Between life, work, weather and inexperience, my new 20' x 16' cedar deck has taken me a year to build. The horizontal boards were installed last November. We would like the deck stain to look like similar to this except with white vertical rails too. It doesn't have to be quite as orange but we like that overall look. We hate grayed decks and solid stains for the deck boards . Here is the current color of most of the deck. The step and rail were built in the last 2 months, showing the oxidation. *Sanding* 1) Horizontal surface- after cleaning the deck with the recommended agents, should I sand or power wash the cedar deck to reclaim some color? Or is that unnecessary, problematic and or overkill? 2) If no to sanding/power washing overall, is it ok to use 80 grit Sand paper to fix a few trouble spots? A few 20' boards stuck out of the wood stack and grayed unevenly by August (like a wicked sock tan). I saw some warnings about sandpaper closing the pores of the wood. *Stain choice* 1) What stain would you recommend for the deck boards? I was leaning towards Armstrong Clark Wood Stain. 2) We want a solid white stain for all vertical boards ( treated posts, cedar risers, balusters & rail boards). We'd prefer to avoid the flaking and sanding of paint and some stains. If we apply enough coats can we achieve a vivid, strong white? Here is an early sketch of the design (except it won't be this dark and the top rail is continuous) : *Temperature* Naturally rain is a concern for staining, but does it matter if it is 85-95 degrees when staining vs 70?

Sorry about the confusion. The deck is now three years old. It was one year old when Cabot's was first applied :) I don't know how close he held the power washer...I was at work. The deck is one story high. Cedar flooring/rails with pressure treated wood support columns/beams. It is on the west side of the house with limited sun exposure between being surrounded by the house walls on 3 sides and a wooded backyard. We just had rain last night so I am wanting to wait at least 5 days to stain. The Cabot's new redwood was semiopaque not allowing much of the wood grain to be seen. The can has directions that you can mix colored stain with their clear stain for a more transucent look. I'm thinking about trying that...I'd like more of the wood grain to show through.

According to the product brochure for Cabot Semi Solid stain it says "Do not use on decks." I would suggest contacting Cabot technical support for further advice. Marty

Yep...wait 'till next year. Let it wear some. DO NOT...DO NOT...DO NOT...use a roller!! Use a 6" "Stainer" brush, like this Wooster. We sell a ton of them for deck staining. The handle can be screwed out, and your shop-broom handle used instead. You can stand-up and stain the deck with this. Faron Here is a link that might be useful: Wooster Stainer brush...