Not always, but it depends on the condition of existing paint. If the old paint is peeling, cracking, or showing bare wood in multiple spots, stripping is usually necessary for a long-lasting result. For decks with solid, well-adhered paint, we can often clean, sand lightly, and apply new paint directly. However, if there are multiple layers of old paint or if previous work was done improperly, stripping gives you the best foundation. We evaluate each deck individually during our estimate. Sometimes spot-stripping problem areas while leaving good paint intact is the most cost-effective approach. The goal is always maximum adhesion for the new paint, which sometimes requires going back to bare wood.