Stripper Bleed
#1
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Stripper Bleed
I am planning to strip a 20+ year old deck this year to try to get another five years out of it. The deck is structurally sound, but the horizontal surfaces need to be stained. The vertical bannisters are holding their color and are fine for another 3-4 years based on my experience.
How can I apply stripper to the horizontal surfaces and protect the vertical surfaces at the same time? I want to avoid bleed-over from the stripper resulting in a patchy look for the vertical surfaces where they touch the horizontal ones. Stripping and staining the bannisters would be a monumental pain, especially when it is not needed. Will painter’s tape or some other product help?
How can I apply stripper to the horizontal surfaces and protect the vertical surfaces at the same time? I want to avoid bleed-over from the stripper resulting in a patchy look for the vertical surfaces where they touch the horizontal ones. Stripping and staining the bannisters would be a monumental pain, especially when it is not needed. Will painter’s tape or some other product help?
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I can post a pic tomorrow. The deck has been stained several times in the past. I recently used a power washer to remove some of the stain that was peeling off. Too many layers of oil based stain, I suppose. It looks awful now with partially removed stain, but the wood beneath is in pretty good shape.
#5
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What type of oil base stain is currently on the deck? [semi-transparent, solid ?] do you intend for the new stain to be approximately the same color? Except for sometimes with translucent/toner stains you usually don't need to strip the existing well adhered stain when recoating with a similar or darker/thicker stain.
pics could be helpful - http://www.doityourself.com/forum/el...-pictures.html
pics could be helpful - http://www.doityourself.com/forum/el...-pictures.html
#6
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Stripper Bleed
I have been hoarding and using Cabot semi-transparent oil-based stain but I have run out as water-based is all Cabot is manufacturing now. I hope to stain the deck as close to the bannister tone as I can. But protection is my main concern; protection of stripper bleed onto the lower bannister areas and protection of the deck horizontal surfaces. That is why I am looking to basically start over on the horizontal surfaces (walking surface & railing) as they take most of the weather and UV. As the pics will show, my multi-applications of stain are shaling off.
#7
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I'd use a bleach/water solution with TSP added. That should get the deck in good enough shape where a waterborne semi-transparent stain of the same color will do fine. Post a pic after it's clean and we can tell for sure.
The way I clean a deck is mix the bleach/water solution with 40-50% bleach. Stronger than 50% bleach can harm the wood fibers. I'll wet the deck and then apply the bleach solution with a pump up garden sprayer, let it set but not dry and then rinse. Stubborn areas might require a 2nd treatment and/or scrubbing with an old broom. A pressure washer makes the job easier but a garden hose will also work. If using a PWer you need to make sure you aren't using too much pressure or have the wand too close to the wood to prevent fuzzing up the wood ..... and then having to sand to get rid of the fuzz
The way I clean a deck is mix the bleach/water solution with 40-50% bleach. Stronger than 50% bleach can harm the wood fibers. I'll wet the deck and then apply the bleach solution with a pump up garden sprayer, let it set but not dry and then rinse. Stubborn areas might require a 2nd treatment and/or scrubbing with an old broom. A pressure washer makes the job easier but a garden hose will also work. If using a PWer you need to make sure you aren't using too much pressure or have the wand too close to the wood to prevent fuzzing up the wood ..... and then having to sand to get rid of the fuzz
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Stripper Bleed
What would you do about the places at the deck surface where the bannisters intersect? Carefully apply the solution with a brush in those areas to avoid stripping the stain from the bottoms of the bannisters?
#9
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A bleach/water solution with TSP added doesn't necessarily strip the old stain although it can cause any old stain not adhered well to come off. It will clean the surface of the existing stain. I'd lightly clean the rails, balusters and posts as there is no good way to ignore them. Even if you neatly brushed on the cleaning solution when you rinsed it off with a hose some of the cleaner will splash up onto the railing.