Deck Refinishing | How-To Clean, Strip, Sand, Restain

[@thatcaddydude4202]

never seen a worse color

[@maarez8869]

I used this exact one and I absolutely hated it. It just looked whitewashed and bland.

[@AndYetHereWeAre]

For anyone watching this. For oil based semi transparent stains: 1 cup sodium hydroxide in one gallon water. Spray it on a dry deck liberally. Keep it wet for 15 minutes. Grab a pressurewasher. White tip 6 inches away ONE board at at a time. Long passes. Don't go back and forth like this guy. Don't stop. Once that's done apply deck brightener. Fuckin done.

[@carwashsoap]

Does this remove stain?

[@AndYetHereWeAre]

@@carwashsoap it will strip oil based stain

[@antoniadiaz3788]

Thank you, Mr. Build it. After reading all the negative comments from people who do not contribute to us as you do. It makes me realize that you are indeed just a regular guy trying to keep up with his home and doing everything you can to it while sharing it with the world. All of us that watch your videos know you are not a professional and we don't expect you to be. That is probably why we watch anyways because it encourages us to take on some of the projects you show. I too have stained my deck and I am sure that if someone had seen me doing it they would have had a field day with all my mistakes. But who cares about them. I hope you keep on doing these videos and don't mind all the negative comments. For those who feel the necessity of writing negative comments, there is a much better way of doing it if you really want to help and not just criticized. Keep up the awesome work.

[@soaponarope8995]

Sand everything skip the pressure washer if you can, I sand decks and railings with 80 grit and stain using Ready Seal Stain with a 2" and 4" brush they look flawless and are extremely durable

[@CalebinHD]

soap on a rope what kind of sander?

[@RideAlongside]

Caleb Head I’m gonna use a belt sander and oscillating

[@BlueBike586]

Rent a deck sander. Gets the bulk of the sanding done fast. Then use a belt sander and orbital sander around the edges.

[@MIKKKE112121]

I would be stripping of the second product too. Better color but the consistency is pretty bad. Kind of looks like you tried to go with a solid color stain but stretched the material out instead of buying more

[@xorbitman]

That's a semi transparent or opaque stain. Stains are basically watered down solid paint.

[@christopherwilcox9654]

you can see him walking on the stain as he's applying. This is a big no-no. Also, it's better to paint one-two boards at a time to prevent lap marks. start at the house and work away so you don't stain yourself into a corner.

[@alutious]

@@christopherwilcox9654 i have stained my deck twice, about to do it a third time. Initially it was a 10-20 year old stain it was nasty. I hand sanded it. Last time i used an orbital. I will sand it again. It is a small deck with 2x4 decking. The first time my mistake was only staining half the deck, half of some boards. The stain was darker where it overlapped, and it drying on different days also accentuated this mistake, so don't do that either. I agree don't walk on it and do full boards. The second time i learned and stained full boards. But it rained alot and it took several days, so i lost patience and i ran out of stain so i used different colours I had on hand. Unfortunately they dried much differently. I also chose darker as it was impossible to get all the stain colour out. I will do this again this time, i will choose a darker stain, as getting the previous stain out of all the nooks and also in between the boards, is impossible, and i can't really remove all of these boards easily. My two cents on my experience. His energy is really good and he is in much better shape than i am, with such a huge volume of work...but unfortunately the result is really bad in terms of consistency. I blame the transparency too. I like the look and colour of wood, my other deck turned out great, i used a slightly tinted transparent UV protected stain, but...it was new wood and i stained the boards before i put them in place - all the way around the board - twice on top and on the sides, once on the bottom, on a work bench.2x6. One board at a time, in the shade. Very very very nice. Staining in place is alot harder. Thanks for posting, it is important to also see mistakes.

[@worldwideparanormal3523]

You also shouldnt be rolling stain. Some people say you can but its a horrible idea

[@punkeratthecasbah2114]

What a fantastic finish! I have a question, how did you finish with the gray look? Is that a gray stain? Or did you finish the project with gray paint? I watched twice and just did not pick up how it went from reddish to gray, witch is something i'm an interested in doing, within painting the deck..

