Restoration of wood involves either cleaning or stripping the surface. If the wood on your deck is uncoated, it needs to be cleaned thoroughly with a product specifically formulated to gently remove the aged top surface layer, which will rid the surface of its grayed appearance, ground-in dirt and stains from food splatters and fungus growth, including mildew, mold and algae. If your deck has been previously coated with a varnish or colored stain, stripping will be required.
Why is it necessary?
Restoration of uncoated wood requires cleaning, as uncoated wood on your deck that is weathered gray or covered with embedded dirt and fungus growth will prevent a coating from adhering or penetrating properly, which can lead to premature color fading, cracking and peeling, or reduced water repellency performance. Once cleaned, however, the wood surface on your deck will be restored to its natural, like-new appearance, and will be ready to accept a protective coating. Previously varnished or stained wood will not accept a different type (water-base over oil-base) or color of coating without risk of performance failure and color bleed-through, and therefore, should be stripped in order to be restored.
For New Wood: Prepare the Surface!
What is involved exactly?
Just as in the restoration of old wood, it is necessary to prepare the surface of the new wood before coating. Preparing the surface involves cleaning the brand new, uncoated surface in order to remove invisible surface barriers, such as excess wax found on pressure-treated wood, or mill glaze, a burnished surface often present on new Cedar lumber.
Why is it necessary?
Brand new lumber that has been processed at a lumber mill (either pressure-treated or simply de-barked, planed and cut) will contain excess internal moisture and surface wax, or possibly a glazed surface that will prevent a coating from adhering or penetrating properly. By cleaning the surface, invisible barrier wax or mill glaze is removed, and wood pores are unclogged and opened, allowing trapped moisture to escape, which minimizes cracking and splitting before and after coating.
What products should I consider?
Cleaners
Choose a product formulated to clean gently without dissolving the wood structure or bleaching the surface white, like chlorine-bleach solutions can. For general cleaning or surface preparation, these WOLMAN products are recommended:
WOLMAN DeckBriteTM Wood Cleaner & Coating Prep
Deck & Fence Brightener
Strippers
Choose a wood stripper that is intended to be used on exterior surfaces, and is formulated to remove the type of coating present on your wood (oil-base, alkyd, water-base, acrylic, latex, varnish, etc). The following WOLMAN product is recommended:
WOLMAN DeckStrip® Stain & Finish Remover
Continue to STEP 2
