Armstrong Clark Staining Instructions

[quote name=”john m”]Hi
Great product from last years staining.

I used a can opened less than a year ago. I may have overapplied over last years coat. I prepped using dish soap, water, bleach and scrubbed lightly to remove dirt.

The deck looks good but there are patches of pigment on surface in a few areas due my overapplcation that rubs of with a rag.

any concerns?[/quote]
Rub off the excess stain and saturate those rags with water. Lay them flat to dry outside. You should be fine.

[quote name=”Barrie Barnes”]I have prepped my newish cedar deck (7 months) using a water, bleach, tsp formula and scrubbing then rinsing with hose pressure. There was quite a bit of dirt, mildew, etc. that came off and it looked nice and clean when still wet. After drying it has a grey haze over most of it so I wonder if it’s ok to apply my amber stain or do I need to do something more?[/quote]
Hard to say if you should prep with the Restore A Deck Kits to remove the gray. The Amber color will darken as if wet with water.

[quote name=”Theresa”]Sorry, one more question….What is the shelf life of the stain opened vs un-opened.

Thanks so much for the prompt reply on the last question too!
🙂
Theresa[/quote]
Opened it will last less than a year. Unopened, it will last a couple of years.

[quote name=”Theresa”]Hi There,
I see that each gallon does 150-200 sqr feet. I was wondering if that is just one coat worth or two coats?
Cheers!
Theresa[/quote]
One coat. Second coat will spread farther at 250-300 sq. feet per gallon.

[quote name=”Stephen Rahe”][quote]
Are you back wiping the stain? You should not back wipe. If you do then you are removing the curing oils that would prevent this, leaving the non-drying oils exposed.[/quote]

Can you explain what you mean? I applied a semi-transparent stain yesterday to a 6-month cured (prepped) Western Red Cedar deck using a pad and I used the pad to “brush out” any puddles after application following these directions: http://www.armclark.com/downloads/2016/ProdDataSemiTrans.pdf
Can you explain what you mean by “back wiping”?[/quote]
You can back brush to ensure an even application while applying. Do not back wipe stain after say 30-60 minutes.

[quote name=”Blair Patrick”]I applied (rolled on) Armstrong Clark Deck Stain on my deck in June of 2013. How often should I restain it?[/quote]
Usually it needs a new coating every 2 or 3 years. Lightly clean and reapply.

[quote name=”sannitig”]I have a pine deck with black-enamel aluminum railing. I will be using the restore-a-deck kit, then staining with semi-trans-cedar.

Do I need to protect my railing with the utmost care during any of these steps? My concern is I have to protect this railing with my life due to the restore-a-deck stuff. Please advise[/quote]
Hard to say as all rails are made differently. Most of the time the RAD will not harm them if they have a smooth coating on the spindles. If powder coated, then it is more likely to have a reaction. Best to test first.

[quote name=”Darren”]Treated pine with cedar shadow box railing. 16×32. Rail is 30″ I bought 6 gal semi Trans. Planning on spraying it. Should I back brush all of it or can I back roll? Think that’s enough stain?[/quote]
You should have enough stain for this. We would suggest using a deck staining pad to back wipe in.

[quote name=”sannitig”]I have a SPF deck that’s about 3 years old now. I first stained it with Armstrong Cedar Semi-Trans and it rained (light drizzle) as I was finishing. Some of the boards lost a little colour but whatever. We’re now entering the third season and the boards in the high traffic areas are a little grey and a little stained, I need to restain.

Do I just put the same stain over everything or do I restore-a-deck first, or is pressure wash good enough? I have the restore-a-deck but I really don’t want go through all that work.

Picture attached

[img]https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxHYKkVyyjK_SlRKVUtaNXFhXzQ/view?usp=sharing[/img][/quote]
Prep with the RAD products and light pressure washing for this recoating.

[quote name=”Robin”]Hi –
I had your mahogany stain applied to my iPae deck yesterday around 5 pm. It’s going to rain today by 12 pm. Will I need to reapply?[/quote]
Hard to say until after the rains stops and if it was washed or away or not. You will be able to tell then.

[quote name=”pinkitoo2″]I will be staining a new cedar deck. do i need to sand it? Also It says to let it dry for a few days? Should I put up tarps or somthing to keep animals ect off of it. I have dogs and other critters that will run thru my back yard I am not sure how to keep it untouched for days.. with out barriers[/quote]
See here about new wood decks:
https://www.armstrongclarkstain.com/new-decking-and-armstrong-clark-stain

No you do not need to tarp is after the prep and waiting to dry. any dirt and you can sweep off.

[quote name=”Sunil Gandhi”]I applied a single cost of semi-transparent stain to my 3-year old redwood deck after it was stripped and cleaned. The stain was applied 2 days ago. It rained a little today and I noticed that a substantial portion of the deck does not appear to bead, and also “looks” like it could use an additional coat. Can I apply an additional coat after the first coat has already dried? Or should I wait until another season?[/quote]
Best to wait until Spring. Light wash first to remove and dirt.

