Armstrong Clark is a penetrating oil based stain that will soak deep into the wood grain offering protection from UV graying and water. The advantages to a penetrating deck stain is that they will not peel but rather fade over the years. The key though is proper prep before applying your AC especially if your wood is new.
New “smooth” wood should not be stained right away with Armstrong Clark. A few things need to happen first:
- The wood should dry out in the climate
- Exposed layers of wood cells should oxidize slightly
- Mill glaze needs to be removed
- Prep after waiting will remove both oxidation and mill glaze
New Decks and Armstrong Clark Stain Tips
The best advice is to not stain your new smooth wood too soon after install but follow these steps:
- Install wood and let sit outside for 3-4 months or more if using a transparent or semi-transparent color. If using a semi-solid color, you should wait 12 months.
- Once the wood has been exposed, use the Restore A Deck Cleaner and Brightener Kit for prep.
- Let the wood dry for 2 or more days after prep.
- Apply 1 coat of the Armstrong Clark Stain. Do not over apply.
To maintain your new coat of AC you will most likely need to a light coat in 12-24 months to just the floors or horizontals surfaces. In the future, you will need to reapply AC every 2-3 years for most scenarios or as needed based on your particular traffic and weather.
Important Note: Rough Sawn cut wood can be stained right after install as long as the wood is clean and dry.
How to Calculate Square Footage
Deck Sq. Footage
Flooring Length x width =?
Railing Length x height =?
Steps Width x Depth x #of Steps =?
Add up all 3 for the Total Sq. footage.
Fence Sq. Footage
Length x height =?
Multiply x 2 for both sides = Total Sq. Footage
Coverage Rate for AC Stains
The specified coverage rate for Armstrong Clark is 150-300 square feet per gallon for the first coat on new wood. From this, and from measuring the surface you can calculate how much stain you need. For more aged wood you could easily factor in some extra stain. On newer wood that is still smooth and dense, you probably are not going to use as much.
Note: Hardwood Decking spreads about twice as far. 300-400 sq feet per gallon and only 1 coat.
For maintenance coats you are not going to use near as much stain as you did initially staining bare wood. There are just way too many variables to know the exact coverage rate. There is really no way of knowing exactly how much stain you will need. It is better to buy more than you need than to not have enough. You can always save left over stain for next time. Armstrong Clark has a shelf life of 1 year if opened and 3 years unopened as long as the can is properly resealed.
If you have a question on prepping your need wood or deck, feel free to ask below.
I installed a new redwood deck in mid-January of 2020. I left it as is through the rain of the winter and very hot sunny summer, now I am ready to start the staining process.
I was going to sand it first with 80 grit then 120 grit, to get rid of big splinters and very dark spots. Then, use your Restore-A-Deck steps 1 and 2. Next, I would stain with your Redwood Tone Transparent wood stain.
1. Is that the best order of steps? 2. I am not sure if you recommend sanding before or after the Restore-A-Deck.3. If you don’t recommend sanding at all, can you please explain why?
Do not sand finer than 60-80 grit. Clean and brighten after.
I have tiger wood installed 2 yr ago and I like to keep the texture of the wood . What should I do..I just power wash the deck.i need to know what’s the next step and what the best to used..I appreciate your expertise and deeply appreciated your suggestions…thanks.
Stain with one of these three colors: https://www.armstrongclarkstain.com/wood-and-decking-stains/hardwood-and-ipe-stain
I have a cedar trellis that has weathered for about one year. I have carefully cleaned the entire structure with warm water and dish soap and rinsed with a garden hose. Is this ready to stain with AC, or do I need to use the Restore a Deck Cleaner and Brighter kit? If so, what is the rationale if the trellis is already clean and dry?
Dawn soap and rinsing with a garden hose will not remove mill glaze and oxidation properly from new wood. It will need to be redone with the Restore A Deck Kit.
