9 Best Deck Strippers of 2022 – Reviews & Top Picks

9 Best Deck Strippers of 2022 – Reviews & Top Picks

Wooden decks make great entertaining regions and perfect places to take pleasure in a meal with loved ones and pals when the climate makes it possible for. Like all other areas of a property, decks demand shut attention and occasional maintenance. Wooden decks are normally sealed with some sort of complete. Relying on the wanted end result and visual appeal, this end ranges from semi-transparent stain to entire latex paint. All these finishes have something in frequent: based on the temperature, a wooden deck ought to be refinished each and every 2 to five a long time.

The first action in the refinishing procedure is cleaning and prepping the wood to accept a new complete. Chemical deck strippers are a essential element of this process. We have created a record of reviews for commonly obtainable wooden deck strippers. We have sorted through the piles of deck strippers and developed a record of the leading deck strippers to make your acquiring expertise a minor easier.


A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites in 2022

Rating Image Product Details
Best Overall

9 Best Deck Strippers of 2022 – Reviews & Top Picks
9 Best Deck Strippers of 2022 – Reviews & Top Picks DEFY Exterior Wood Stain Stripper
  • Easily the best performing deck stripper of the group
  • Easy to brush on with a long nap roller
  • Powerful water-based caustic solution removes up to two coatings of stain
  • CHECK PRICE
    Best Value

    9 Best Deck Strippers of 2022 – Reviews & Top Picks
    9 Best Deck Strippers of 2022 – Reviews & Top Picks Dumond Chemicals 3332 Smart Strip
  • Very budget-friendly
  • No harmful chemicals
  • pH neutral
  • CHECK PRICE
    Premium Choice

    9 Best Deck Strippers of 2022 – Reviews & Top Picks
    9 Best Deck Strippers of 2022 – Reviews & Top Picks Expert Solutions Wood Cleaner & Wood Stripper
  • Caustic solution only requires 30 minutes to cure for removal
  • Capable of removing semi-transparent stains
  • as well as mold
  • faded wood
  • and mill scale
  • CHECK PRICE
    9 Best Deck Strippers of 2022 – Reviews & Top Picks #1 Deck Wood Stain Stripper
  • Effectively removes semi-transparent stains
  • Works quickly
  • can be removed after 30 minutes
  • CHECK PRICE
    9 Best Deck Strippers of 2022 – Reviews & Top Picks Woodrich Brand Heavy-Duty Wood Stripper
  • Available in multiple sizes to fit your application
  • Powerful caustic stripper works in less than 1 hour
  • Can remove solid stains and paints
  • CHECK PRICE

    The 9 Best Deck Strippers

    1. DEFY Exterior Wood Stain Stripper – Best Overall

    9 Best Deck Strippers of 2022 – Reviews & Top Picks

    The DEFY Exterior Wooden Stain Stripper exceeded all our expectations and outperformed all the other deck strippers in our screening. A lot of decks are completed with a semi-clear stain or yet another very clear complete. This stripper is confirmed to eliminate these sorts of finishes. The stripper is applied, allowed to sit for a even though, and removed with a stress washer. The DEFY stripper consists of sodium hydroxide, which softens the bond in between the complete and the substrate (in this case, the deck boards).

    The only genuine unfavorable with this stripper is that it will not take away paint or a reliable colour stain. The company also suggests wearing the correct PPE for the duration of use. One merchandise to be aware, nonetheless, is the consumer need to program on installing a brightener following employing any caustic wooden stripper such as the DEFY stripper. Even with this, we feel this is the ideal deck stripper of the yr.

    Pros
    • Easily the best performing deck stripper of the group
    • Powerful water-based caustic solution removes up to two coatings of stain
    • Easy to brush on with a long nap roller
    Cons
    • Will not work with solid stains or paint
    • Need to apply a wood brightener

    2. Dumond Chemicals 3332 Smart Strip – Best Value

    9 Best Deck Strippers of 2022 – Reviews & Top Picks

    We had been stunned by the effectiveness of the Dumond Chemical substances 3332 Wise Strip, which is with out a question the greatest deck stripper for the money. It is composed of biodegradable resources and contains zero unstable natural and organic compounds (VOC). Obtainable in a one-quart can, this paste can be utilized to your wooden deck with a roller. The paste should then be left on your own for three to 24 hours. At this position, the paste and existing deck end can be scraped off effortlessly. The Dumond stripper will operate for virtually any end, ranging from mild semi-clear stains to a number of coats of sound paint. For the value, you’re not likely to locate a better item.