[quote name=”Billymo71″]Hi, I live in Connecticut and I am planning on staining my mahogany deck tomorrow with your mahogany stain. However, the temperatures are supposed to be upper 40’s to lower 50’s tomorrow. Tomorrow night may even get down into the 30’s (but I hope it will be dry before it gets that cold). Is it a big deal if I stain at these temperatures – what is the risk if it gets too cold?[/quote]
The temps are borderline. If they get too cold at night and the stain is not dry, then there could be curing issues. It should not freeze or frost overnight.

[quote name=”Bob Rickleffs”]After hours applying your semi-solid stain, the next day I noticed glossy spots when the sun hit the deck. I wiped them with a rag as suggested. They did not appear until the sun hit the deck. Is this common?[/quote]
It is possible to get sunny spots when over applied but it does not happen from the sun. Just leave alone until fully dry. It will be fine.

[quote name=”Elisa D Mack”]where can I buy Armstrong Clark Stain in St Paul, MN?[/quote]
There are not dealers there but we can ship to you in 2-3 days.

[quote name=”Beth Julien”]Just wondering how careful I need to be about keeping stain out of pond with fish. My deck is right next to a pond. It’s possible some applied stain on side of deck may drip into the pond. How toxic is the stain to fish? Thanks![/quote]
It floats on water so it will not get in the water. In general you should not get it in there.

[quote name=”Blue”]I am staining a older deck (no previous stain) Was cleaned and prepped well, but have bad weather.

half of deck was done in late afternoon/evening, rain came late the next day (within 24 hours), and raining solid for 5 days. Evening cool dipped to 50F last night.

I am concerned that the protective layer may have not had a chance to properly cure/seal and I don’t want mold/discoloration after the winter.

Am I OK to re-visit the area I already stained with a light coat or leave it be when/if I experience failure.

The product is the Cedar-tone semi-transparent and the wood so far took 1 gallon to ~180sqft, I thought the coverage was a bit on the generous amount but the stain went on abundantly and penetrated well. My only concern is the protective/outside layers as I did not have a chance to do the second wet on wet coat.[/quote]
The rain will not affect it after the 24 hours. Just leave as is.

[quote name=”billodom”]I stained a large deck twice over the last two years and am preparing to stain it again this fall. The deck is constructed from treated pine, so I’m attempting to keep it well-conditioned with the oil-based stains. The deck has a “picture frame” stained in sequoia and the center is stained in cedar. Looks great! BUT, the stain leaves a residue that gets on clothes, shoes, and skin months after it should have cured. Help, please.[/quote]
Are you back wiping the stain? You should not back wipe. If you do then you are removing the curing oils that would prevent this, leaving the non-drying oils exposed.

[quote name=”paint59″]On the Amber and Mahogany stain is there a difference between these stains since these are recommended for exotic hardwoods versus using a semi-transparent stain?[/quote]
These are colors that are recommended for hardwoods. They are not different formulas.

[quote name=”James Ballard”]approximately how soon and how long before the stain dries may a second coat be applied if needed[/quote]
You should apply the second coat “wet on wet” for best results. That means within 20-60 minutes of the first coat.

[quote name=”Jan B.”]Thanks for your quick response! I may just do it myself next summer. How would you suggest I “lightly clean” the deck?[/quote]
Soap and water to remove dirt but not the stain.

[quote name=”Jan B.”]I have an Ipe deck which was stained 2-3 years ago. It needed work, so I ordered stripper, brightener, and 2 cans of mahogany stain (for 330′). Unfortunately i was out of town when the work was done. It doesn’t look good – the color of the wood is irregular and there are many streaks. About 3/5 of 1 gallon of the stain has been used. Is there any chance that adding another coat (a week later) would help? Or will I need to wait until next summer and start over? (I live in Maine, so the season is short.)[/quote]
Adding more now might mean it will not absorb properly into the IPE. Best to leave alone, lightly clean and apply next year. Make sure that they do not back wipe the AC! It might have been why it is irregular.

[quote name=”Kim”]When you say “wet in wet” to do a second coat, how can you put a coat on and then before its dry walk on top of the wet layer to coat again. R u meaning, stain a section, and then add another layer on that section before you move into the next section? And then should both layers be light layers[/quote]
You can walk on the first coat after 20-60 minutes while it is still wet. Just take care to not step in the second coat and obviously wear shoes you are not attached to.

[quote name=”Carolyn Guist”]If applying to an Ipe deck, do you wipe it off after applying and waiting? If so, how long to wait? Thanks.[/quote]
No do not wipe off the AC. It needs to absorb and dry properly. Wiping it off will hinder the curing process and the stain.

[quote name=”Dan_pdx”]Can you give me the names of your dealers in the Portland OR area (ZIP 97214)? I’m looking for semi-transparent deck stain. Thanks![/quote]
We are an online dealer and can ship to you there.