Hi all,

We have a new cedar deck (10x15) on our house in PA. It was finished about 8 weeks ago.

Today I used Restore-a-Deck to prepare it for staining (I got the TWP 1501 Cedartone). I was really surprised that it seemed to be dissolving the wood! Is this normal even with no coating on it? I would rinse one end, turn around and see this gummy material had built up all over it. I'm not sure I was able to get it all off - it seemed endless. But then I went ahead and did the brightening and it seems better. The color is certainly back to a beautiful golden color.

My question is this - will the surface be okay to stain now? I'm concerned it is going to be rough. It's soaking right now so I'll check it in the morning.

I'm planning to stain on Saturday.

Here is the process for using the TWP as I understand it from reading this forum - can you make any corrections/suggestions?

1.) Under rails and rails first (with brush)

2.) Deck boards with deck pad

3.) stair treads

a. apply stain until saturated

b. wait 15-30 min

c. apply 2nd coat

d. wait 30-60 min

e. wipe off excess - what do I use for this? A rag?

When should I put another coat on? Next year?

Thanks!

Annie