# Behr acrylic deck stain removal



## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

I need to estimate redoing a deck that failed with acrylic stain (the b word). I guess Behr is paying for it and furnishing the new materials. Deck was done 4 years ago. What is the deal with this stuff? I remember reading it is tough to remove (maybe try hd-80 on it).


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## jack pauhl (Nov 10, 2008)

What happened? Any idea what it failed to do? Never used it. Something weird about a product failing but its hard to remove.


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

I will check it out tomorrow. Sounds like fading and uneven coloration. I thimk behr had a class action suit a while back over this product, but i am not certain.


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## NCPaint1 (Aug 6, 2009)

Its the solid right? Even the transparent Behr can look solid...kinda milky. The previous owner of my home had it on the porch (found cans in the garage) I used BM 315 finish remover, apply straight with no dilute. Let it sit about 20 minutes, scrubbed with a stiff bristle...and washed with a 15 degree tip. Still had to sand some off, mainly the covered areas, and under the rails, you know, all he most inconvenient places.


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## Andyman (Feb 21, 2009)

Just let it weather for a month and it comes off on it's own... Lot's of irritated HO around here with Behr failure. I made a chunk of change stripping and restaining these decks. It was almost like clock work, HO calls and says stain is peeling and I say BEHR! I'm suprised if it lasted 4 years. Not even one year around here. I just used Stain & Seal Remover and it worked just fine.


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## PressurePros (May 6, 2007)

HD-80 is the way to go and sometimes it takes a double strip. Behr is the absolute worst product possible for a deck.. The colors are evern awfule and range from orange to a Pepto Bismal.


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## tntpainting (Apr 3, 2008)

I hear ya but can u say ( job security) I make tons of money off those Behr users lol!!!


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## mastr (Apr 15, 2011)

power wash, light sand, deckscapes


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## ROOMINADAY (Mar 20, 2009)

I stripped one (Behr SOLID STAIN with Grit) last summer with Olympic Deck Stripper - took two applications but wasn't too bad. It is in my facebook photo's. The client THEN wanted us to re-apply it properly (Strip, Wash, Sand, Rinse, Dry, Moisture Meter, Check the forecast etc)...I called to follow up a few weeks ago- the back deck is OK the front deck is peeling - They told me "they left the snow on it all winter, so the shovel didn't peel it off".... - We only had about 4 feet of wet snow that just melted a few weeks ago!


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## PressurePros (May 6, 2007)

mastr said:


> power wash, light sand, deckscapes


Deckscapes is number 2 behind Behr. Awful product in the northeast.


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## NCPaint1 (Aug 6, 2009)

PressurePros said:


> Deckscapes is number 2 behind Behr. Awful product in the northeast.


Same here. Most solids Peel eventually, some sooner than others. Anytime a customer wants a solid deck stain I do my best to talk them out of it. Or at least let them know what to expect so there are no surprises.


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

The deck was a semi trans. It was heavily worn by the pool. Very solid on spindles, decent bit worn in lower traffic areas.

How well does hd80 do on spindles?


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## CliffK (Dec 21, 2010)

NCPaint1 said:


> Same here. Most solids Peel eventually, some sooner than others. Anytime a customer wants a solid deck stain I do my best to talk them out of it. Or at least let them know what to expect so there are no surprises.


 We have never had good luck with solids here. When the solid acrylics first came out we did a lot of decks. You are a hero the first year because it looks like something out of a magazine. The next year they still like you when you go back and fix up a few spots that popped over the winter and by the third year they hate you because it's all coming off. The solids just trap too much moisture from underneath. Many of the decks are bad candidates to begin with because they do not get enough air circulation underneath and/or are too close to the ground. In an ideal world if the reverse sides could be primed and coated I believe we'd have a lot better success ratio, but that is seldom feasible. I'm seeing less and less newer wood decks in this area. Little by little the market for coating decks is shrinking.


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## NCPaint1 (Aug 6, 2009)

DeanV said:


> The deck was a semi trans. It was heavily worn by the pool. Very solid on spindles, decent bit worn in lower traffic areas.
> 
> How well does hd80 do on spindles?


That should strip fairly easily then. No experience with HD80, but the spindles typically don't strip as nicely. Anything vertical just gets less exposure, wear, and weathering.


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## PressurePros (May 6, 2007)

The right stripper (not something from a box or paint store) will usually remove just about everything. Some acrylic solids you have to go a different path. 

These are the results I expect from stripping. Usually, no sanding needed. Semi solid gray that was a be-atch to remove.


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## jsheridan (Mar 12, 2011)

That's incredible Ken!


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## ligboozer (Oct 13, 2009)

PressurePros said:


> The right stripper (not something from a box or paint store) will usually remove just about everything. Some acrylic solids you have to go a different path.
> 
> These are the results I expect from stripping. Usually, no sanding needed. Semi solid gray that was a be-atch to remove.


 
Awesome work. Gonna tell us what you used?


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## PressurePros (May 6, 2007)

:no: Ancient Chinese Secret. 

I don't want to keep promoting one product or distributor. A good product was mentioned in this thread. I have my stripper custom blended based upon years of failed strips, 2nd degree burns and finally finding nirvanna with the right formula. 

Proper Deck Prep:

- Coat deck liberally in every crevice with sodium hydroxide based stripper.
- Keep wet for 15-30 minutes.
- Wash every inch with 800-1000 psi.
- pH balance with acidic cleaner. Re-rinse.

Acrylic content is going to be the enemy. Caustics work so-so on them. You need your mix strong and the dwell time long. I avoid sanding at all costs. We're fast at it but its difficult getting all areas of a handrail system. You're better off using the right cleaners to do the work.


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## NCPaint1 (Aug 6, 2009)

Ken, BM 315-00 is sodium hydroxide. This is just a basic blend, and works for most applications. There are hotter blends out there, which im sure is what you're speaking of.


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## PressurePros (May 6, 2007)

NCPaint1 said:


> Ken, BM 315-00 is sodium hydroxide. This is just a basic blend, and works for most applications. There are hotter blends out there, which im sure is what you're speaking of.


Yes, exactly. I guess the best comparison I can make is to compare something like BM Aura to a watered down builders grade latex. Both have the same basic ingredients with dramatically different performance and results. Now imagine the watered down version being three times as expensive to use.


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

Here is the sketch of the deck with approx dimensions. Spindles all around the perimeter.


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## PressurePros (May 6, 2007)

Dean, I can barely make out the numbers. Starting top center going clockwise would you mind posting the measurements?


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

I was hoping it would show up better. Starting top center

36, 14 (not labeled in diagram), 24 (house, no spindles), 8 (house, no spindles), 33, 40, 24, and a 62' run along the pool (13 and 15' sections of rail)


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## Wood511 (Dec 13, 2010)

HD-80...mentioned earlier... is hotter and handles some tougher stuff.

I try to steer people away from solids whenever possible. I had a deck last week with HO applied solid that was peeling badly after 1 year. He said he thought the wood was rotting and that he needed a new deck. After stripping/washing, the wood looked great. Yet he wants another solid to be applied. Why get a wooden deck if you are simply going to hide the wood? 

Certainly nothing is going to last for that many years given exposure to the elements, but you have to look at how the degradation and breakdown manifests. Many of the semi-trans stains can have a maintenance coat applied several times to the horizontals over the years and maintain a solid appearance before getting buildup and having to reboot the entire thing. That breakdown is usually a bit of fading. Over time this is gradual and far less drastic than peeling. Whatever breakdown occurs, it's going to be on the company that applied it. I think fading is seen as unavoidable if explained properly, but peeling is often seen as failure to the HO - irrespective of when it occurs.


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