How to remove peeling finish from your deck with these DIY tips.

Even the best deck stain will flake away eventually. The best way to deal with a peeling deck is to remove the offending paint or stain and begin from scratch. You’ll need to remove the damage, sand the surface, recondition, and then restain. Make an old deck look like new again! Hirshfield’s shares how to begin this process.

• • Step 1: Scrape. Scrape off as much of the old finish as you can with a paint scraper. This is also the time to reset any nails or screws that stick out from the wood surface.
  • Step 2: Strip. Use a deck stain remover. Be sure to cover nearby siding, bushes, and grass around the deck. Spread a generous amount of stain remover over the boards. Move slowly covering 20 to 30 square feet at a time. Keep the wood wet until the finish is soft enough to be scrubbed off.
  • Step 3: Scrub. Take off old stain using a stiff brush and deck finish remover. Give the remover 15 to 30 minutes to soften the stain before you scrub. Rinse the residue and allow to dry.
  • Step 4: Sand. Sand off tough spots or small areas with a coarse stripping pad on a grinder or drill. Use a stripping disc on areas that are heavily discolored or where the stain doesn’t come off.
  • Step 5: Condition. Brush on a brightener/conditioner diluted in water. Scrub the decking and rinse thoroughly to restore the original wood color.
  • Step 6: Stain. After the wood dries, restain. Use a quality, oil-based deck stain. Hirshfield’s offers quality deck care products including: Cabot, Arborcoat®, Ready Seal, Storm System and ProLuxe Sikkens. These products provide varying degrees of UV protection as well as offers a wide selection of colors. Never use solid siding stain or paint on a deck. In this application, these will usually peel. There are, however, solid deck stains that will perform better. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on the label or other product specific literature.

Bonus Step: Call the Experts at Hirshfield’s!

If you have questions with any portion of your project our sales people will give you all the information you need to successfully complete your job with pride.

Since Frank and Elizabeth Hirshfield opened their first store in 1894, it has been our mission to do the best job possible meeting customer needs and solving customer problems. Hirshfield’s. People and products you can trust.