Brand new PT deck I built myself. After much agonizing, I went with
Wolmans Durastain semi (red cedar) and now wish I had not. Stuff is so

thick and viscous, came out almost solid and I don't like the color at
all. Wolmans says strip it or change color to different Durastain, but

can't recommend using any other product because of adhesion.

Wolmans says stripping now is better than waiting. I have read horror
stories about stripping these acrylic type stains. If I put on another
(darker) Durastain, and I hate that too, I may never get it off. But
is by far the easiest course, if I can live with the new color.
I just applied yesterday, and it poured rain about 16 hours later.
Also I only did deck and stairs, no rails or lattice etc, thank Jah.
Wish now I had gone with the oil toner.


Please help. Advise and experiance about stripping Durastain (days
old)?
My labor of love, which was perfect, is now driving me nuts.

pedro wrote:
Brand new PT deck I built myself. After much agonizing, I went with
Wolmans Durastain semi (red cedar) and now wish I had not.

My labor of love, which was perfect, is now driving me nuts.

It isn't your life partner or a pet we're talking about here - it is a
chunk of assembled wood. Durastain is a good stain. I'd just live with
it.

Yes, change your state of mind, not your stain. Wait 3 days & it'll
seem better.

Travis Jordan wrote:
pedro wrote:
Brand new PT deck I built myself. After much agonizing, I went with
Wolmans Durastain semi (red cedar) and now wish I had not.

My labor of love, which was perfect, is now driving me nuts.

It isn't your life partner or a pet we're talking about here - it is a
chunk of assembled wood. Durastain is a good stain. I'd just live with
it.

pedro wrote:
Brand new PT deck I built myself. After much agonizing, I went with
Wolmans Durastain semi (red cedar) and now wish I had not. Stuff is so

thick and viscous, came out almost solid and I don't like the color at
all. Wolmans says strip it or change color to different Durastain, but

can't recommend using any other product because of adhesion.

Wolmans says stripping now is better than waiting. I have read horror
stories about stripping these acrylic type stains. If I put on another
(darker) Durastain, and I hate that too, I may never get it off. But
is by far the easiest course, if I can live with the new color.
I just applied yesterday, and it poured rain about 16 hours later.
Also I only did deck and stairs, no rails or lattice etc, thank Jah.
Wish now I had gone with the oil toner.


Please help. Advise and experiance about stripping Durastain (days
old)?
My labor of love, which was perfect, is now driving me nuts.

Apply a generous solution of trisodium phosphate (or sodium
metasilicate) and sodium percarbonate. You can buy the trisodium
phosphate (in states where it's legal) in most paint or home
improvement stores. Where it's not legal, they'll sell sodium
metasilicate instead (somewhat less effective but still good). The
sodium percarbonate you can buy in a pool-supply store (oxygen shock).
After applying, wait 10 minutes, then scrub thoroughly, and wait 10
more minutes. Do not let the solution dry out. Finally, gently
power-wash. Most of the stain should come off.

If you can't find the chemicals listed above, a somewhat less effective
solution is to use ordinary automatic dishwasher powder and hot water.

Or you could simply wait 2 or 3 years. By then, the stain will
probably no longer be water resistant (assuming the deck is exposed to
sun and rain). Then just gently pressure wash it and start over.

Get yourself a copy of (or go to the local library and borrow) the July
06 issue of Consumer Reports. They have results of many deck stains
and paints they just completed testing.