I decided the wood siding on my house needed attention.  We moved in just over a year ago.

I pressure washed it then went over it with a palm sander (120 grit) to knock off any loose stain and raised wood grain from the washing.  

In some spots either by the pressure washer or by sanding, there are bare wood spots.

Assuming this was going to be an issue, I applied stain to a small area to test it out.  I left it on about 15 minutes then wiped any excess off.  As you can see, there is a noticeable difference in sheen.  I am now wondering (realizing) if there is a clear coat over the stained part.  My next step is to put a clear coat on the test area to see if I can even out the sheen.

Preparing for the worst, what is the fastest way to get it all down to bare wood?  I have read chemicals are the fastest but then I saw a device called the paintshaver pro (there are a couple similar tools out there) and am assuming if I set the depth correctly, it would be faster overall considering the working time and cleanup for the chemical stripper?  

Any advice would be appreciated.

ETA:
I am using PPG (formerly Sikkens) Proluxe Log & Siding Wood finish transparent satin. I am using this because I called the original owner of the house and asked what was used when the house was built.  She told me where they got it so I went there, borrowed their color palette and figured out the colors we had and went from there. I also realize a 2nd coat will likely be needed to get the new stain darker but that doesn't help the sheen issue. She doesn't recall if there is a clear topcoat.

Crime scene photos:

The tan stuff is a wood epoxy to fill cracks, holes, etc I felt that needed filled.

After washing/sanding


Just applied stain


Just applied different angle


After letting it set in and wiping


Close up after sitting overnight

I agonized over this very problem for a few years also. Hope you don't take this the wrong way, but consider it as an option:

Nuke the stain. Cover over with a primer, and paint the whole house.

My siding looked worse than yours, and I didn't want to stain it every couple years. The level of effort to keep a stain looking good is just not worth it.

Mine turned out great.

I would suggest finding out if the original stain was water or oil based. That will give you the direction to take it.
It's hard to tell but it appears to be water based. Which is Garbage in my professional opinion.
Water based stains either have to be removed by sanding or bead blasting or you just go over them.
Oil can be re applied when the house needs it.
Oil penetrates, water based or hybrids sit on top.

And for the record Im a licensed painting contractor for the last 23 years who primarily does exterior stain work.

Solid stain. Covers like paint but doesn't peel.

Fastest way is to sand it. Use this tool or a festool rotex sander. The bosch is much cheaper. It will not remove the stain in the gaps. Spinning power drill with polymer bristle brush will work for the gaps. It wont remove 100% of the stain in the gaps but it will be close enough.

Bosch power sander.

I am hesitant to paint. I just don't think it would look right unless we got the absolute correct color.  Here is a shot of the house when we bought it.





A little research shows it is likely water based.  The instructions that I didn't read before starting state:

Previously coated wood - Previous stains, varnishes or sealers must be completely and thoroughly removed prior to application of log & siding finish.

I guess if I totally remove it, I can use oil based instead.




I'll look into this but it sounds like I'll need to remove anything already there regardless.



Best (fastest) way to get it to bare wood to start over?

Double tap

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Triple tap...

sketchy internet connection

You've never used a bosch power sander or rotex have you?

OP use the bosch and hook up a vacuum. You can sand that in about two or three hours. Not kidding.

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I reached out to a couple of blasting places for a quote. Biggest issue is I am 45 minutes from most of there service areas.   If the price is I will just sand it myself.  I have more time than money but unfortunately, I am still short on both.

I also contacted PPG who told me the log and siding stain is oil based. I sent them some pics for advice as well.

ETA: After seeing the pics, PPG stated it appeared to be a solid stain. Now to figure out the color because they don't offer teak in a solid...

Thank you.  This is our dream property and I plan on dying here whether by God's hand, my wife's hand or some laughable mishap I caused myself.

Feel better? I've been in the trades four decades. I do sand wood for a living.


OP if you use the sander I posted it has two modes. 3mm stroke and a 6mm stroke. Use the 6mm stroke with 60 grit paper to remove the stain. It will come off very fast. Don't stop or pause on the wood.

When done change the grit to 80 and switch to the 3mm stroke. You can apply the stain to the 80 grit finish without problem for outdoor use. If you want a smoother finish stick to the 3mm stroke and go up in grit, 100 to 120, etc. Don't skip a grit. The 80 grit set at 3mm with remove the swirls from the 60 grit set at 6mm. Good luck with the house.

Here's the paper I use. It's cheap and does well.

6" hook and loop sandpaper pack.

Thank you. Since I live so far away from any service areas, I'll probably have to go this route.  I was just watching videos of it in action.