I have a bridge that I just replaced the planks with rough sawn ponderosa pine. The planks were cut at a local sawmill about 4 weeks ago. I cleaned them with a little bleach solution before I put them on because they got a little mold/mildew on them from how I had them stacked. The support structure underneath is the same wood but was still in good shape. It was treated with AC semi-transparent stain a couple of years ago (Driftwood). I want to clean/brighten and stain the entire bridge with the same stain as soon as I can. Do I need to let the planks dry out before I do that? I live at about 6200 ft. in dry Colorado air.
If rough sawn then you can stain now.
Same advice for cedar fence as decking- wait several months to stain smooth surface?Thanks.
That is correct.
We have a new cedar deck. We sanded the deck with 120 grit to get the mill glaze off Now the deck is showing grey spots around the screws. What should we do? Sand more with 60-80 grit? Just use the prep kit then stain? The deck was installed 3 months ago.hoping to start staining next week
That is rust around the screws as you remove the protective coating. You will need to replace all the screws where you sanded off the top. After, wait a month or two, clean and brighten for prep. Do not sand.
We have a deck that is about 25 years old and it hasn’t been stained for quite some time. We also installed some new steps and need to replace some other wood. I am wanting the old and new woods to match as good as they can. I was leaning towards the semi solid stain but read that it takes 12 months for the new wood to be prepped. Is there another stain that would blend the old and new woods colorwise that I wouldn’t have to wait for an entire year? Thank you!
No, new wood will always stain lighter as it is less absorbent than older wood. The semi-solid colors would blend better but you would have to wait 12 months for the new wood to season and then prep.
We are staining on Monday there is rain for Tuesday night and Wednesday is it still ok to stain on Monday
Yes.
If you recommend that the mahogany breathe for 3 months before staining, do you have any advice on what we can do to prevent carpenter bees from enjoying the raw wood until we stain it?
Stain will not prevent bees so if you have that issue, you will need to spray the deck now and after the stain is applied.
Will leftover stain tolerate freezing temperatures or should it be stored in a heated place? (Does it matter if the container has been opened.)
Cannot freeze.
Does that mean the stain cant freeze or you can’t allow it to freeze?
It is the same thing. The stain cannot freeze.
Not the same thing. Either the stain will not freeze regardless of how cold it gets or it should be kept above freezing temps so that it doesn’t freeze (as in you must not allow it to freeze). I gather it’s the former.
Yes, it can freeze if too cold and it will go bad if it freezes.
We have 5/4 pressure treated deck that is 22 yrs. old. We had replaced about 25% of the boards a few yrs. back. The deck was covered with solid stain which we have completely sanded off from the horizontal surfaces. What is the next step we need to take to apply AC semi transparent stain? Also we have tried to remove any solid stain ( by sanding) from the vertical sides of the 5/4 boards but are having difficulty getting it all off any suggestions before we proceed?
You will have to sand it off the verticals as a stripper will not remove solid stains. If you cannot get it off, go for a two toned deck. AC on the floors and solid stain on verticals. It will look nice and be easy to maintain. For the floors that you sanded, do a final prep before staining with the Restore A Deck Kit. Just one coat of the AC stain.https://www.armstrongclarkstain.com/restore-a-deck-kit
We applied a water base stain last year. Needless to say it did not hold up to our winter. Flaked and looked very dull. We have sanded off all of the old stain to nice new cedar. The deck is tarped so as not to have any rain on it. My question is, can we now go ahead and stain or does it have to be exposed to the elements again? Thanks
What grit paper did you use?
We used a 60 grit sandpaper
Use the RAD Prep kit for final prep and then you can stain: https://www.armstrongclarkstain.com/restore-a-deck-kit
What will happen if that has not been done first? Asking for a friend lol
The AC stain may not soak in as well as it should. This could lead to drying and curing issues.
We just had a mahogany deck installed and they didn’t put any stain/oil on it. We don’t want it to turn grey, what is the best process/stain to use.
