Refinishing and Restoration of Decks
Deck Maintenance
It is simple to maintain a deck or restore one. Simply said, you must maintain, clean, and protect the deck. The primary procedures for refinishing a wood deck are listed below:
- Examining and fixing
- Getting stains out
- Selecting the Best Cleaner
- Cleaning
- Sanding
- Staining and sealing
- Enjoying
1) Inspect the wood deck for rot
It’s necessary to do an inspection to determine the condition of your deck before you begin the process of deck refinishing or restoration. The most frequent locations for concealed rot are where wood meets other wood (butted boards) or where wood meets concrete.
Take anything hard and sharp, like a flathead screwdriver, and poke around if you haven’t secured your deck in a long time or at all.
On the salvageable floorboards, countersink nails and fasten screws. Additionally, check the joists for rot by poking them. If your deck is connected to the house by a ledger board, your joists should be pressure-treated wood, at least 28 in size, spaced no more than 16 inches apart, and equipped with hangers.
2) Do Your Deck Posts Have Cracks?
You should check the posts underneath the deck to see if they are damaged or uneven. If there are concrete piers underneath the posts, have they heaved? If the foundation is decaying and/or unstable, it makes no sense to refinish the surface.Try to verify it for rot and movement. Every 4-5 feet, there should be four 4×4 posts holding up your rail that are bolted to the deck.
Vertical balusters that are held in place by 2-2/4 rails and spaced no more than 4″ apart are required. Next step is looking up the local building regulations.
3) Clean the deck. Is It Advisable To Use A Pressure Washer?
A power washer is not a finishing tool; it is a tool for removal. In the wrong hands, it might potentially serve as a weapon. If you absolutely want to use one, use a large fan and experiment on a spot that won’t draw much attention to see how close to the surface the wand should be.
To prevent harming the wood, please adhere to the directions.
Simply using a garden hose and a soft bristle brush is recommended. Back off a bit if you notice the wood fibers beginning to rise (bur).
4) Cleaning Deck Stains
You might want to use a stain/paint remover if your deck has a lot of old product on it. Simply make sure you adhere to the directions on the packaging. Additionally, you ought to safeguard your prized gardens and put on the appropriate safety gear.
The washer will remove the majority of any raised or chipped old product without using any harsh chemicals.
Some industry professionals advise employing a specialist deck wash. Before you begin, please test the cleanser’s potency in a tiny area.
Before you start, cover any neighboring plants.
Your plants could be harmed by the chemicals in cleansers and sealants. Before you begin, cover all surrounding plants with a tarp or plastic sheet.
Selecting the Best Cleaner Is One of the Steps
There are numerous deck cleaning products on the market. The following four compounds are the key components of the majority. Each one works well for various stains.
Sodium Hypochlorite
This substance, chlorine bleach, works well to get rid of mildew but is ineffective against dirt or other stains, so you should combine it with a detergent free of ammonia. After using this chemical, thoroughly rinse the deck because it can eat away at the wood, causing fuzzing and early graying.
Sodium percarbonate
This substance reacts with water to produce sodium carbonate, a detergent, and hydrogen peroxide, an oxygen-based bleach. It works well to get rid of grime, mildew, and aged wood.
Oxalic acid
This works well to get rid of the brown-black tannins and iron stains that typically appear on cedar and redwood decks. This acid can be frequently found in deck brighteners. You might wish to apply oxalic acid after cleaning the deck with a bleach-based cleanser because it is ineffective against mildew.
Sodium hydroxide
This essential component, often known as lye, is found in the majority of finish lifters and removers. Avoid leaving it on too long because doing so will cause the wood to rot.
Please use extreme caution while handling any of these substances, especially when they’re highly concentrated (premixed). Wear the appropriate safety gear, and strictly adhere to the instructions provided by the manufacturer. Before refinishing, give the surface a thorough rinse and let it air dry.
5) Guidelines for Sanding Your Deck
If you intend to stain the deck, sand the surface first to help the wood absorb the finish.
- You’ll need the following for a typical wood deck:
- Random-orbit sander with four heads
- Sponge sander
- Sandpaper of 60 or 80 grit
- For handrails, use 80- or 100-grit
The appropriate protective gear (please do not forget to wear your respiratory mask, tight fitting work gloves and goggles.)
The upright floor sanders that you can rent from your neighborhood home improvement retailer are used frequently. The issue I have with these machines is that they are hefty, 8″ wide, and absolutely flat, yet they are designed for indoor hardwood floors.
Your floorboards should be slightly convex if installed properly (crown up), if not, they may become slightly concave with time (cupped). With that big of a machine, neither surface can be sanded without removing too much or too little wood from some boards.
The board ends and other spots that the belt sanders can’t reach can be finished with the help of the palm sander.
Finish Sanding
The purpose of finish sanding is to uniformly increase the porosity of the wood so that stain coverage is uniform and absorbs as much as possible. Here, a lighter 60/80 grit should be used.
Keep in mind that crushed pores absorb no stain whereas huge open pores absorb a lot.
Detail Sanding
When a piece of art is detail sanded, it indicates that every nook and cranny has been taken care of. This ensures that the finished product is well protected.
Be careful for:
If you leave your belt or paper on for too long, the cells will be crushed and the stain won’t be allowed.
The improper grit might leave markings or scars on a bare surface that won’t be seen until you stain it.
Your translucent stain will apply blotchily if the finish is uneven.
Finish sanding must be redone if it rains while you are working on a project and you are unable to protect the surface since the moisture will have furred your surface.
The area you sand today will be a different color from the area you sanded yesterday due to discoloration brought on by direct sunshine. If you want a finish with a natural wood grain, this will be significant.
After sanding, carefully vacuum all surfaces.
6) Staining your deck
It’s time to choose how to protect your deck or other structure now that you’ve put in all that effort and have something that looks better than brand-new. Your deck will be more waterproof if you use a wood stain. In order to prevent the lumber from warping, it will also offer protection from the weather.
Is it preferable to roll or brush stain on a deck?
Using a brush is the ideal way to apply stain. This guarantees that the stain is applied uniformly and has a great finish. Using a brush, you may adjust the consistency of the stain and work it into the wood’s surface.
Sprayers don’t afford you that luxury and can be exceedingly untidy, as floating stains can end up on windows, swimming pools, and even cars. Rollers will save you from bending over, but they might produce peeling pooling.