Can you put water based deck stain over oil based deck stain?
Ahhhh, no…
Never put a water based stain over an oil based stain. The rule is, Oil over oil and water over water.
This doesn't mean you can put a completely different water based product on top of your old water based deck stain.
To make this simple, when re-coating your deck, always use the same product as last time.
Same brand and same product…
Different brands and products aren’t made to work together so coating one on top of the other may not turn out too well.
Likewise with water based and oil based decking products. You could end up with a coating that doesn't stick to the old coating and a deck that is peeling and bubbling within a couple of months.
If you don’t know what product you currently have or you want to change the look of your deck, strip it back and start again.
Don’t put water based on top of oil based and vice versa.
Do I need to remove old stain before re-staining a deck?
This all depends on the condition of your deck stain.
If it’s in good condition and you’re applying your annual maintenance coat, then no… you don’t need to remove the old stain.
But if your deck is faded or peeling off, then yes… remove the old stain first.
Any oil or stain you put on an old worn out coating will not hide the damage. You won’t get the finish you’re after.
Not only that…
Your fresh top coat won’t stick to the old stain all that well and it could possibly peel off within a couple of months.
Si if it’s been a few years since your last coat and your decking is looking a little shabby, don’t oil on top of it. Strip it back and start again. Then keep on top of your annual clean and recoat.
Do I have to sand my deck before staining?
Again… it all depends on the condition of your deck.
If your deck is in great condition and you’re applying your annual maintenance re-coat, then no, you won’t have to sand your deck before you stain it.
If you have a peeling or worn out coating then yes, sand it back before you stain it.
Now you might be thinking, but Jason, my decking has never been coated; it's just grey from the weather.
Well in that case, here’s what you should do…
Scrub your deck with a power wash and pressure clean your deck. Then follow up with a deck brightener and a power wash again.
Now your deck is stripped back and ready to go, do you need to sand it?
Yes…
But only a light sand.
After you pressure clean your deck it will have raised fibres that need to be sanded off. But don’t worry, this is really easy to remove.
Use an orbital sander with 80 grit sanding discs and give your deck a quick once over to remove the “Furr” then you’re good to stain or oil.
