Preparation of Previously Stained Wood Deck for Staining

A wood deck extends your home's living space, and requires regular maintenance to look good. Staining protects wood from damaging ultra-violet rays, temperature extremes and pest damage. Depending on your location and the quality of stain used, stain needs to be reapplied about every three to five years. The key to staining a previously stained wood deck is proper preparation. A power washer can damage the wood and won't even out old stain color for a uniform appearance--commercial deck cleaning and bleaching solutions remove dirt and mildew, brighten the wood and don't require power equipment to apply.

Plastic bucket
Wood deck cleaning solution
3- or 4-inch brush
Scrub brush
Garden hose

Instructions

- 1
  Pour deck cleaning solution into a clean plastic bucket.
- 2
  Apply the solution with a 3- or 4-inch brush. Don't try to do the entire deck at once. Instead, work in sections no more than 100 square feet at a time. Allow the deck cleaner to work for 10 to 20 minutes.
- 3
  Scrub the wood with a scrub brush or stiff-bristled broom. Spray water from a garden hose on the wood while you work, especially if there's a heavy accumulation of dirt and mildew.
- 4
  Rinse the wood clean before starting on the next section of the deck.
- 5
  Allow the deck to dry for an hour or two. Reapply cleaner to any boards that still have a coating of mildew or grime, then rinse the entire deck using a garden hose.
- 6
  Allow the deck to dry for a day if applying water-based stain, or two days before applying oil-based stain. Use the drying time to hammer in loose nails, set screws or perform deck repairs.

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