[@3Daver]

Did the water blaster damage the wood at all or make it fuzzy? I was planning on using one on my deck but I'm hearing not to by several people

[@SMee67]

Big job for a big deck. 😉 Nice job, mate. 👍

[@MrBuildit]

Biggest deck in my neighborhood 😂

[@SMee67]

@@MrBuildit 😂😂bwahahahahaha😂😂

[@jobber1984]

I just went through this battle :) I never want to sand again haha

[@tenzinminz5150]

semi transparent = no sanding next time? thanks

[@alexm1841]

If I’m sanding a dupe old deck, I can obviously bypass the pressure washer and chemicals, right

[@airforceveteran71]

Been using TWP products for a 850 sq. foot cedar deck for last six years..outstanding results.

[@Winterborne204]

Looks decent, but nothing will beat a big drum sander. Way faster and youll get a better finished result as you have opened the wood grains consistently, Orbital on soft species of wood will give you a un even stain job. Drum sander running with the wood grains, cut it twice once with 36/40 gritt to open the grains and it also flattens everything very nice and fast, finish up with an 80/100 gritt and stain away.

[@tgdiggity8887]

I agree. Cabot is terrible! Plan to just use a sealer without a tint this timw

[@PNW_Sportbike_Life]

Behr premium natural cedar tone is pretty solid. Lasts a good 4 years; and that’s in WA where it rains quite a bit

[@Dermisc]

It's not the rain that kills your stain. It's the sun.

[@PNW_Sportbike_Life]

xwx.fred okey dokey...

[@letmelivehealthy8603]

How does the deck look now after three years? Have you made an updated video?

[@MYCHANNELWITHMYSTUFF]

I've used Behr and it lasted 1 year.

[@jessicalewis2508]

Omg! I love this house!!!!

[@EthosArts]

Mr. Build It, allow me to premise this with I think you're a wonderful teacher, and you tackle any project head on. Awesome, admirable traits. Thank you. I just found it funny when you said if you don't have a random orbital sander, grab your angle grinder. Not only would an angle grinder potentially gouge and ruin a deck; it's not normally cheaper than a nice Makita sander like yours. Just thought that was funny. Carry on. I think your advice on remodeling a bathroom has been invaluable. ^^✌✌

[@gabrielpenner]

I’m wondering if he confused it with refinishing a log home for restaining as we pretty much only use angle grinders with the 5”-12” sanding pads. For a deck like this though I would always use one of those large push ones that one can rent.

[@80artimus]

I’m at the sanding part, I’ll start in the morning. Thanks for the video and tips!

[@partyneedsme]

Did you not use a deck cleaner after the stripper?

[@JordanG123]

LINSEED OIL OVER CABOT GOLD

[@Kirkules44]

I would have gone a more natural colour, rather than the same colour as the house, beautiful grain painted in grey... 🤮 Great video though!

[@percyyt7201]

It looks good on the home itself as it doesn't have that orange wood color, that grey gives it a clean white look as the house is too.

[@xHBearx]

I have that behr semi transparent stain and it peels so much. Don't use it!

[@afelixrg]

same here!

[@thejillofalltrades6336]

Use twp only excellent product

[@RollinHomies]

I've never seen a pergola slopped towards a house

[@PNW_Sportbike_Life]

M. Carr I was noticing that as well

[@northwestgaming4049]

Oscillating sander won't leave swirls, the fuzziness is from getting to close with pressure washer and opened up the grains. I always up staining with the grain but that is because I normally stain before Install but that won't help you.

[@NightBreakerDK]

No offense. That wasnt nice... Your doing good on many videos, but not this.

[@TheSuperQubit]

I would use a brown stain to bring out the natural color of the wood. Just personal preference...

[@tenzinminz5150]

yeah.. grey looks weathered board already : )

[@TheBandoury]

Great video! I am in the process of re-staining my balcony, 65% of stain is still good, do I have to remove all the old stain to bare wood or is it enough to sand it with 80 grit and apply two coats stain & seal? kindly please help.

[@josephg4924]

Looks nice..👍🏻

[@MrBuildit]

Thank you sir

[@snapgirlworld6272]

Looks dope!

[@chocolat917]

I just put down a stain color that I HATE! The samples are so damn deceiving. I already know it’s not going to change to a color I want so I don’t want to wait to remove it. Thanks for making this!

[@OD_MAN99]

Looks worse after

[@thecitiots]

You can get most of the fuzz off with a stiff deck brush while the striper is still on the deck or during the rinse phase.