    Pros
    • Very budget-friendly
    • No harmful chemicals
    • pH neutral
    Cons
    • Must be scraped as opposed to pressure- washed
    • The paste must set for longer than a solvent or caustic stripper

    3. Expert Solutions Wood Cleaner & Stripper – Premium Choice

    9 Best Deck Strippers of 2022 – Reviews & Top Picks

    The Professional Answers Wood Cleaner & Wood Stripper was the chief of the pack in our tests. This caustic stripper will come in a 10-pound container, and it is capable of some wonderful items. The Professional Options stripper is not only a wood stripper, but it is an exceptional cleaner as well. From faded wood to moss-lined deck boards, this cleaner will prep any deck. The stripper is shipped as a dry powder and is blended with warm drinking water when it is all set to be used. The paste is then applied utilizing a brush or a roller. After waiting around for mere minutes, the mixture can be rinsed off with a pressure washer.

    On the draw back, you will need to have to use PPE when using this product, and of training course, it is much more high-priced than other strippers on the record. You will also need to have a brightener following utilizing it. The dimensions of the container softens the price, but you might want far more than a single for larger decks.

    Pros
    • Caustic solution only requires 30 minutes to cure for removal
    • Capable of removing semi-transparent stains, as well as mold, faded wood, and mill scale
    Cons
    • Requires a brightener after use
    • User will need to purchase PPE for application
    • Expensive option

    4. #1 Deck Wood Stain Stripper

    9 Best Deck Strippers of 2022 – Reviews & Top Picks

    The #1 Deck Wooden Stain Stripper carried out nicely in our testing of wood deck strippers. Consisting of a caustic solution, it shares a lot of of the very same pros and negatives as the other caustic strippers on our list. If someone is searching to use this stripper for their deck, it ought to be observed that numerous gallons will want to be acquired to treat the complete deck. The #1 Deck manufacturer stripper was also not as effective as the other caustic deck strippers in our checks. The deck will want to be completely cleaned before the stripper application, as the stripper will not remove mould or mill scale.

    Pros
    • Effectively removes semi-transparent stains
    • Works quickly, can be removed after 30 minutes
    Cons
    • Requires several gallons for the average deck
    • Will not remove mold or mill scale
    • Will not remove paint or solid stain

    5. Woodrich Brand Heavy-Duty Wood Stripper

    9 Best Deck Strippers of 2022 – Reviews & Top Picks

    The Woodrich Brand Large-Responsibility Wooden Stripper is a caustic stripper that is offered in 2 and ten-pound containers. This stripper experienced 1 edge over the others in our testing: it can get rid of reliable stains and paints. The dry powder is blended with scorching drinking water, and then it is used with a brush or a roller. After sitting on the wood substrate for about 1 hour, the Woodrich stripper can then be eliminated with a stress washer.

    Of training course, you are going to require a brightener after stripping, and you may not want to use a answer as toxic as the Woodrich. It goes without declaring that you ought to usually dress in PPE when utilizing items like this, but consider extra caution with this a single. Even although it has the possible to be a wonderful product, you may possibly need two apps to get the entire result.

    Pros
    • Available in multiple sizes to fit your application
    • Powerful caustic stripper works in less than 1 hour
    • Can remove solid stains and paints
    Cons
    • Did not work as well as other caustic strippers in our review
    • Not bio-friendly
    • Must use wood brightener

    6. Citristrip Paint & Varnish Stripping Gel

    9 Best Deck Strippers of 2022 – Reviews & Top Picks

    The Citristrip QCSG801 Paint & Varnish Stripping Gel is sold in affordably priced one-quart containers. Citristrip promises that this stripper will take away latex paint, oil-based mostly stains, and other finishes even so, we did not see a great performance from this product. A lot of containers of this Citristrip stripper have to be acquired to complete a deck. Although the solution is bio-helpful, the hold out time following applying is about 24 hours. This leaves the deck proprietor open up to some pitfalls, such as impending rain or other inclement climate.

    We discovered that this merchandise required several coats to remove stain. Numerous deck owners who have acquired this product have claimed they remaining the software sit for up to seventy two several hours. In our opinion, this quantity of time is simply unacceptable.

