Talked to my neighbor about his deck stain and realized I've been doing it backwards for 5 years

My neighbor Bob came over while I was pressure washing his driveway last month and saw me getting ready to stain my own deck. He asked what cleaner I was using and I told him the big box store stuff. He laughed and said I was basically just wasting my time because the cheap stuff doesn't actually open up the wood pores. He showed me his routine using a specific brightener from a local paint supply place and it made the stain actually soak in instead of sitting on top. I tried it on a hidden corner of my deck first and the difference was night and day. Now my whole deck looks like new and I'm kicking myself for all those years of peeling stain. Has anyone else found a weird local shop trick that beats the hardware store stuff?

4 comments

4 Comments

mary_west1mo ago

Bob's right about the brightener, that's the step everyone skips and it makes all the difference. I've been doing decks for years and the big box stores sell you a one-step cleaner/stain combo that's basically just tinted water with a little soap in it. The real trick is finding a wood brightener from a proper paint supplier that has oxalic acid in it, that opens up the grain so the stain actually bonds. Got mine from a little hole in the wall place near the industrial park and it cost less than the junk at Home Depot too. Just make sure you wear gloves and goggles when you use it, that stuff is no joke on your skin.

avery_jackson1mo ago

Used to be one of those people that swore by the big box store stuff, figured cheaper was easier. This post really changed my mind though, gonna have to hunt down some proper brightener before I tackle the deck this spring.

mary_west1mo ago

Aw, come on... is it really that serious?

taylor.reese1mo ago

The oxalic acid thing is no joke, I still got a nasty burn on my arm from splashing some of that stuff a few years ago. Made me real careful the next time, stuck my gloves in my boot cuffs and everything.