Stripping dark stain from ipe

[sfgorman 14]

Hello,

I installed and stained an ipe screened porch floor (T&G) using Woodzotic in late summer 2007. I was never very happy with the color, which came to a very dark chocolate brown when first put down, and seems to have grown even more dark over time. (I have since read that apparently there was a "bad batch" of woodzotic at some point with black pigments, I have to wonder if I might have gotten some of that).

Anyway, I'm growing tired of the drab dark color, and want to brighten and rejuvenate the floor. The porch is covered with an overhanging roof and gets very little direct sun, so there is no "silvering" of the ipe in 2 years, and as I mentioned, if anything the stain has even darkened a bit (maybe just dirt and grime). Now I understand that woodzotic/woodtux/woodrich are intended to be recoated over top and not stripped. But I'm assuming that in order to lighten the floor, I'm going to have to remove the old stain, right?

Which is where I'd appreciate some advice. The porch floor is T&G and the porch is trimmed out with white (painted azek) columns and screen frames that reach to (and are permanently attached to) the floor, so this won't be as easy as just spraying off a deck. I have to get rid of the water somehow, and the only place is to sweep it out the door on one end.

So do I use a deck cleaner/stripper product? A pressure washer? Sand the stain off with an orbital sander? I guess I'd prefer a technique for removing the old stain that will generate the least amount of water, since the water will be trapped until I sweep it out, and I don't want to flood the porch. Also, I need to strip the stain right up to the painted trim at the floor level, without harming the painted finish.

Sanding would address the water issue, but I'm concerned that sanding will require me to remove a whole lot of the wood surface to get down past where the stain penetrated. Is sanding an advisable method for removing stain in a situation like this? Any pitfalls?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

SteveG

[PressurePros 249]

Steve, if your original finish turned out dark, you did probably receive one of the lovely bad batches of WZ.

You will have to strip off the product. If you decide to do this chemically, you will definitely be generating a fair amount of water. Deck Stains Cleaners Sealers | Staining Decks Wood Decking Sealing | Concrete Paver Restoration sells stripping products you won't have to mix up yourself or have any special applicator. Attach to a hose and spray away. You will need a stripper and a brightener.

At the two year point of the finish you should not need much pressure at all to rinse.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

We service Arlington. If you decide not to do this yourself, call us. :)

See Dirt Run! - Ipe, Brazillian Redwood, Mahogany, Pau Lope Decks, Porches & Ceilings

Beth :cup:

Edited July 25, 2009 by Beth n Rod