future and can highlight scratches.
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Pigment: The darker the color you choose the more pigment and ultimately the more ultraviolet protection you will have on your wood. Similar to sunscreen, when the pigments get just a little darker than a natural or honey color, the changes aren’t substantial. I always recommend to clients that a Cedartone color will provide adequate UV protection while still allowing the wood color and grain to be visible.
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Pigment: As for the future staining of decks, if the original color chosen is too dark the cleaning process of a high quality stain will not remove all the stain and therefore future colors must typically be very similar or darker.
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Solid or Penetrating Stain. This is the most common error made by homeowners. Typically a homeowner will go to a big box Do-It-Yourself store and pick their recommended stain. What you will not be told is that most often these stains are solid stains and work more like paint. From my experience, this leads to peeling, cracking, covering of wood grain, and overall customer dissatisfaction. On rare occasions a homeowner will be satisfied with a solid stain, however in my experience I would say about 1 in every 200.
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Lastly is the preparation method. I have seen methods ranging from using a normal pressured garden hose, up to completely sanding the deck, however there is a happy median. The goal of washing a deck is two fold: 1. Remove current stain to expose bare wood, and2. Remove dirt, debris, mold, mildew etc. Truth is cleaners, strippers, hosing down do a nice job of getting the wood to look clean, however the underlying dirt needs to be removed with a very high pressure washer. I do NOT recommend this for a non-professional as the proper pressure can harm you wood permanently. However done properly the stain will take well to the wood lasting a very long time.
Naturally there are many more things to consider when staining a deck, however these three will get you on the right path to a perfect summer sanctuary.
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Background: This deck was built in 2005, allowed to sit for the wood’s mill-glaze to be removed and then stained the homeowners with a solid stain product Behr *. Unfortunately the deck was not properly prepared and the stain chosen was not the recommendation of Deck ReDo. Within two years of typical deck use, this stain had begun peeling and was in need of restoration.
As you will see the restoration process, even on a simple deck such as this one, can be extensive. First the deck needs to be power washed, stripped, sanded and then stained/sealed. The process was more lengthy and difficult because it was not originally done properly. Unfortunately I do not have an image of this decks peeling, however it looked similar to a deck that we recently restored in Edina which was in similar condition:
After the deck had been stripped with deck stripper and power-washed with three thousand psi washer, there was still much work to be done. The stripper did not remove all the stain, particularly where the wood fibers are not as soft – such as the knots.
After lengthy sanding with a coarse sander and then again with a sheet sander the stain was in great presentation and ready for the staining, sealing and preservative. As much as the wood grain is appreciated by homeowners, if it is not promptly sealed the deck will Grey and take harsh punishment from the elements (sun, rain, ice, insects, etc.)
It was the choice of the homeowners to mix a natural cedar tone stain a rustic stain to add a little more tint. We were happy to give them the exact color and they were glad to see that the wood grains were still quite visible.
As you will notice the stain is not a solid stain but rather a penetrating stain. This means the stain, sealer, preservative actually soaks into the wood allowing it to gracefully fade over time while still protecting it from the elements. The below pictures were taken one year after the deck was stained and is a representation of how a deck should react to water if properly stained.
* Behr is a trademarked product by Behr Process Corporation. Deck ReDo is in no way affiliated with Behr and cannot speak on their behalf. All content given in regards to Behr is strictly anecdotal and opinion of Deck ReDo LLC.
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Peeling stain By forestviewstaining
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Peeling of solid stain
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Tags: behr, deck stain, deck stain removal, deck striping, deckredo, mn
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