Alright So I have to stain my uncles deck and it has already had stain on it before but it has been a few years and it looks horrible so I am gonna use the pressure washer to get it clean and then..... I'm clueless of what to do, seems to me like it would be pretty straight forward but what steps to take after that? Anyone got any advice, tips, or tricks? thanks.

 

Power wash, let dry in the sun for a couple of days, sink any protruding screws (or replace loose nails with screws) knock down any major splinters/cracks with a belt sander and apply according to stain mfr. recommendations.
I remember seeing a consumer reports article on stain, and I think Behr was the top rated, but I can't remember with 100% certainty.

 

I'd recommend Behr semi-transparent deck stain.

 

dont use a roller, dont apply on hot sunny day

 

im a contractor and exactly as stated above behr stain and never in direct sunlight on a calm day.. make sure that you use a NEW Brush and i always wear a surgical glove on my hand to keep the stain off of my hand some
MAKE SURE the deck thoroughly dries before staining it and if the deck is really dried out or the stain job on there now is real bad do two coats

 

What he said, but i like to use an old rag thats clean.

 

I stained my deck over the 4th of July weekend and heres what I did.
Spray down deck with deck wash, let sit for 15 minutes, then hose off with garden hose.
Once it dried I stained it with a brush and it came out pretty well. It doesnt look perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but it looks pretty good.
We had a thread on here last week about stain and a few people said that Behr isnt a very good stain.

 

Now, I'm not a professional at staining and painting, but, I won't use anything that says "BEHR" again.

I am no fan of Behr products.

 

Hi Guys and I am a licensed Painting Contractor in AZ. I do not like behr paint But the stain products are not bad, It sounds kike others have given good addvice bout Prep,
I personaly like Solid Color Stains Always 2 coats.

 

Behr has not done well in the 'stain department'.

Behr's Class Action lawsuit

Bottom line, if if live anywhere near or in a damp climate, do not, and I repeat, DO NOT use any type of wood stain that uses Linseed Oil as a base. Linseed Oil promotes mold growth (which turns wood dark or black in damp climates) and the basis of the Class Action Lawsuit against Behr.



Story...
I live in Washington State, and as many of you already know, this area is about as damp as it gets. Seven years ago, my wife and I were fortunate enough to build our dream home. A cedar home liken to something you'd see in the foothills of Montana (i.e. peeled log columns, handrails, cedar decks, river rock fireplace, etc.) Just lots and lots of wood.

After some research, it had occured to me that there was a definite evolution to the typical cedar (or Redwood for some of you folks) home:

The original treatment of stain which looks BEAUTIFUL. A second application of stain a few years later which looks OK. A third application of semi-transparent stain a few years later to hide the blemishes/weathering. A fourth application of semi-transparent again a few years later to REALLY hide the blemishing and weathering. And then finally, the poor old home owner resorts to painting the dang thing. Something I would never ever want to do to our home.


Fortunately, I also discovered in my research that, for some weird reason, the Log Home 'guys' never had this problem. Why was that??? In fact, when was the last time you ever saw a Log Home painted???....rarely ever.

The question baffled me, so I did the smart thing; I asked a Log Home Guy.

Turns out, there are two distinct 'camps' when it comes to wood finishes; The Cedar Home guys, who typicaly buy their wood care products (exterior stains) from retail outlets such as Home Depot, Lowes, and various others, and the Log Home guys, who buy their wood care products from wood care specialists.

Well, I found those specialist. And our cedar home, after seven years and three applications of wood stain, looks as good as the day we moved in....but there's a catch - it requires some work in maintaining this look.

The product I use is called TWP and a favorite (at least up here) of the Log Home guys.

It does not mildew or film build. But what makes this product unique, is that if not re-applied after two or three years, it just fades away, leaving your cedar bare.

Now, back to your problem.
My suggestion would be to use Stripex first and get rid of all that old weathered stain. Second, would be to use a decent wood brightener/cleaner as others have already suggested. I just use a 50:50 mix of water and liquid bleach and just brush on, and pressure wash off. Let your wood dry a good couple days before applying stain.

Good luck.