After about 4 hrs sanding with 60 and 100 grit, the remnants of the old stain were removed and decking was looking pretty refreshed. I purchased the Mahogany color at firt, but I was worried that it would be too dark, so I ended up using the Amber color instead. Mahogany would have been way too dark.
I taped off all of the edges and applied the stain with a 6" mini roller, taking care to smooth out any bubbles with a brush and to even out any noticeable pools/excess stain. Angelheart is very dense, not quite as much as Ipe, and it absorbs very little of the stain, although it does seem to soak in to a point. After an hour or so, I wiped any excess stain with a clean rag. I couldn't be happier with the results - the decks look amazing.
A couple of things:
- I purchased two 1-gallon containers, but only needed one to cover my 200 sqft of decking.
- Be sure to shake the can well. These stains are semi-transparent, and when you open the can, the stain is opaque. It has quite a bit of colorant in it - so make sure to shake and stir. I did my front porch second, and I notice that it is a bit darker. I'm guessing this is due to more color that had settled to the bottom of the can. Be sure to sharke and stir!
- I applied the stain while it was in the upper 90's (Texas summers...)
- This may be common sense, but... after prepping your deck, I recommend wetting your deck down and deciding how you feel about the color. If you like the natural wet color, go with Amber. If you want it to be darker, go with Mahogany for a more red color, or Black Walnut for the darkest option.