 there is an Olympic cleaner that's designed to be used first. And you basically spray it, let it sit on the surface for a while, and then you can rinse it away. Make sure it's super clean, though. That's real important because even though you say it was sanded a year ago, it picks up stuff pretty quickly, including dirt and sometimes even moss or algae. So I would definitely clean it, let it dry really well. And then you have to make a decision on which way you want to go. I mean, in terms of stain, you've got solid color stain, semi-transparent, and transparent.