I don’t know if this is an oil base or water base solid stain that has failed and the wood is fairly weathered and cracked.Im thinking i would just strip with a universal stripper and pressure wash,brightener,then another solid stain?
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Solid stains on horizontal surfaces (floor) will always have problems. It’s that reason we no longer offer that to our customers. If my customer wants a solid stain I recommend they call a painter.
Just not sure yet how a deck like this will look with maybe a semi stain after pressure washing it and weather all of the stain will come off and be able to see that old stain under a semi stain.I’ve pressure washed an old 18 year old slivery deck that has never been protected and came out really nice with no wood damage but never stained one yet.
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I’m no woodie and certainly not an expert but oil based stains typically will fade over time from UV rays and from Mother Nature in general. Acrylic and Latex which are water based stains lay on more like a paint and tend to chip and peel in heavy traffic areas. It’s hard to tell from the pictures exactly what type of stain because the deck has been neglected for years. If the homeowner wants to switch to a different color or stain in general the deck should be stripped imho. Try a test spot and strip with sodium hydroxide wait 15 minutes to dwell and neutralize with a brightener, oxalic acid. If that doesn’t lift the existing stain its most likely a latex or acrylic based stain. In that case you will need soy gel or the strongest stripper you can find at a paint store and many applications. Plus you’ll probably need a belt sander, an orbital sander, and lots of elbow grease to get the stubborn or hard to reach areas. Good luck in either case.
Nathan Edwards
Hydro Cleanse
Hydro-Cleanse.com
573-225-8464
Thanks,I’ll try a small area and hopefully it has a decent effect. The home owner was also thinking of using Pittsburgh wood and concrete resurfacer. Not sure how good that is yet.
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This is easy to determine. Carry a spray bottle with a strong sodium hydroxide stripper on estimates. Apply to an area and allow to dwell for awhile, keeping it wet with more stripper. Scrub or scratch the surface and if it removes easily, its an oil. Be sure to rinse the area with water before leaving.
Rub with alcohol. If color comes off on the rag, it’s acrylic. If it does not, it’s oil-based.
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