I would take a look at TWP 1500 oil based deck stain that would be my choice, 2nd choice would be Cabot Deck stain.

That being said I was reading some reviews about Armstrong Clark deck stain, some good talk is going around internet, and I think they only come in semi-solid color to hide the surface, I spoke to my painter about it, he hasn't used it yet so he didn't have much to say, so I'm not sure and this being more or less new product so it's hard to say how well it will hold up.

Good luck

Making your outdoor decking more beautiful if you want.

Yes,We can

Use our outdoor strandwoven bamboo decking, we have a warehouse in LA, direct from China manufacturer , comfirtable service and better prices,

Size: L2200*W140*D20mm with stainless steel clips

Contact cell 6265481664 or 008613705632002 or email 13705632002@163.com

Johnny

Ann, I personally do not think the oil-based stain will work until all of the old finish is completely removed. Oil based stains penetrate into the wood. I went through the same process a few years ago and ended using a chemical stripper to remove the old acrylic deck paint that failed (originally applied by previous homeowner). I sanded the deck boards as well but a lot still remained. The deck stripper I used was made especially for acrylic solid stains and I believe was made by Rustoleum and is available at Menards. I am also in Michigan and found it at the Warren store.

Have you also tried power-washing the remaining paint off? That can work well, but you have to extra careful not to do it too close or with too much pressure.

In the end I decided against an oil-penetrating stain like Cabot or TWP as the boards on my deck were very weathered, cracked and warped. I wanted to cover the boards but the Behr Deck Over or similar products had so many negative reviews that I stayed away from them and chose to use the Behr solid stain (also an acrylic). Now I have come to believe it is virtually the same paint product as the Deck Over without the sandy grit added. It looked pretty darn good for three years but then I found a lot of rotting boards when I went to wash it off with the hose. The deck is 38 years old and it is time to replace.

If you are close to Bloomfield Hills, you can pick up free samples of the TWP product at their store-front.

We gave up on wood and have decided to re-do our deck with a composite. If you want to do the solid stain from Behr I have two unopened gallons of Boothill Gray that I bought before I realized we needed to re-deck it all and not just replace a few boards. You can have them for free if you are in the area.

Good luck.

Ann, the color may have penetrated into the wood. Just make sure the paint is not chipping or flaking and is intact. If you can "feel" the old paint then you could have a problem with the Cabot Deck Over as well. But with all the prep you have done, my guess is you are okay to coat it.

I like real wood but have decided to use Trex. Good luck and can you post pictures and update when finished?

The biggest reason for any stain failure is not being down to bare wood and having residual "mill glaze" left on the surface. Using a belt sander with 36 grit paper will rapidly get rid on all but the most stubborn old stain. Then finish off the surface with 80 or possibly 100 grit paper. DO NOT use any thing finer, as to do so risks again closing the grain of the wood, preventing penetration and adhesion of the stain to the wood. If a stain does not penetrate and adhere, it will for sure start to fail the following spring.

If using a heavy bodied product, such as Behr's Deck Over, leaving the deck with the 36 grit surface is actually beneficial. You will get super adhesion to the surface. Because it is so thick, the sanding texture will not show through. If using the a conventional acrylic solid hide stain, do use the finer sandpaper to avoid having sanding marks show.

Use of oil products require that ALL the old solid hide finish be removed. Oil stain must be able to penetrate with NO oil remaining on the surface! Unfortunately, this is difficult to do. No sanding will remove the old finish between the boards. The path of least resistance is to stay with a solid hide product. Solid hide "stains" actually give by far the best protection, as they completely block the UV rays of the sun which break down the transparent/semi-transparent products, both oil or water based. Solid hide stains also touch up more easily, should you have minor problems.

I am a big advocate of oil stains on new wood or wood in good condition. Unfortunately, all wood eventually ages to were transparent stains no longer look good. Deep stains and deep splitting of the wood become insurmountable problems for them. The thick acrylic products, such as Behr Deck Over, are capable of totally closing deep cracks in the old wood. This prevents deep penetration of rain water into the wood, while still allowing the wood to breathe and respire out any moisture that has manage to get into the wood.

What you're looking at here is my 20+ year old Redwood deck steps. Yes....I've done this removal & sanding THREE times in 20 years.

First pic show completed boards ready to be reinstalled. 2nd pic shows the end.

#3 shows a close-up of weathered pieces. #4 shows my setup.

For the main floor, rent a VIBRATING FLAT-PLATE sander. Buy some backer-pads & 60-grit sheets. Yup....I've done my main floor THREE times too!

P/washing?! Forget it!!!! Stripping?! No way in HELL. Remember....this is 20 year old Redwood in Fargo ND you're looking at! I tell the customers at our store what to do. They look at me like I'm from Mars at first.

THEN.....they usually come back and thank me! One guy was so proud of his "new" deck he brought a half-doz pictures in to show !

Faron

The moral of the story is: if you are looking for easy maintenance, DON"T build a wooden deck!

Looks great! Hope you have some warm weather by you so you can enjoy!

Was the paint/stain easy to work with?