Decks, Patios, Porches and Docks - to clean a deck

was that deoxygenated bleach and water you use to clean a deck before staining.i dont remember.anyone that can remember using that or something like that? any help thanks

I just use regular bleach like you'd put in the laundry.

I have always used regular bleach and have noticed no difference between the cheap and name brand bleach. Be sure to mix the bleach with water - no stronger than 50%!!!

The deoxygenated bleach and other deck cleaners are a little more user friendly than regular bleach which can harm wood fibers when used too strong or not rinsed off before drying. Bleach can also damage plants and surrounding items if care isn't used.

i bought some wolmans deckbrite in a plastic package. it says its oxygen-activated i used this last year.is this the deactivated bleach stuff your talking about.? it actually doesnt sound like that. i used this and wolmans stain and im restaining already this summer. its coming off in places . doesnt say much for their warranty.

Stain shouldn't peel but will wear off with traffic. Are you sure your deck was clean and DRY before applying the stain?

i used that cleaner about three times and rinsed it that many times or more and let it dry for 3 days in low humidity in june .we live in Illinois. what more can i do . i picked a dry week last year. i thought stain was suppose to soak in . it sure didnt. i used nothing but stain.pressure treated wood.

I've not used much wolmans products. What type of stain did you use?

i used wolmans stain. after i told the salesman at the store what happened the saesman said i should have used the better stain made by pittsburg paints which is not semi-transparent like the one i used. i said sure ,now you tell me.i could have bought that where i live and not have to drive 30 miles.

Wolsman makes several different types of stains.

It's been about 30 yrs since I've used pittsburg products but any of their top of the line coatings should be good. SWP and B. Moore also have quality stains.

Generally the thinner or more transparent the stain is, the shorter the life span. Clear = shortest, solid = longest. Price is also a good indicator of how long the coating will last. Decks [like any horizontal surface] take the most abuse from the elements so it really pays to use the best coating you can afford.

Hmmm... now I'm waffling. I applied Wolman's transparent deck stain last year to new cedar and it didn't soak in at all. It just sat on the top and puddled and looked terrible. The Wolman customer service person suggested it was due to "mill glaze" and that the cedar be cleaned with the Deckbrite stuff before staining. I just stripped off all the old stain and cleaned the deck with the Wolman stuff, which worked fine, so I'm ready to stain again. Maybe I'll go with Cabot instead.