# HELP ME! With deck stain overspray.



## haugerm (Nov 19, 2009)

Hey guys, I just finished staining my deck with a HVLP spray gun. Unfortunately, about a quarter of the way into the job we noticed how far the wind was carrying the spray. Specifically, directly into my house!! Dark red stain on white vinyl siding is pretty noticeable. It is a water based stain. The siding is slightly textured, so a razor blade is pretty worthless. The stain has thus far proven resistant to soap and water, a scrub brush, paint thinner, a MR. Clean Magic Eraser, and a pressure washer (a small electric one at 2000 PSI). The only thing that seems to work is scraping off a dot at a time with a finger nail and a lot of effort. This is not really feasible as there are quite literally tens of thousands of individual little dots. Anyone with a similar experience or suggestions? The wife and I would be pretty darn grateful.

Thanks in advance,
Matt


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## Burt (Nov 16, 2009)

Mineral spirits with a scrub type spong? What ever you try, I would do a small test area first. Don't want to damage the siding. Google the topic to see what others have tried for over spry on vynle siding.


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## haugerm (Nov 19, 2009)

I've googled it, but I was hoping that someone here would have first hand experience, and some kind of miracle solution. So far carb cleaner seems to be working best, but still pretty tedious and time consuming. Thanks.
--Matt


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## jschaben (Apr 1, 2010)

haugerm said:


> Hey guys, I just finished staining my deck with a HVLP spray gun. Unfortunately, about a quarter of the way into the job we noticed how far the wind was carrying the spray. Specifically, directly into my house!! Dark red stain on white vinyl siding is pretty noticeable. It is a water based stain. The siding is slightly textured, so a razor blade is pretty worthless. The stain has thus far proven resistant to soap and water, a scrub brush, paint thinner, a MR. Clean Magic Eraser, and a pressure washer (a small electric one at 2000 PSI). The only thing that seems to work is scraping off a dot at a time with a finger nail and a lot of effort. This is not really feasible as there are quite literally tens of thousands of individual little dots. Anyone with a similar experience or suggestions? The wife and I would be pretty darn grateful.
> 
> Thanks in advance,
> Matt


Kind of a pricey option but Goof-Off will probably work. My local Sherwin-Williams carries it in gallon size for about $27... Oh, they got a 30% off this week too but I don't know if that applies to something like Goof-Off. :smile:


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## BWSmith (Aug 24, 2010)

Try(obviously in an inconspicuous place)some Easy Off oven cleaner......get the one with the Blue label.We've used it to good effect gettin overspray off auto clear coat with no damage.BW


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## haugerm (Nov 19, 2009)

Thanks guys. I tried goo gone, which I think is like goof off. It was about as effective as the carb cleaner. Except the carb cleaner started melting siding. 

Oven cleaner is something I hadn't thought of. I'll give it a try tomorrow.

--matt


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## mmwood_1 (Oct 24, 2007)

haugerm said:


> It was about as effective as the carb cleaner. Except the carb cleaner started melting siding.
> --matt


I was wondering about that. It's an extremely hot solvent. I assume you've tried lacquer thinner, and perhaps brush cleaner?


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## dbhost (Jan 28, 2008)

haugerm said:


> Thanks guys. I tried goo gone, which I think is like goof off. It was about as effective as the carb cleaner. Except the carb cleaner started melting siding.
> 
> Oven cleaner is something I hadn't thought of. I'll give it a try tomorrow.
> 
> --matt


No, goo gone is not the same as goof off. Goo Gone is pretty aggressive and is really meant for cleaning off adhesives. Goof Off is meant for stuff like overspray...


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## haugerm (Nov 19, 2009)

dbhost said:


> No, goo gone is not the same as goof off. Goo Gone is pretty aggressive and is really meant for cleaning off adhesives. Goof Off is meant for stuff like overspray...


Ah, interesting. Thanks for the tip.

--Matt


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

I'm betting you never get it all off. If the goo gone doesn't do it you might mix some lye (sodium hydroxide) with ivory snow flakes with water into a brushable paste and soak the stain with that and then rinse the siding off with the power washer. If your power washer is adjustable I would widen the fan or turn the pressure down or both because I think 2000 psi would tear holes in the siding.


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## joek30296 (Dec 16, 2009)

Just a WAG but you might try TSP (tri-sodium-phosphate). You can get it at Sherwin-Williams or most any paint store. It's generally used as a cleaner for siding, decks, etc.
Like I said...just a wag.


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## HowardAcheson (Nov 25, 2011)

Contact the siding manufacturer and see what he says. You may get lucky and find the finish on the siding is chemical resistant and you could use a chemical to remove the stain. But, I wouldn't bet on it.

You may have to paint the surface cover the staining.


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