I know, I know. They should be, right? Everybody else raves about them, and I totally get why some people are into them. They're just not for me, I've discovered. Apparently, I need something with a bit more...grit. Yeah, grittier.
It confused me at first, too. I couldn't get why the stripper we bought for our deck project (and which came highly recommended) wasn't doing the job. Maybe the previous owners laid on some crazy E-6000 version of exterior/deck paint??? Or maybe not, since it was chipping pretty badly and had seen better days.
It confused me at first, too. I couldn't get why the stripper we bought for our deck project (and which came highly recommended) wasn't doing the job. Maybe the previous owners laid on some crazy E-6000 version of exterior/deck paint??? Or maybe not, since it was chipping pretty badly and had seen better days.
Come on, say it with me: Eeeewwwwwwww. It doesn't exactly scream Come lounge here, does it?
After reading several reviews and hearing personal recommendations, we decided to give Behr Premium Wood Stain & Finish Stripper a try. It's supposed to be able to take anything (latex or oil based) off of wood surfaces. And at only $19 for a gallon of the stuff, we figured we'd go for it.
After reading several reviews and hearing personal recommendations, we decided to give Behr Premium Wood Stain & Finish Stripper a try. It's supposed to be able to take anything (latex or oil based) off of wood surfaces. And at only $19 for a gallon of the stuff, we figured we'd go for it.
The process itself was pretty simple. We emptied the container into a large bucket, grabbed our roller (and extension) and began rolling it on. We rolled it on in a pretty thick layer and let it sit, as indicated in the product directions.
We waited the max time recommended (45 mins) and checked out a small section to see if the paint was lifting off. To our disappointment, it really hadn't made much of a difference. We waited another 15 mins and checked again. No go. We put on another layer over the whole deck in case the previous layer had been applied too thin. Still nothing. Bummer.
After rinsing (and rinsing and rinsing) the stripper off of the deck, we decided on renting a heavy duty drum sander.
After rinsing (and rinsing and rinsing) the stripper off of the deck, we decided on renting a heavy duty drum sander.
With this bad boy (the sander, not Vern)--and 80 grit sandpaper--we were finally able to say goodbye to the old paint.
After only a few runs, the difference was amazing! Getting all of the old chipping paint off was important in order to allow us to start fresh with a new color and product. We knew we wanted slate this time around, but we were undecided on whether to use Restore or Deckover. Both had great reviews, but it came down to texture for us. We wanted something with very slight texture to keep the deck from being slippery, especially on the stairs, but we didn't want something so textured that it was noticeable.
We decided on Deckover for our application, and the texture and finish has turned out great, and we LOVE the color!
The rain has kept us from being able to finish everything off completely so that we can place our deck furniture, but I'm excited about sitting out here again...especially now that Fall is here!
UPDATE: The deck is now completely finished! Yea!
UPDATE: The deck is now completely finished! Yea!