When it’s time to stain an old faded deck, surface preparation is the key when getting ready to put a new finish on. You can pay a professional several hundred dollars to do this for you, but if you have the determination and a free weekend, you can do it yourself and save a ton of money.  First, consider the condition of the wood.  I was told by a home store salesman that if my deck was old and worn looking I should opt for a solid color stain, it seemed like a good idea at the time, but personally, I wouldn’t recommend it.  The surface looked fabulous for one season, then it started bubbling off despite our best efforts to prep the deck first.  Also it was a latex, which is great for clean up, but not so great for the actual wood.  Since that time, I only chose penetrating oil stains that go deep into the wood and will last for more than one season.

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