My old deck stain job started peeling after just one winter

I stained our back deck in late September, thinking it would hold up fine. By April, whole sections were flaking off like old paint. The guy at the paint store said I probably didn't clean it well enough before I started, which makes sense because I just hosed it down. I had to rent a power washer and spend a whole weekend stripping it all off to start over. What's the best way to prep a wood deck for stain so this doesn't happen again?

2 comments

2 Comments

finley_lee10d ago

Saw a tip about using deck cleaner, not just water.

lily_ramirez410d ago

Totally agree, water just pushes the dirt around. I tried a basic cleaner last summer and it actually lifted the grime out of the wood grain. The deck looked brand new for months after.