Re-Staining... Do I need a deck striper?

[keegan]

We purchased our house about 9 months ago. The back deck is pressure treated wood and was stained probably within the last couple years. The stain looks like it is still in OK shape. However, they did a bad job off application. There are a lot of spots around the edges, in the space between boards, and the railing where they obviously just did not get the stain.

I would like to clean and re-stain the deck to make it look better and last longer. I don't know what kind of stain they used, but it looks like it was probably a semi-transparent or toner. If I plan to use a similar color semi-transparent do I need to use a deck stripper? Or can I just use a cleaner or pressure washer then re-stain over what is there. I have searched online but not found any good answers.

Thanks in advance.

[redwood]

The short answer is probably no you don't have to strip it, especially with PT wood. It is probably not worth it.

That said, the old stain will most likely show through the new stain somewhat. Those spots will probably still show through but maybe not as obvious.

Try a sample spot.

[Patiosclotures]

There are several things we should remember when cleaning of our deck. One thing is that we must work with the grain in all things. There are several things we can use in place of deck stripper. These include Murphy’s Wood Oil Soap, mineral spirits and stain remover. We can even try using peanut butter for small sap stains and should not use all of these at once, but try one at a time. If one does not work, allow the area to completely be rinsed and dried before applying a different cleaner.

[Everett Abrams]

The general rule is to use a stripper followed by a brightener to remove old coatings. The stripper will act like an oven cleaner as it will lift and melt the old coatings from the surface of the wood allowing you to use less pressure to rinse with. Without the use of a stripper there is a tendency to rely too much on a pressure washer to do "the work." While the wood is wet apply a brightener and when dry you will have a nice consistent surface to re-coat. Moving forward you will maintain the coatings and hopefully not have to strip it again.

[lovemydeck]

I have not thought of using a brightener, but I like the properties it can provide. I have done a little research, and it seems that it will create a cleaner more consistent surface. What is your favorite brand? Is there a potential sprayer that is better for the brightener? SpraySmarter (http://www.spraysmarter.com/) can offer solutions for sprayers.

[Patiosclotures]

These steps will help guarantee a great looking, long-lasting result.
1. Take your Time
2. Preparation, Preparation, Preparation
3. Brighteners are Beautiful
4. Stay Away from the Cheap Stuff
5. Take a Look at Waterborne Stains
When using a wood cleaner, you can really speed the process up by using a scrub brush on the horizontal boards.