You cannot do it yet as the above article explains. Weather, prep and then one coat of the AC in a hardwood color: https://www.armstrongclarkstain.com/wood-and-decking-stains/hardwood-and-ipe-stain
It was really installed in middle of February. Is it ok to start the process? We get lots of sun exposure to deck
Yes.
Here is a picture of deck when wet. What products do you recommend? Will the Amber cover this color or just bring it out.
Amber does not mask the wood but enhances the grain. Similar to a wet look.
thanks, so for mahogany which stain should I use? Also do I need to use the brighter or just clean and apply stain?
Any of the three hardwood colors that you like will work. Amber, Mahogany, or Black Walnut. You will need to clean and brighten for prep: https://www.armstrongclarkstain.com/restore-a-deck-kit
What do you recommend to apply the products?
An exterior stain pad or brush.
I just spent 4 days stripping my deck rails, not a fun job, but at least it’s done now.I have composite decking and I was thinking of cleaning it now before staining, but now I’m wondering if that is a bad idea, as maybe the soaps in the cleaner could be absorbed by the newly stripped cedar and cause issues with the stain? Would it be better to wait to clean the decking after the new stain is on the wood?
You can clean it, just rinse well when done.
If I decide to stain the wood first (because I do have a good stretch of non-rainy weather coming up and want to get the staining done), how many days after staining should I wait before cleaning the composite decking? Also how many hours should the stain dry before it is hut by rain? I am using Armstrong Clark Semi-Transparent Sierra Red on cedar. Thanks!
Wait 48 hours. Rain is about 12-24 hours.
two months since cedar deck installed. Family doesn’t want to wait any longer so I gave in and plan to start any day now. 1. Will the RAD suffice to remove mill glaze or should I sand (60-80G) then clean and brighten? thanks.2. I’ve decided to use natural paint brush to apply stain, I know stain must be applied in the direction of the grain but is it okay to apply brush back and forth or must strictly apply in one direction only?
You need 3+ months and then clean and brighten. No sanding is needed. Apply in grain direction as much as possible.
I am building a Gazebo out of Cedar with Trex decking for the Deck and handrails to reduce wear and maintenance.I am looking to use AC stain on all the rest of the surfaces. (baulisters, roof, etc) 2 questions… New cedar – so wait minimum 3 months. By time I am done, 3 months will be rainy season, so will be about 9 months until apply. 1: My gut tells me I should be ‘protecting’ the support beams that the deck is built on… should I just leave it ‘natural’ (no stain or protection), or what is consequence of applying stain on new wood (just to protect as will never be seen). 2: With Trex composite decking, will the Restore-a-deck that I apply on all the cedar before applying my then-aged surface damage the Trex, or is the Restore-a-deck inert toward composite plastics?
1. No need to stain the frame or posts.2. The RAD prep will not harm the trex.
I have noticed that my AC Sierra Redwood semi-transparent stain changes color slightly over the first 3 weeks. It becomes slightly less red over time (at least when used on cedar). I actually like the color a little better that it becomes over time, but it caught me be surprise, as initially I thought my sample stain was not the same color as the 5 gallon bucket I ordered, but then I put the sample stain on the wood along with stain from my 5 gallon bucket at the same time instead of comparing the color from my sample I had done a couple weeks earlier and they matched. Is there a technical reason with the type of oils or the red pigment used in the stain that this would happen? I just wanted to bring this up so that if others are trying to color match they may want to see what the stain looks like on their sample 2-3 weeks after they applied it. For example, I was having my fiberglass front door stained the same color as my front posts. I had the stainer wait 4 weeks before he tried to match the post color, as they use a different gel stain for a fiberglass door.
It is just the way the stain cures and settles into the wood.
