10 Best Deck Restore Products of 2024 – Reviews & Top Picks

At some point, every deck is going to need to be restored. Even if you use the best deck paint available, the wind and rain will wear it down eventually. Luckily, this doesn’t always mean that you need to refinish your whole deck again or build a new one. Instead, a good deck restore product can bring your deck back to life.

Not all deck restore products are suitable for all decks, however. Some do better on specific wear and tear than others. At the same time, some are overpriced for what they are. Others aren’t necessarily suitable for certain kinds of wood or require a lot of prep to use.

In this article, we’ll help you figure out precisely what you need for your deck. We’ll review ten of the best deck restore products and get into the nitty-gritty of the features you need to look for.

A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites in 2024

Rating	Image	Product	Details
Best Overall		Rejuvenate Professional Wood Floor Restorer	Protects wood from further damage No waxy buildup Affordable	CHECK PRICE
Best Value		Howard Products RF9016 Restor-A-Finish	Works on a variety of wood products Many colors available Easy application	CHECK PRICE
Premium Choice		Woodrich Wood Cleaner & Brightener Kit	Works on a variety of woods Two different products included Works great	CHECK PRICE
		Coconix Floor and Furniture Repair Kit	Great for small scratches Not extra supplies needed Works on many kinds of wood and finishes	CHECK PRICE
		J-B Weld 40005 Wood Restore Premium Epoxy	Works on nearly all wood types Stands up against the elements Easy to use	CHECK PRICE

The 10 Best Deck Restore Products

1. Rejuvenate Professional Wood Floor Restorer – Best Overall

We reviewed many different products when making this list of reviews. However, Rejuvenate Professional Wood Floor Restorer quickly stood out as being the absolute best deck restorer you can purchase. It is designed to be used on wooden floors, though it works very well on high-end decking. The polishing formula eliminates scratches, restores a glossy shine, and protects the hardwood from further damage. It bonds to the existing finish to help it resist stains, spills, and scratches. However, it does not leave a waxy buildup like some other products.

It is completely non-toxic, making it far easier to use than some of the other options on the market. All you have to do is pour it on and spread it around with a mop or similar tool. We recommend using the company’s mop bonnet, as it seems to work best with this restorer. This is a product that works for years into the future, so you won’t have to keep using it every year. It is perfect for most woods and wood finishes, making it safe for most decks.

One bottle is quite budget-friendly and covers up to 525 sq. ft. It dries in 45 minutes and doesn’t need any prep work.

2. Howard Products RF9016 Restor-A-Finish – Best Value

For those on a budget, Howard Products RF9016 Restor-A-Finish is the best deck restoring product for the money. It is far cheaper than some of the other options on the market. However, it also works on a variety of different woods and finishes. It can be used on everything from decking to older, wooden furniture. Because of this versatility, we rated it very high on our list. It works great for decks and is a handy product to have close by restoring anything made out of wood.

There are many different colors available, so you will need to pick one closest to your deck’s color. It blends in and can hide minor scratches, blemishes, and abrasions. The application process is straightforward. You wipe it one and then wipe it off. It dries quickly and works fast. You can do a small area in only a matter of minutes before moving onto the next. It can also remove white heat rings, watermarks, sun fade, oxidation, and smoke damage. It works on all blemishes.

It is useable without removing any of the existing finish and requires no prep work. The surface just needs to be clean. That’s it!

3. Woodrich Wood Cleaner & Brightener Kit – Premium Choice

If you have the extra money to spend, you may enjoy the Woodrich Wood Cleaner & Brightener Kit. It works exceptionally well and lasts for a long time. It can be used on all types of wood, including maple, pine, redwood, and oak. You can use it on wood decking, fences, siding, and anything else made out of wood. It makes your old decking look like fresh-cut wood.

It does require a few more steps than other deck restoring products, however. This listing is a kit that includes two different products, so you will need to use both for the best effect. As you might imagine, this takes a bit longer. However, the results are going to be far better than most other products on the market.

This product is pretty much completely non-toxic. It does not include any bleach, which can damage your wood. Despite not containing bleach, it still brightens your wood. It works by gently stripping out oil-based stains, dead wood fibers, and dirt.

In the end, this product works better than most. However, you’ll have to put a bit extra prep work and money into it.

4. Coconix Floor and Furniture Repair Kit

While this repair kit works rather well, it is designed for small imperfections. It can be useful to fix a particular scratch on your deck or something of that sort. However, you are not going to be restoring your whole deck with it. It just isn’t feasible.

