Hello, I have a cedar deck (12x20) about 5 years old. I have had to power wash and strip it every year. I have used Cabot cleaning and stripping products exclusively and a Cabot clear stain.Although it receives strong sun 4-6 hrs each day it is very dark by the end of the season (mildew?). I have since heard that I should have stained all sides of the decking prior to installation, which I didn't. I am about to use a stain remover and brightener again but would love some constructive criticism or suggestion. It is said that a sure sign of a crazy
person is one who repeats the same things and expects a different solution!! As my deck is comparably small the cost of superior products should not be a problem. All help appreciated! bobret. carolbobc@verizon or this forum

The problem is most likely related to the Cabot.

Best to strip it all of and brighten the wood. This time around you should choose a stain that is not prone to darkening from the UV or mold.

I can narrow down some choices for you.

Where do you live?

Is there a lot of humidity in your area?

BTW, staining all sided of the wood prior to installation would not have made a difference.

Hello DeckRestAdmin, I live in Yorktown Hgts, Ny (Northern Westchester County). I would not say that I have an abnormal amount of humidity.
However I have often let snow sit on my deck for days, even weeks, not aware this was a problem. We had a terrible summer last year with so many rain days that I never got around to staining deck after I had striped and brightened it.
I will take your advice and strip and brighten it now and wait for your suggestion for stain. Thank you, Bob

For NY you are limited by your VOC laws.

The best stains for your area are:

TWP 500 Series
Armstrong Clark Wood Stain
Defy Extreme Wood Stain

Let us know if you have any questions on these brands.