I used the AC Sierra Redwood semi-transparent stain to stain my cedar on my gable brackets, flower boxes, and shutters and they have turned out amazing! However, I have noticed that when handling the boards, even several days after the staining was complete, that the stain tends to rub off on my hands. I was trying to be careful not to overapply it (I used a brush and tried to back brush it to take up any excess, and I rubbed the wood down with a cotton cloth 24 hours after staining the wood to again collect any access.) But still it tends to show some signs of rubbing off. I was planning to use this stain on my deck railing, and I’m concerned that if people lean on the railing that the stain might get on their clothes.
Is there something I need to do differently when staining deck rails (The rails are not new and will be stripped and brightened for prep).
Thanks!
Just apply one coat and you can wipe off excess stain that does not soak in after 60 minutes. Make sure to saturate any oily rags in water and lay flat to dry outside when done.
I have applied coat of semitransparent stain on cedar fence sawn after applying and dried your recommended cleaning. Should I have sanded too before applying as you can see the blochy spots or is this just the natural pattern of the wood?
Nature of the wood grain most likely.
How long do you recommend after cleaning and brighten the deck to stain. Can it be longer then 48hrs
Stain within 2 weeks.
I put in a new cedar deck last summer and now want to stain it with a semi-transparent. I have sanded all the grey off and plan on sanding one more time as the stain won’t be here for 5 days or so. Just wondering if I still have to use the Restore a deck cleaner and brightener?
Yes, you still need to do this for final prep.
We’re putting up a fence with horizontal planks made from red cedar fencing. It’s kiln dried, one side smooth (facing our side), the other rough (facing neighbor side). I plan on using AC semi-transparent.
Is this the correct procedure: 1-2 months drying, prep w/cleaner and brightener, 1 coat of AC?
Also – do I need to prep and stain the back (rough) side of the fence? If I don’t stain it, will it affect the performance and color of the side we can see?
Lastly – do you recommend any particular type of fasteners, like stainless steel?
Yes, about 2 months for weathering when use the semi-transparent and kiln dried wood. Prep and stain with one coat. Best to prep and stain all sides. Fasteners do not matter. Just make sure they are treated or stainless.
Advice for cedar flowerboxes. Background: 15 year old ceder wood flowerboxes that had been stained inside and out, but I now stripped and brightened the wood. I have always used plastic flower pots that fit inside the flowerboxes that hold the soil. There are drainage holes in the pots and drainage holes in the bottom of the cedar flowerboxes to allow water to drain. But over the course of the summer, there does get to be some dirt that settles on the bottom of the cedar flowerbox and likely stays moist with the automatic watering of the flowers every third day.
Question: What is the best way to treat the wood. I am staining the outside of the flowerboxes with armstrong clark stain, but what’s the best thing to do for the inside? Should I just stain the inside too, or is it better to prime it with an oil primer and then paint it. Does the paint work better to protect the wood under the typically wet conditions, or is stain better because the paint might peel? I was considering using a rubberized paint, but thought that might just peel off the wood and actually make it worse with the cracks between the rubberized layer and wood constantly wet. Any insights would be appreciated.
Thanks!Nate
You cannot prime and paint outdoor wood, it will peel. Just use the AC for all.
Just putting on pressure treated rails on and posts. Do we have to wait 12 months to stain
3 months for all colors except the semi-solid colors. That is 12 months.
I read in your post that I may have to wait as much as 12 months to stain if I use the semi-solid stain. I live in East Tennessee and built my deck in September, but I used kiln dried lumber. I have semi-solid stain. Is it too soon to stain? How much longer do I need to wait?
12 months. No way to make it any faster when using our semi solid colors.
I ordered and received some samples & have made my decision of which stain i want to purchase. I don’t recall any instructions being in the sample package on how to request a credit toward my 5-gallon purchase of stain. Can you provide me with the process to request the $15 credit when i make my purchase? Thanks!
See here: https://www.armstrongclarkstain.com/samples
Regarding samples, you charge $8 each for shipping, but if to Canada, its much more. Two samples are $50.39 but how much of that will go against the 5 gallon pail cost? Thanks.
Max $15. We cannot waive the shipping costs to Canada.