It is super easy to use for chips, cracks, screw holes, and other small blemishes. If you want to cover up the screws in your deck, it can be beneficial. It is also useful to have on hand in between complete refinishing for those times when you just need to fix that one scratch. But, its lack of versatility is the main reason we rated it so low on our list.

It is a complete kit onto itself. You don’t need any glue or wax to use with it. It works well for all types of wood, including those that have been painted. We particularly liked that a 100% satisfaction guarantee backs it. If you don’t like it, you have 30 days to get your money back and up to a year to get a free replacement should the first repair fail.

5. J-B Weld 40005 Wood Restore Premium Epoxy

The J-B Weld 40005 Wood Restore Premium Epoxy is not a lousy restorer by any means. However, we find that it is rather unsuitable for most larger decks just because of the application process. Many others on the market are far easier to use. Because of this, we rated it near the middle of the pack. You probably wouldn’t mind using it, but your money may be better spent elsewhere.

This product is useable on nearly all types of wood. It bonds well to just about any surface, even in more challenging environments like outside. It can stand up against the wind and the rain rather well and is even suitable for intense temperature changes, which are very common outside. We found it relatively easy to use. It does not contain any solvents and will not rot, shrink, crack, or pull away. You can paint it and stain it just like you would regular wood.

However, it does need to be painted or stained. It isn’t going to blend in like other products. If you have some significant problems, you need to fill in before refinishing your deck, this is a reliable product. Still, we don’t expect that anyone will only be using this product for refinishing their deck, which is one reason we rated it lower on the list. It needs to be used alongside a paint or wood finish.

6. Pour-N-Restore Composite Deck Spot Remover

If you only need to remove a stain or two from your deck, the Pour-N-Restore Composite Deck Spot Remover may be a good option. It is designed only to remove stains from your deck. It is very good at its job, but it is not very versatile. This is the main reason we rated it so much lower. It is excellent if you need to remove a stain or two, but it is not suitable for fixing up your whole deck.

It can remove stains from various substances, including food, grease, oil, and algae. It is probably able to remove just about any stain you’re going to find on a deck. We found it very easy to use, as well. You apply it to the stain, and it dries into a powder, which can then be removed. It will not discolor your wood or anything of that sort and can be used on a wide variety of finishes.

We did find that this remover can fade some finishes, though. We recommend testing it out in an area of your deck that you can’t see very well first to ensure that it isn’t going to blemish your deck.

7. Gemini 895 Restore-a-deck Cleaner & Brightener Kit

The Gemini 895 Restore-a-deck Cleaner & Brightener Kit is designed to be a complete deck restoration kit. It is a two-step process with two different products. One is a cleanser that deep cleans your deck, and the other is a brightener. The brightener is also designed to neutralize the cleaner and return the wood to a suitable pH level and improve its longevity. You have to use both to get the best results, so this kit does take a bit more work than many of the others we reviewed. It is also quite a bit more expensive, though you do get two products.

It can clean and brighten up to 1,000 sq. ft. Both formulas are biodegradable, so you don’t have to worry about hurting the area around your deck either.

This kit does not seem to work well on stains. Many algae stains will remain after the treatment, even if you leave the cleaner on for some time. For this reason, you may have to spot treat the stains with a different product. This product also doesn’t work exceedingly well. Others on the market work better and cost less.

8. Wolman Wood Care Products 16116 Deck/Fence Brightener

While it is somewhat cheaper than other options, the Wolman Wood Care Products 16116 Deck/Fence Brightener isn’t necessarily a reasonable budget buy. It is designed to be used as a wood cleaner, returning the wood to a bright, natural look. However, it cannot be used on many different finishes and is mostly suitable for pre-coating prep. For this reason, it isn’t going to be useable on most decks unless you’re entirely re-stripping them and adding a new finish.

It is decently easy to use. You do need to dilute it in water, but one container makes up to five gallons. This is enough for about 750 sq. ft. It is biodegradable and chlorine-free, which makes it safer than most other options on the market. It works within ten minutes after application.

This brightener does take a bit of work to get the best results. You will need to scrub quite a bit; you cannot just let it lay on the deck for ten minutes and then rinse it off. Because of this, it is rated quite a bit lower than some of the others we reviewed. The extra work and low versatility just don’t make this formula worth it in most cases.

