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  1. #1
    The Rainmaker
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    Question Wood deck stain recommendations

    We have a Wolmanized treated wood deck that is about 12 years old. It was left unfinished and has weathered to a gray that I happen to like. My wife thinks she would like to stain it to a light brown. Since she leaves my cars alone, I guess I should try to do what she wants with her house.
    Anyone have recommendations on what to use or not use?
    We are thinking a tint type that penetrates the wood, rather than the solid pigment type. Maybe even just use some deck brightener on it and use a clear water proofing treatment.

    Charles

  2. #2
    Help, I wanna be a proton
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    IF you are handy enough to do this, more power to you. There are actually a couple of boards that specialize in wood care that you might want to look at. From what I understand, Wolman`s is not exactly the best product out there, kind of like a low level turtle wax in the detailing world.
    The latest greatest is Wood Tux. If you go here you will find a pressure washing board that sells the product. They are on the east coast, but will ship anywhere. I do not know for sure that they sell to homeowners, but you can always try. Tell them that Scott Stone referred you. It might help, it might not.

    Scooter

  3. #3
    GOT PREP? EBPcivicsi's Avatar
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    Charles, when I did mine 4 years ago I read up on the stains at consumer reports, I can`t remember half of it, but I can promise you it was good information. I ended up using bher(sp) stain and topped it if you will with Thompsons water seal of some sort. I reapply the topper every 6 months as it doesn`t last. This was new wood and I am sure yours would take a little prep, but it is not too bad of a job. I can get the exact names off of the cans when I get home if you would like as I still have some. Good luck.

  4. #4
    Strange name, ain't it? NattyBumppo's Avatar
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    The most beautiful wood deck I`ve ever seen was treated annually with a Cabot clear cedar stain. Even though this guys deck was plain old pressure treated wood and not cedar or redwood, from the very beginning he used this Cabot stain at least once a year, sometimes twice. The deck is literally a showpiece. I`ve seen wood decks built in cedar and redwood costing easily 3-4 times as much as his and they didn`t look as nice.

    I don`t think the stuff is the lonest lasting stain on the market which is why he does it so frequently but for looks, IMO, it can`t be beat.

    Oddly enough, I don`t use it because I don`t care to do mine every year but instead treat it every other year. I`ve been using a semi-clear natural redwood stain from Oympic. It has a 3 year warranty but I do it every two years and the wood is holding up extremely well (even after having a few feet of snow on it all winter). A few people have said it really does look like real redwood but it is just plain old pressure treated. I can`t recall exactly which Olympic product it is because they have so darn many different ones. If you`re interested I can check when I get home and let you know.

    Natty
    Natty
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    "Sorry Miss, I just decided I don`t do mini-vans"

  5. #5
    The Rainmaker
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    Thanks!

    Thanks for all the information you have provided so far. The actual product nomencalture would probably help in making a decision.
    The Olympic was highly recommended by the local Menards. They had several different varieties, but the "Maximum" waterproofing sealant was what the guys in the department used on their own stuff. Make me think they might know something, (or get a heck of a deal on the Maximum stuff). As always, I will have to research it until I`m sick of reading, then just go buy something.:p

    Charles

  6. #6
    ZGone's Avatar
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    Charles,

    I saw this on the show Rebecca`s Garden. Here is the info:

    Stain The Deck

    Decks and patios have become an extension of outdoor living. If your deck is anything like ours, it gets plenty of use. Whether it’s entertaining, getting the hands dirty in the window boxes, hopping in and out of the hot tub or simply the weather, our deck gets abused. You should see how awful it looked before we stained it. Staining has come a long way and I wanted to show you how simple it can be.

    The key to staining your deck is choosing the right products and applying them correctly. Tom Tolkinen of Behr Paints and Stains showed us how easy it is to strip off the old stain, clean the wood, and then finish it with a beautiful deck stain.

    Staining rule number one: prepare for your project. Be sure to cover all plants and the surrounding work area, even under the deck if it’s exposed. Remove all the furniture and sweep off the deck. Then you’re ready to begin.

    My deck was six years old at the time Tom came by to help. It had already been stained 3 times, and it looked terrible, with flaking and discolored stain on top of bare wood. Tom explained that my earlier stains didn’t penetrate into the deck properly. I had used a one-step stain remover, but apparently it wasn’t enough preparation for the wood. As a result, Tom says, the stains just sat on the surface, and the weather took care of the rest of the damage.

    This time we used a four-step system, starting with Behr’s Quick Fix Finish Remover. It removes the old finish, dissolves it and turns it into a liquid. Then we just scrubbed it and hosed it right off.

    The finish remover was easy to apply with a sprayer, and there was no sanding required with this product. We just let it sit on the wood for about 15 minutes and then brushed it off. I found this “environmentally conscious” product stripped off my old stain like butter!

    A lot of people at this point would begin staining, but my deck still had mildew and grease stains, so while it was still wet, we sprayed on a Deck Prep Cleaner and Mildew Stain Remover. (This is all one product.) We let it sit for about a minute and then hosed it off. No brushing was needed with this step either.

