Hello,

I'm in the process of restaining my deck and fence. It's a cedar fence and pine deck. I've begun the process of sanding the wood down to bare wood (or almost bare wood for the fence) as I'm not able to source effective stain strippers in Calgary, Canada. The stain that was on previously was a Behr stain that was supposed to be semi-transparent but turned out pretty solid, more similar to a paint.

A couple questions so I don't have to redo everything again!

1. Since I am sanding, do I still need to use a deck cleaner and brightener? If so, do I use both products after sanding?

2. I've heard conflicting info about sanding. Should I just sand with 80 grit or finish with 120 to get a smooth finish? Do I still power wash after?

3. What stain to use to avoid having to redo this all over again in 2 years time? I had bought Sikkens Cetol but have since read some brutal reviews on the product. $75/can down the drain! Is it worth it to order Armstrong Clark or similar products online and pay for all the shipping and brokerage? How does that stain hold up to Canadian winters?

Thanks in advance for your help! Sanding is literally a pain in the butt!