Kansas City Deck Cleaning or Stripping

Cleaning or stripping your deck of the previous coating is important before applying new coatings.  Decks in Kansas City are exposed to the extremes when it comes to weather. From sub-freezing in the winter to sweltering hot in the summer with humidity levels often in the 80’s.   With this kind of fluctuation, you can’t afford to make mistakes when it comes to your outdoor wood structures like decks, gazebos, fences and other wooden structures. 

We are often times called to restore a deck that has been neglected or improperly cared for.  One of the mistakes we see is when do-it-yourself homeowners don’t prepare their decks properly before staining and sealing.

One mistake often made by DIYers is applying stain to a deck that hasn’t been properly prepared in advance. Accumulated dirt, mildew, mold, grease, or leaf tannin should never be left on the deck when you apply the stain.

By cleaning the wood and protecting it with a quality wood stain or sealer, you are locking out moisture, blocking harmful UV, and protecting the deck from the environment. Properly cleaning the wood ensures a better overall appearance and a longer lasting structure.  When cleaning is not performed or is poorly done, stain does not penetrate properly and will lead to frustration and more work.

Only a clean and porous wood surface can absorb the stain.  Absorption of the stain is critical to the success of the project. When the wood soaks up the stain, this allows the stain to perform just the way you want and need it to.  Cleaning the surface also brings out the beauty of the wood itself, this is especially important for clear and semi-transparent stains where you want the wood grain to show.

There are several products on the market that will get the job done.  Depending on the current condition of your deck, both deck strippers and deck cleaners can properly prepare the wood and clean it before you begin to apply any stains or stain/sealers.  But how do you know which to use?

If you’ve never applied a stain before, a cleaner will suffice. If your deck is just an older deck, kind of grubby, and has grayed or darkened wood it may just need a deck cleaner.  A quality deck cleaner is powerful enough to get rid of most dirt, mold, and mildew stains.

PRO TIP

Splash some water on the wood and see if it absorbs into the wood or if it beads up and sits on top. Beading up would indicate there is some type of old failed stain on the wood that needs to be removed.

Often when staining a previously stained deck, you will need to remove the remaining old stain which can sometimes be hard to remove. In this case, a deck stripper should be used instead of the Deck Cleaner. The advantage that strippers have is that they will soften and ‘dissolve’ most stains making them easy to be washed or wiped away. On top of that, deck strippers clean away mildew and get rid of the graying too, so there’s no reason to use a cleaner after a stripper.

Understanding the condition of your wood surface before you strip is important because not all decks need to have the previous coating removed.  Your intended end result is important too. Keep in mind, if you’re lightening the opacity (going from a solid to a semi-transparent finish) or making a dramatic color change (especially dark to light), then stripping is required. The same is true if the stained or painted surface has experienced extreme weathering, chipping, cracking, or blistering of the previous coating.

Another common mistake homeowners make is not using a wood brightener.  Look at the photo to the left, a brightener was used after the cleaning was done.  Brighteners make a big aesthetic difference.  A brightener will not only lighten the tone, it neutralizes the wood after using the deck cleaner or deck stripper.  Brighteners are an important part of the restoration process. They lower the Ph of the boards and allow the pores to ‘breathe’ making them more accepting and open to absorbing your new stain.

If you’re having a tough time figuring out whether your deck has been stained in the past or if you need some professional advice before you start your project, let us know.