[Descant]

Originally Posted by John Mercier

Latex would need to be stripped... so you either had to sand or chemically strip.
Any residual latex will create a barrier for the oil to sink in, so get off as much as you can.

Oil should be a single coat.
Some cans will have instructions for maintenance coats... but those are not done right off. It will be future coat instructions usually done yearly based on water not beading on the surface. Should a water test bead, you skip the maintenance coat application until it fails the test. When it beads, there is nowhere for the oil to sink into.

Always run the applicator the entire length of a board after application to avoid lap marks, and never let the stain pool... it will get sticky and never dry.

Oil, unlike latex, will not need to be stripped or sanded off for many years.
It will only require it as the deck boards become uneven (sanding) or dark due to inactive mold spores being trapped to the point that the deck looks ''dirty'' (sand or strip).

Be careful with used rags and applicators, as oil - especially penetrating oils - dispose of them as stated on the can.

Oh NO! You have to read the instructions???