    Pros
    • Bio-friendly
    • Citrus smell
    Cons
    • Must wait an extensive period after application
    • Sold in small 1-quart containers

    7. MAX Strip Paint & Varnish Stripper

    9 Best Deck Strippers of 2022 – Reviews & Top Picks

    The MAX Strip Paint & Varnish Stripper is one more bio-friendly and non-caustic stripper that’s sold in one-quart containers. This stripper is marketed as secure to use indoors. This could come in handy in the event you did not want your home to have a chemical smell for a brief while. However, this will come at a fantastic expense. Like most other bio-welcoming paint strippers, the MAX manufacturer wants to remain moist on the surface of the complete that you are trying to get rid of for up to 72 several hours. In our tests, the MAX brand stripper barely eliminated stain, and it would hardly contact latex and sound paints.

    Pros
    • Affordable
    • Can be used indoors
    Cons
    • Will not remove paint as advertised
    • Must buy many containers to strip your deck
    • Must wait after application up to 72 hours

    8. Sunnyside 658G1A Ready-Strip

    9 Best Deck Strippers of 2022 – Reviews & Top Picks

    The Sunnyside 658G1A All set-Strip is sold in one-gallon containers, and it is an additional bio-pleasant stain and varnish stripper that we have analyzed. Advertised as bio-pleasant, the maker claims that no respiration apparatus is required for the duration of the application of this stripper. With no caustic or solvent resolution, this stripper relies on all-natural brokers to loosen the bond among the complete and the substrate. This Sunnyside stripper fell matter to the exact same pitfalls as a lot of other bio-friendly strippers: the waiting around time after application is simply too extended. The company claims the solution can be scraped off in close to sixty minutes, but our screening confirmed the merchandise demands significantly lengthier to operate effectively.

    Pros
    • When given enough time, this product will effectively remove wood finishes
    • Bio-friendly nature does not require a respirator
    Cons
    • Fairly expensive
    • Takes excessive amount of waiting time before scraping

    9. Klean Strip Paint & Varnish Stripper

    9 Best Deck Strippers of 2022 – Reviews & Top Picks

    The Klean Strip Paint & Varnish Stripper is quite exclusive in comparison with the other deck strippers in our tests. This stripper is sold in a sixteen-ounce aerosol can and technically falls in the caustic stripper category. The manufacturer suggests spraying a nine square foot spot at a time, to steer clear of the consumer inhaling toxic fumes. After the solution has been permitted to sit for around thirty minutes, the residue can be scraped off with a five-in-one tool. The Klean stripper labored properly in our testing, but is just not price-effective, nor is it an productive product for stripping an complete deck. This merchandise would function very well for a little project, perhaps stripping and refinishing hardwood thresholds.

    Pros
    Cons
    • Expensive for large applications
    • No choice in application method – must use aerosol spray
    • Spray nozzle tends to gunk up easily
    • Simply too small for deck-sized applications

    Buyer’s Guide – Choosing the Best Deck Stripper

    Picket decks can actually rework the yard. They create an inviting space that is perfect for entertaining and experiencing foods with household and close friends. The only drawback to picket decks is the maintenance. Upkeep is essential for all wooden decks, and the frequency of this maintenance is identified by weather conditions and the type of complete that is utilized to the deck.

    Irrespective of the type of complete that is on your deck, a single thing is for certain: your deck will demand re-ending at some point. This process starts with a extensive cleansing, and then a stripping of the current end. This prep operate can make all of the difference in the world in the completed item. Deck strippers can use numerous various chemical cleaning brokers, and the entire approach can be complicated. We have highlighted important attributes to be on the appear-out for when acquiring stripper for your subsequent deck undertaking.

    Removal Agent (Caustic or Biochemical)

    The removal agent that is current in a wooden deck stripper is the magic component of the total remedy. The reaction just can not happen with no it. Whilst each and every removal agent has its professionals and disadvantages, they are typically ideal suited for distinct scenarios. User choice also comes into play, as effectively as the time necessary to get the task carried out.

    Caustic Agent

    Caustic brokers bring the present finish of the wood and the wood substrate to a considerably greater PH degree. This in change softens the bond of the complete to the wooden substrate, producing the finish effortless to eliminate. Sodium Hydroxide is frequently employed in caustic deck strippers. Caustic deck strippers are effectively identified for the speed and effectiveness of their removing of the existing finish. They are powerful, and they are a fantastic option if the deck has multiple levels of existing paint or stain.

    Caustic brokers perform in an exceptionally quick method. They are 1st utilized on the wooden deck boards and still left on your own to soak for anywhere from 15 minutes to one hour. The duration of time essential is driven by the manufacturer’s suggestions, as properly as the number of existing coatings you are searching to eliminate.