[@johnross8935]

I would not go with the Behr stain. Mine peeled in less than 2 years

[@afelixrg]

Mine peeled in 1 year. Greater Toronto Area.

[@wayneguy6043]

And what do you use now that is superior .?

[@afelixrg]

@@wayneguy6043 according to others, In Toronto there’s nothing that would last for more than one year. Thus I only applied a sealer this year.

[@MidwayGuy]

His that paint holding up after 2 years?

[@Mark-yy2py]

I haven’t seen a stain that looks good after 2 years. If I had to redo my deck, it would be with composite wood!

[@drleo2641]

Everyone says the same thing about changing their deck until they realize it's $4,000. Instead of recoating the deck surface for $400. Yeah it has to be done every 3 years. That's life

[@thegoodybarn9060]

@@drleo2641 true

[@jackdb]

What color did you put on there? Looking for a grey/white semi transparent to go on unstained yellow pine.

[@josephcoonrod4663]

What about the chemical harming your lawn? Anything on that, is it gonna damage the grass

[@masonfoley1276]

I've seen recommendations to cover shrubs, bushes, potted plants etc. with plastic drop cloths or canvas drop cloths in the case of sturdier plants (like bushes/shrubs). As far as grass, that's a good question. Maybe cover the grass immediately surrounding the deck (create an apron, if you will). Then immediately afterwards, run sprinklers in the area to dilute any of the product that may have drifted over onto your grass.

[@TheIMISSDADDY]

Y’all seem to forget that this is a regular man trying to save money and do things himself. He is not trained in any way shape or form, he does what he does based off of advice and directions. His videos are made for people who have ZERO clue where to start and don’t have the money to hire help. People who don’t necessarily need perfection, but improvement. Anything looks better than that fugly orange.

[@JDRhoads09]

Thanks for the video. On a side note, I think you broke my soul a little bit by staining it an unnatural wood color. Ha. My sanding down hasn't completely removed stain, there are still small streaks and stuff, just like what is in your video. If I plan on restaining it with the same stain, is this going to be an issue or do I really need to grind out the entire deck with a sander?

[@chief5981]

I lived in Boise from February to November of 2019. Idaho is so cool but I had to come back east to get my acreage. Nice channel too, Sir

[@Goatmaster82]

Horrible color. Angle grinder with a sanding disc is a bad idea to. It will gouge the decking. Whole thing seemed rushed.

[@bumblbesss]

I thought the color before looked better, it all boils down to preference I guess.

[@victorvek5227]

Next time, rent a sander and skip 3/4 of the labor.

[@1969bogdi]

I don’t understand why ppl use stains for decks here in US... they don’t last more than 2 years and after two years it looks horrible. This year I sanded my deck and used linseed oil instead. It repels the water really good, has a natural look and it soaks into the wood really good. I’m hoping it will protect the wood much better than the stains

[@I-LOVE-EARTH]

Amen!

[@ahs90smemories63]

I appreciate most of the projects posted here, but I did the same thing to my neck years ago and RUINED the wood. By presure washing it too close and then being forced to sand it the chemicals that made the wood “treated” were stripped off and even with solid stain the wood started rotting. Had to re-do the floor with Trex ($$).

[@kevlar1482]

So you held the pressure washer too close. Not the fault of the method but rather operator error. It's fine to pressure wash decks. Just don't get too close.

[@troyvan951]

Did you treat it after stripping to restore the wood’s pH? This guy didn’t and it’s an absolute necessity. What you are describing is what happens when you don’t.

[@ZoolanderG]

How is the deck!?? I want to know!!!

[@sethpotter9592]

I’d rather use a floor sander. Also, an 18 inch roller cuts down the application time.

[@mattuk180586]

Looks like a lot of work for a similar outcome.

[@PNW_Sportbike_Life]

Matthew Ward right? I just clean my deck with some mold/mildew remover, quick pass with 60 grit orbital sander and slather it on. Same color; behr natural cedar tone.

[@gcolvin7691]

Word of caution for those planning on using Behr Wood Stain & Finish Stripper. This product can and will burn you very quickly. You should use total face and hand protection.

[@tysmith7646]

If I’m sanding the whole deck with like 80 grit do I need to bother cleaning it. Some say yes and the guy and the paint store said no, as by sanding it, it will clean it anyway. Anyone know?