Are the prices in USD only? Or when I provide a Canadian address, is it showing CDN$?
USD
hi! is this stain too fancy for pressure treated lumber? I know nothing of these things so apologies for my ignorance.
Fancy? Most people have pressure treated wood and the AC works great on it.
If my white cedar is kiln dried should I still let the wood weather? If so, how long?
Yes, 1-2 months and then prep with this kit: https://www.armstrongclarkstain.com/restore-a-deck-kit
I was going to stain my cedar wood (both sides) before installing, is this not recommend?
No, you cannot pre-stain. Install, weather, prep, and stain only the exposed wood.
Why is your recommendation contrary to what the hardwood decking suppliers seem to always recommend, in sone cases even require? I’m a new home builder for 30+ years. Have built many hardwood decks for customers during that time and the hardwood suppliers have always urged me to oil decks as soon as they are installed, even if customer plans on letting decking eventually weather to silver/grey patina. They say oiling it one time, right away (in addition to applying end grain sealer during install) is critical for the decking to properly acclimate the first year. My painting sub has always done this within a month of install with zero problems (immediate or long term). The three products he told me he has used in past is Deck wise, penofin and messmers. I am looking for a darker tint for my personal deck (Batu) and was interested in the fact that you have 3 color options for hardwood. Why does it seem you are the only manufacturer to so strongly suggest that I wait 1 year to apply?
When to stain a new deck has nothing to do with the wood suppliers suggestions but the stain manufacturer known recommendation on what will work or not. The wood suppliers have no idea as to what stain brand and type you are using. All stain brand manufactures will require a waiting period and prep for new wood. If you stain it prematurely, it will potentially have issues with drying, curing, and premature failure leading consumers to blame the stain product.
Just an FYI, IPE Oil, Penofin, and Messmers all suggest to weather and prep. FYI, IPE Oil is Messmers relabeled.
I had my new deck stained last June with your semi-transparent Natural Oak. I feel that it needs another coat in some areas. Do I need to clean & brighten the whole deck? I believe it just wasn’t done properly the first time. Not sure whether to just do boards or do everything. Posts look ok and the part of the deck that is covered looks ok. Just the two sides that are not covered.
Clean and brighten all is correct and then stain.
So stain everything even though some looks ok? Also, will this be an every year thing? I thought it would be every 2-3 years.
Yes all is best. Not with new wood as the above article explains.
OK but it says the floors and horizontal boards?
Yes, you can do all the floors only if you want. You cannot spot do the floors.
How much a gallon . what are the color selections
See here. https://www.armstrongclarkstain.com/wood-and-decking-stains
I have a 25yr old deck..no matter what we use it does not hold up .Used solid stain.Hve to do every year in area near back door …will this work and colors ??
To be able to use the AC you will have to sand off all of the old coatings 100%. Have you done this?
What is the shelf life for AC deck stains? I ask only since i want to purchase a 5-gallon bucket & estimate that i will have possibly 2 gallons left for future use after initial staining.
https://www.armstrongclarkstain.com/shelf-life-of-armstrong-clark-stain
I am installing a new ipe deck and have heard mixed reviews on the topic of pre-oiling your ipe. Especially the underside. At first it sounded like a no-brainer. More sealing the better. But after further thought it seems as if you seal the underside it could hold moisture in the wood, especially if you skip a year or two on oiling the topside. I live in the northwest and we have issues with decay from too much moisture. Just curious as to your thought on this subject. Thank you,Jesse
No need to seal all sides and yes, it can create issues.
Thank you for the timely response. ?
New pressure treated deck last August is it ok to stain now. And is the driftwood gray a good color to kinda match our darker gray house
You can prep and stain now. Best to test samples for colors: https://www.armstrongclarkstain.com/samples
We have a new screened in deck and we want to stain the floor using a semi transparent stain. Do we have to prep the floor even though the floor is covered and not directly exposed to the sun?