    Once we hosed off the deck, I noticed that the entire deck was lighter, while some areas of the wood were noticeably darker. Tom explained I was seeing some tannin bleed, from the natural tannin preservatives found in many woods including cedar and redwood. The tannins were coming to the surface. The next step was to brighten the wood and get rid of any residue so the stain could adhere more easily.

    For this, Tom used a Behr Cleaner, Brightener and Conditioner, diluted 4 to 1 with water, enough to do a 1000 square feet.

    Finally, we were ready for the stain. There are many finishes you can choose. I chose a red semi-transparent stain that allows the grain of the wood to show through.

    With any paint or stain, it’s very important that you mix it well, so that the color is consistent and looks even. And don’t apply it until the wood is completely dry! Tom explained that it’s important to work with about two boards at a time, staining them from start to finish before moving on to the next two boards. That way, we avoided uneven lap marks.

    A pad applicator is an easy way to apply a nice even layer of stain without producing any kind of puddles. And one coat of this stain is all we needed. It not only sealed and waterproofed the deck, it also provided UV and mildew protection. We allowed 1-2 days for drying, before walking on the wood.

    By using the right products and procedures, it was a fun and easy project that made my outdoor living space look brand new! The stain I used is supposed to last up to three years on horizontal surfaces, and five years on vertical surfaces, so I get a vacation before it’s time to stain again!

  7. #7
    The Rainmaker
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    Z:
    I just printed your info on prepping and staining a deck. My weathered gray is looking better alll the time.:p
    This is starting to look like a project that could take as much effort as detailing a car. Hey, it`s just a house.

    Charles

  8. #8
    Strange name, ain't it? NattyBumppo's Avatar
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    Re: Thanks!

    Originally posted by CharlesW
    The Olympic was highly recommended by the local Menards. They had several different varieties, but the "Maximum" waterproofing sealant was what the guys in the department used on their own stuff. Make me think they might know something, (or get a heck of a deal on the Maximum stuff). As always, I will have to research it until I`m sick of reading, then just go buy something.:p
    I checked my stash at home and the one you mentioned, Olympic Maximum, is the one I`ve been using. Seems to be working very well, holding up nicely. I`ll most likely do another coat on the decking floor before the leaves start falling. Obviously the railings don`t get the abuse that the flooring does so they still look like new.

    That post from ZGone was awesome! Very useful info. I have used the Behr Deck Brightener and Conditioner and it worked well. Certainly does "brighten" the wood.

    Most of the time I just use a mix of warm water, bleach and TSP and brush it on with a stiff deck brush on a long broom handle. The mix of bleach and TSP really cleans like a SOB. THe bleach will kill any mildew and brighten the wood and the TSP cleans away any dirt, grime and grease. Also a very inexpensive solution and a small box of TSP will last a few years.

    Here is the Olympic "Maximum" line;

    http://www.ppg.com/ppgaf/olympic/maxhome.htm

    I use the tinted version.

    Natty
    Natty
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    "Sorry Miss, I just decided I don`t do mini-vans"

  9. #9
    The Rainmaker
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    Natty:
    Did you apply the Olympic with a pad applicator?
    For the rails as well?

    Charles

  10. #10
    Strange name, ain't it? NattyBumppo's Avatar
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    I used a regular 100% china bristle brush for the rails and spindles and a medium roller for the decking.
    Natty
    ------------------------------------------------
    "Sorry Miss, I just decided I don`t do mini-vans"

  11. #11
    The Rainmaker
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    Originally posted by NattyBumppo
    I used a regular 100% china bristle brush for the rails and spindles and a medium roller for the decking.
    Thanks.
    Actually, I was hoping you would tell me you just dumped it into a pump-up deck sprayer and sprayed away.:p

    Charles

  12. #12
    HD_Eddie's Avatar
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    Originally posted by CharlesW
    Thanks.
    Actually, I was hoping you would tell me you just dumped it into a pump-up deck sprayer and sprayed away.:p

    Charles

    I`ve seen some decks done this way and they didn`t turn out to bad. To me it seems that you waste more product but it is faster. I`ve done what Natty suggests, 100% china bristle brush and a roller, works very well and you get good coverage.

  13. #13
    The Rainmaker
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    Originally posted by rtcat
    Charles

    I`ve seen some decks done this way and they didn`t turn out to bad. To me it seems that you waste more product but it is faster. I`ve done what Natty suggests, 100% china bristle brush and a roller, works very well and you get good coverage.
    As eveyone here knows, I like easy.:p
    Do you get good coverage between the floor deck boards with the roller, or do you just roll and let it go where it may?

    Charles

  14. #14
    Strange name, ain't it? NattyBumppo's Avatar
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    Originally posted by CharlesW
    Thanks.
    Actually, I was hoping you would tell me you just dumped it into a pump-up deck sprayer and sprayed away.:p
    That would be a much faster solution but I just can`t bring myself to use a sprayer when painting/staining wood. Especially with clear or semi-transparent decking stains....they are very thin products and I would think if sprayed on you would get a lot of running especially on the spindles and rails. You`d probably have to follow those areas up with a brush anyway.
    Natty
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    "Sorry Miss, I just decided I don`t do mini-vans"

 

 

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