[@MrBuildit]

Nah. Cause you would take the dirty layer off anyway

[@masonfoley1276]

I would pressure wash (or scrub wash) to get any grit, dirt, mold and possibly oils that would interfere with the sander coming in direct contact with the layer you are trying to remove (you may needlessly burn through unnecessary amounts of sand paper otherwise).

[@soaponarope8995]

I sand everything it saves me time and mess, the finished product speaks for itself, I sand and stain decks for a living and I would only reccomend READY SEAL STAIN best finish and so easy to work with no runs no lap mark's can get wet after 1 hour can be applied in any temperature. SAND EVERYTHING AND USE READY SEAL your customers will love you

[@tysmith7646]

Soap on a rope. Do you use oil based stain?

[@soaponarope8995]

@@tysmith7646 yes I do

[@Johnny53kgb-nsa]

Maybe try rolling with the grain, and back brushing right behind it to lay it off. The results would have been better.

[@gregherman7906]

I really appreciate this video. I am right in the middle of this process. I’ve pressure washed and am now sanding. It’s coming out smooth. But a bit too light. I have water sealer and hope that tones down the colour. Thanks again. Great video

[@mariomarini3454]

Yeah. This guy totally S&$t the bed on his color Choice.

[@jakeatdevhub]

Wow that looks terrible after the fact... lost all your wood grain.

[@JosephQPublic]

Seems he’s happy and that’s all that counts.

[@kevlar1482]

@@JosephQPublic Not when you're making a how-to video. Results look like ass. Not good.

[@nobbystyles4807]

"make sure you stay safe" (blows acidic wood dust into neighbors yard with leaf blower)

[@sujv3262]

Time for an update video? :D

[@timbobfisher]

How long did the whole project take?

[@12799MaDeuce]

Who thought a semi transparent gray over brown was a good idea? You can still see old color underneath, which just looks like shit.

[@tesorodoberman]

that, is so ugly. Reviews for Behr stain removal state how awful it is. This is a hack job and a half.

[@summitwashpros546]

As a professional pressure washer, this hurts to watch. Also the stripper is not an acid, it’s a base.. that’s why the wood turned a darker color. Acids would turn the wood a brighter color. You said to go with the grain of the wood but then you don’t do it yourself when rinsing.. all over the place man. Go slow and steady.. long runs down the length of the board and back.. plus it was super fuzzy after because you used way to much pressure to rinse the stain off.. you destroyed the wood fibers. And frayed it. I mean. Yeah. All I gotta say. Should have just sanded it from the get go

[@rpmautoreviews9249]

isn't oil base better ? lasts longer and should stick with going with the grain. I don't you'll see the difference it makes within 30 minutes of putting it on.

[@vvalasek]

I’m sanding my deck now and I choose to go with an oil - it’s more natural the Behr is great for light use but with two dogs they scratched the paint right off

[@moonpiespotlight4759]

TREX!!!

[@watching999]

Not keen on the outcome… doesn’t look consistent.

[@NoRoads2AllRoads]

stop using Behr their products are bad baddd! Use an actual top stain oil product like TWP, A&C, Cutek, ReadySeal, Sikkens, etc

[@susanag1849]

Salvador Nobre Veiga What paint do you recommend?

[@susanag1849]

I want to paint it white

[@NoRoads2AllRoads]

@@susanag1849 you don't paint decks. It will peel off really quickly and then it's a nightmare. You stain them.

[@jobber1984]

I just tried Sansin Dec. Amazing look, we'll see about durability :)

[@dennisharold5030]

Mine works too. I used the Woodglut plans and performed it without any problems.

[@Burritosarebetterthantacos]

Rent a floor sander from HD. Easier and faster.

[@polarbear4612]

Good lord, rent a floor sander. Will do the job in minutes instead of back breaking hours.

[@Boyo1956]

Bear stain is the worst. I warned a co-worker not to use it. A year later, it peeled.

[@petersilverthorne8258]

Behr stripper does not lift stainless at least in Canada. It is a rip off. I wasted a lot of money. The fuzzy film is the wood your pressure washer cut up. At least be more honest. I think their stains are lousy as well. It is not durable. This is a Home Depot rip off.

[@dalejuhl8591]

Just a thought if I wouldn’t have a sander chances are against me having a compressor and wheels. ☹️😂😂😂

[@jakedivarano7097]

This guy has no clue how to put stain on a deck.. hurt to watch

[@HulaShack1]

Jake, feel free to post the link to your channel showing us how to do it correctly.