    Biochemical

    Biochemical brokers utilize an environmentally-secure chemical to soften the bond of the current complete and the wooden substrate. These agents have a couple of rewards, this sort of as the standard need of users to not use a respirator. These chemical substances are typically not very harsh and do not pose considerable risk to the user. Users must constantly refer to the manufacturer’s suggestions for PPE.

    The premier damaging to utilizing a biochemical stripping agent is the waiting period of time. Biochemical stripping brokers require the surface to continue being wet with the resolution, often much more than three times. For most individuals, this amount of time is totally unacceptable. A tiny rainstorm could wreck your progress and leave you many hundred bucks brief. Biochemical strippers can function properly for eliminating solitary coats of stain or paint. This can typically be lifted in around a day.

    9 Best Deck Strippers of 2022 – Reviews & Top Picks
    Image Credit: Maglara, Shutterstock

    Application and Removal Methods

    The application of the wood stripper itself can be done in a lot of methods. This is generally dependent on how the resolution was transported and offered.

    Some stripping agents occur premixed in a can, and they are right away all set for software. Other folks arrive as a powder that will need to have to be mixed with sizzling water when it is completely ready to be used. There is not a obvious big difference among the usefulness of these two kinds even so, you should ensure the powder version is extensively combined when receiving the answer all set to use.

    Once the stripping answer is completely ready for application, we can search at how we are heading to implement it to the substrate. This can be finished in a quantity of distinct methods.

    Application

    Wooden strippers can be poured into a pressurized sprayer for application. This is accomplished for a amount of factors, but the primary reasons are for simplicity of application and delivering a regular, even coating. With a couple of basic pumps of the manage, the sprayer is all set to coat a very good part of your deck. The applicator wand will apply a great, even coat of merchandise to the wooden substrate, and you do not have to worry about applying the item way too thick or slim in spots.

    The only actual unfavorable to apply wooden stripper with a pressurized sprayer is the potential for the nozzle to gum up. This can be averted by making sure your sprayer is rated for the chemical stripper you are intending to use, and then generating sure you are cleansing the sprayer ahead of and right after each and every use.

    Wood strippers can also be brushed or rolled on, just like paint. Simply pour some of the answer into a pan or paint cup, and commence implementing the product. As often, be confident to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations very first before devising your very own strategy for application.

    Removal

    Wooden strippers can then be eliminated in a single of two approaches. It can both be scraped off with a putty knife, or it can be pressure washed. Stress washing is the faster of the two techniques. It is critical to stick to manufacturer’s recommendations below, as you do not want to damage your deck.

    After Treatments

    Making use of an soon after-treatment method is generally the up coming stage in the process of refinishing picket decks. This is a hotly-debated action, as people have a tendency to be split into two camps: people who brighten their decks before staining, and those who do not.

    When making use of a caustic stripping agent, the shade of the wood deck boards can sometimes be impacted. The caustic agent can “dull” the boards, leaving them a pale comparison of their after vivid selves. The brightening agent corrects this problem, and it brings the total wood deck closer to its authentic colour.

    If you prepare on implementing a semi-clear stain on your deck, then utilizing a brightening agent is the way to go. If you are planning on implementing paint or sound stain, then you may possibly be capable to get by with no the brightening agent.

    At the end of the working day, be cognizant of the reality that making use of a caustic stripper will depart your deck boards hunting useless. The brightening agent must be incorporated in your task funds, just in circumstance you are looking to deliver some life back again into your boards.

    Also See: Have to-Have Wooden Operating Tools

    9 Best Deck Strippers of 2022 – Reviews & Top Picks

    Conclusion:

    Correctly stripping your deck is a needed step to take when tackling the activity of refinishing your picket deck. This phase is all too often skipped in excess of frivolously, with the brunt of the effort positioned on the software and finish materials itself. Prepping your substrate ought to be carried out to the best of your capacity, or you will risk wishing you in no way took on the refinishing activity your self.

    The DEFY Exterior Wood Stain Stripper was by significantly the very best wood stripper in all our testing and evaluations. The caustic stripper worked phenomenally, and it did so in quick purchase. The Dumond Substances 3332 Sensible Strip item was the greatest worth selection without a doubt. This item executed arguably the best out of all the strippers in our critiques, and it was the strongest biochemical stripper.

    Finding a wood deck stripper is no simple task, and it occasionally appears as if you need a diploma in chemistry to make feeling of it all. Ideally, these evaluations make this chore a small easier for you.

    Contents