Restore-A-Deck Wood Stain for Decks, Fences, & Wood Siding (1 Gallon, Cedar)

I stained a large two-tier deck in a heavily wooded/shaded area with Restore-A-Deck Stain (Cedar) and I am very satisfied with the results. I will say this, whatever amount of time you set aside to prep/stain, double it. Take the time to do it right and you won't be disappointed. It took me 4 days doing this by myself and I'd say I put in about 4 hours each day. I chose to wait a day or two between each step, and later read that this wasn't necessary for all the steps. I'm still glad I did. This was a brand new deck built in the spring of 2018. So I waited a year to stain it. I started with the Restore-A-Deck Cleaner to get the debris that accumulated off (there was quite a bit from nearby cedars and maples dropping cones with sap and such). One bag of cleaner makes 5 gallons which completely covered my entire deck with a little bit to spare. The tricky part about the cleaner is you have to keep the surface moist and not let it dry. I used a pump sprayer to apply, scrub brush on an extender pole to get the hard stuff, and rinsed with a 1900 psi pressure washer. There were times I got a little ahead of myself and found it difficult to make sure the cleaner didn't dry in some areas. After waiting a night, I used a finishing sander with 80 grit to lightly address some uneven areas and remove some hard-dried sap. I then spot cleaned some areas again using the remainder of the cleaner. This is where I deviated somewhat from the directions. They say to apply the brightener immediately after rinsing the cleaner off and while the deck is still wet. However, after sanding and applying cleaner for a second time I ran out of daylight and figured waiting one night wouldn't be the end of the world (this proved to be true). The next day I applied the Restore-A-Deck Brightener which was probably the easiest and most satisfying step. I used the pump sprayer to apply and used the entire bag to completely saturate the deck. I waited 15 minutes after applying (some areas soaked a little longer due to the size of the deck and how long it took to adequately rinse) and rinsed with a hose and traditional nozzle (not pressure washer). I was underwhelmed by the results at first, as the deck was still wet and the effects of the brightener weren't apparent. However, the next day it looked like a brand new deck. The brightener directions say to stain within 2 weeks of applying the brightener. I waited 3 days just because I had to go to work. I lucked out and didn't get any rain during the entire duration of the prep/stain process but I don't think it would have mattered much even if I did. When it came time to stain I wanted to be sure I had an entire weekend (it probably took 8 hours total). I started with the uprights on Saturday and used a pad along the top of the rail and a Wooster brush on an extender pole for the rest of the uprights. I had read that it's unnecessary to do 2 coats and can actually lead to over-application. Because the stain is semi-transparent it was difficult to not have brush strokes conflict with the wood grain. The pad worked well because it just took a single stroke across the top of the railings. The rest of the uprights are treated lumber so the brush strokes didn't really show through for them and the Wooster brush was fine. The next day I stained the rest of the deck using a deck pad on an extender pole and the Wooster brush on an extender pole to back-brush and get into the cracks. This was a very efficient method that I will use again in the future. A roller could probably be used in place of the pad but it would then require more extensive back-brushing to avoid over-application. I ordered the 2.5 gallon size of the stain along with an extra gallon in case I ran out (I didn't want to wait for shipping and have it result in uneven staining if I were to run out). It turned out the 2.5 gallon size was exactly enough for my entire deck using a single coat. Overall I am very happy with the stain. I especially like how easy it is to clean up afterwards and also peace-of-mind knowing that it is a little more environmentally friendly. The deck looks great and I will use this product again in 2-3 years when I need to re-stain.

Easy to apply. I used a sink sponge and a paintbrush and gloves. Haven’t used a roller yet.Definitely improves the look of the old, grey wood.I’ve only just started this project today and the wood is so dried out that it’s drinking up this product.I’ll have to order some more.I like the look of it, but it’s going to take me a few days to do all this decking, stairs and posts…!I hope it has longevity!

Easy to apply and looks great

I applied this to some wooden structures last Spring. It held up well in our Southern California summer (very high UV index). Nearly a year later, they still look good.

Failure is my fault, I over-applied the stain according to the manufacturer. This is the result. I was not aware I was over-applying stain, and I have 30 years experience working with wood stains (have a full wood shop). Be VERY watchful that once the stain starts to puddle you have already over-applied.Purchased 8 Restor-a-deck wood stain 2.5gal dark walnut on 8/2/18. I also purchased the Restor-a-deck wood stain stripper and brightener. I followed the instructions exactly, temp was 72-75F during the entire process of cleaning and staining.1. Washed the deck with pressure washer -just water, no soaps or cleaning agents2. Let the deck dry for 3-days3. Mixed the restor-a-deck stain stripper per instructions and applied as directed, cleaning small sections and rinsing before moving to next section. flushed extensively after cleaning with water, scrubbing as I went.4. immediately after flush, applied the brightener per instructions, scrubbed and then rinsed again.5. Let deck dry 1-day. I was careful not to over apply, used a sprayer and followed up with a paintbrush to work it into the wood deeply. This took 3 entire days to get the whole deck done, approx 24-30hrs total spend applying stain. UGH!6. Applied the deck stain as directed 72-74F and not in direct sunlight. The deck looked fantastic and repelled water like nothing I've used before -I was thrilled.7. FAILED after only 6-months, it's Feb 19 and every board has lost 50-70% of the stain. It just popped off due to freezing. I'm out a week's worth of hard work and about $750.VERY VERY DISSATISFIED.

I did a lot of research, this product is fantastic. I did purchase too much, it goes a long way. I suggest you get half what you think you need at first. It only needs to be applied once to have a great result.

Beautiful result. This color is cedar. I feel it looks darker in person but it turned out just the way I wanted it. This deck is huge so I bought a wagner stain/paint sprayer off Amazon for $60. Best $60 spent, ever!

My wood walkway up to my front door was gray and dead looking. I wanted to get something on it to improve the look, but also to stop the deterioration without replacing it the wood. I'll be putting the house on the market so I basically wanted to put lipstick on the pig. I did all the correct prep and brushed this on damp wood and it looks great. I can tell in spots where I went over it twice that it's a little more protected, so I may buy another container and add a second coat.I can't comment on the durability or longevity at this point since I just did it a couple of weeks ago but so far, so good!