[@kevlar1482]

@@HulaShack1 Feel free to shut up next time. Critiquing a how-to video doesn't require your own how-to video. The results here are booty cheeks. They stink. No problem in pointing it out.

[@vajrampujar7014]

👍

[@matthewcampeau5731]

Rinse with hose, strip with potassium hydroxide base stripper and only use the stripper when it is in the shade and cool not like in this video, the stripper needs to be brushed while wet with an extremely stiff brush never use a pressure washer, after that sand with a 40 grit sandpaper, clean off the dust, and stain using a product called CUTEK, I have struggled for many years with garbage stains like the one used in this video, until I discovered this product... I'm not associated with this company in any way I'm just trying to save you guys a bunch of time... Try it you will not regret it

[@gabrielkind2970]

Probably could've just sanded without the deck stripper, na?

[@jungbechtospk40]

I made it with Woodglut plans!

[@Dermisc]

Why use the chemical stain remover if you are going to bring a random orbital sander to the job? The sander removes wood so quickly (40 grit pad) that one single pass would have effectively removed the original stain, especially on a deck that needs refinishing.

[@JosephQPublic]

Did you listen to what he was saying in the video at all? He got too close with the pressure washer, so that coupled with the remover left the wood feeling furry - he didn’t set out to use the sander...

[@terilachonce280]

chemical stripping gets INTO the wood grain/pores and sanding only hits the surface that it hits. Get it?

[@wayneguy6043]

I burned my arm from this stipper

[@daveshafer7908]

From my experience I would skip the power washing and stripper and go straight to sanding. Saves a lot of unnecessary time and money.

[@Globerson]

Oh god..

[@DJILLY3000]

lol - "this chemical" - aka sodium hydroxide - aka lye...reading the ingredients on the bottle or the TDS sheet on something like this is a good idea - don't worry, not critiquing too heavily as I didn't bother until after I burnt my arms up a bit either. Still, a good idea to put out to others what it actually is...

[@thomklein2916]

interesting that nobody discussed the issue of the paint on the house bubbling up if not protected against the deck stripper.

[@Jimmy_Cavallo]

💥💥 You held my interest until I heard the word Behr. It’s just another garbage product from Home Depot and you are NOT supposed to second coat over any semitransparent. I’ve been restoring decks for decades.

[@planetfabulous5833]

He's yummy!

[@andyfaber8044]

Do not use this Behr stain. Terrible results. Chips and peels after 1 year.

[@tomcosta47]

Don't like the color don't like the way the stain worked and looks more like a paint

[@cameronchivers7436]

Behr products suck ass trust me I've been in the business for over 20 years

[@MrBuildit]

Meh, so far so good. We’ll see if it lasts 4 years

[@gotDIBS]

🤦🏻‍♂️

[@firstlast1732]

Looks horrible might as well just painted over it

[@canadianbacon79]

Behr stain is basically paint.. garbage.

[@jasonbogdovitz7357]

It looks like shit it’s blotchy as hell

[@LVQ-so5th]

You covered the neighbor's house in dust. Not very neighborly.

[@jz497]

Looks bad. horrible taste in color. Thought about using a deck sander from Home Depot instead of chemical strip?

[@sasha10458]

Omg. This one does not speak about wood fillers and repairs. Annoying.

[@Brian-de7cn]

hard to watch no clue wat ur doing . 4 thumbs down

[@HulaShack1]

You can't even spell but at least you are an expert on stain. Please show us your channel so we can learn how to do it correctly. WOW, 4 thumbs down? You must be really serious about this! ROFL!

[@JosephQPublic]

Hula Shack - to his defense, it’s hyperbole to show his disgust...

[@BP-uy6fc]

I actually build and stain decks professionally. This video is trash . You have a channel because ANYONE can create a channel. Fixed my spelling so you can read it because short abbreviated online spelling is too much for you to decipher. You rolled on stain was your first mistake . Guaranteed it's peeling in a year . Why don't you do a video on drowning .

[@BP-uy6fc]

Haha Mr Can't Build it . Mr Can't do it . Super original name for your channel bshahahaha

[@FattyMateo]

And we wonder why cancer is on the rise. Random chemicals that remove hair being randomly sprayed everywhere. Sounds super safe and great for the environment. All for some ego-driven aesthetic change🤮

[@princess33064]

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