First we will start out by saying i don't advertise for decks and don't usually do them. I have a Friend of a Friend that wants there deck Stained.. The deck has been stained or sealed before but they have no clue what they used? They now want to go to a Solid stain but don't want to pay the extra $ to have whatever is on there stripped and cleaned before I put the solid stain on. Can i put the solid stain over whatever is on there now if i use a primer or something? Just trying to figure this out. I know it's prolly best to strip and start with a clean surface but they are not willing to pay. So just looking for some advice from the deck experts?
Not a deck expert, but never apply a "film forming finish to a deck" That includes so called "Solid Deck Stain". Might look good for a year or two, then when the peeling begins then the prep required to re-finish the deck
I see respectable manufactures advertise Solid Color Decking Stain,
"I pity the fool" that falls for that.
you will not get many answers here because most people dont want to give advice on how to do the wrong job, to not properly prepare a deck before staining is a recipe for failure. however, its there choice, wash it down and stain it, they get what they get. it will look ok for the rest of this summer.
The customer isn't always right.
The customer is always the customer.
You are the expert.
If you do what they are asking
your friend, and his friend.... won't be anymore.
this is an interesting subject, i have worked for many quikie people over the years, and a few cheap people(not many), anyway i feel, with the exeption of a safety issue, if i fully disclose the correct way that a job should be done, and they still want to only pay for the wrong job, i will happily do it.
There is nothing wrong with applying film forming product on a deck. A semi-transparent will not be as easy to maintain as a penetrating product but solid color deck stains work just fine and are some of the longest lasting finishes you can use.
In this situation I'd recommend Sikkens Rubbol DEK. It's a oil based solid color stain. It's more forgiving of the substrate than any other similar product I've used. It may have a better chance of working for your situation than anything else. I still recommend prepping the deck correctly of course but you're gonna do what you have to in the end so good luck either way.
I wouldn't even do this job the way that they want. A solid decking stain is just a peeling situation waiting to happen even when done correctly on bare wood. I'd either strip it or walk away from the job as it's going to be a problem in less than two years. Even if you strip it I would go with a penetrating stain, my personal preference is Cabot Clear Solution, and then just keep it up every other year as it fades out.
Thanks for all the input on all of this.. I will be meeting with the HO again tomorrow, to discuss in greater detail. I'm not a fan of putting solid stain over the top of anything specially if i have know clue to what they put on there before. I agree with the last post, Solid stain just creates a mess in my opinion. I live in MN. so with the seasons we have here anything you put on the deck doesn't hold up all that well. I have already told the lady what will happen if we go the cheap route and what kind of messes she will have in a yr or 2. Guess the only thing i can do is walk away or make sure it's noted in the contract some where.
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