9. Restore-A-Deck Stain Stripper

The Restore-A-Deck Stain Stripper is a complete kit that is designed to be used altogether. It includes a stain stripper, wood brightener, booster, and thickening gel. If your deck is currently finished and you’re looking to refinish it, this kit may be suitable. It is designed to strip your deck and then clean the wood thoroughly. This gets the deck to a point where it is ready to be refinished. However, if you just want something to clean your already finished deck, this is not the option for you.

One kit can make quite a bit of stripper and brightener. Each makes about five gallons, though the company does not tell us how many square feet it can treat. This kit is a bit expensive. However, it does come with quite a few products, so this is to be expected. It does take a bit of time to use, and the instructions need to be followed meticulously. It is not as simple to use as some of the others we reviewed.

10. RUST-OLEUM 51752 Restore Gallon Deck Cleaner

The RUST-OLEUM 51752 Restore Gallon Deck Cleaner is billed as a “bleach alternative.” However, it is not as effective as bleach and is not particularly useful. The instructions state to let it sit on the deck for ten minutes. However, after following these directions, it does not seem to affect stains, dirt, or grime much at all. Even with a bit of scrubbing, it does not seem to do much in the least.

Based on its low efficiency alone, we had to rate it at the bottom of our list. A deck cleaner that doesn’t clean a deck is not helpful in the least. It is also a bit difficult to clean up. It doesn’t turn into powder like other options. Instead, off just have to hose it off. However, it doesn’t seem to hose off quickly in the least and takes a bit of work to remove entirely from the deck.

The only positive is that this cleaner can be used on a wide variety of surfaces without damaging them. But it doesn’t precisely clean them well either.

Buyer’s Guide – Finding the Best Deck Restore Product

No one wants to ruin their deck. Choosing the correct deck refinishing product is essential to avoid discoloration and get the results you’re looking for. It is essential to avoid products that can harm your deck. However, you also need to find a product that will be effective. A solution that is hardly more effective than water isn’t going to do you much good.

We’ll help you figure out the best solutions for your deck here. There is no one-size-fits-all answer, so you will have to keep your situation in mind when choosing an appropriate finishing product.

Effectiveness

Some deck restoring products work better than others. Some remove years of strain and dirt in only a few minutes. Others require a lot of scrubbing to work. A few don’t seem to work at all, even with quite a bit of scrubbing.

As you might imagine, a product that doesn’t work isn’t going to be useful in the least. If a decking restorer doesn’t restore your deck, there is little reason to spend money on it. For this reason, this is one of the most critical factors you should keep in mind.

However, it can be challenging to rate the effectiveness of a product without using it. No company is going to tell you that their product doesn’t work that well. For this reason, we highly recommend reading reviews like ours before purchasing any product. The last thing you want to do is buy something that doesn’t work.

Ease of Use

Some deck restorers are a bit complicated to use, while others just involve spreading the substance around the deck. Many of the products we reviewed are kits, requiring you to use two or more substances to work correctly. This takes a bit more work than just using an all-in-one restorer.

Whether or not you need to scrub the deck is also an important consideration. If you have to scrub each square foot of your deck for a few minutes for the solution to work, you’ll find yourself on your knees for quite a while. For this reason, we preferred products that didn’t require much or any scrubbing.

Area of Coverage

You may be looking to refinish your whole deck, or you may need to patch a few scratches. Some products are made to be used on the whole deck, while others are designed for spot treatments. Figure out which you need before making your order.

There are good products that fall into both categories. We include spot-treatment and whole-deck treatment products in our review section, so you can find whatever you need up there.

Longevity

Any product you purchase should last for at least a few years. You do not want to refinish your deck every spring, as this can cost quite a bit of time and money. Instead, choosing a product that will resist the elements for a few years, use it once, and then enjoy your deck for years to come. You’ll save money and time this way.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for the best deck restorer product, we recommend the Rejuvenate Professional Wood Floor Restorer. It is by far the easiest to use and is designed to restore your whole deck. No scrubbing is required. All you need to do is apply the solution to your deck, following the directions. It lasts for years into the future and works on many types of wood.

We also liked the Howard Products RF9016 Restor-A-Finish. This product is pretty inexpensive, so it is a great budget option. We found that it was easy to use and was suitable for a variety of different woods. There are many colors available, so you can choose which best matches the coloration of your deck.

We hope this article helped you pick out the best deck restorer product for your needs.

Featured Image Credit: Merio, Pixabay