Solid Stain Question?

[stsiwek]

I had some questions on prep for a solid based stain. The deck is reletively small (about 200 sq. ft. total) and currently has a solid stain on it already. The deck is peeling and cracking in a few areas. The customer wants a solid stain put on afterwards. My questions are do I have to strip as much of the old stain off as possible or do I just wash with my percarb cleaner? Also how do you differentiate between paint and stain on a deck? The owner told me it was a stain that he had put on years ago but how do I know for sure? Any help would be much appreciated.

Steve

[Beth n Rod]

Peeling and cracking usually indicates a paint unless it is a silicone based stain. Either is difficult at best to remove.
Solid color stains fade with age. Peeling only happens if the surface isnt properly prepared or the moisture content or presense is too high.
Determining which it is beforehand is best, then finding out what the brand/color currently installed is helpful.
Compatability in formulations can lead to problems later on.
Oil on Latex=ok
Latex on oil=not ok
Acrylics and silicone based stains are only compatible with themselves.
Alkyd resin based sealers incorporate oils so they are compatible with each other.

Prep washing to re-coat with the same product-percarb wash and neutralize with an acid. Coat the failed areas 1st then the whole surface within 30 minutes of 1st coat.

Otherwise, strip/neutralize/defur/seal

Crash course 101 by Rod

[stsiwek]

Thanks Rod I will be going to do this tomorrow morning. I'll let you know how it goes.

Steve

[Aplus]

I agree with what Rod said. Just make sure when you wash, you remove as much of the peeling stuff as possible. I usually crank the pressure up a bit, to maybe 1200psi with a 25 degree tip to aid in the removal of compromised stain.

In addition to Rods' observations, I would add that cracking and peeling on floors also can occur because of swelling or flexing of the boards. Since the undersides are typically bare, moisture can enter there, and freeze/thaw cycles do the damage. Floor boards also flex a bit when walked on, and stain that is not properly adhered can also start to pop off.

[Dale]

Hi Rod...I'm a little confused about the compatability suggestion..I've always understood it to be the other way around.....maybe this is just for paint films..but because of the hardness of oil and its need to penetrate, oil isn't such a good idea over latex but latex over an oil primer is a good system...just wondering

Dale

[Everett Abrams]

Dale,

You are correct. As matter of fact Cabot's primary recommendation for solids is to use the oil base primer with the acrylic finish coat.

[Paul B.]

I would be a bit careful with a one for all rule when it comes to stains.
For example, I would not apply a latex over a penetrating oil type finish like Ready Seal. Compatability from brand to brand is a large determiner of how long a finish will last when mixing and matching. If it's a solid, you should test to see if it's oil or water based (sodium hydroxide based stripper for oil based and solvent type stripper for water based stains.)

Of course, as far as I'm concerned (call me old fashioned) but I consider all solid stain PAINT, regardless of what the manufacturer calls it. To me, stain is penetrating (I will accept penetrating with film forming as long as it's a semi).

[Beth n Rod]

Dale,
You are correct, I did get them backwards.
Thank you for that observation.
Another reason why I think information should be given here so that it can be checked by others!

For the record...

Latex on oil=ok
Oil on latex=not ok

Rod~

[svp07]

I am going to clean a previously solid color stained deck with EFC and then apply another solid stain to the deck. It will be Cabot's acrylic redwood so I called Cabot to see if I would need to apply the citralic...they said no.

Does anyone have a different opinion?