billbk

Beth.....so would letting it 'age' over the winter open the wood back up so that it will accept the stain better next spring, or should I apply a coat before winter & snow hits it?

Ok Jake, why did it fail so soon & should I reapply now (I have a lot more stain), or wait till next spring?

...and WoodTux held up for me in the past too. Any response to my questions though?

I have an old Ipe deck (10+ years old). I've stained it off and on in that time. The last couple of times have been with wood tux. This spring I decided to sand the deck as many of the boards were discolored, wouldn't hold a stain evenly, some areas were greyed out, etc. I used 40 grit as recommended on many sites (you apparently don't want the wood too smooth). Took the stain nicely.......but now, only after 2 months max, the stain is basically gone & the deck looks blotchy. I had done the whole cleaning/brightening process before staining too. Would you recommend applying more stain before fall/winter hits (I'm in Minnesota), or letting it sit till next spring. Any ideas why the stain disappeared so fast?