Hello,

This is my first post here, although I've searched around the site a number of times in the past (thank you!). I have a small pine deck (8'x10') in Brooklyn, New York. Two years after a contractor installed it, many of the planks had become discolored, and obviously the initial sealant was wearing off. I don't know what product the contractor used on it. Since people on this list had recommended Cabot's products, I called the company, which recommended scrubbing the deck with their Wood Cleaning Problem Solver, followed by a coat of their Clear Solution stain. I explained that there was still a thin layer of some sort of stain underneath, but they didn't seem to think that would be a problem. Not so! Ever since the stain dried a few weeks ago, the deck has been sticky! The company recommended another coat of the Problem Solver cleaner--at a higher concentration and left to sit for a while before hosing off. I've done this twice, and the stickiness remains. Any thoughts? I imagine I'll just have to strip the stain and start again. Would appreciate any counsel.

--Barbara K.