Introduction
Has your wood deck seen better days? Restaining an older deck is a cost-effective, DIY-friendly way to quickly improve the look of your outdoor space. With some elbow grease and a few basic tools and products, your deck will look like new once more. I love re-staining older decks, because the before and after is so gratifying.
Here, we'll focus on how to prep a deck for staining, including repairing, cleaning and sanding. Read on to learn helpful tips with Rachel Otto from Fleury Lumber and Shayne Pancione from Pancione Painting Plus.
Why Prep Your Deck Before Re-staining?
Thorough prep work is critical when re-staining a deck. Unlike paint, stain needs to penetrate into the wood surface to protect the deck from water and sun damage.
Proper prep work removes old coatings, cleans the wood and opens up wood pores to readily absorb new stain. Without these steps, new finishes can fail early. "If you have a deck that's older and in rough shape, take time to clean the wood, brighten it and restore it before re-staining," Otto says.
Tools Required
Materials Required
- ½-in or ¾-in. nap roller
- 150-grit sandpaper
- Deck brightener
- Deck cleaner
- Latex gloves
- Paint and stain stripper
- Replacement deck boards
- Stainable two-part epoxy wood filler
