Q: What is the surface prep needed, how do I apply it, and can I apply it in direct sunlight?

A: ArmorGarage Renew It Deck Coating should be applied to clean bare wood or concrete. If your deck has been previously stained or painted we recommend you sand down till you removed all loose material. On previously painted or stained wood decks you can paint right over the old stain or paint once you've sanded/scraped off all the loose material. The Renew It coating is thick enough that it will fill in the voids between where paint was removed and where it is still adhered. On concrete it is the same concept but you must use our Bonding Primer in lieu of the wood primer. You can also use a paint remover and then sand off any leftover residue. Many customers have used Bean-N-Doo Gel for a nontoxic way to remove old coatings. Removing all old sealers, paints or stains that are peeling is important so that the Renew It coating bonds directly to the wood or concrete primer that is bonded to something that isn't delaminating and taking our product with it.  Once the deck is free of any peeling previous type coating do a strong power washing to expose additional amounts of the wood or concrete surface. For concrete do the acid etch with a power wash rinse.

Please note that some sealers are tough to bond too, the good news is they are mostly low quality residential grade products that are removed easily or in most cases are removing themselves. It's a good idea to rough sand sealers anyway to give the primer a profile to stick too.  Once all dirt, loose coatings, mold, and mildew are off, let the deck dry out for 48 hours. Wood that has not completely dried out can out gas during the application causing bubbles to form in the finished surface.  Concrete surfaces must be etched with muriatic acid in a 3:1 ratio of water to acid. Or a commercial concrete etch product available at any home improvement store.

APPLICATION is simple. Once the surface is clean and dry prime with our Renew It primer at the rate of 400-500 SF/gal. You can roll the primer on with a standard 3/8" nap roller. Let it dry to the touch in a few hours and then apply first coat of Renew It. NOTE: If not applying the primer all at once it's imperative that you keep the air out of the can until you are ready to reuse. either put plastic in the can and press down to the top of the liquid and put lid back on. Or transfer remaining primer to smaller container with minimal air pocket.

Stir Renew It contents in the can as you would regular paint, pour in roller pan, using our special roller, load the roller fully with product, and roll out slowly/evenly in one direction with medium downward pressure. When roller is out of product, lift up and reload with product. Do not roll backwards or to the sides. You can also use a brush to smoothen out the finish if a less textured finish is desired. Simply brush in opposite direction of rolling to smoothen the coating out. Do not brush back and forth. You can use a paint brush for cutting in areas such as edges or other hard to reach parts of your deck. Please see our Small Area Roller for hard to reach areas. Please note the only way to properly apply our product is with our roller, there is no product support or guarantee without the use of our rollers.

 Renew It Deck Coatings can be applied in direct sunlight, for best results apply below 90 degrees and avoid direct midday sun as much as possible. You can dilute Renew It with a small amount of water if it is applying too thick. Do not apply if rain is forecast within 24 hrs of applying. Do not apply below 50 degrees or if temperature will go below 50 degrees within 48 hrs of application. Do not apply to surfaces that do not drain properly and hold water in puddles for more than 24 hours. When applying, make sure you have an even coat and all cracks, chips, and splintered areas are filled in. If cracks are still present after the first coat, use a brush to fill in these areas with extra material before applying the second coat with roller. For large and deep cracks we recommend you use a non silicone filler such as an acrylic paint compatible caulking, Bondo or paintable wood putty. It's also a good idea if you have a deck that was assembled with untreated nails or screws to coat them with a rust inhibiting primer first. This will ensure that the rust does not bleed up through the coating. Do the rust inhibitor prior to the Renew It Primer and be sure to use a paintable rust inhibiter. 

Let the first coat dry for approximately four hours or until completely dry to the touch before applying the second coat. The first coat may seem blotchy, this is normal and means the wood is absorbing the product. The second coat should completely encapsulate the wood. You should not see any portion of the wood and there should be no blotchy spots without the aggregate, if you do it means you applied the coating too thin or the wood was extremely dry. When the second coat dries hard to the touch you can use your deck again. We recommend keeping furniture off the coating for 3-4 days. Furniture bottoms should all have the proper plastic or wood inserts. Never scrape raw metal edges against your new coating. Be sure to order the Renew It Deck Roller to properly apply your deck coating. For proper results, this roller must be used. Order one roller per every 200 sq. ft. of surface. You can rinse the rollers out with water in between coats.

                              THIS IS A GOOD IMAGE OF HOW THE COATING SHOULD LOOK LIKE AS YOU ROLL IT OUT IN ONE DIRECTION.