Rant: My deck stain faded in under 6 months

I put down a full coat of that pricey semi-transparent stain last May. Looked great through June, but by September it was already peeling in spots. Turns out I didn't prep the wood right, I just hosed it off and brushed it on. Now I gotta strip everything and start over this spring. Anybody got a go-to cleaner or stripper that actually works for old pressure treated pine?

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the_mason4mo ago

Have you considered using oxalic acid based cleaners? A buddy of mine had the same issue with his fence last year and that stuff saved him a ton of elbow grease.

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thomas_young4mo ago

Snagged a whole box of that stuff from my neighbor when he moved out, and I swear I ended up using it on everything but the fence. Ended up cleaning the rust off my old barbecue grates with it and they looked brand new. Then I got carried away and tried it on some patio stones, which worked okay but I think I used too much and bleached a spot near the flower bed. Now my wife won't let me near the stuff unless she supervises.

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