Yes. it has to weather and be prepped.
I have seen it listed somewhere before, but can’t find it now. After cleaning/ brightening/power washing the deck, the wood should be dry before applying the new stain. I do have a meter. What moisture percentage should the wood be at when staining? Thanks!
You do not need a moisturizer meter. Just wait two days after prep or rain to stain
One more question for one last project for this year :)
I am replacing the vertical boards on my front steps on my porch that are made of 1×8 cedar, rough side facing out. The rough side can be stained right away per the instructions on this site, but what about the smooth back side that doesn’t show? Should I do anything with that? paint it with a primer? It’s not real easy to see, but the previous vertical boards on the steps bowed over time and I was wondering if that was from the unstained back of the cedar getting/staying wet and swelling, causing the board to bow outward. That’s why I was wondering if I could or should do something with the smooth unseen back side of the wood before installing it that may help, and hoping it’s nothing like putting the boards out for months to weather the mill glaze off in order to stain the backside. Thanks!
Leave the back side alone. No stain or primer. Needs to breathe.
What will happen if I mix a semi-sold with a semi-transparent stain?
It is not suggested to do this. It could have issues with even application.
I have a gallon of both semi-solid and semi-transparent and about 200 sq ft or so of half 10 year old and half 10 month old treated deck. I’m determined to use them both. Although it may not turn out even, will it otherwise work if I mix them together?
We highly suggest to not do this as it may not cure or dry correctly.
We installed this cedar gate/fence (see attached) last September and would now like to stain with your oil based wood stain. We waited so the wood could be exposed before staining. Do you feel it necessary to do any prep before we stain, i.e sanding etc?
It is rough sawn wood, so you can stain now without prep.
Test
I stripped and brightened these cedar posts using Restore-A-Deck with the additives. I left some power washing marks on the wood, as the stain was a little tough to remove as it was a semi-solid stain and I was probably a little too aggressive with the power washer in a few spots. Will these markings disappear when staining it with Armstrong-Clark Semi-Transparent Sierra Redwood? If not, is there something that can be done before staining? Thanks!
No pictures but a stain will not cover pressure washing marks.
The gable brackets were delivered today (picture of one of them). They are rough sawn, so I would like to stain them before installation, getting all the wood covered. My Amstrong Clark Stain is arriving tomorrow, and my house is ready to put these on this week! Is there any test I need to perform on it to make sure the wood is dry enough to take stain? Do I put a drop of stain or water on one of the hidden sides to see how it soaks in? The wood seems fairly fresh. I know that they make these brackets to order, so it was just put together. Thanks!
You can stain the rough sawn now.
Is there a preferred method to stain rough sawn cedar timbers? I was just planning to brush it on. For new rough sawn timbers, it this a one coat only or wet-on-wet for Armstrong-Clark stain. Thanks!
Brush or stain pad. Home any coats depends on how much the first coat absorbs and if a second is needed.
This is another deck I need to refinish. (Attached picture) Will restore-a-deck stripper work on a painted deck (attached picture) or does it need to be sanded?
You cannot strip off a paint/solid stain so you will have to sand it off.
Have people tried paint stripper? I was wondering if that would work.
That will not work.
I will be stripping my deck rails using restore-a-deck with the two additives and brightening using the restore-a-deck brightener. The decking is timbertech composite decking. Are there any concerns with the stripper or brightener falling on the composite decking? Do I need to cover it in plastic or something?
It should be fine but rinse well when done to remove all the soap and dirt.
The web site states you can purchase sample stains, but I don’t see where to place an order?
https://www.armstrongclarkstain.com/samples
Have a pressure treated pine deck, built last June, been waiting for weather and prep as suggested. Leaning towards semi-solid, but worried about rub off when sitting on steps as some have mentioned elsewhere. Is this a legitimate concern and we should go with semi-transparent? The comment about not meant for furniture has us concerned.
As long as it is not over applied and fully soaks in, it should not be an issue.