I stained my deck a while back, and after scraping and washing it, I estimate that about 60-70% of it still has the original stain on. I've heard mixed opinions: one local paint store said it's fine to apply a new solid stain on top, while another suggested that I should use exterior floor paint instead, arguing that the stain needs to penetrate the wood. I'm leaning towards the second opinion but would love to hear if anyone has experience with this! What should I do?
3 Answers
I've been staining my deck every couple of years and I've never fully stripped the old stain – just cleaned it well before adding a new coat. It’s worked fine for me!
If you really want to do it right, I suggest sanding and prepping the surface before applying any new stain. You technically can paint over old stain, but I prefer to over-prepare to avoid extra work down the line.
I recently applied solid stain over some old paint, and it actually turned out pretty well. However, the best approach is to strip it down to bare wood. I found these amazing Amazon strip disks for an angle grinder that do a fantastic job at removal with minimal damage. Just be cautious not to stay in one spot for too long!